Welcome, Regan Taylor, to Love Romances and More. We are looking forward to speaking with you and learning more about your work. 

Who or what first influenced you to write? 

For the non-fictions I did it was two “friends” who I didn’t feel much like were friends when it was going on. I developed carpal tunnel and had accumulated a tremendous amount of information on resources for people with disabilities while waiting for my surgery. The two friends kept telling me—actually harassing me—that I needed to write it in a book. Finally, to shut them up and get them off my back I did it.  

Fiction, on the other hand, has been a sheer joy to write. I have had encouragement, but no one demanding anything from me. I think that holds true for most things in life, if there is support and encouragement you can do it with no problem (or minimal ones) but once it is demanded there is nothing but resentment.

What personal experiences shape your writing?

Oh gee, almost all! My cats appear in some form in almost all of my books, some of my characters have characteristics of people I know. The Spell series has part of its foundation from the police department I worked for—but none of the corruption Kelly is going to be cleaning up is real…it’s all made up!

What made you decide to become a published writer?

About two years ago during a kick butt week with Jewel Adams. Between her and my critique partner, Jennifer Cloud, I had a lot of support and encouragement to make the decision. 

Are any of your characters based on people you know?
 

Gosh no!  Absolutely not <G>. 

Although….the badge bunny in the True Story of the Wicked Witch, currently the #1 best seller at Whiskey Creek Press, is based on one I had the displeasure of working with. Actually, if anyone has ever met a badge bunny I think they will see many of the characteristics they exhibit. 

Susan in Spell Across Time: The Pentacle, recently released with Whiskey Creek Press has a lot of characteristics of my real life friend Susan.

How have your career experiences affected your writing?
 

Yes. I think so. I worked as a non-sworn member in law enforcement for six years and crime descriptions, police procedures, and bits of story lines do come from that. In the Crystal Ball, book 2 of the Spell Series, I have a character who is very much like someone I happen to work with: someone who it’s never her fault, she didn’t do it, no one told her and she’s always a victim.  

Do you find it hard to write sex scenes? Why or why not?

Oh yeah. The True Story of the Wicked Witch was very difficult for me. I can read it, I can enjoy it, but don’t ask me to put it in writing!  

Is it hard to balance your writing with the rest of your life?
 

No, not really. Writing is my daily gift to myself. I do have a commitment of 1,000 words a day and for the most part I’ve kept it. It’s my time out from the day-to-day world.

How important is it to you that others enjoy your writing? Would you continue to write if you weren't well received critically?

It’s very important to me that people enjoy what I write. I do believe you are only as good as your last book. I would continue to write and look for ways to make it better. Actually, I do that now, I think. I look for critique that will help me grow and develop and do better next time.

Do you write from an outline or just "let it flow"?

Total let it flow. Most of the story lines come from dreams. I dream the scenes and get up the next morning and write out the scenes, then at night fill in what I think makes it better.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 10 years? 20 years?
 

That’s a hard question. Every time I come up with a 5 year plan it seems to go out the window in about 6 months. If you had told me 5 years ago I would be reviewing, editing and writing I would have wanted some of that adult beverage you were enjoying.  

What I would love is to be a stay at home author—not having to go to a day job, but just staying home writing.

Your first novel, MIRANDA'S HEART was a futuristic. How valid do you think your vision of the future is? Why?
 

Miranda’s Heart was actually the 5th book I wrote, but the first to be published. I don’t think it’s reality based at all. Or maybe I just hope not. I’d like to think we as humans will stop the fighting and divisiveness. The idea of returning to slavery of any kind doesn’t fit for me at all.

The main characters in MIRANDA'S HEART were totally enthralling and sympathetic. How did you go about forming those characters and do you feel that your descriptions drove the story or vice versa?

For the most part I dreamt the entire book. My real-time input came after it was basically done when I looked at it from the perspective of what I would want to see as a reader and that included Miranda telling Jason where he could stuff it. Even though she loved him very much, she wasn’t going to just go along to get along with him. She wanted the real deal.

Do you plan any other novels featuring the secondary characters in MIRANDA'S HEART?

No.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE WICKED WITCH was a clever parody of the timeless Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. How did you come up with that premise?
 

Ah, well, it’s not a premise at all! It’s the true story!  I’ve long believed that Hansel and Gretel were rotten to the core, spoiled brats and that that poor witch was the true victim in all of it. Someone needed to set the world straight but instead of looking at them as kids I took a look into their future as adults. It came about as a dare from Jan Jansen, the publisher for Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. We were joking about it and something someone had said about a writer’s group where there were all these misconceptions and Jan dared me to write the story. So I did.

Do you plan to spoof any more fairy tales?
 

No.

Witches are featured prominently in THE TRUE STORY OF THE WICKED WITCH  and SPELL ACROSS TIME: THE PENTACLE as positive characters rather than the traditional view of cackling evil spell casters. Will you continue to feature positive witches in future works and if so, why?
 

Actually Spell Across Time: The Pentacle isn’t so much about witches although one of the characters does practice the craft. Witches are positive beings. If you look back at history, Witchcraft is the only spiritual practice that has never killed in its own name. So yes, they will be presented in a very positive light. They may occasionally go off to the left hand side, but in the end they will return to the true elements of the Craft.

Is it important to you that all of your stories have happily-ever-after endings? Why or why not?

No. Sometimes things don’t end happy. In Traveling Bride, Sami does leave Rick when she finds out he has lied to her. In the second story in the Treasures Antique Series, which is a story for my youngest sister Dorothy who died in 1963 of leukemia, the main character will die, which isn’t a happy ending.

All three of your books feature a different genre. Which gene is your favorite to write and why?

Time travels and westerns—which is the Bride Series!

Past life regression was the predominant theme in Spell Across Time: The Pentacle. If you were to return again, who would you like to be in your next life?

A cat….a Marin County cat!

Who are your favorite authors and how have they affected your writing?
 

Alexander Dumas and Charles Dickens. Dumas wrote about people, such as the Count of Monte Cristo, who have everything taken from them, victimized out of jealousy and they not only survive, they do something about it. His characters are fascinating, well developed and enduring. Both Dumas and Dickens wrote in a time when there was no television and movies (I know, duh) but they had to write creatively, they had to hold the readers’ attention. Their stories weren’t meant to be read in a day or two, but to be savored by the reader over a period of time so that the characters almost become a part of the person’s life.

Can you tell us something about your upcoming work?
 

I’m currently working with my critique partner on a paranormal suspense as well as on The Crystal Ball, book 2 of the Spell series. Next in line after that is to complete Mistaken Bride, book 2--Kendrick’s story in the Bride Series and Dorothy’s story for Treasures. You can find some excerpts for these on my site at www.Regantaylor.com.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Write and be open to critique. Trust your editor. Join Angie, Skylar and I at www.writingchallenge.net for one of our writing weeks. Every few months we do a writing challenge where you commit to do 1,000 words a day for 7 days. At the end one of us does a critique for one of the participants. We’ve had a number of people tell us that that week was just what they needed to get in gear to either start of get over a block in a book they were working on.

Anything else you would like to share?

On my website there are two links that are near and dear to me. The first is the feed the animals where all you need to do is click once a day to provide food for needy animals. The other is the Recycle for Breast Cancer site, which accepts donations of cell phones and other electronic devices to assist women with breast cancer. You can find these links and other tidbits at www.Regantaylor.com 

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me!