Two weeks ago, I was blessed to be part of a very special evening.
It's always special when you get to meet a best-selling author. But this time it was even better.
I first met Taylor Stevens through my friend Kim, who was able to get some of us galleys of Taylor's first book, The Informationist, to read and review. The story and characters were so amazing that none of us could put it down until we finished reading the entire thing.
Since then I've also read the next two novels in the series, The Innocent and The Doll. Each time Vanessa "Michael" Munroe winds up with an assignment, I learn more about what makes her tick and why she does what she does. And each of her assignments is so fascinating, you want to read MORE.
In The Doll, Michael is kidnapped into taking an assignment, leading her into the world of human trafficking. You can read my review at my Goodreads page. But I would also like to tell you more about what made the evening of June 18th so important to me.
I had met Taylor at another gathering in the Cleveland area back in the fall. It was a wonderful experience, other than the fact the coffeehouse where it was held completely acted like they had no idea we were coming and we were placed in what basically amounted to a storage room. Taylor was a trouper and made it special despite the lack of welcome at this establishment. (And the coffeehouse is no longer in business...why am I not surprised?)
This time, Taylor was speaking at the Strongsville library and she arranged (with the help of a wonderful librarian!) for her Cleveland friends to have dinner with her beforehand. We met at a Friday's and had wonderful service. We all got to talk with Taylor over dinner, where we learned more about her, the next two books on the way...and her love of bacon. ;o) Hearing someone speak - up close and personal - about her passion for writing and her literary goals is such an inspiration; I know it motivated me even more to accomplish my own goals. It was also fascinating to talk with the librarians who were there, and to learn more about how libraries order e-books and hard copies. All of it is important information if you want to be a published author and get your work out there! (The only thing missing was Kim...she couldn't be there and we really missed her!)
In addition, Taylor's talk at the library further pushed me to get my novels published. She grew up in a cult and was not formally educated past 6th grade...but Taylor is an extremely intelligent lady who learned on her own and through others after she got out of that atmosphere. It's proof that you can get past whatever circumstances you have dealt with or are currently dealing with - the past is only one part of your story.
Late last week I received a message from Taylor that I had won one of the items she autographed for a giveaway, and yesterday I was able to pick it up at the library. It's a giant poster of The Doll. This, to me, is further comfirmation from God that He wants me to write and get my stories out there. I'm in the midst of organizing my office, and now I have a huge reminder to write, write, write! In the middle of all of the stress and madness of life - He made sure I got the message.
So please check out my review and Taylor's books. You will love them. And keep her in mind whenever you wonder if you can live your dreams. Taylor Stevens is proof that you CAN beat the odds!
