Please welcome my friend and fellow author Taylin Clavelli, here to talk about her new release,
Dakota Skies! Taylin, make yourself at home, I'll rustle us up something to drink. You go ahead and start with the questions!
The Questions
1) You’re
marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is
that person and what item do you have?
My husband and an axe. The reason being, my
husband has enough brains and the skill to make something out of nothing, keep
his cool, and get us off the island. An axe because it can be used to cut and
dig with or if necessary, make someone into fish bait if they become iritating.
2) Which
musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that
musical are you?
I wouldn’t say one musical gets anywhere
close. It’s more a case of Calamity Jane meets Hairspray. I’m a bit of a tomboy, but I have been known
to rebel against what is expected of me. I have also been known to scrub up and
wear a dress occasionally too.
3) Take
these three words and give me a 100 word or less scene using them: turf, guarantee, reject.
Danny had no intention of being a reject
jockey. That being said, his diminutive size was no guarantee of his success in
the trials. One had to have the ability to get the best out of a horse while
being the least burden. This race was
his test. The chestnut mare pawed the turf, anxious to get going. As the white
flag went up all the inside the stalls went into heightened alert, then, the
gates opened… and they were off….
4) You’ve
just been let loose in the world of fiction, with permission to do anyone you
want. Who do you fuck first and why?
Thranduil from The Hobbit. Damn,
the man is gorgeous and tall. The years of experience the
king must have would,
I hope, make him awesome in bed. I’ve also seen how the actor who plays
Thranduil has kissed his co-stars in other movies and I sooooo want to be on
the other end of that. Not that it matters when you’re horizontal, but, I am
5’9 and I hated it when a boyfriend was smaller than me.
JLH: omg, I love Lee Pace too! He's awesome in Halt and Catch Fire!
5) What
is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?
We have a takeaway and curl up on the sofa
with a movie.
6) When
you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?
If I had to say one or the other it would
be plot. However, the more I think about it, it is neither. To begin with, I have
an image in my head; for example - a washed up body, a church, or a gnarled
tree. The image can come about by
something I’ve seen, a dream I’ve had or a song I’ve heard. That image then develops into a scene showing
why or how that image appeared, and the plot begins. Once I start writing, the
character develops. The personality of the character comes first before the
physical attributes.
7) If
they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?
Glenn Close. I think she is sufficiently
wacky. She is a handsome woman, but not a classic beauty. I scrub up okay, but
I ain’t no Miss World by any stretch of the imagination. I wish I had her
figure though. I used to be thin once, and I can dream in a movie. If not her, then
it would be Julie Walters. There hasn’t been a movie the lady made that I
haven’t liked, and I love the depth, humor, and fire she brings to her
characters. I loved the moment in Harry Potter where she said “That’s my
daughter, you bitch.”
8) Who’s
your favorite horror villain and why?
I try not to watch horror - it gives me
nightmares, so I can’t say I have a favorite. As a child I used to
check under
my bed before getting into it anyway or jump onto it from a few feet away. But,
the one actor who springs to mind whenever the word horror is mentioned has to
be Peter Cushing. I know it gives my age away, but to me no one, modern actor
or old Hollywood has ever surpassed him in that genre.
JLH: Another favorite of mine! You have great taste, woman! :)
9) Do
you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?
Robin Hood. I love history and I’ve seen
many people play the man from Douglas Fairbanks to Russell Crowe. I’ve even
been to Nottingham Forest for the official tour.
10) Is
there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to
receive it?
If there was it would be dangerous to tell
you at the moment.
Blurb:
Born in the wrong time...
In 1875 Dakota, Sheriff Jamie Carter has to
hide his interest in men, even from his gutsy twin sister, Anna. On a good day,
the truth can mean a bullet between the eyes, and on a bad, one in the back.
A man on a mission...
Jamie leaves Anna in charge of Blackrock
and he hits the bounty hunting trail, along with his faithful equine companion,
Houston. Five territories, scores of ‘Wanted’ posters, and many bullets later,
his path unexpectedly converges with that of enigmatic loner, Kit Brooks.
Two men with one soul...
Will the smoldering fire between them rage
into an inferno and break down protective barriers, allowing them to find love?
Or will it separate and kill them?
Beneath Dakota skies...
Jamie and Kit’s story is a sweeping saga of
cowboys, Indians, persistent broads, and vengeful villains, where the cowboys
aren’t always the good guys, and love can’t be taken for granted.
Excerpt:
“Who’s there?” he barked into the dark.
Jay wasn’t happy at being denied sleep again. There was no answer, and
the laughing abruptly stopped. All Jay could hear was the wind rustling the
small new leaves on the trees. Eventually sleep took him, albeit restlessly.
Moving out in the morning, he followed the trail north. However, the farther
he traveled, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
That evening, Jay set up camp not far from water. It allowed him to
replenish his canteen (after boiling it, of course, like his mama taught him)
and take a dip. The stream ran deeper, wider, and faster than at other places
he’d seen. It was perfect for a bath and rough shave.
Dust, grease, and grime from the last few days scoured his skin. Even
though the water was bone chillingly cold, soap and tough scrubbing removed the
filth. The freshness it brought made him feel much better. After drying off,
Jay returned to camp with a spring in his step.
The closer Jay got to his warming fire… the more he heard voices.
Hiding behind a tall bush, Jay withdrew his gun and… very… slowly… cocked
it ready.
Natives were going through his stuff.
His breathing shallow, Jay raised his arm to take aim. At that moment, a
weathered hand softly covered his mouth. Jay froze. The man’s other hand
carefully and silently lowered his gun. None of the movements were threatening.
Though Jay’s heart was pumping so hard he thought it wanted out of his chest.
“Don’t,” was whispered into his ear. “They’re curious. They’ll go soon.”
Jay nodded in compliance, but the stranger’s hold on him didn’t falter.
The arm that lowered his gun was around his waist, along with his gun. The man
was ensuring Jay didn’t move. His soft, quiet breathing ghosted over the side
of Jay’s face. Warmth from the strong stranger permeated every pore of Jay
Carter’s cold body like a sleep-inducing fog.
Within minutes the natives left, leaving almost no evidence of their
visit, except for a missing sack of grain.
The man continued to whisper, “They’ve been following you since you
entered their land. They’re Wichita, and they mean you no harm. If you shoot
your gun, it’ll alert every tribesman to your existence. Be careful. Be quiet.
Don’t do anything stupid… like sing.”
The sweet scent of honey wafted into Jay’s nose. His body was invaded—not
physically, but sensually. Jay had to close his eyes to steady himself.
As if by magic, the stranger’s hold on Jay was gone, leaving cold air in
its wake. Instead of being relieved, Jay missed the heat from the man’s broad chest
against his back, and the strong arms wrapped around him. It was comfortable,
safe… and unnerving.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
TAYLIN CLAVELLI
I live in the United Kingdom, south of
Birmingham. I am married with children and love my family with all my heart.
My love of books has been a long standing
affair, liking nothing better than to lose myself in an imaginary world.
Until I met Lily Velden, I never considered trying
my hand at writing. However, after talking ideas, Lily encouraged me to put pen
to paper—or rather, fingers to keyboard. Since, with a few virtual kicks in the
right place, I haven’t stopped. My increased confidence eventually led to me
writing an original work for submission.
My first published work was Boys, Toys and
Carpet Fitters, developed for Dreamspinners Press Anthology – Don’t Try This At
Home. Since then I have had 3 other stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing
– DIY Delights, Invisible, and Sleepwalking. More are on their way.
Now I absolutely adore immersing myself into the
characters I create, and transferring the pictures in my brain to paper, finding
it liberating, therapeutic, and wonderful.
Outside of writing, my interests include;
martial arts, horse-riding, and
movies, all of which facilitate
my love of a variety of genre movies. My action heroes include; Jet Li and Tony
Jaa— the dedication these men have for their art combined with their skill is both
amazing and a privilege to watch. I also believe the screen entrance of Johnny
Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black
Pearl, and Shadowfax in LOTR, to be the greatest screen entrances ever. My all-time
favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
The simple things in life that make my day, putting
a smile on my face are:-
Laughter - especially that of my children.
The smell of lasagna cooking – it makes my
mouth salivate.
The dawn chorus – no symphony ever written can
beat the waking greetings of the birds.
