Kathleen Tailer Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. I’m a mom of eight kids, five of which my husband and I adopted from the state child welfare system. I’m also an attorney and work at the Supreme Court of Florida in the Office of the State Courts Administrator. Writing is my creative outlet that I enjoy when I get a break and a bit of “me” time.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. In 5th grade I wrote my first play and from there moved into writing short stories. The writing bug really caught me in college and I went back to some of those old stories and started developing the characters. Getting published began as an unattainable dream, but soon got bumped up on my bucket list. I received a good number of rejections before success came my way.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A. I won my first writing contest in high school, and a few years later published a few magazine articles in Fostering Families Today. I then tried several times to get a novel published but was unsuccessful until I used the Harlequin editing service to get some excellent feedback about how to improve my manuscript and make it fit their requirements. After I applied what I learned from their comments, I resubmitted my work and they bought my first novel, Under the Marshal’s Protection, which was published in October of 2010.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Perilous Refuge?
A: Chelsea Rogers witnesses her boss’ murder, and is forced on the run to stay alive. She hides out as personal assistant to a wealthy woman on a Hawaiian vacation, but her employer’s lawyer, Alex Sullivan, gets suspicious and starts digging into her identity. Hired guns discover Chelsea’s location, and another murder forces her to trust Alex with her secrets if she wants to survive. Soon both of their lives are at risk as they try to bring the murderer to justice.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Perilous Refuge?
A: I took a trip to Hawai’i with a dear friend a few years back, and was thoroughly enchanted with the island of Maui. I took pages of notes during the trip, and started the original manuscript while sitting on the beach watching the sunsets.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: Chelsea, the heroine, faces horrible situations, but still manages to help Ms. Abigail with her life threatening medical issues. I hope readers remember that even when they go through difficult times, it is still important to help those around us and be aware of the suffering of others.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?
A: What a hard question! I think the underwater battle during the boat trip tops the list. I had a lot of fun researching the snorkeling, and I personally visited and swam in the area I described. I also like the suspense as Chelsea faces a life-threatening clash and Alex gets a chance to prove how far he’ll go to defend her.

Q: What inspires you to write?
A. Good movies filled with suspense or reading an exciting thriller novel always get the ideas flowing. I love suspense and figuring out how the heroine and hero are going to escape a difficult situation and grow in the process. I also try to use real life spiritual challenges that either I or a friend have lived through.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?
A: Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but so far, it has been an amazing and positive experience.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?
A: Never give up! Keep writing for the joy of it, and then put in the time to research who is publishing what you like to write. Finding a good fit between writer and publisher is a huge part of the process.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. My newest manuscript tells Jake Riley’s story, a secondary character and U.S. marshal from my first book, Under the Marshal’s Protection. Jake and Bethany Weaver, a videographer working on a documentary, delve into the world of identity theft as they try to uncover who is trying to destroy both her latest project and her life.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A. I spend a great deal of time with my family and taxiing them around to various extracurricular events. I love taking pictures of them as they try to score a goal, hit a home run, or make a free throw shot.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?
A. Facebook

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?
A. I am a Christian and my faith is central to my novels and also to my success.