Author Interview - Theodora Taylor

What made you want to become a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories and have been a writer of some kind or another for most of my working life. I also like the hours, which are all the time in your mind, and a few hours of your choosing at an actual desk. I feel truly blessed to do this for a living.

Tell us a bit about your journey to publication. You have recently joined the Harlequin Kimani Family. Tell us a bit about the move to a new/traditional publisher?

It had been in the back of my head to write a romance novel for a while. I actually wrote one in college (back in the 90s) and submitted it to what was then Arabesque books, and got a very nice rejection with a nice handwritten note about submitting again in the future. I never did, but in December 2011 I released my first indie novel, and eventually Harlequin Kimani sent me a very nice email, asking if I’d like to “talk.” So dream come true… over a decade later.

To date, how many books have you written? If you had to choose a favorite which would it be?

I’ve written ten indie novels and two Harlequin novels. If I had to choose a favorite, I’ll always say my first paranormal, HER VIKING WOLF, because that was my first “take a chance” novel, the one that convinced me to trust my fans and keep on trying new things.

Along with the category romance you now write for Harlequin Kimani, you’ve written in several other genres. What other genres have you written?

Here’s what typically happens. I write a novel. It wrecks me. I say to myself, “No more contemporary, I’m going to write a paranormal.” I write a paranormal, it wrecks me, so I say, “Okay, I’m going to write another contemporary…”

In between that I have contracts to fulfill, so that’s basically how I decide what to write next.

How have you changed as a writer since that first book?

I used to be a lot more into serving the plot. Now I care more about the characters and figuring out what’s going on inside their head.

Tell us a bit about VEGAS, BABY.

I don’t really gamble, but I really like Vegas for all of its other qualities. I also love movies set in Vegas. So a cold casino tycoon falling hard for a showgirl with a heart of gold-it felt like a story I definitely needed to tell.

What do you like most about being a published author?

Bookshelf pics! Receiving those just makes my whole day.

What has been the most difficult thing about being a published author who writes Interracial Romance?

Absolutely nothing. I love and rep hard for my genre. IR fans are generous and smart and just incredibly supportive. If anything, they’re too voracious. The notes in between books kill me-but also inspire me, so again, I really don’t have anything to complain about there.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Read a lot. Really enjoy learning more and more about your craft. Experiment. Most of all, keep writing. No. Matter. What. I’m the founder of the Interracial Romance Weekly Bestseller List <http://irbookreviews.com/category/interracial-romance-best-selling-books/>, and it is fascinating to see who makes it on and who doesn’t. Some authors get on with their first books, but the authors who almost always make it on are the ones who have been at it for a while and didn’t quit.

Tell us a bit about the process you use when you write a novel.

It’s a pretty simple formula: Outline. Rough. Big Rewrite. Quick Rewrite. Send to my Darling Copy Editor. Rewrite based on Copy Edit. Publish.

The Rough step is usually the longest and the most complicated. But my last indie book (HER RUSSIAN SURRENDER) took longer to rewrite than to rough. You just never know.

What’s next for Theodora Taylor?

I’m working on my 11^th indie novel, about a girl with lots of secrets who meets a country singer with a very dark and kinky side. I’m glad it’s coming out in winter (January 2015), because it’s going to be a scorcher.

If there was one thing you could tell your readers what would it be?

Thank you so much. You mean the world to me.

How can readers reach you? I’m very active on Facebook. Come be my friend: https://www.facebook.com/theodorawrites

THEODORA TAYLOR 'Writing Hot Books with Heart'
Theodora Taylor reads, reviews and writes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When not reading, reviewing or writing, she enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband and attending parties thrown by others.
What made you want to become a writer? I’ve always enjoyed telling stories and have been a writer of some kind or another for most of my working life. I also like the hours, which are all the time in your mind, and a few hours of your choosing at an actual desk. I feel truly blessed to do this for a living. Tell us a bit about your journey to publication. You have recently joined the Harlequin Kimani Family. Tell us a bit about the move to a new/traditional publisher? It had been in the back of my head to write a romance novel for a while. I actually wrote one in college (back in the 90s) and submitted it to what was then Arabesque books, and got a very nice rejection with a nice handwritten note about submitting again in the future. I never did, but in December 2011 I released my first indie novel, and eventually Harlequin Kimani sent me a very nice email, asking if I’d like to “talk.” So dream come true… over a decade later. To date, how many books have you written? If you had to choose a favorite which would it be? I’ve written ten indie novels and two Harlequin novels. If I had to choose a favorite, I’ll always say my first paranormal, HER VIKING WOLF, because that was my first “take a chance” novel, the one that convinced me to trust my fans and keep on trying new things. Along with the category romance you now write for Harlequin Kimani, you’ve written in several other genres. What other genres have you written? Here’s what typically happens. I write a novel. It wrecks me. I say to myself, “No more contemporary, I’m going to write a paranormal.” I write a paranormal, it wrecks me, so I say, “Okay, I’m going to write another contemporary…” In between that I have contracts to fulfill, so that’s basically how I decide what to write next. How have you changed as a writer since that first book? I used to be a lot more into serving the plot. Now I care more about the characters and figuring out what’s going on inside their head. Tell us a bit about VEGAS, BABY. I don’t really gamble, but I really like Vegas for all of its other qualities. I also love movies set in Vegas. So a cold casino tycoon falling hard for a showgirl with a heart of gold-it felt like a story I definitely needed to tell. What do you like most about being a published author? Bookshelf pics! Receiving those just makes my whole day. What has been the most difficult thing about being a published author who writes Interracial Romance? Absolutely nothing. I love and rep hard for my genre. IR fans are generous and smart and just incredibly supportive. If anything, they’re too voracious. The notes in between books kill me-but also inspire me, so again, I really don’t have anything to complain about there. What advice would you give an aspiring author? Read a lot. Really enjoy learning more and more about your craft. Experiment. Most of all, keep writing. No. Matter. What. I’m the founder of the Interracial Romance Weekly Bestseller List <http://irbookreviews.com/category/interracial-romance-best-selling-books/>, and it is fascinating to see who makes it on and who doesn’t. Some authors get on with their first books, but the authors who almost always make it on are the ones who have been at it for a while and didn’t quit. Tell us a bit about the process you use when you write a novel. It’s a pretty simple formula: Outline. Rough. Big Rewrite. Quick Rewrite. Send to my Darling Copy Editor. Rewrite based on Copy Edit. Publish. The Rough step is usually the longest and the most complicated. But my last indie book (HER RUSSIAN SURRENDER) took longer to rewrite than to rough. You just never know. What’s next for Theodora Taylor? I’m working on my 11^th indie novel, about a girl with lots of secrets who meets a country singer with a very dark and kinky side. I’m glad it’s coming out in winter (January 2015), because it’s going to be a scorcher. If there was one thing you could tell your readers what would it be? Thank you so much. You mean the world to me. How can readers reach you? I’m very active on Facebook. Come be my friend: https://www.facebook.com/theodorawrites