Now that Russia is conducting a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the central conflict woven into the delicate fabric of my novel, namely the influx of Western suitors into Ukraine, has been subjugated—or ripped apart, to keep with the metaphor—by a far more violent and destructive narrative. My novel (postnovel? yet-to-be defined entity?) needs further tailoring to reflect these rapidly changing circumstances. Returning to Ukraine and visiting cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson—the typical sites of romance tours—will enable me to restitch the novel to fit current times.
