All about the novel The Heart Wants What It Wants

Who is D.M Batten?

Dolores Batten, a Professor/English Lecturer at Keiser University, currently serves as the Senior Essay Editor for Plath Profiles academic journal. With a M.A. in Literature and Language from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX, and currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Central Florida in the Texts and Technology program.

Dolores’s passion for writing has earned her recognition in numerous academic publications and conferences. This captivating narrative non-fiction work is the result of years of dedicated experience. It chronicles the journey of a young lesbian across the highs and lows of navigating the world as an emerging member of the LGBT community in the United States during the less accepting 1990s. The story is a heartfelt autobiography that delves into the depths of personal growth and relationships. It provokes important considerations and discussions on religion, philosophy, social culture, and the psychoanalytical perspective, all from the unique position of her own personal account.

As both an academic and a writer, Batten has skillfully intertwined critical analysis and personal recollections in an ethnography of the first 40 years of her life. This novel offers a universal glimpse into the human condition, exploring emotions that resonate within both the homosexual community and the wider social world.

What is The Heart Wants What It Wants about?

Conquer darkness and ego-driven thoughts by embracing faith, hope, and a deep commitment to a greater purpose founded upon love.

This autobiography is particularly significant as it explores open-mindedness, non-traditional love, and caters to various niches such as coming-of-age, LGBTQIA+, twin flames, spiritualists, and those who dedicate themselves to serving God, regardless of their background or the trials they encounter in life.

As a college Professor and a PhD Candidate, I have triumphed over seemingly insurmountable obstacles and been blessed with the ability to empathize with people from all walks of life, embracing diversity. I have learned how to apply my knowledge by experiencing life firsthand, rather than merely preaching about it. With a personal objective to align my perspective with a higher power, I am confident that this book accomplishes that goal, gradually guiding readers through the many challenges life presents and offering insights on viewing them through the lens of unconditional love.

Interview

What was the inspiration for “The Heart Wants What It Wants: A Destined Twin Flame Journey”?

The “Heart Wants What It Wants: A Destined Twin Flame Journey” came out of the simple need I had to write; to get it all out; and write it all down. When I started this memoir over 25 years ago, I had no clue the journey that it, and I, would take. I felt called to share some very personal life experiences in the hopes of helping others going through similar things. I think it is the job of the creatives to empower and inspire others, and to hold the torch for future writers and generations by sharing our light with them.  What I ended up with, however, was far beyond my imagination.  As I revised throughout the years, I analyzed my own experiences, and the overcoming of darkness that could have destroyed me, and I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t writing this book at all.  It was writing me.

There are several chapters in this book which I have verified with others to assure an authentic retelling of my life, both stars and scars.   As a young lesbian coming of age and coming out in a conservative part of rural mountain Georgia in the 1990s, I felt it was necessary for me to give voice to the voiceless, and therefore empower them.   Recognition of the LGBTQ+ community was rare back then, and homophobia was frequent.  In the memoir, I deal with issues that are experienced in the community, along with speaking on spirituality, religion, trauma, twin flame relationships, and most importantly, love.

If I can truly help just one person going through something similar, or educate one individual to see things more open-mindedly who hasn’t walked in my shoes, then I feel my book will be a success.

What drew you to writing?

So many things!  I was an avid reader as a child, and my grandmother brought home a Brother’s typewriter—you know, the kind with a full screen that you would type into and hopefully not make a mistake because you couldn’t see the final page until it was printed.  I started writing stories like “The Nancy Drew Files” in the third grade, and then, when I reached my teenage years, I transitioned to poetry.  With all the new experiences in my life, poetry kept me grounded and let me feel my emotions on paper.  

I went on to become a College English Professor, and I’m currently working on a PhD which focuses on a critical theory of reading I have deemed Experiential Critical Theory (ECT), in which I assert that our genuine interpretation of text and literature is based on our memories and experiences.  My goal is to give students authority in their own interpretations of what they read in the world by being able to express their own life history more academically in what has  traditionally been seen as the privilege of the well-known scholars and academics.  I think a person’s lived experience is just as valid, and even more important to them, and thus interpreting literature this way is more sincere and honest, just like my writing.

How did you choose which character to center the story around?

Since the book is a memoir, it was destined to be centered around me.  However, I think the people I chose to include in it are just as much the center of its universe.  If I was affected by them, if they touched my soul, my life, and my heart, then I included them to the best of my ability.  Not every moment of a life can be encapsulated in a book, but the really important ones that still stick out years after they left their imprint, that’s what I was going for .

What was your process for writing “The Heart Wants What It Wants: A Destined Twin Flame Journey”?

When I started writing this memoir, I just wanted to get my thoughts out, you know… I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was writing for catharsis.  And after I wrote a few chapters, I realized how much I could help others with my writing.  As I relived all the important moments that defined who I am today, I was able to see clearly how someone else could benefit from my life experiences.  Then, the writing became a mission.  I continued off and on for years, but I never forced myself to write.  I always felt, if it’s meant to be said, it will come.  That is not to say that I didn’t stare at a blank page from time to time, or write something that I ended up omitting from the final draft, but just that I wanted to enjoy writing, and not feel like it was a job.  For me, writing is a beautiful art, just like music, where you play the melodies when the inspiration hits you, and that typically happened around 3am in the morning for me!

What is your approach to world and character building?

For me, as a reader, I like it when I feel like I am immersed in the scene.  So, I spent a lot of time thinking back to the details—the small things that could show the picture in my head on paper.  In some chapters, I use a theatrical approach to writing, in which I script out how it “went down” or what it would look like if the scene were adapted into a movie.  I want the reader to come away from it feeling like they have been there.

For example, in Chapter 10, I speak about the 1990s Florida rave scene in Orange and Brevard county.  There was a movement of electronic music central to the physical location: Breakbeats.  And I speak of examples of this music, their tonalities, and the picturesque way in which thousands upon thousands of people came together every weekend, dripping in sweat from dancing all night with glowsticks and exchanged magical moments while giving candy bracelets to one another, and swayed to the rhythmic beat of a body in unison—one heartbeat, one love.

I also moved around a lot during my childhood and young adulthood, so I have seen all different types of communities and cultures, and I worked hard to represent the essence of those groups.  

How would you describe “The Heart Wants What It Wants: A Destined Twin Flame Journey”?

“If Dawson’s Creek and Perks of Being a Wallflower had a lovechild, with a smidgeon of Shameless and a hint of Party Monsters, that would be this book!”

I would say this story reflects my own broken beginnings, yearnings for female companionship, experiences through spiritual awakening and the 1990’s rave scene of course, and the perils of finding ‘the one’ along the way. It will definitely appeal to a wide audience looking for an authentic voice of lesbian liberation, through the almost-too-honest account of love, loss, and rekindling. Growing up as a lesbian in the early 90’s was a harrowing and life-defining experience. As the self-proclaimed protagonist in this nonfiction memoir, I can attest to the trials and tribulations of the coming out experience, as I was kicked from the closet by everyone nearest and dearest to me. Throughout a series of misadventures, I found forbidden love in the eyes of my twin flame and my wife, who are two different people entirely, and this autobiography chronicles our misadventures through deeply confessional prose which teeters on the edge of possibility, pain, madness, wonder, and awe. 

My biggest goal for this manuscript is to express the LGBTQ+ voice, and to provide a painfully honest and confessional account of my life to bring authenticity of the experience of marginalized individuals into the world and have a voice of representation for both lesbians and lovers alike.

Did you have a favorite moment in the book to write?

…yes.  There is a special moment in the book where I realize who my twin flame is to me, and even though she is happy in another relationship and I am married to a wonderful soulmate, this recognition, even though it wasn’t something we could label, permeated our whole existence.  You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened next.

It is truly a book for dreamers and lovers, and that’s all of us.  Every person on earth can relate to romance, to heartbreak, and to bonding with another soul.  That’s my favorite part, and it is what encompasses the narrative as a whole.

What was your favorite book growing up?

That’s an easy one.  “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George.  I loved this story of a young boy living off grid in the woods, because it showed how much you can do with very little, and how getting to know yourself, and taking care of yourself is more important that worldly possessions.  The true treasure comes from loving yourself unconditionally, and this boy seemed to have that truth mastered as a child.  I aspired to go out into the woods, like him, and live off the land, while I read the book every day from the branch of a Florida avocado tree in my backyard.

Do you have a favorite genre to read?

I think this might be the hardest question of all!  I never wanted to pigeonhole myself into one kind of writing.  I love poetry, because it can be so short and yet so impactful, but I’m also a science fiction fan, with texts like Ursula Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness” or Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”.  As an English teacher (before entering my Professorship), I also fell in love with young adult fiction.  And I still love reading a good academic essay, even when I’m not required to, if the topic is interesting.