{"id":801,"date":"2015-11-01T01:05:54","date_gmt":"2015-11-01T05:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kate-hill.com\/compellingbeastsblog\/?p=801"},"modified":"2015-10-31T08:44:18","modified_gmt":"2015-10-31T12:44:18","slug":"blog-tour-interview-with-karen-e-taylor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kate-hill.com\/compellingbeastsblog\/2015\/11\/01\/blog-tour-interview-with-karen-e-taylor\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog Tour: Interview with Karen E. Taylor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cellarbanner\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ketbookpic\"<\/a>Tell us a bit about yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My name is Karen E. Taylor and I am a horror\/paranormal author, with eight published novels to date and an eclectic assortment of short fiction which ranges from vampires to ghosts to telepathic, romantic dinosaurs. What can I say? I start out to write a story and, before I know what’s hit me, the main character turns spectral or grows fangs or wings.<\/p>\n

In real life, I’m the mother of two sons and have been married for 37+ years. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, I graduated from Grove City College with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Communication Arts. I always wanted to write the Great American Novel, but fell in love with vampire, instead. I’ve lived in all sorts of places, from Pittsburgh, to Grove City, to Richmond, to Laurel. Most recently, I loved living in Los Angeles, but have now moved back to the east coast, specifically Northern Virginia.<\/p>\n

I’m working on a few new projects, but I’m superstitious enough to not want to talk about them yet.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your most recent book.<\/strong><\/p>\n

CELLAR isn\u2019t really my latest release, but it\u2019s the feature of the book tour, so we\u2019ll talk about that.\u00a0 It\u2019s a haunted house novel, featuring recovering alcoholic Laura Wagner.\u00a0 She\u2019s a single mom, with two young daughters who live with their father.\u00a0 When she returns from rehab, she discovers that her house is downright creepy and it has nothing to do with drinking.\u00a0 Interestingly enough, it was the second novel I started writing after finishing what was supposed to be my first (and only) vampire novel.\u00a0 That novel, BLOOD SECRETS, turned into three books, then five books, and finally ended up as a seven book series.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t get back to CELLAR until 10 years later.<\/p>\n

Who is the villain or antagonist in your story and what is he\/she like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The villain in my story is the ghost.\u00a0 She is manipulative and deranged, trying to twist everyone who dares to enter her house into a creature like herself.\u00a0 Death and bringing death are what she thrives on.<\/p>\n

What was the most difficult part of writing about this character?<\/strong><\/p>\n

She scared me, and was capable of really horrible deeds, alive and dead.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to me as an author that I understand why my characters do what they do, and Aunt Dolly\u2019s motivation was a killer, in more ways than one.<\/p>\n

To you, how important is a good antagonist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Without a good antagonist you don\u2019t have an interesting book.\u00a0 The villain is equally as important as the hero, and just as crucial to telling a good story.\u00a0 In my opinion, they need to be as finely drawn and characterized as the other characters.<\/p>\n

What is one of your favorite paranormal creatures and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m on a ghost kick right now, for a lot of reasons.\u00a0 Firstly, because I\u2019m pretty sure we share our condo with one of the original owners.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to move on, I guess, and we manage to coexist peacefully most of the time.\u00a0 Secondly, ghosts can be pretty much anything that you want them to be: they can be pure evil, or a guardian angel of sorts, or anywhere in between.\u00a0 Like vampires, you can get a lot of bang for your buck.\u00a0 And maybe I just like being scared or scaring others.<\/p>\n

\"ketCellarKindlesmaller\"<\/a>Excerpt from CELLAR:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The neighborhood girls formed a semi-circle around Lizzy.\u00a0 Thinking it was only the cold that made her shiver, she took a deep breath.\u00a0 This is a stupid game, she thought, I never should\u2019ve said I\u2019d play.\u00a0 But she knew she couldn\u2019t back out now.\u00a0 Amanda, who\u2019d been enjoying the other girls\u2019 company, would never let her forget it.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead, Lizzy.\u201d\u00a0 Brittany gave her a little push forward so that Lizzy\u2019s nose almost touched the sliding glass door.<\/p>\n

Lizzy shut her eyes and began to count silently.<\/p>\n

One, two, three, four…<\/p>\n

The girls around her began to chant softly.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Dolly, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Dolly…\u201d<\/p>\n

…twelve, thirteen, fourteen…<\/p>\n

The girls\u2019 voices grew louder and Lizzy felt her heart beat faster and faster.\u00a0 She wanted to stop this stupid game.\u00a0 She wanted to stop it now.\u00a0 But she kept her eyes closed tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Dolly, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Dolly…\u201d<\/p>\n

…eighteen, nineteen, twenty!<\/p>\n

Lizzy finished the count.\u00a0 She opened her eyes.\u00a0 And screamed.<\/p>\n

Readers can find me at www.karenetaylor.com<\/a>, @karenetaylor53 at Twitter, www.facebook.com\/Karen-E-Taylor-Writer-of-Supernatural-Tales-125652237503799\/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel<\/a>, and www.amazon.com\/-\/e\/B001HMLORI<\/p>\n

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