Regan Taylor

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From earliest childhood Regan was an avid reader, and upon discovering Alexander Dumas and Charles Dickens she was hooked on books that carried the reader away to a different time and place. Preferring the quiet of her room and a good book to spending time with people, she traveled far beyond those four walls. When her mother relentlessly looked for friends for the introverted Regan (yes, she still is shy and introverted despite the outward appearance of being outgoing), Regan would take off with a book or two and hide away to escape to those far away places.

Her first foray into writing, aside from tedious English assignments in high school and college, were two non-fictions intended to be of assistance to people with disabilities. Both were a struggle to write despite their ultimate purpose and convinced Regan she most certainly did not like writing at all. Both books were completed, they made their way to the population that would benefit the most from them and she moved on, or back to her reading roots.

After a three year stint in law school followed by a Master's in Counseling she set her sites on being a police dispatcher. While working those long graveyard nights she began to write, and much to her surprise, the words flowed and eventually led to several series, including The McKenna Crime series, as well as the Descendants of Earth and the Bride series. Her latest release is Michael's Flight, which will be followed later this year with Ghost of a Chance, Four of Cups and the Knight of Pentacles and His Eyes with Bookstrand.

Curled up in her bunny slippers with her furfaced children, commonly called cats, while writing is one of her most favorite things to do.

Contact: [email protected]

URL: www.Regantaylor.com


Q: So, what about Regan Taylor?

A: Let's see, I'm a Virgo who lives in Marin County, California. I have a fairly mundane day job as a secretary, which is really just perfect because it gives me time to let my mind wander into just where my next book might go. I have two furfaced children, commonly called cats, Miss Molly and Not-so-Little Mel who "help" me write.


Q: How long have you been writing and why did you start to write?

A: My first instinct is to say about five years. However, I really started in 1994 when I wrote my first non-fiction, which was a guidebook for people with disabilities on how to keep on going no matter what obstacles the system put in their path. I wrote my two non-fictions to keep two people from bothering me about writing -- it was a daily diatribe of "you need to put this in writing" that finally, to buy myself some peace, I wrote them. I started writing fiction in 2004 when I took part in a "kick butt" week. I completed my first book and no, I'm not going to give up the title. That book needs to stay tucked away in a nice, big drawer! Fiction was a whole other experience and one I'm glad I undertook. I did the kick butt week and I was hooked and have more or less kept up my commitment to myself to write 1,000 words a day at least five days a week.


Q: I know you write Time Travel. Why did you choose this genre? Do you write in any other genres?

A: My favorite genres to read are westerns and time travels, in that order. The Spell is actually a romantic suspense that has elements of the paranormal through one character's past life memories.


Q: Tell me a little about The Spell.

A: The Spell is the story of this woman, Kelly McKenna, who is being stalked. As the stalker escalates his...or her...attacks, Kelly begins to remember past lives and realizes that somewhere in those lives lies the answer to who is trying to kill her and why. The question is, will she find the answer before heor shekills her?

There are eight books planned for the series. The Glass Cage, which is book two, is almost through its first draft and for all the talk about stalking in book one, book two is actually a bit of a darker book. There's still suspense (I hope) and a lot of romance, but the crime is a bit more nefarious.

The Spell series has its own blog: http://spellacrosstimethepentacle.blogspot.com where readers can meet the characters, ask them questions and chat about the books when they come out. I've tried to make the characters seem like real, living, breathing people.


Q: This is probably a question most people ask, but what comes first for you, character or plot?

A: LOL, I have no idea! I've dreamt almost all of my books and I either get images of scenes or the strong pull of the male character. The dreams tell me the direction the books should go. His Eyes began with a dream I had one morning just before waking and the feelings stayed with me so strongly I had to write it.
 

Q: What's your biggest challenge when writing? Hooks, sagging middles, other?

A: Good question. One of my friends said it best in an early run through on The PhotographI seemed to have run out of story. It was at a breaking point in word counttoo long for a novella and not long enough for a novel. It seems to hit me at about 40,000 words. For that, like any time I hit a block, I pull out either a Melissa Etheridge or Celine Dion CD and go for a walk. Generally by time I get back I have my answer.


Q: Do you have a routine for writing? And if you do can you share it with us?

A: Not really. I dream a scene at night and get up an extra 30-45 minutes in the morning and write out the dream for whichever book it seems to belong to. If I'm taking an hour lunch I may flesh it out then, or when I get home at night. My commitment to myself is 1,000 words at least five days a week. If I'm in editing mode the commitment is an hour a day on that, at a minimum.


Q: How do you fit in reading, research, online lists, etc.?

A: I have no life? Actually I do have a pretty fun one. I'm one of those people who is lucky enough to have a very diverse group of friends, each with different interests, backgrounds and goals. I read on breaks at work, at least 15 minutes before bed at night and take several hours on my weekends to just sit and read. Research is part of the writing process, part of that hour a day I take for myself. As to online lists, I'm not on too many. I'd love to participate on more, but there just isn't time.


Q: What kind of books do you enjoy reading? And who are your favorite authors?

A: Westerns and time travels are my all times favorite guilty pleasure reads. That said, Jennifer Cloud is one of my top authors and she writes great horror and suspense!  I'm a huge fan of Deanna Raybourn, Kelley Armstrong and Cindy Gerard.

 

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