Jennifer Taylor is another fabulous Pen Dame. She is also an
author with many talents. She sings, dances, and has a green thumb. She is also
mom to a ginormous Great Dane named Bridget.
1. Jennifer,
tell us a little about your musical talent. Did you aspire to be a singer and a
dancer?
Hello, Loretta! Thanks
for interviewing me today. That’s a great question. Music is in my bones-my
mother was a singer and dancer, and my two brothers are both musicians. I grew
up listening to music, my mom’s Goldfinger album, my sister’s Beach Boy albums. I spent hours in front of the
mirror singing to my favorite tunes. I wanted-and still want to be--one of
Elton John’s backup dancers. In elementary school, I started singing and
dancing with a good friend who helped me come out of my shell. In college, I
performed at Boblo Island Amusement Park, which was in the middle of the
Detroit River. Singing is still a joy to me, and I sing to Bridget a lot with
mixed results; sometimes she seems concerned that I may be having a fit of some
sort.
2. What
are your favorite things to grow and do you have any special gardening secrets
you’d like to share?
I love to grow
cucumbers, and when I have a great yield it’s so satisfying. Sometimes
gardening is sheer drama. One year I plant Pickle Barrel Hybrids and get a huge
yield. Joy! The next year I am bereft of cucumbers. Despair! I am on a mission
to grow some good tomatoes this winter. Lazy Housewife Beans (so lazy last year
they didn’t sprout), cilantro, hot peppers and arugula for my husband. When you
garden in Florida, you always have to deal with pests and mildew. My personal
nemesis is the pickleworm. Gardening is relaxing to me and teaches me patience.
3. When did your writing journey begin and what drew
you to writing?
It all started with music lyrics. I love
how they fit together like a puzzle, and how they tell a story in four minutes
or less. My childhood friend Diane and I memorized the entire lyrics to the
70’s version of Lost Horizon, and pretty much every song on the radio. I
read constantly. It was an escape, an adventure, and introduced me to what good
writing is. Wuthering Heights was the first historical romance I read. I
thought how cool it would be to create a world of my own making. When my
children were young, I tried my hand at children’s books and little plays I
helped put on at school. It was a great learning experience.
3.
What are your writing must-haves (e.g. coffee, TV, music,
popcorn, post-it notes, etc.)?
Lots of coffee, a content and sleeping Bridget, big strips of
butcher paper to work out my plot, and very low instrumental music. If I’m
close to a deadline, a Kinder Bueno candy bar saves the day. I have two six-foot
folding tables for a desk, so I can spread things out. If my desk is neat, I
must not be writing!
4.
What would you consider a perfect writing day for you?
A cottage or cabin on the wild Irish coast. My desk is right
where I can see the storm raging. There’s a chill in the air, but a fireplace
is roaring. That would do nicely.
5.
I am a travel-lover. What is the most favorite place you have
traveled and why?
Ooh, that’s a tricky one. Edinburgh is one of my favorite
places, with the castle ominously perched on a rocky cliff. If you walk the
streets at night in Rye, England, you could be in the 15th Century. Rye
inspired the setting of my fictional town of King’s Harbour in my Rhythm of
the Moon historical romance series. I also loved Nuremburg, Germany, the ancient
city walls, the old churches, and the smell of beechwood in the air from the
restaurants, the bratwurst, sauerkraut, amazing baked goods. Food and travel definitely go together for me.
6.
If your books were to be made into a television series, who would
you want to play the part of your hero, heroine and main secondary character,
and why?
Benedict Cumberbatch would be great as my singer/apothecary
hero, Ian. Especially since I found out he can sing. Jessica Brown Findley, who
played Lady Edith in Downton Abbey, would work well for my heroine
Maggie. Eva Green from the Penny Dreadful series would be amazing as the
identical twins Elunid and Bethan.
7.
Besides writing, you also edit for a publishing company. What
advice would you give newbie authors?
Read a lot, especially in the genre that you would like to write
in. Keep a daily journal that will serve as a place to stash your ideas, your
emotions through your writing journey. Don’t try to be perfect, and don’t
compare yourself to others. Get those words on page every day, even if all you
have is fifteen minutes. Turn off your inner editor for that first draft. Your
story will likely go through many stages before it’s complete. And don’t give
up.
Also, research the market, find out what publishing companies
are looking for. Learn about the business end. And this is a big one: if an
editor rejects your partial or your full manuscript but takes the time out of a
busy schedule to email you with suggestions about your story, swallow your
disappointment, give your manuscript a few days to rest, and then really
consider what they have to say. Consider a rejection to be one step closer to
publication.
Soak up craft books like Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout
Novel. Before you send your work to an editor, make sure it’s as free of
grammatical and punctuation errors as possible. It’s all part of being a
professional. And last of all, don’t get discouraged-enjoy the journey of
writing your book. (Great advice, Jennifer.)
8.
Do you have any new writing projects on the horizon that you’d
like to share with us?
Yes, it’s quite a change from writing historicals set in the 18th
Century. I’m continuing my Rhythm of the Moon series, but I’m currently working
on a Redneck romance. It’s set in a fictional town in rural Florida
10.
If you do have a new writing project, what was your inspiration for the book?
It all started with a picture of a man and his possum, and a
postcard of a hot guy on a beach. I’ve lived in rural Florida for over thirty
years, and I’ve been taking notes on this book since 2013. I’ve collected a ton
of one-liners. It’s very fun to write. .
(This sounds
intriguing. Being a Native Floridian, I’m looking forward to reading about what
shenanigans you come up with.)
Thanks for having me on today, Loretta.
I’m sure readers will
enjoy learning about your wit and sense of humor, Jennifer. You’ve really
entertained us.
Okay
viewers, it’s your turn. What question would you like to ask Jennifer? (Remember,
no political, religious, or immoral questions. Keep it fun.)
![Mercy of the Moon (Rhythm of the Moon) by [Jennifer Taylor]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ojfI77NoL.jpg)
