When
did you decide to become a writer?
Never?
What I mean by that is that I never made a conscious decision to become a
writer exactly. In high school and college I wrote things down, little things,
blurby things really, but I always threw them away because I hated them.
Eventually I started to give myself a break and started hating what I wrote
less and less—one day I even liked it! I remember a layover I had in Japan when
I was working as a flight attendant; in my hotel room overlooking a dense
cluster of trees, I sat in the windowsill and wrote a short piece on the hotel
stationary. That was the first piece of writing I allowed to exist—I still have
it somewhere. That was probably in 2001. I started writing my first book in
2002 and eventually self published that in 2008. It wasn’t until 2009 that I
sat down and made a serious plan to write with the intent of becoming published.
I finished ASCENDANT in 2010, and signed with my agent Emma Patterson later that
year. It may sound weird but it was all very focused and intentional.
Which
writers inspire you?
Many writers
and for many different reasons. However, if we’re talking purely the aspect of
pursuing the writer’s life, then my answer is Maggie Stiefvater. I enjoy her
books a great deal, but she also has a wealth of teaching to offer up on her
blog that chronicles her journey of becoming Maggie Stiefvater--Author. I would
recommend browsing through her archives to anyone looking to shift their
existence into becoming a published author.
So,
tell us about your new book, ASCENDANT- what type of audience will connect to
it?
Everyone,
of course. I’m kidding—unless of course everyone WILL read it and love it? No?
Okay, then probably those who have enjoyed young adult novels in the past where
the romance is not the central point of the plot but is certainly still there.
It’s a mystery that will keep you guessing till the end and is primarily about
the beginning of Charlotte’s journey to become the person she’s meant to be. She
is learning about her family and their connections with groups that practice
Alchemy and the power that comes with that knowledge.
Give
us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Charlotte
is just an ordinary girl. She loves to read, she is very smart, but she doesn’t
believe in herself—yet.
What
are you working on at the minute?
Currently
I’m working on revisions for the second book in this series, MIDHEAVEN, and
I’ve almost finished the first draft for a stand alone novel currently titled
DAY OF THE DEAD. It is about a girl who moves to Oaxaca, Mexico for a study
abroad program during her junior year of high school. While there, she sees her
two-year-old baby brother while participating in the Day of the Dead
celebrations—he’s been dead for thirteen years.
What
advice would you give to your younger self?
1. You
are worth it.
2.
Anything that you want to do well takes practice—and this is true for everyone.
3. You
are way smarter than you give yourself credit for.
4.
People that hurt you do not deserve you.
5.
Verbal and emotional abuse is still abuse.
6.
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up—especially on yourself.
Ascendant-
When I was twelve, my mother disappeared. I was the first person to
never find her.
I’m sixteen now and she has never been found, alive or dead.
I’m not the girl I should have been.
When Charlotte
Stevens, bright but failing, is sent to stay at her mother’s childhood home in
Somerset England her life is changed forever. While exploring the lavish family
manor, Gaersum Aern, Charlotte discovers a stone puzzle box that contains a
pentagram necklace and a note from her mother—clues to her family’s strange
past and her mother’s disappearance. Charlotte must try to solve the puzzle
box, decipher her mother’s old journals, and figure out who is working to derail
her efforts—and why. The family manor contains many secrets and hidden
histories, keys to the elegant mystery Charlotte called mom and hopefully, a
trail to finding her.
If
readers and fans want to find you, what are your social media addresses?
Don't forget Goodreads.
Blog: Rebeccataylorbooks.blogspot.com
Twitter: @RebeccaTaylorYA
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/Rebeccataylor
Amazon: Amazon.com/author/rebeccataylorbooks
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/RebeccaTaylorBooks
