Brand new author Tiphanie Thomas has decided to let the bunnies chat about her first book with her…

So Tiphanie you are a newly published author.  What is your book?

My debut novel, Heart Stealer, has just been released from Createspace and is available on Amazon and Barns & Noble on Friday. It has been a very exciting and happy time for me to see my dream come to reality.

Tell us a little about Heart Stealer
Heart Stealer is a romance between an unlikely duo–a movie star and a schoolteacher–who didn’t see themselves together, yet they have an overwhelming attraction to each other, making them deal with their fears, painful pasts, and completely different lifestyles. It has funny and sexy moments, as well as tear-jerking ones.

I was inspired to write Heart Stealer because it was a story in my head that I couldn’t get rid of. They’ve been it for years. I fell in love with them and knew I had to tell their story.

When you start writing, do you already have the story plotted out or do you let the characters dictate what will happen?
I start with analysis of all the characters I know I need and plotting a time line of what I want or see happening. When I get as far as I can, I start writing, continually updating and revising the timeline and analysis as I go. Lol, that’s my accounting and finance background coming out. J

Also, I believe it was Toni Morrison who said that you should always know the end before you start writing, so I had that planned out.

What inspired you to write in your genre?  Is this the genre you started writing in or have you morphed to this one?
I always knew I would write romance. I’ve been in love with love since I was a young girl. I was in love with Gone with the Wind and Pretty Woman, as well as romance books. So with that, it morphed into I had to write and give all the great emotions I feel reading or watching a great romance being played out.

Do you have a favorite character you have written?
I’m a woman, so I definitely fell in love with Randall Rowe from Heart Stealer, though I do like Kayla very much. Randall is impossible and flawed, but so cute, chivalrous, and romantic. He’s the type of guy to make women swoon and beg for more, and guys like him because they can relate to his struggles with family and career.

Do you have a character that you look back on now and don’t like?
No, I like them all, even the ones you’re suppose to hate, because I know each of their hopes, hurts, and dreams.

What do you find the hardest part of writing?
Emotional complexity is very hard to achieve and really getting into your character’s head. Most of that, I added after the first draft when I really knew my characters’ hearts and souls.

Name one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you.
My favorite moves are romantic, tragic love stories that make me cry. I cried through Gone with the Wind, Titanic, Brokeback Mountain, and the English Patient. I’m a sucker, and I usually go back for more.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?
I’ve been known to catch an episode of Bad Girls Club, and then I feel completely dirty after watching all the fighting. But the emotional situations that made them like that does intrigue me.

What do you need before you start writing?  Anything that is just a must have or the creative juice don’t flow?
Hot tea and a blanket works wonders for me because I need to be relaxed.

Does music influence your writing?  If so, do any of your stories have a theme song?
It does create a mood when I want it to. I just discovered the theme song for my novel, and I’m putting it in my book trailer. I’m really excited about it. You will be able to find it on my website soon.

No, I don’t have themes, though if I’m writing something sad, I might listen to some slow, heartbreaking songs.

If your story was optioned for a movie, who would play your characters?
Kayla is easy. She would be Sanaa Lathan. Randall is impossible to cast. I think he would need at least three different men to play him. For smile and body, maybe Morris Chestnut. For eyes, he would have to be  .For his soulfulness and complexity, I think he most resembles Denzel Washington.

How old were you when you read your first romance book?
I was thirteen and my first author was Johanna Lindsey. I read at least thirty of her novels.

What is your reaction to people who say one of the following…”Oh you write romance, I thought you were a real writer”, “Romance isn’t a real writing career” or the ever popular “Oh, one of those books”.
Romance is very deep, because it’s really about love and what does love requires to grow and blossom. It’s about relationships, fears, trust, respect, and how to make it work, and all the things that go along with love. That was what I was trying to tackle with my book and it’s not an easy subject at all. In fact, I don’t think that there is anything more complicated. Why do people think marriage is hard?

Where can readers find you?
www.tiphaniethomas.com

http://twitter.com/#!/tiphaniethomas1

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiphanie-Thomas-Author/173407949373030

And for the silly side – What is your favorite type of chocolate?
I love a good, warm chocolate cake with ice cream. I love the contrast of warm with cold.