Featured Author - May // TAYLOR BENNETT

   Eleven days into May, and its time for the first Featured Author of the month! I'm stoked to introduce you all to one of the sweetest gals in this writing community, Taylor Bennett - who's debut book was published exactly eleven days ago! Who's ready to meet this ray of sunshine?

A few epic Taylor-things that you should check out:

What if friendship cost you everything?

Stranded in Hawaii after the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Olive Galloway is desperate to escape. She has to get back to Boston before her dad loses all common sense and sells the family house. But plane tickets cost money—something Olive gravely lacks.

With the help of Brander, the fussy youth group worship leader, and Jazz, a mysterious girl with a passion for all things Hawaiian, Olive lands a summer job at the Shave Ice Shack and launches a scheme to buy a plane ticket home before the end of the summer.

But when Jazz reveals a painful secret, Olive’s plans are challenged. Jazz needs money. A lot of it. Olive and Brander are determined to help their friend but, when their fundraising efforts are thwarted, Olive is caught in the middle. To help Jazz means giving up her ticket home. And time is running out.

her contemporary YA debut novel, Porch Swing Girl

her beautimous Instagram, @taylor.bennett.author

her author website, taylor-bennett.com

Savannah Grace: Hey, Taylor! So happy that you're able to be here today, I'm excited to interview you! What are a few quirks about yourself that people might be surprised to know?

Taylor Bennett: Thank you so much for having me, Savannah! I’m thrilled and honored to be here 😊.

Until I started pursuing publication, I actually had no social media accounts whatsoever. So when I started to build my platform, I literally started with nothing—no FB friends, Instagram buddies, NOTHING. And even now that I have a social media presence, I don’t have a smartphone (or any phone for that matter.) 😊

When I was in elementary/middle school, I could not spell AT ALL. Even though I spent as much of my free time as I could reading, the words didn’t stick in my brain. Now, I’m a much better speller, but…well…I’m still thankful for the spell-checker on my computer 😉

I’m kind of an old soul, evidenced by my chosen friends. My best-friend-since-birth is my mom, and my other friends are…her friends!! I have “kid friends” too, but I’ve always been more comfortable talking to adults.

Savannah: I can absolutely relate to have no social media accounts! I really need to step up my game, haha ;D. What steps did you take that helped get you published so early on in your life? (you're my age exactly, I think, which I find super cool ;))

Taylor: I started pursuing publication when I was thirteen, just a few months before I entered high school and, honestly, I’d say that the biggest step was simply being consistent with my goal. When I started querying publishing companies, I had a way-too-small-to-be-a-real-novel manuscript and a haphazardly-constructed query letter. But, as I received rejections and studied the writing craft, I learned more about the publishing world. I could have given up after getting my first rejection letter in the mailbox, but I had to make the decision to stand by my goal, no matter what.

That didn’t make it any easier, but it did make it easier for me to keep pressing forward when times got tough. Other than making a firm commitment to follow my dream, something that helped me a lot was joining a community of writers. I found an online critique group where I could learn and grow both by getting and giving feedback.

Savannah: THIRTEEN? Girl, you are dedicated. *fistbumps* Thank you for being such an all-star, Taylor, you're an inspiration! With all the publishing houses out there, how did you end up signing with Mountain Brook Ink? 

Taylor: Once I realized that my first non-novel wasn’t going to earn me a book contract, I changed tactics. I tried writing several other books, but either my computer would crash or I would get discouraging feedback that made me realize it wasn’t the “right” book for me.

Finally, I woke up one morning with three words going through my head: Porch Swing Girl. Though I didn’t know where the words came from or what had prompted them, I couldn’t get them out of my mind. In a few short hours, I had concocted a story to go along with the title, and I felt more inspired than I had in months.

When I attended the Oregon Christian Writer’s conference that summer, I pitched the idea (I hadn’t even finished writing it yet!) to three different publishers. Two of them were dream publishers and the other was…a wild card. Mountain Brook Ink was the wild card and, as it turned out, the only one interested in publishing a contemporary Christian YA book.

I spent the next year polishing Porch Swing Girl, and, when I met Miralee Ferrell, the owner of Mountain Brook Ink, at the same writer’s conference a year later, she was still interested. In fact, she wanted me to write two more books—and that’s how the Tradewinds trilogy was born. 

Savannah: Good gracious, that's amazing! (also - go you for having the bravery to pitch!) I love that you not only got a deal for Porch Swing Girl to be published, but for a whole trilogy. What inspired you to set Porch Swing Girl in Hawaii?

Taylor: I was inspired to set Porch Swing Girl in Hawaii because of an acute mix of wanderlust and homesickness. Thanks to the generosity of a family friend (who is really more like family) my mom and I had gotten the opportunity to stay in a beachfront condo in Maui several years before. I’d been dreaming of returning to the island ever since and I figured, if I couldn’t go back for real, I could at least transport myself there via my writing. (Fun fact: I ended up going back to Maui twice during the writing of Porch Swing Girl for “research trips.”)

And why do I love Hawaii that much? Sure, the beach is great, the palm trees and hibiscus bushes beautiful, but the real secret behind Maui’s charm is its aloha spirit. It might sound cheesy, but anyone who’s ever visited this enchanted isle will tell you—Hawaii is a special, magical island because of the people who live there and their culturally rich heritage. Where else can you make friends with a rooster, eat at five-star restaurants, and watch sea turtles frolic just inches away?

Savannah: I'm legit dying to visit Maui now ;D. I'm so glad that you got to visit there so many times! It's super neat that your book is set in such a lovely place. Are any of the scenes (or characters) in your book inspired by real-life experiences of yours?

Taylor: Oh, I love this question!! Mainly because half of the people in the book are actually real people. Okay…maybe not quite half, but there are a lot of them!! A couple of family friends that we actually met during the editing stage of Porch Swing Girl got written into a scene, and one of my favorite snippets (where my character, Olive, attempts to apply for a job at a snobby boutique) was actually a reimagining of a similar experience I had while visiting Maui.

I also wrote a lot of my own quirks into Olive, including my then-dislike of egg salad. The funny thing? As I was editing Porch Swing Girl, I actually ended up falling in love with egg salad. I just had it for lunch today, as a matter of fact 😊
 

Savannah: That's seriously epic, Taylor, I love how much of your real life got tied into the story! Nothing can make a book feel more real than real-life getting tied in ;). What do you hope that people come away with after reading Porch Swing Girl?

Taylor: I hope that people come away from reading Porch Swing Girl with a smile on their face and hope in their heart. When I write, I hope to touch people, to show them that just because things are messy and broken doesn’t mean they aren’t also beautiful. I want to give readers hope and joy, and I want them to be able to get caught up in a story without having to worry about “content.” I want to write YA fiction that will resonate with everyone, but that is focused first on God and on being holy, pure, and innocent so that He is ultimately glorified.

Savannah: That's one of the best goals there is <3. And with how much hype your book has, I have a feeling its going to do just that! What has surprised you the most to learn during the process of getting Porch Swing Girl published?

Taylor: How nice everyone is!!

That might sound weird, but really—I can explain.

When I used to envision the publishing world, I pictured it is a cutthroat community of review-hungry writers whose only goal was to win the biggest awards and hit #1 on the NYT. I’ve come to realize that the Christian writing community is nothing like that. Everybody knows everyone, and more established authors are always happy to help out industry newbies (like me!)

I’ve been amazed and encouraged by support from industry veterans like Sara Ella and Nadine Brandes, and I can’t wait until I can pay it forward someday by encouraging a young author myself.

Savannah: Isn't the industry great? Everyone always talks about how hard it is, and how you have to develop a thick skin - but I think there's still an awful lot of sweet people out there that can make the process so much easier! It's great that you've found those people ;). What’s one line (or paragraph) you’re written that you really love, and why do you like it so much?

Taylor: I’m seriously attached to Porch Swing Girl’s first line: “I hate Hawaii.”

Why? Because it’s perfectly ironic, and it also sets the stage for my main character’s transformation throughout the course of the book. I’d elaborate more about said transformation, but…well…spoilers 😉

Savannah: Haha, spoiler territory is a scary place! I'll just have to read your book for myself and find out ;). Okay, one last question before we let you bounce off to do more epic writer-things: who are three of your greatest inspirations, and why?

Taylor: My mom—she is literally the most dedicated, most loving person I know. She makes it her mission to be sure that everyone she meets feels loved and cared for, and she has the biggest, brightest smile I’ve ever seen. Her heart is so huge and so beautiful (and she’s super smart and talented, too!) and I can only hope that, someday, I can become more like her.

Stephanie Kehr—this fellow writer is an amazing person and she inspires me to always trust God and to live with joy no matter the circumstances. I’ve never had the opportunity to meet her in person, but I’m so happy to have connected with her through writing. Her blog and Instagram posts are sure to brighten my day and encourage me to live with grace and kindness no matter what comes my way.

Beverly Cleary—for one, I grew up reading her beloved Ramona books. For another, she’s a fellow Oregonian! And thirdly, she penned one of my favorite quotes: “If you don’t see the book you want on the shelf, write it.” That quote inspires me every time I sit down to write!

Savannah: I absolutely agree about that incredible quote! So much importance there. Thank you for chatting with us today, Taylor! You're a gem - I can't wait to read your gorgeous masterpiece! <3

Homeschooled since kindergarten, Taylor Bennett is the seventeen-year-old author of Porch Swing Girl, which will be released by Mountain Brook Ink on May 1^st. When she’s not reading or writing, Taylor can be found playing her violin or taking walks in the beautiful Oregon countryside. She loves to connect with readers via her author website, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (her favorite!), Pinterest, and Goodreads.

   I hope y'all were inspired but that interview! You guys, Taylor's only seventeen and she's already traditionally published with more books coming. If that isn't incredible, I don't know what it ;).

   ANYways - keep being epic, y'all. <3 I'll be back in a few days with another post!

~ Savannah Grace

have you ever traveled anywhere for a "research trip"?

feel free to chat with Taylor in the comments!