Interview Annie Taylor

by

Irene Pascoe

1) Congratulations on the publication of The Madness of Maura Magee. The title is intriguing. Is the story a mystery or suspense, a contemporary or historical?

The Madness of Maura Magee is a contemporary story about love, acceptance and forgiveness. Summoned to the family cabin at Christmastime, Danica Magee-Cohen comes to terms with her mother's mental illness--but not without the help of her overbearing Aunt Jill. A member of a large Irish family with the motto: generosity, loyalty to clan and courage in the face of fear, Danica discovers that love isn't perfect, and that sometimes it takes a great deal of courage to love. Through stories told by Aunt Jill, plus a failing marriage, the birth of a baby, and an ancient Irish curse, Danica learns to embrace her mother's imperfections as well as those of her own.

2) Under your author biography, I noticed that you have won numerous awards. Could you please tell us a little about your publishing background?

The Madness of Maura Magee is one of five completed novels; I’m currently hard at work on number six. I’ve also had short stories published in national magazines, and have written and had published nonfiction as well, both about the art of writing… and about the art of nursing. Yes, I’m a Registered Nurse, too!

3) Do you have a mentor or a muse? If so, tell us why this person is helpful to your writing career.

My mentor is an eighty-one-years-young woman by the name of Charlotte, who is, and has been for many years, a mother figure/friend/teacher/editor to me. She keeps me grounded, and reminds me to always celebrate life. When I had my first taste of success, it was she who convinced me it wasn’t just a fluke. It was also she who taught me that no matter what I’ve written, it can always be made better.

4) Do you outline your stories before you start to write?

Oh, my darling, and how! I write pages and pages of outlines before I ever officially begin. But even before that, I am “visited” by each character who will come to life on those pages.

5) Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I have complete control of them.

That’s what she thinks.

All right, you guys, enough! This is my interview. Stick to the outline!

6) What do you do to motivate yourself on those days when you just don’t feel like writing? Do you have a set routine you follow?

I was raised in a highly-disciplined home, and went to Catholic schools as a child. The result of that (besides neuroses and the inability to quit biting my fingernails, even now well into adulthood) is a great deal of self-discipline. From seven to nine p.m., rain or shine, you’ll find me at my keyboard, pecking away.

7) Do you belong to any writer's groups? If so, are they helpful?

For me, yes, a great group is invaluable. The key, I think, is that you need other writers who want you to be the best you can be, and you must reciprocate. An honest, constructive critique, delivered in a way that inspires is the greatest gift a writer like me can receive.

8) What is your favorite part of writing?

I love watching the face of someone who is reading my book. This is the payoff for the not-so-fun part--hours and hours spent agonizing over the perfect word choice.

9) What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I live on a beautiful little farm in Oregon, so there’s always something that needs doing. Physical exercise clarifies my thoughts. I also live about an hour’s drive from the coast, and, trust me on this one, nothing will “recharge your batteries” like the constant ebb and flow of the ocean.

10) If you had to pick one other great love, other than writing, what would it be?

My children. And other people’s children. Every color, size, shape, and temperament, I love them all!