I am very happy to welcome the author Betsy St. Amant to the story behind the story today.
1. ‘What inspired you to write Love Arrives in Pieces?
Honestly—my own divorce inspired this story. The heroine, Stella, made an appearance in my first book with HarperCollins, All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes, and at the end of that book, I knew Stella had her own story to tell. When I started diving in, I realized hers was a lot like mine, and it snowballed from there! Both Stella and I went through a divorce we didn’t want and didn’t see coming, and both ended up with some of the same self image/self esteem issues afterward. Stella reacted to hers in a different way than I did to mine, but the heart and pain behind the choices were identical. I think women will be able to relate in so many ways, regardless of their specific circumstances.
- Was it difficult writing about it?
Yes and no. The writing itself wasn’t difficult—it was actually very therapeutic once I got it out. But the literal process of getting the words on the page was a lot harder, because I’d subconsciously put so much pressure on this story that I psyched myself out. I finally had to let go of trying to make it perfect and just let it come out and let God do what He would with it. And as always, He blew me away!
3. How does this story differ from the other books you’ve written?
This story is raw, and a real, and relatable. It’s a little less light-hearted. It’s not heavy, by any means, and has comedic relief and a happily ever after. But a lot of readers described All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes as a “light read” or “fluffy read”. Not in a negative way, but in a “take this one to the pool for a few hours” kind of way. Yet Love Arrives in Pieces goes a layer deeper. I bled on these pages.
4. Did the writing go faster or slower because the book was based on a true story?
Definitely slower! It took more out of me.
5. Would you write another truth-based story again?
Absolutely! I’m more proud of this story than any other I’ve written. A lot of it was written for me. But my prayer is that it helps encourage other women who have been in my shoes or in a similarly uncomfortable pair.
6. What kind of reaction have you received so far to the book?
I haven’t received a lot of feedback yet, but so far, the bit I’ve gotten has been positive. Several of my author friends who received advance copies said this was my best novel yet. I can only give God the credit for that one! This was an all or nothing book for me, and He saw me through it, and literally accomplished the impossible. I was behind on my deadline because of how tough this story was to write, and the day before it was due to my editor, I wrote over 30,000 turn-in-ready words and completed the book. You can’t get more miraculous than that.
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT LOVE ARRIVES IN PIECES
Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but she always falls short. So she keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.
Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater and is shocked to discover that the designer for the project is his old flame, Stella.
Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together on a vision for the theater. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, while losing her trust in the process.
A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from their brokenness.
BIO
Betsy St. Amant has a heart for three things – chocolate, new shoes and sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. She lives in Louisiana with her adorable story-telling young daughter, a collection of Austen novels, and an impressive stash of Pickle Pringles. A freelance journalist and fiction author, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is multi-published in Contemporary Romance via Love Inspired and Harper Collins (Zondervan). When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing.