TBR: Welcome to TBR, J.E. Taylor. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
JET: I’m a writer, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife and a business analyst, not necessarily in that order. I first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after my daughter asked:
“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”
From that moment on, I haven’t looked back and now I’ve got eight novels and a couple short story anthologies out there for purchase.
In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing (www.novelconceptpublishing), I also moonlights as an Assistant Editor of Allegory (www.allegoryezine.com), an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. I’ve been known to edit a book or two and also offer my services judging writing contests for various RWA chapters.
I live in Connecticut with my husband and two children and during the summer months I enjoy my weekends on the shore in southern Maine.
TBR: Tell us about Crystal Illusions and where it's available.
JET: Here’s the book blurb for Crystal Illusions along with the Amazon link. It’s also available through Barnes & Noble and Smashwords and can be purchased in paperback as well for those that prefer an actual book…Assistant D.A. Carolyn Hastings has an uncanny knack for putting away criminals. With one of the best prosecution records in recent history, her future as Manhattan’s next District Attorney looks certain. But her sixth sense for winning cases threatens to work against her when she starts seeing a string of murders through the eyes of the killer.
With suspects piling up as fast as bodies, and the motives of those closest to her questionable, Carolyn doesn’t know who to trust. When the FBI assigns Special Agent Steve Williams to the case, Carolyn discloses her deepest fear - that the man she loves may be the one responsible for the city’s latest crime spree.
The only thing Steve knows for sure is Carolyn has an inexplicable psychic connection with the killer, and all the victims have one thing in common…a striking resemblance to Carolyn Hastings.
And he knows it’s only a matter of time before this psychopath knocks on her door.
“Taylor has a strong thriller where every single character has reasonable doubt flashing like a neon sign hanging over them, and right from the beginning you are trying to guess who the killer really is. Gripping, rich and magnificent - crime whodunnits don't get any better than this!” JET Poppet / Gemma Rice – JET of Quislings, Blindsided, Djinn and Dusan
TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
JET: Randy turned his head in her direction, the hot shower had done nothing to quell his aggravation and he carefully examined his response. How do I explain a black eye and the blood on my clothing to the assistant D.A? It was almost laughable, but the earlier events had dampened his mood. The truth would land him in a shitload of trouble, but he couldn’t brush it off either. “I went to meet a client and got mugged on the way back.”
Carolyn’s eyes grew hard as she took a step back. “I had another vision.” She took another step toward the bathroom door.
Randy’s eyebrows drew together at the question in her eyes. A vision, shit. She thinks I’m responsible? The sudden realization of her thought process burned through him like a ravaged wild fire. “You think I…”
Carolyn bolted out of the room.
“F**k!” Randy cursed and grabbed a towel, sliding on the tile floor as he made a bid to catch her. Her hands shook as she tried to navigate the dead bolt on the front door and he grabbed her arm before she figured out how to unlatch it. He had to stop her, to convince her it wasn’t him and he spun her toward him. “I didn’t kill anyone.”
“But you weren’t mugged either!”
Randy’s shoulders slumped and his gaze traveled to the balcony and the bloody shoes. “No, I wasn’t mugged. But I’m not the Scarlet Psychopath either.” He brought his gaze back to hers.
“You were covered with blood when you came in, what the hell am I supposed to think?” She yanked her arm from his grasp. “And your face, that’s where she hit him with her purse.” Carolyn’s voice trembled as she pressed her back to the door.
The fear in her eyes churned his desperation into raging fury. She believed he was capable of murder, of killing innocent women—women that looked like her. “Go ahead, test the blood.” Randy pointed at the balcony, his anger bleeding from between his clenched teeth. “It’s beef and pork blood, from my family’s meat packing plant.” He turned and stormed back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
He drew on a pair of jeans and returned to the living room “How the hell can you think I’m capable of that!” Anger radiated in waves.
Tears brimmed and slid down her cheeks. “Your trench coat, now this…”
“Jesus, Carolyn.” Randy ran his hand through his wet hair, her accusation stewing, stirring his anger into a tizzy.
“I couldn’t reach you the other night after the nightmare and tonight you weren’t here. Do you have an alibi for the other murders?”
Randy couldn’t believe her audacity, her ability to believe he was capable of such things. “If it happened at night, I was here. During the day I’m working.”
“Can anyone vouch for you?”
Randy’s jaw tightened, his teeth aching from the pressure. “I don’t know.”
Her head dropped to her chest and her lips pressed together. “I have to go.”
Of course she’s going to run. That’s what she does when things get tough. “I’ll take you home.” He turned before she could argue coming back moments later fully dressed. He grabbed his trench coat and ripped open the front door.
“Randy.” The glare he sent her stopped her in her tracks.
“You think I’m a murderer. What else can I say?” he snapped. “This…” He pointed between the two of them. “Is over.” He stabbed the down button and waited for the elevator.
TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
JET: I’ve got a few quotes that come to mind when I read this question and I’ll separate my answer into three sections: Favorite quote from my books, favorite quote from another author’s book and favorite movie quote.
In my books – my favorite quote so far is “Game on”, which is from my erotic Games series.
By far my favorite quote that’s attributed to another writer came from Jonathan Maberry’s book Patient Zero and it actually happens to be the first chapter in its entirety:
“When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, then there's either something wrong with your skills or something wrong with your world.
And there's nothing wrong with my skills.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Patient Zero
And my favorite quote from a movie comes from The Rock and is delivered by one of my favorite actors - Sean Connery – “Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f@#$ the prom queen.” This always makes me chuckle because it’s so damn true.
TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?
JET: This time around I didn’t listen to music as I wrote. I needed to concentrate on the story line and on making everyone a plausible suspect, so while I usually am rocking to my Ipod, this time I couldn’t. I actually do have a ‘writing’ play list on my Ipod. It’s comprised of a great deal of 80’s and 90’s rock.
TBR: Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner, and why?
JET: Least like to invite – Kyle Winslow because the likelihood of me not living to see the next day is pretty high with Kyle. On the other spectrum, I’m tossed between my FBI Agent Steve Williams and his guardian angel – Chris Ryan. Not sure who would be more entertaining to have at my dinner table. Either way – they’re both an eyeful. J
TBR: While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned?
JET: That my characters sometimes take over the story and lead me where I don’t expect to go. They take on a life of their own and that was the most surprising thing for me. I thought I as the writer would be in control of the situations at all times, but it’s quite funny to find out the voices in your head actually can take control.
TBR: What's next for you?
JET: I’m writing a YA thriller with my twelve-year-old son. It’s the first in a trilogy and it’s his idea and direction and my translation of his idea. What a fun venture. Look for the first book in The Death Chronicles – Don’t Fear The Reaper – to arrive on the virtual shelves this summer.
TBR: Any other published works?
JET: Yes. Crystal Illusions is the fifth book in my FBI Steve Williams series and as I hinted above, I’ve got another adult trilogy as well as two short story compilations. Just look me up on Amazon and you can see the entire list of books available as well as a few free short stories.
TBR: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
JET: “I never thought this 39 year old, stay-at-home mom would love the kinda twisted drama in the Games series books, but I absolutely loved them.”
If you’d like to check out Crystal Illusions, you can purchase it here on Amazon.
Until next time,
Ciao.
JET
TBR: Thanks so much for visiting TBR, J.E. Best of luck with your blog tour!
