What Inspired Oenone?
- leahrochellep
- May 18
- 3 min read
I first had the idea for my upcoming Paranormal Romance, Oenone, in 2014. I was a student, about to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Art History. The last step was writing my thesis. In an American Gilded Age Art class, I was tasked with choosing a piece to focus on for my year end paper.
I found this task to be difficult. First, American art was never my favorite. Additionally, the Guilded Age was an time when art was dominated by men. In fact, much of the history if art was, and I was determined to pick a piece by a woman.
Through research, I came upon the sculpture of Oenone by Harriet Hosmer, a young woman who created Hellenistic-style sculptures despite the fact that is was considered 'inappropriate' for women to be sculptors at the time. In 1854, at just 24 years old, Hosmer began her first full body sculpture of the nymph Oenone, a lesser known figure in the Trojan War myth.
I'd never heard of Oenone. I'd never even realized that Paris had already had a wife before stealing Helen away from the Spartans and starting the Trojan War. At this time in my life, I was reeling from a relationship where I'd been gaslit, emotionally neglected, and cheated on. I was in a constant struggle to cope with the anger and self-esteem issues I'd been left with, and I saw myself in the sad hanging of Oenone's head. In the way she gazed down at Paris' staff, grieving the loss of this relationship, even though it had destroyed her. I saw her beauty, though I guessed that, like me, she would not be able to see it herself.
I spent the rest of the semester researching Oenone's story, studying the sculpture and Hosmer's work, and writing my paper. In the back of my mind, I wondered what Oenone would do if she were given a second chance to handle her loss. What if she had female friendships to boost her up through the turmoil? What if she was given the time to heal? What would she do differently? These kind of questions knocked around in my mind throughout the semester, and then for the next six years after graduation. Finally, in the summer of 2020, while sitting on my patio in the sunshine with my computer, I decided it was time to give her that chance.
I opened Google docs, started a new document, and brought this sculpture to life. What Oenone will do with her second chance, you may wonder? Well, you'll just have to wait until summer 2026 to get Oenone by Leah Rochelle, and find out for yourself!
What am I reading right now? The Princess and the Pack by Fallon English
I just started this brand new release, and it's my first foray into Omegaverse, a genre I'd never read (or even really heard of, to be honest) before. There was so much buzz around this debut, and I know Fallon, so I was excited to get started! English does a great job of describing the social dynamics of this fantasy world, and included a glossary which was super helpful for readers new to the genre. I am really enjoying getting to know Ivy, Oran, Cillian, Sloan, as well as the cozy, romantic fantasy world they live in. If you're a fan of Omegaverse, spicy romance, and beautiful poetic prose, I definitely recommend The Princess and the Pack!
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