BooksChatter: ℚ Diverted Heart [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Beth Ann Stifflemire to talk about Diverted Heart (10 August 2015, Waldorf Publishing, 138 pages) a New Adult Romance.

"In Diverted Heart, Beth Ann Stifflemire catches her characters in that moment of time when we leave behind the confusion and uncertainty of high school and embark on the terrifying bewilderment of college life. The main character, Taylor, wants desperately for her high school love for Eric to endure while at the same time struggling with the fact that life is pulling them further apart. And when love between Taylor and another man begins to grow, despite all her efforts to fight her feelings, all three find themselves headed for a result that can only lead to pain for at least one, if not more, of the players."

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | About the Author | Tour Stops

A big welcome to Beth Ann Stifflemire, thank you for joining us on BooksChatter.

What was the inspiration for Diverted Heart?

"This is a story that’s always been embedded in me, but what really set it to life was a place of inspiration, my family’s century old farm in Texas. Whenever I thought of this story my heart went back to this special place and it seemed the perfect scenario for a great love story."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"I find that I place bits of myself in the characters I write. In this particular book, the lead character Taylor carries a few.

For starters, she is a Texas A&M Bound College student and I went to Texas A&M University as well.

Secondly, she loves to run as do I (this is how she first meets the character Maxwell in the book).

The scenario of the families move the summer before college really did occur in my life. My family moved from a very large city to the country the summer prior to my beginning college.

Finally I LOVE Labradors. I was able to add this part of myself into the book with the Labrador, Judge. My husband and I have had 3 Labrador retrievers throughout our marriage. They are the BEST canine friends ever."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Diverted Heart - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I wanted a cover that I would pick-up. After scouring several covers that I liked I set out to find the perfect image to evoke my characters Taylor & Maxwell. As soon as I uncovered the photo you see, I was hooked. The publishers graphic designer and myself then went to town playing with the “look of the image”, fonts etc… eventually it came together as you see it now. I also played with it a bit further and wanted to give it a rustic feel so if you pick up an actual print copy you will see the cover is a matte finish versus the more typical glossy finish."

Why should we read Diverted Heart and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"My books is unique because many young women (I feel) can truly relate to the character Taylor. As we leave our teens and enter our early twenties SO MANY things happen that shape our lives and who we are. Love can be such an enormous part of this shift/growth. We yearn to discover what real love means, being with another person, experiencing firsts, determining love versus lust, etc. I feel that young or old a reader can resonate with this at some point in their lives through Taylor’s life changing summer. I also was going for some heat and sizzle in the book as I LOVE heat and sizzle in books I read. My hope is that the readers don’t see this as just a love story but feel rewarded by the love scenes built up throughout the book. I feel that with New Adult Romance this is an important factor not to be missed and I believe others will enjoy this too."

Can you tell us something quirky about Diverted Heart, its story and characters?

"I’m living vicariously through Taylor, I always said if I had a girl I’d name her Taylor. Low and behold my husband and I have a houseful of boys so I’ve been able to give the name life that otherwise I will not.

The name Maxwell versus Max in the book. So, in the book Maxwell goes by the name Max to most but to Taylor. It becomes a game when she realizes he doesn’t like his full name used, Maxwell. In the end thought it becomes something special and unique for her. This is much like my husband and I whose family calls him by the shorter/nickname version of his name and I call him by his full/formal first name."

Who would you recommend Diverted Heart to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to all readers 17 and up. There is sexual content though not erotic. Along the lines of what a reader would encounter in books like “Beautiful Disaster” or any Nora Roberts Romance."

If you could / wished to turn Diverted Heart into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"This is a GREAT question as I often do this in the reverse, meaning when I write my stories, I get their looks from actors/real places etc before I begin writing.

My dream cast would be:

Taylor – Nina Dobrev
Maxwell – Gabriel Macht (I know he’s older than my character, but in his younger years, its exactly what I envision Maxwell looking like)
Eric – Marco Dapper

Director – Josh Boone (Director of “The Fault in our Stars”)

The location would of course be my family’s farm in Texas as well as parts of Houston and College Station Texas."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I gravitate to reading Romance and REALLY enjoy writing Romance. I span from Contemporary to New Adult and plan to write several more Romances in the years to come. My latest contemporary romance is, “Fate’s Betrayal”, just released on 10/1/15 and a totally different/emotional read than Diverted Heart.

I do however also enjoy writing children’s books, having children of my own. I have a children series, “The Spectacular World of Waldorf” due out in 2016."

What is your writing process?

"I map out my entire stories before tackling the book on my computer. Stories of course evolve/change as I go, but this gets me on a clear path to where I want my story to ultimately end up. I often write for 3-5 hour stretches at a time and find that writing 9 o’clock in the evening onward to be my best window to write both logistically and creatively."

What is in store next?

"I have a slew of projects in my head but next I plan on laying my focus first on another romance that tackles a current and World War II story concurrently. I am also working on a potential sequel to Diverted Heart. And finally I am working on the children’s series “The Spectacular World of Waldorf” previously mentioned. In a nutshell, I have a lot of typing to do."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?