Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Spaulding Taylor
Book Title: Last Star Standing
Released: 02/18/21
Genre: Dystopian SciFi
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Last Star Standing”?
Taylor: It was pretty "out there" - especially for me! I was meditating when I had a strange vision. I was looking from the earth's surface down a metal shaft, at a young man imprisoned in a chair. And then, to my annoyance, not only did the character of Aiden never leave me alone, but I realised that I was being pushed into writing in a genre I knew almost nothing about. I fought it hard, but finally wound up writing it. I made a crazy number of mistakes, mostly for that reason, but really happy with it now. It's got a Kirkus Star, and was just longlisted for Chanticleer's Cygnus Award.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Taylor: Aiden came to me as Aiden, and his loyal sidekick, Bully, was always Bully. I had trouble with naming the "gromeline" - so I googled Macedonian female names, and found Pavlina. As for Ravene, I have always thought it would be a lovely name, but I googled that too - and I was the first.
If "Last Star Standing” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Taylor: Aiden's half-Indigenous, which makes it harder: there aren't many roles for people who can look half-Indigenous, hard to say!!
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Taylor: It's just finding time away from marketing to write that's my issue... not writer's block.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Taylor: Perhaps they might advise me!!! As a ghost writer, though, I think I'd advise.
1) not to rush. Better to get your book as good as it can possibly be, than to rush it out when it's still not right.
2) give your novel time to breathe, between edits... Don't rush into this, either! Even a few weeks can help!
3) don't economize on the cover or the editor. Too many people decide to pass instantly, with a single glance at a cheap-looking cover - and most readers check out the "look inside" feature before buying, too.
What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?
Taylor: Too hard!!!
What are you working on next?
Taylor: I'm now a minor expert on publishing, having had two contemporary novels "big five"-published by Orion/Hachette, Last Star Standing published by Unbound (an Indie publisher) and the best-selling Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel, published by myself since. I am currently working on the sequel to both Last Star Standing AND Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel. (And yes, I am very easily bored...)
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