Author Feature: Taylor Nash

Please welcome today's Word Wizard, Taylor Nash!

Tell us about your debut novel Uncharted Depths.

Uncharted Depths is a contemporary romantic suspense that takes the characters from their Midwestern hometown to a tropical island as they search for the truth about a murder Braden was convicted of committing. Events and personalities collide in a tense dance, as the story unravels a conspiracy.

Why did you choose romantic suspense?

As you've heard, write what you like to read. As a young girl, I read every Nancy Drew book (does that tell my age?).

I've read them, too. You're not alone! :0)

I loved mysteries. As I became of age, I started reading romance novels. When I found books that combined both, I was hooked and that's what I've been reading ever since.

Were there any aspects of Uncharted Depths you struggled with?

I guess if I were to pick one thing, it was probably getting the characters to be true to form. What I mean is the characters' internal and external conflicts have to have goals and motivations to be strong characters. If the readers don't care about the characters, you're not going to keep your reader interested and turning the pages.

What about writing Uncharted Depths was easy? If anything - LOL!

The setting for Uncharted Depths was easy to describe. The novel starts in the Midwest and takes you on a journey to Alabama and a tropical island. My husband and I visited Gulf Shores/Orange Beach many times and when I decided to write this novel, I knew that would be the location. It's beautiful, so it made it easy to describe the incredible, tropical setting.

What are you reading right now?

I'm reading Sandra Brown's White Hot. She's an incredibly gifted author.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions?

Yes - top on the list is the same every year - lose weight (yeah right!). Writing - my goal is to publish one book a year, but I need to take more time for myself to maintain good health and a strong mental attitude. That means more travel to golf destinations, a trip to Maui in October, and as many short trips as I can work in for promotions and, of course, lots of time with my new granddaughter who is five months old. I'm SOOOO engrossed in my next novel, The Apparition, I have trouble putting it down and taking time for myself. You can read the first chapter on my website www.taylornash.com, and you'll see why.

Wonderful! Thanks for being here, Taylor.

One copy of Uncharted Depths is up for grabs so let us know what's on your mind!

Introducing...A New Feature

Current Read: Terms of Surrender by Kylie Brant

Welcome to the first in a new series of features here on Armchair Heroines! It's time to meet a reader...

Please welcome Angela, an Armchair Heroiones reader...an everyday heroine! And I don't mean "everyday" as in ordinary but as in a heroine who goes about her daily business taking care of herself and others and fighting her battles quietly, in an unassuming yet indispensable way. Let's hear it for everyday heroines and heroes. :0)

And now, heeeeere's Angela!

Tell us a little about how you came to be a booklover.

I started reading late. I was nine years old, my youngest sister is a speed reader and could read a book in 30 mins. She was reading The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton. I picked up one of her books off the book shelves in the living room and started to read it (to this day I still read Enid Blyton books).

You had some added hurdles to cross as a reader. Can you share a little about those and how you overcame them?

Well I've always been a slow learner and when Iwas 36/37 I decided to go to open university. This is a university that lets you study at home and classes once a month. I told them that I was slow at learning and that my son had dyspraxia.

What is Dyspraxia? Dyspraxia is generally recognised to be an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought. Other names for dyspraxic include Clumsy Child Syndrome; Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD); Minimal Brain Dysfunction: Motor learning Difficulty; and Pereceptuo-motor Dysfunction.

What causes Dyspraxia? For the majority of those with the condition, there is no known cause. Current research suggests that it is due to an immaturity of neurone development in the brain rather than to brain damage. People with dyspraxia have no clinical neurological abnormality to explain their condition.

But there is no test for an adult so they had me tested for dyslexia which is in the same family. It turned out that I had both. The difference is now I have a programme called Read and Write Gold which reads the text for me. It highlights the words as I read along side it. It's like a whole new world and what I'm reading makes sense now. I no longer skip over words that I don't know or that are dancing. I still can't take telephone numbers over the phone as I tend to mix the numbers up but I am working on that.

If you'd like to learn more about Read and Write Gold click on it above. If you'd like more information about dyspraxia or dyslexia visit the Learning Disabilities Association of America here.

Thanks for sharing that, Angela. Talking about your struggles may help others!

Can you tell us three titles that are on your "keeper" shelf?

In print books they are: Yhe Ysabel Kid. This is the first of many in The Floating Outfit series by J. T. Edson. These are cowboy books.

The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton

And last but not least is On the Run by Judith Rochelle. This is a special book as all proceeds go to charity. The book is about domestic violence.

What's your favorite way to enjoy a book? With a cup of tea? On a covered porch during a rainstorm?...

My fav way is to settle down on my adjustable bed and have my laptop on and read an ebook with the help of my programme. I can have it read to me or I can read along side it. It has 4 voices but I prefer Daniel (this is the name of one of my sons) and a cup of coffee at side of me.

What are you reading right now?

In print books: I'm reading Alien Overnight by Robin L. Rotham.

Ebook: I'm rereading Witch's Brew by Tabitha Shay.

If you could tell your favorite authors one thing what would it be?

I wish that their books were longer. I never want them to end.

Wonderful, Angela! Thank you for being here today. Stop by and say "hi" to us if you have the chance.

Today also kicks off a month-long contest at Armchair Heroines. "Blind Date with a Book" is a chance for you to win and try out a surprise book. Anyone who comments over the next month will be entered into the drawing. I've wrapped five romance novels of various genres in brown paper (hence the "blind date" part). Winners will be drawn randomly on Valentine's Day, of course, from the commenters over the past month. You receive an entry for every time you comment, but you can only win once. Good luck!

Happy 2009!

Current Read: Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery

Welcome back, ladies...and gentleman...do we have any male readers? I certainly hope so! What better way to unlock some of the secrets of a woman's heart than through a romance novel?

Happy 2009 to all of you!

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I do. In fact, New Years reminds me of the first day of school when I was younger. I tingled with anticipation and the promise of a clean slate. Back then it was a new school year to learn new things, meet new people and maybe even do a little more homework - be...not better, but challenged. Could I grow, expand? And so now as an adult I get that same effervescent expectation when the new year rolls around. Everything feels fresh and I commit to expanding and growing. That includes happenings here at Armchair Heroines! Next week we'll start out 2009's Wednesday's Word Wizards with a brand-new line up of stellar authors. You'll also get to meet one of Armchair Heroines' readers. I'll be giving you the specifics on "Blind Date with a Book" too. Tons of fun and hours of reading pleasure await you as we kick off 2009 with a page-turning bonanza!

So, back to the New Year's resolution thing...I prefer to call them goals. After too many days of getting up from the desk chair with a stiff back, I decided that one of the best things I could do to grow and expand as a reader and a writer is to take care of my body. Yep! It's 3-4 days a week on the treadmill for me...You know what I discovered? Audiobooks are a great incentive toward that particular goal. I've also committed to making time for my writing while balancing the other important parts of my life like family. I'm making time for the things I want to do by skimming away things I don't - like clutter. It's super-fling boogie at my house. Check out http://www.flylady.net/ for more information about decluttering and getting your frannie in gear so that you have time for those meaningful pursuits.

What goals or resolutions did you make for 2009? I'd love to hear. After all, we're all in this together!

Looking forward to a jam-packed year of reading enjoyment with you!

Contest winners!

Thanks, ladies, for all of the wonderful holiday-themed romance titles. *Sigh* It's a good thing I asked for book buying gift cards for Christmas. You all have added another tower to my to-be-read pile! :0)

Armchair Heroines has been up and running now for almost eight months, and I'm so excited and honored to have so many returning readers and commenters. As a special thank you I'm changing the contest rules...

Today, everyone who commented wins!

Just send me an e-mail at Tiffany@TiffanyJames.net with your snail mail address. If there are any romance genres you absolutely love or hate, please include that with your e-mail. I'll do my best to honor your requests but I can't make any guarantees!

I won't be posting until after the new year so happy holidays and see you in 2009!

Surprise Contest!

My friend Joanne Sundell was scheduled to be our word wizard for today. Unfortunately, her computer got fried in a power outage this weekend. Joanne will spend some time with us after the new year.

So, instead I'm going to my packed-to-the-gills bookshelves and pulling five random titles to give away. It's a poor replacement for talking with Joanne indeed, but what can I do?! I have a wide variety of romance novels on my shelf so what the winners will receive is anyone's guess. I've got single title and category, paranormal, historical, romantic suspense, contemporary...and the list goes on. Many of these titles are signed by the author and have been previously read - but still in good shape. This is an excellent opportunity to perhaps try something new and find a new favorite author.

In order to be entered in the contest just post a comment with your favorite winter or holiday themed romance novel. I'll chose five random winners and post their names on Friday!

Good luck!