Guest Blogger: Tawny Taylor

You just released “Real Vamps Don’t Drink O-Neg.” What’s that book about?

It’s about a woman (Sophie) who discovers her best friend, an author, is possibly married to a lamia--a snake like vampire muse. She spends the rest of the book trying to figure out if vampires really do exist, chasing ancient relics, and falling in love with a science professor with yummy abs and shoulders...and a set of fangs that would make the average girl swoon.

How long did it take you to write it?

About three months.

You’ve released other paranormals. Please tell us about those.

I have written quite a few paranormals over the years, including several vampire series (Twilight’s Possession and Carpe Nocturne), a couple of shapeshifter series (Animal Urges, Passion Unbound and Immortal Secrets), a couple of ghost stories (Sex and the Single Ghost, Body and Soul), and even a selkie book (Wet and Wilde). Although I originally started writing contemporary romance, I quickly learned it was a lot of fun writing paranormals. I’ve been writing them ever since.

What makes your books unique?

I blend humor, paranormal romance and mild BDSM in my stories. I love writing about sexy Alpha heroes (YUM) and feisty women who have the guts to do and say stuff that I never would in real life. I also love to write about the unexpected, like a water Jphobic woman falling in love with a selkie.

How long have you been writing?

Professionally, with an eye toward publication, six years.

What was your “getting published” process like?

My first contract was with a small epublisher, Echelon Press. I was extremely fortunate. I was writing less than a year when I received that first contract. Shortly after that, I submitted to Ellora’s Cave. Again, I was lucky. I signed my first contract with them when they were still very small. I’ve learned that sometimes timing is *everything* and submitting a story at the right time can make the difference.

Why do you think paranormals are so popular?

Oh ack. This is a tough question. I guess I’d have to say because the stories represent the current woman’s absolute fantasy, which is shaped by our culture and real life relationships. Confusing enough for you? LOL. What I mean is, paranormals tend to star alpha heroes who are domineering, powerful men. With women (we’re talking real life now) being more or less equals with men in our society, I think a large number of women still look for men who hold some kind of power over them. Fictional paranormal characters can possess super natural powers. They’re dangerous. Dark. Mysterious. All the things many women fantasize about. It’s funny, but in our book club we’ve talked about this topic, and we all agree we wouldn’t want to live in real life with our favorite romance novel heroes. They’d drive us nuts, LOL. But they’re still a lot of fun to fantasize about.

Do you have any advice for all the writers out there?

Learn what your strengths and weaknesses are as a writer. And then learn to improve where you need to and capitalize on your strengths. Finally, be prepared for LOTS of rejection and negative feedback. Even if your novel is the best thing since Woodwiss’ Flame and the Flower, (or more recently JR Ward’s Immortal Lover) it’s pretty likely it’ll be rejected from dozens of publishers and agents (if not more).