Welcome to Author Q&A! Every month, I’ll interview an author and share their answers with you along with their books and where to find them.
Desiree is the author of Created to Relate: Living Beyond Religion.
Her book can be found at Barnes & Noble and her website, A Renewed Creation.
Q&A With Author Desiree Taylor
General Writing Questions
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started writing?
I write Christian Non-Fiction. I started writing around the time my oldest son was graduating and my motherhood season was shifting. I am deaf with bilateral cochlear implants. Writing is something that I can do whether I have a good hearing day or a bad one. I don’t need human ears to write. Writing has always been a part of my life and now God is using it to write books.
What inspired you to write your latest book?
My first book was inspired by my journey through a life of religion and legalistic church upbringing and about how I came to know who God really was through my relationship with Jesus. I have had to work through and unlearn things. I have had to learn to recognize the lies of the enemy and replace them with God’s truth about who I am in Him. It has been a transforming time in my life and it has changed every area of my life as well as in the relationships in it. I knew if I had experienced this, then others would as well. My heart is to live free in Jesus and for others to live free as well.
Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a particular routine?
I do much better when someone else sets the structure for me so structuring myself has been a learning curve in itself. I have gotten into a structured but flexible routine. My husband and I are deeply involved in ministry at our church and I am consistently praying for the right boundaries over my time and when people trump a task or vice versa but I do have consistent time each week.
How do you handle writer’s block or creative slumps?
I have learned to just be. I pray, invite the Holy Spirit into my time, and ask Him to lead. There are times when I have to just sit and write through the breakthrough. I have to be ok that there is a pause and have patience in the process.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
I pray that my readers can be met where they are in their own journey and that they leave unburdened and free from what they have carried around in their own “backpack” through this life, ready to move forward on their journey with a renewed mind and heart.
Publishing and Industry Questions
What has been your experience with publishing (traditional, self-publishing, or hybrid)?
I went with a hybrid/Independent publisher. I desired to have the rights to my book. I enjoyed working with my publisher.
How do you market your books and reach your target audience?
I am in the middle of an online book launch, as well as having street launchers. Word of mouth is the most invaluable resource in marketing books. I am doing in-home book events as well as some podcasts. I am looking towards doing some speaking events.
Can you share any tips on finding a good editor or proofreader for clean fiction?
I have found LinkedIn to be an awesome resource for connecting with editors. I met my content editor through Linkedin and my copy editor and proofreader was through my publisher.
Fun Questions
Do you have any quirky writing habits or rituals?
I don’t except for the fact that I am a squirrel and have to continually refocus some days.
What’s the most unusual place you’ve found inspiration for a story?
No where unusual really.
Do you have any pets, and do they keep you company while you write?
We don’t but we do have a grandog now so I will probably have her hang with me sometimes.
What’s one book you think everyone should read at least once in their lifetime?
The most obvious would be the Bible but one other that was pivotal in one of the most powerful breakthrough times was Peace for a Lifetime: Embracing a Life of Hope, Wholeness, and Harmony Through Emotional Abundance by Lisa Murray
If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you love to try?
I would be an Occupational Therapist. I worked as a Special Education Paraprofessional in the school system for a while and I loved doing OT with them.
Thank you, Desiree, for a fun interview!
Be sure to check out Desiree’s book and her website, where she shares inspirational blog posts and book reviews. And don’t forget to sign up for her monthly newsletter!
Book Description:
Have you grown up in the church? Or maybe you’ve just always heard about God?
Have you ever felt like you are going through the motions in your Christian life, only to be left feeling empty, defeated, or both?
In Created to Relate, Desiree Taylor will walk you through those religious mindsets, habits, and attitudes that so easily shackle us. And she will show you, through her own experiences, how to exchange them for the mind and attitude of Jesus. Desiree shares how she came to see God beyond legalism and how you too can see who you are in Him.
In these pages, you will learn to see yourself and others through a different lens. You will begin to recognize those wrong mindsets, habits, and attitudes you have carried with you through this life. Desiree’s desire is that you will leave unburdened and free from what you have carried around in your own “backpack” in this life, ready to move forward on your journey with a renewed mind and heart.Created to Relate will change your relationship with yourself, others, and most importantly, Jesus, leading you into freedom and a life Living Beyond Religion.
Would you like to be a featured author, too? If so, email me at diligentanalyzer@michellemillerproofreading.com with “Questions With an Author” in the subject line. I’ll send you the questions and feature you on my blog! I can’t wait to hear from you!
