The Wild Rose Press – Cannons to Cruising

Galentine’s Date with an Author

While there is not much to report on the sailing front since my last post, I do have some exciting stories about my writing life to share! I was honored to be a part of the Officer Spouse’s Club “A Galentine’s Date with the Authors” event this past week.

Six military wives made up the author panel—two children’s book writers, a contemporary romance writer, a regency romance writer, an illustrator, and ME! Your favorite fantasy romance author! Thanks to the TOUR OF HOMES in December, I was able to get the word out about my books and connect with other writers, who invited me to be a part of the Galentine’s date. This was my first author panel and I had no idea what to expect, so I brought bookmarks, business cards, nerdy swag pins (those were a hit!) and copies of Cloaked and Sonder Village to sell.

Over 30 people attended the event. Ladies came up to chat with the writers one-on-one, ask questions about their books, and collect some prizes. I’m happy to say that there were a few aspiring authors in the crowd, and I hope to see them up there next year.

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After the meet and greet, the Q&A kicked off. A lot of people were interested in the business aspect of publishing, which surprised me. We discussed the pros and cons of self-pubbing vs. traditional publishing (I was the sole trad pub voice here), series vs. standalone novels, and how to appeal to our readers.

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By the end of the night, I had sold all my copies of Cloaked but only a few of Sonder Village. I don’t know if it was just my audience that night or not, but this tells me that I need to get better at pitching Sonder Village! Hopefully the readers who bought Cloaked and enjoyed it will give my other book a chance, too.

It was just so inspiring to see other women who have carved an identity out from the chaotic and sometimes all-consuming military life. I was proud to sit alongside these creative, passionate, and hard-working women and talk about my favorite subject (besides sailing) all night.

In the spirit of keeping this promo momentum going, I was also interviewed this week on The Magic Book Corner book review site. You can read the full interview HERE!

Thanks for all the support, everyone!

Love,

Taylor, Conor, and W

Behind the Scenes of Sonder Village

Sonder Village was released today! Here’s the scoop on my new book and some fun facts.

This book is based off a news article I read in 2015 about abandoned villages up for sale in Spain. All the properties seemed to have a rich history and a story to tell. I had always wanted to play with setting as a character and this concept presented the perfect opportunity!
I finished this book right before going into labor with Baby W. Once she was born and I exited the baby fog, I realized I hated my original ending and rewrote the last 15,000 words!
I actually speak Spanish. It was one of my majors in college.
Early readers of this book include my parents, Conor, and my dear friend Annie B. Their honesty and support keeps me going! Thanks for slogging through early drafts, guys!
I pitched this book to my editor while we were in Atlanta after evacuating for Hurricane Florence.
The cover artist who did Sonder Village also did my cover for Cloaked
My favorite passage in the book is this one (I wonder why?):

Bieito transformed at the helm. Holding onto the tiller, he expertly steered them through the breaking waves, showing no hint of fear. He was right—it was a dance. Remy tried to stay out of the way as he raised and trimmed the sail. Soon they were flying. The little sailboat skipped over the choppy waves, riding on moonlight.

Their serious conversation from earlier was placed on an indefinite hold. Remy couldn’t speak right now even if she wanted to. The entire experience stole her breath away, and all she could do was hold on tight, smiling from ear to ear until her cheeks ached.

Let’s sail forever. Remy longed to just keep moving forward, into the unknown. To never see land again, and to live in the waves and at the whim of the wind. It blew all the thoughts and worries straight out of her head.

This was Bieito’s version of painting. The release of consciousness as he let his body live in the moment, just as Remy did with a brush. She looked back at him from her seat across the cockpit. The lines on his face were completely smoothed out in the silver light, and she could see the boy he used to be; a boy who got his love of the sea from his mother, and the respect of the sea when he learned how to ride it.

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Send me your questions! Anything about the book, the publishing process, or writing strategies. Happy reading and I hope you enjoy Sonder Village!

Love,

Taylor

SONDER VILLAGE Reveal!

Sonder (n) : the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

I’m proud to finally announce the details of my second book, Sonder Village! It will be published by The Wild Rose Press with a release date TBD. I’d love to hear what you think about the cover and blurb!

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Abandoned for over a hundred years, a small village in northern Spain enchants Remy into purchasing what could be the worst real estate investment of all time. It is located near the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage path renowned for miracles, and the disgraced painter waits for her own revelation while rebuilding the ruins of her village and her life. But this property holds dangerous secrets dating back to a Galician military coup in 1846 that refuse to stay buried.

Bieito is a local fisherman married to the sea, but he becomes enamored with the newly-arrived American artist. His decision to pursue Remy—when he can find her—upsets history’s delicate balance and endangers his family.

Engulfed in a past that no one else can see, Remy must find who—or what—is really in control of her fate, and if she can survive being torn between two worlds.

Love to all my readers!

Taylor, Conor, and W

As Seen On TV

And by that, I mean MY BOOK WAS ON TV!! It was featured in a holiday gift guide on the show Good Day Sacramento. Somebody pinch me!

Here’s the segment:

https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/3985330-out-of-the-box-gift-ideas/

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just be here on my boat. Freaking out.

Love,

Taylor (and my greatest supporters, Conor and W)

Book Contract

Ahem! I have an announcement, and it is one that doesn’t have to do with sailing, living aboard, or military life (shocking!).

For those of you that don’t know, I have been trying to become a traditionally published author for the past three years. So far, I’ve written four books and been rejected countless times by literary agents and publishing houses alike (I should go through my email and get an exact number, it is in the hundreds). My stubbornness finally paid off, though.

Last week I signed a book contract with romance publisher The Wild Rose Press for my third novel, Cloaked. I am so excited to work with an incredible team of editors and marketing staff to realize this dream. More details to come, but for now I’m just pinching myself to make sure it is all real. Sending love and thanks to all who have supported me through this, and told me never to give up. The many hours spent banging my head against the keyboard turned out to be worth it.

Love,

Taylor, Conor, and Baby W

I took this pic on the day I finished the rough draft of *Cloaked* way back in California (September, 2016). Yes, I ate that donut to celebrate.