{"id":666,"date":"2017-11-28T14:49:15","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T19:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=666"},"modified":"2021-03-25T09:34:54","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T13:34:54","slug":"author-spotlight-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/author-spotlight-28\/","title":{"rendered":"Author Spotlight: K. J. Taylor"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Welcome \u2014 or welcome back \u2014 to another Author Spotlight! If you’re new and want to know more about how the series got started, go check out the introduction post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today the spotlight is on Australian archivist, K. J. Taylor.<\/p>\n

\"KJ<\/p>\n

– \u00a0– \u00a0–<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the most important. What\u2019s your most recent\/next book, and where can we go to learn more about it and you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got two upcoming trilogies, one of which will start coming out this year, and the other of which will come out at the tail end of 2018. My closest new release is a novel called The Last Guard<\/em>, which was originally published in 2015, but the publisher closed its doors and I\u2019ve now found a new publisher who will be re-releasing it. You can read more about it on kjtaylor.com<\/a>. Once it\u2019s available again in December 2017, I\u2019ll add links to places you can buy it!<\/p>\n

Has anyone ever made a suggestion for one of your stories that you liked so much, you altered said story to include it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes! In fact it\u2019s happened twice now. The first time around I was talking to a friend\/fan about a character of mine. I told her how I was going to have him form a touching bond with a troubled teenage girl. The friend immediately insisted that the two of them should fall in love despite the 20 year age difference, and I eventually did just that\u2026 except I wrote it as extremely messed up and unhealthy, complete with substance abuse, a spot of domestic violence and an accidental pregnancy. My friend was not at all pleased! The second time it happened was with a fan who had been reading ahead in a series of mine \u2013 I shared the manuscripts with him as I was writing. He told me he wanted a certain thing to happen. At first I was reluctant, but I ultimately realised that he had spotted something I hadn\u2019t: that I\u2019d been unconsciously foreshadowing this thing right from the beginning. So I went ahead with it, and was very glad I did.<\/p>\n

What is the quickest you\u2019ve ever written a book?\u00a0 Longest?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I once wrote an entire 100,000 word novel in four days. <\/em>No, I\u2019m not joking. Four days. I was a complete wreck afterwards, mind you. I could barely remember my own name. The longest would probably be\u2026 maybe a year? When it takes me that long it\u2019s generally because I\u2019ve abandoned the manuscript and not come back to it until a while later. With some of them I never went back, and those books are likely to remain unfinished. Oh well. It happens.<\/p>\n

What do you want your tombstone to say?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Is Made Of Stories, And Mine Has Been Told\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you know how all of your characters look and sound?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Definitely! It helps that I draw pictures of them, and have recorded myself reading a lot of my books aloud. When I read, I\u2019m always careful to give each character their own voice. And by that I don\u2019t mean a goofy accent or something; I alter the tone, pitch and speed of my voice depending on who\u2019s speaking. It\u2019s a lot of fun!<\/p>\n

Can you read other things when you\u2019re working on a book, or do you have to stick with writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, these days I read very little fiction and mostly stick with non-fiction.When you spend three days a week writing novels and short stories and the rest of the week thinking about writing them, after a while fictional stories become something you need to take a break from during Me Time. It\u2019s like working in a chocolate factory; after a while you\u2019d really prefer to just have a salad.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite book\/story among the one\u2019s you\u2019ve written? Why is it so special to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tough question! (That\u2019s why I picked it, actually. I wanted a challenge). There are a few books and stories of mine I\u2019m particularly proud of, but if I had to pick a favourite it would have to be the final book of my Cymrian Saga<\/em> series (given that the series is 18 books long and covers about 500 years, I decided it had earned the right to be caleld a Saga). The Last Guard<\/em> is book 7 in that series, so we\u2019ve got a way to go yet! The final book is called The Touch of Light<\/em>, and I\u2019m proud of it for a few reasons. One is that it\u2019s the book where everything (well, most things) is finally resolved, and my favourite characters get the closure they deserve. It\u2019s also the book where I finally said goodbye to that world after over a decade of writing in it, so there was a bittersweet feeling as I wrote the last few pages. A major theme of the story is homecoming \u2013 finally forgetting your troubles and returning to the place where you belong, able to rest now since there\u2019s nothing more that needs to be done, and peace has come. That was how writing it felt.<\/p>\n

What is one question you\u2019ve always wanted to be asked in an interview?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, I love being asked specific questions about the actual content of my books rather than generic stuff like \u201cwhere do you get your ideas?\u201d and \u201cwhat advice do you have for aspiring authors?\u201d. You can only answer questions like that so many times before you run out of interesting answers. I much prefer to be interviewed by someone who\u2019s read my books and has questions like \u201cwhat was the name of [character\u2019s] mother?\u201d or \u201cWhat did [character] mean when he said [dialogue quote]?\u201d. That\u2019s when I really get engaged and am answering questions for reasons other than to be polite!<\/p>\n

– \u00a0– \u00a0–<\/p>\n

\"PhotoThank you, Ms. Taylor for taking the time to answer a few questions for me. If you’d like to know more about K. J. Taylor, you can check out her website<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook page<\/a>, and Twitter<\/a>. Her books are on\u00a0Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome \u2014 or welcome back \u2014 to another Author Spotlight! If you’re new and want to know more about how the series got started, go…<\/p>\n

Keep ReadingAuthor Spotlight: K. J. Taylor<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[115],"tags":[183,47],"class_list":["post-666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-blogger","tag-author-spotlight","tag-interview","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Z77k-aK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":496,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/author-spotlight-19\/","url_meta":{"origin":666,"position":0},"title":"Author Spotlight: Joseph J. Madden","author":"Rachel","date":"October 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome \u2014 or welcome back \u2014 to another Author Spotlight! If you're new and want to know more about how the series got started, go check out the introduction post. Today the spotlight is on\u00a0Sci-Fi\/Fantasy author of The Starhawk Chronicles, Joseph J. Madden. - \u00a0- \u00a0- What\u2019s your most recent\/next\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Blogger"","block_context":{"text":"Book Blogger","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/book-blogger\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"JJ Madden Banner","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/1500x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/1500x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/1500x500.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":691,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/author-spotlight-30\/","url_meta":{"origin":666,"position":1},"title":"Author Spotlight: Edd Sowder","author":"Rachel","date":"December 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome \u2014 or welcome back \u2014 to my last Author Spotlight! If you're new and want to know more about how the series got started, go check out the introduction post. This spotlight is special. I've got the spotlight turned on Edd Sowder, Vice President of Burning Willow Press, my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Blogger"","block_context":{"text":"Book Blogger","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/book-blogger\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Burning Willow Press Banner","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/burningWillowBanner.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/burningWillowBanner.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/burningWillowBanner.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":702,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/spotlight-wrap-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":666,"position":2},"title":"Author Spotlight Wrap Up","author":"Rachel","date":"December 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I've had fun with my Author Spotlight series. I've made some good friends, learned a lot, and have discovered some interesting books. I announced the series just over four months ago, and have had some fabulous entries since then. If you missed any, here's the full list: CC Adams\u00a0- Horror\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Blogger"","block_context":{"text":"Book Blogger","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/book-blogger\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":675,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/author-spotlight-29\/","url_meta":{"origin":666,"position":3},"title":"Author Spotlight: S. L. Perrine","author":"Rachel","date":"November 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome \u2014 or welcome back \u2014 to another Author Spotlight! If you're new and want to know more about how the series got started, go check out the introduction post. Today the spotlight is on award-winning author of many genres, S. L. Perrine. - \u00a0- \u00a0- Let\u2019s start with the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Blogger"","block_context":{"text":"Book Blogger","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/book-blogger\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SL Perrine Banner","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/banner.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":105,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/spotlight-intro\/","url_meta":{"origin":666,"position":4},"title":"Coming Soon: Author Spotlight Series","author":"Rachel","date":"July 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It can be tough for indie authors to get their work out there. We\u2019re individual people, sometimes with small publishers, and we can\u2019t do what the huge publishing houses do. Our resources are finite, and, many times, quite minimal. Based off of the pool of indie authors I interact with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Blogger"","block_context":{"text":"Book Blogger","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/book-blogger\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Author Spotlight","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/authorSpotlight.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/authorSpotlight.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/authorSpotlight.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/authorSpotlight.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":299,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/author-spotlight-8\/","url_meta":{"origin":666,"position":5},"title":"Author Spotlight: J.S. Frankel","author":"Rachel","date":"September 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome back for another Author Spotlight! If you want to know more about how the series got started, go check out the introduction post. Today the spotlight is on Osaka-based YA Author, J.S. Frankel. As you know, I\u2019m not a fan of long introductions, so let\u2019s get started. - \u00a0-\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Blogger"","block_context":{"text":"Book Blogger","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/book-blogger\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo of J.S. Frankel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Picture-of-ME-1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=666"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":680,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666\/revisions\/680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}