Tell Me More About: Indie Author Aubrey Taylor!

Giveaway at the end of the post!

Hello! I am late on my May newsletter so today I thought I would share an interview with independent author Aubrey Taylor for my Tell Me More About series, which I started on my blog, Boondock Ramblings. (www.lisahoweler.com)

I appreciate Aubrey answering some questions for me for this post and I really enjoyed getting to know her better. I hope you do as well!

I will have an update on my writing, a sneak peek of my summer release, Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing, a giveaway, and some encouraging words in my full newsletter next week. I hope you will check it out.

Later this summer I will be offering the Tell Me More About series only to paid subscribers. For now, though, everyone is able to read about the subjects of the features, which will include people from all walks of life.

Now, for Aubrey Taylor!

1.     When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a child, I was constantly folding little stacks of paper and stapling them together into little books which I would then write and illustrate. I don’t know when becoming a writer actually occurred to me, but I probably just thought of it as one of those things that other people do. As I got older, I understood that the chances of getting a book published were slim to none, kind of like a garage band trying to get a record deal. I had lost interest in writing by then anyway.

2.     Tell us a little about your already completed/published projects.

Since June 2021, I’ve published two books in a series entitled Gott Mit Uns (God with us). The series is German-perspective fiction centered around the World Wars, and attempts to give an unbiased and faith-based look at the period. The Prodigal Sons takes place during the period between the two wars, and Sani: The German Medic is a WW2 story. At the end of June, just in time for Christmas in July, I’ll be releasing a novella entitled The Christmas We Both Needed, which is a standalone related to the series.

3.     What are the main themes of your novels or stories?

As I mentioned above, it is very important to me that my stories explore the wars and the events that followed from the German perspective. I am of German ancestry myself, but for many people whose family members actually lived in Germany at the time, this is still a difficult topic. They don’t want to know how their family members were involved. I read German soldier memoirs all the time, because they inspire me to create stories that represent the experiences of the millions of real people who lived through it—especially the men who had to fight for something they may or may not have believed in.

The more I write, the more I find that I am not afraid to let my characters wrestle with topics that are uncomfortable in any time period, such as abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, and same sex attraction. Often, it is our desperation through which God paints the most beautiful stories. Which brings me to the most important theme of my work: whether front and center or woven in more subtly, there is no doubt that these books are coming from the heart of someone who loves Jesus, and who knows she is loved by Jesus.

4.     What advice would you give to other writers who hope to someday write and publish a book?

If God has given you something to write, you need to write it. Pray diligently and seek Him to know if you should spend time and energy seeking a traditional publishing contract, or whether you should self-publish what He’s given you. While the audience of a self-published author may be smaller, He will be faithful to get that message to the people who need it most… and bless many others in the process!

5.     What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Writing from the German perspective made me want to get to know the culture as a whole, so I got involved in a German choir and a Bavarian dance group. Both have been a real blessing. I’m also a mom with three school-aged kids, so a lot of my day is taken up with laundry, dishes, cooking, and playing taxi driver. I try to date my husband on a regular basis too; I believe that is one of the keys to a good marriage! When I still have some time left, I enjoy taking walks, reading, and sketching.

6.     Share a little more about yourself outside of your writing.

My children are 13, 10 and 5. My daughter, the middle child, is strong, independent and stubborn, but she’s also the highly gifted in art, music and dance. I’ll be very interested to see what the Lord does with her. My 13-year-old loves to ride his bike and solve Rubik’s cubes (his record is 3 seconds!). The 5-year-old is also very artistic, loves to draw, dance, and thinks he’s a human drum set. My husband is a software engineer, and even though we’re complete opposites in some respects, we also have a lot in common, which makes day-to-day things flow smoothly. He’s my best friend.

7.     Where can people learn more about your work and connect with you?

Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com

Blog: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks

Twitter: www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aubrey-taylor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846520.Aubrey_Taylor

Amazon Author Page: https://us.amazon.com/stores/author/B0973KWXV8

Aubrey has graciously offered to giveaway one of her books. Commenters on this post will be chosen at random and can choose from either Sani: The German Medic or The Prodigal Sons.