If You Were Stranded on a Desert Island

This has been rolling around in my head for about a week now. I don't know why I thought of it, just one of those crazy things that pops out once in a while.

If you were stranded on a desert island what would you bring? I have a fun quiz for you to answer regarding this question.

Enjoy!

1. Name 1 person you would bring.

2. Name 1 musical CD would you bring?

3. Which famous person would you bring? (In addition to #1)

4. Which 5 food items would you bring?

5. What 1 beauty product would you bring?

6. What 1 beverage would you bring?

7. Which 3 books would you bring?

8. Name 3 items you would bring, not including a boat.

9. What 4 clothing items would you bring?

10. Do you think you could survive on a deserted island?

As for me, I'd like to think I could survive, but the older I get, the more I doubt it. Especially if I didn't have my medications with me. I'd slowly go insane and probably try to swim for help or something equally as inept. Of course, I wouldn't lack for company if my companions deserted me, as I'd have all the voices in my head to chat with.

I'd be interested in knowing how you would answer this quiz. Take your time and have fun.

Latest Review for GOOD INTENTIONS

I couldn't keep this information away from you. It's too good not to share. I received a review for my book GOOD INTENTIONS that really made my day.

I hope that you like it as well. It comes from Philip LoPresti author of BORN AGAIN OPINION 

"Philip LoPresti, formerly proprietor of Phil's Shoe Service in Waldwick, New Jersey, is now a local truck driver in New Jersey. At one time he specialized in fixing worn down soles on shoes. Now he specializes in uplifting the other kind of soul."

This is what Philip LoPresti had to say about GOOD INTENTIONS:

              "This is a true to life story about a family of seven with parents who have a lot of love to give.  The book revolves around a 14 year old girl who is both homeless and pregnant. The story is told through the eyes of the mother, Tracy Reynolds. The young pregnant teen named Megan has no family and no clue as to who her real mother was. She went from one foster home to another. No one wanted to adopt a troubled teen. Then she became pregnant. That is when she met Tracy Reynolds, a nurse at her hospital. Tracy fell in love with her at first sight and secretly wanted to adopt her and her future baby. The story goes on from there like a wild ride on a roller-coaster.

                  The day to day detailed story will keep your mind waiting for what’s to happen next. I completed chapter 26 before I realized it was a book I was reading! The detailed description of what was occurring was like watching a movie in my mind. I think Vicki Taylor is an exceptional writer, and “Good Intentions” is a book anyone can read and enjoy. I learned a lot about what it’s like to be a woman and to be pregnant as well! Something I know I will never experience in my lifetime! You will remain riveted to the book and always waiting for that shoe to fall. The shoe I’m talking about is Megan, the unpredictable one. Will she flip out? Will she run away from home? Will she get pregnant again? Will she leave her baby unattended? You just never know what to expect.

                    I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. If you don’t enjoy reading, you will once you pick up this book!" 

You can find GOOD INTENTIONS at any local bookstore. If it's not on the shelf just ask Customer Service to order it for you. If you prefer to use Amazon or Barnes and Noble online, they carry it as well, in trade paperback and e-book format.

Thank you, Philip LoPresti for your kind words,

The Great Big Book Tour

The Great Big Book Tour

I’ve been invited to join in on “The Great Big Book Tour” that commences December 21, 2012 and for the next few days. I haven’t joined in one in a while, so we’ll see what kinds of questions we have to answer and whom we’re going to meet on this tour. Choo! Choo! All aboard! We're leaving now!

1) What is the working title of your book?

I’ve just finished two novels and they released at the end of this year: Good Intentions and Out for Justice.

  

2) Where did the idea come from for your book?

My ideas come to me from a variety of sources. Dreams, newspaper articles, magazines, real life news stories, and thoughts I may have from time to time.

The idea for Good Intentions came from a newspaper article that caught my eye. It was a very long article about a family who attempted to adopt a pregnant teenager, and subsequently her baby. The story interested me, because this family was already made up of a mom, dad, and five children. It was a very heart warming article.

Out for Justice came to me in a dream. The entire story was there, and I even had exact vivid images of how the characters would look and act. I woke the next morning and wrote and wrote as much as I could remember. I love how stories come to me like that. I wish I had a machine attached to my head so I could capture all my dreams!

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Good Intentions would be under contemporary family drama.

Out for Justice would be filed under contemporary romantic suspense.

4) Which actors would you choose to play in your movie rendition?

I’ve never thought about my stories in that way, so this is a hard question. Each character is unique and I don’t craft them after a movie actor. I guess, in Out for Justice, Karen, the homicide detective would probably be played by a young Ashley Judd. In Good Intentions, the pregnant teenager, Megan, could be played by Kirsten Dunst, and Tracy, the mom, could be played by someone like a younger Kathleen Turner.

I really don’t like putting movie actors to fill in for my characters, as I want my readers to develop the full character from what they read and fill in with their own imagination.

5) What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

OUT FOR JUSTICE: Rookie Detective Karen Sykes is out to prove she is good at her job, finding justice for a darkness in her past through law enforcement

GOOD INTENTIONS: Good Intentions is the tragic story of one woman’s efforts to help a teenage mother.

6) What other books are similar to yours?

As far as Good Intentions is concerned, I’ve never read of another book like it.

In Out for Justice, the plot twists make it unique from other romantic suspense books I’ve read.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Good Intentions took a very long time. Nearly two years of writing and about two years of editing.

Out for Justice took nearly a year of writing and about a year of editing.

8) What other books would you compare this story to?

I guess Good Intentions could be compared to a Jodi Picoult book. It has that kind of drama in it.

Out for Justice, I don’t compare it to a particular book, but if you read romantic suspense, you’ll definitely enjoy Out for Justice.

I try not to compare my books to others because I’d rather the reader begin the journey of self discovery themselves and not be biased by anything I’ve compared the books to that might cloud their reading pleasure.

9) Who or what inspired you to write the book?

In Good Intentions, the mother of five in the newspaper article who loved enough to want to adopt a pregnant teenager inspired me. She is truly an inspiration.

As for Out for Justice, I felt that my story is a conglomeration of all rookie female homicide detectives. I didn’t choose a particular one. She came to me in a dream.

10) What else about your book might interest the readers?

In Out for Justice, rookie homicide detective, Karen Sykes, fights to bring justice for the murder of a four-year-old boy. She has personal reasons for getting so involved in the case. She also feels an attraction to one of the crime scene technicians.

In Good Intentions, Tracy Reynolds, the mother of five, has so much love to give that she can’t turn her back on Megan and her baby. She does have a tendency to bring home every stray in the neighborhood and her friends and family have their doubts. Tracy struggles to prove everyone wrong even though the odds are stacked against her. Read how she overcomes every obstacle thrown her way.

You can find these books at your local B&N bookstore or ordering it at any bookstore, or by clicking here:

Out for Justice

Good Intentions e-book

Good Intentions print book

Happy Reading!

--

Vicki

Confused about where to go next and what to read? 

Please visit the blogs listed below participating in this Great Big Book Tour:

http://stacyclaflin.com/blog/

http://tracykauffman.blogspot.com/

http://bridgetstraub.com/

http://bookblogs.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2woeow8tj1kss

http://highslowsinbetweens.wordpress.com/

http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com/

http://tracykauffman.wordpress.com/

E-Reader Future Has Hit the Comics!

E-Readers are here to stay. And, that means e-books are here to stay as well. As much as we boomers would like to protest, using excuses like "but I love the smell of a book" and "there's nothing like holding a book in my hand", we're no longer the target market.

It's a whole new world out there, and like it or not, it's time we embraced it. My husband has dragged me into it. Okay, not literally "dragged" me. More like nudged me in the current electronic world's general direction.

In our family, he was the first to purchase an iPhone. He expounded on all the cool applications and how easy they were to use and how easy they made his life.

Uh huh. I know what you're thinking. How could a phone make his life easier, right? I was thinking the same thing.

But, then he started showing me, because skeptic that I am, I started asking for proof.

Well, I wouldn't believe it at first, but he was right. Some of the applications he had were amazing. He had his e-mail right on his phone - send and receive. And, all of his mail folders were there too! Now that was slick! And they synced with his desktop at home.

Then, there was the Internet application. Safari. Well, that sold me right there. I could surf the Internet from my phone!!

And, don't get me started on the Facebook and MySpace applications that link directly to your pages and profiles so you can access your pages and update them as if you were sitting at your desktop.

Of course, I digress, another great application I downloaded? eReader! I can read books on my iPhone. How sweet is that?

New Year's Resolutions

As 2008 fades away, and a clean slate in front of you, it's the time of your life to let go and be more than you'd ever dreamed of being.

2009 is a new year to set new writing goals and resolutions. What are yours going to be? Find an agent? A publisher? Finish a book?

It's the first day of the first year of a new unwritten future. A blank page. You can write your own future.

In the loosely interpreted words of Natasha Bedingfield and her song "Unwritten", today is when your book begins. The rest is unwritten. You have a blank page before you. No one else has your book inside them. It's your gift. You must release your inhibitions and go for it.

And, you will get there, one step at a time. Keep your goals firmly set in your mind. Stay focused. Use the support of your writing networks. And, set your goals high. Reach for the stars!

So, what are your top five writing goals or resolutions for 2009?

Mine are:
1. Obtain a publishing contract for OUT FOR JUSTICE
2. Finish edits on 3 short stories and find them a published home.
3. Write erotic story for Ravenous Romance.
4. Enter writing contests.
5. Write at least 5 chapters of DRIVING ME CRAZY.

I'd like to hear what yours are.

Writing a Book: Free Teleseminar

Is there a book inside of you just waiting to come out? Have you
always wanted to write but just didn't know how to begin? If you've
answered YES to either of these questions you need to sign up for the
Writing a Book: How to get Started Teleseminar.

On Thursday, November 29, 2008 five fabulous writers will share with
you their insights on how they got started. Believe it or not, there
is no one perfect formula for writing a book and these experts will
explain how they did it:

Monica Diggs
Kim Sims
Vicki M. Taylor
Kathie Thomas
Debra Shiveley Welch

The free teleseminar will begin at 8pm EST on Thursday, November 29. Seating
is limited so register early to guarantee you will be able to get your spot.

To register, go to: http://www.talk2bev.com Call-in instructions will be sent after your registration.

Writers Take Heart

A bad book is as much of a labor to write as a good one, it comes as sincerely from the author's soul.
Aldous Huxley


Writers take heart, your hard work does not go unrecognized. I hope that all of my books are considered "good" and worthy of the hard work that I put into them.

Isn't that what you want as well?

Would we still be applauded for our efforts if we worked hard and, God forbid, produced a "bad" book? Or, would someone look at a "bad" book and say, "if you only worked harder you could have made it a good book."

Does working harder make your book better?

Who's to measure how hard a writer works on a book? The editor? The reviewer? Maybe. I think it would be the reader. I know, some of you are saying, "no wait, the writer should be the one to measure his/her own work."

Maybe you're right. But, don't we all, deep down inside, want our work to be read by others. Don't we wait, impatiently to hear from those readers how the story made them feel? What were their reactions? Did they like it? Hate it? Don't we then leave it up to the reader to tell us if we've written a good book or not?

Who holds your measuring stick?

Another Day, Another Tour Stop, Another Day Without Chocolate

If you're keeping up, today I'm at The Book Pedler. There you'll find my answers to an interesting set of questions, some you may have never heard before today.

If anyone is counting, this is Day 9 of no sweets.

No chocolate.

At all.

I had to. I was getting out of control. It reminded me of the time I had to quit coffee cold turkey. I found myself at 4:30 in the afternoon making a pot of coffee for myself and realized I needed to get off the stuff fast. My hands were even shaking while I poured the water for goodness sake! Way too much caffeine.

So, I'm taking a break from chocolate and decided to lump in all sweets while I was at it. The sweetest I've gone is Splenda sprinkled on my strawberries for breakfast.

I'm past the cravings. They were horrible to get through. I used Ice Breakers Sours to get me through the tough times. They're sugar-free and if you read the nutritional facts on the back, they have less than 5 calories per piece.

Uh, 5 calories?

Oh great. Now I read the back of the dispenser. At 5 calories a piece, I could be hitting some serious calorie consuming in a day.

I'll also tell you right now, don't eat too many of them in a row, they're made with Sorbitol.

Yikes.

So, I have to remember, sugar-free doesn't mean calorie-free.

Got it.

Okay, time to get back to work.

See you all tomorrow when I visit Women on Writing.

Where am I today?

Pauline Jones at All The World's a Page is hosting me today.

This Virtual Book Tour stuff is kinda fun.

Hectic, but fun. There's the various interviews and information to give. Different blogs and websites to keep track of and the right dates of each tour stop. But, it's all about expanding my Internet network.

Being more visible. That's what it's all about.

And, look at all the new friends I'm making!

Guest - Kim Robinson

Today, I have a guest on my blog. Kim Robinson, the author of The Roux in the Gumbo. She's on a Virtual Book Tour and we were lucky enough to get her to stop here. Here is the rest of Kim's Virtual Book Tour schedule.

Kim Robinson was born in raised in Compton, California. She has survived everything that life threw at her and now lives in Allen,Texas, with her husband and three kids. When she's not sewing, writing, cooking and watching movies, Kim is a motivational speaker, sometimes bringing the crowd to tears with her moving personal accounts of the background of her life.

The Roux in the Gumbo is an emotional and inspirational look into the lives of a family that opens their door and hearts on every page. Spanning the years between 1800 to 1997, The Roux in the Gumbo’s story is told through one of the main characters before her passing; the remainder is accompanied by the memories of family members and friends. Based in Louisiana, with all its flair and Southern culture, it describes the experiences throughout history, contributing to the shaping of generations. In spite of the obstacles and struggles that life brought their way, these characters persevered with unity, love and laughter, due to a strong familial support system that carries universal appeal.

For more information on Kim, please visit www.kim-robinson.com. You can pick up your copy of The Roux in the Gumbo at Amazon. I had an opportunity to ask Kim some questions.

VICKI: How has writing affected your life? 

KIM: Ha Ha good question. Compared to my old life I think writing has been very therapeutic for me. In writing The Roux in the Gumbo I found out so many things that happened in my life had happened to my ancestors. It all stops with me, now that I have the information that I need to inform my children of what not to do, the abuse stops with me. I guess that leaves the question of what abuse?  I was raped by a preacher at the age of five and for thirty years I would not go to church or say the word God. He stayed out of my house and I stayed out of his. With no religion I went the other way, I was a madam, callgirl, drug dealer and drug addict for over a decade, until I met a man that made me feel like I was better than that. My grandmother had a vision and told me I should write, she said, "One day this is going to feed your family." I didn't pay enough attention to my grandmother's vision. But now I remember all of them in the book about her life, and I have my own visions now.


VICKI: What are your writing goals?


KIM: To write things to educate people on history, abuse, drugs, religion, and spirituality through my own negative experiences. In my books I tell it like it T.I. is and don't hold any punches no matter how painful the experiences are.


VICKI: What's the one question (and answer) you wish people would ask and don't?

KIM: One question that a lot of people ask me is, "How can you tell people that you were a prostitute." God doesn't have any secrets and he wants me to do things to help and inspire others. I feel obligated to share my past because that is just what it is, "My past." The questions that people don't ask is "How can I help people who are still living in pain, and abusing themselves."

I think that if most people had to go to the street to survive they wouldn't, they would starve to death, or get killed. If you see a homeless person, a prostitute, a drug addict ask them what you can do to help them.  The twenty dollars you give to that hooker may be the same twenty dollars that stops her from getting her throat cut or going home to an abusive pimp, or put the food in her babies mouth that she is trying to get.

VICKI: Thank you, Kim, for being so forward and honest in your answers to my questions. I wish you much success with your Virtual Book Tour and good luck with your writing.

Virtual Book Tour - Day 1

Well, we're off and running with my first ever Virtual Book Tour. We're featuring Trust in the Wind, as it's my latest book.

Over at Plug Your Book, you can find an excerpt of Trust in the Wind and ordering information.

You can even see the book trailer.

I guess the way it's supposed to work is each blog host has either an interview of me, a feature article, or they'll post an excerpt from the book. Then, I visit each blog on the day of it's tour stop and answer any questions that may come through on the comments that day.

Easy enough, right?

Good. Should be a piece of cake then.

Oh, wait. I've sworn off sweets. Hmm. Piece of pie? Nope, that won't work either. Well, you're just going to have to trust me. It'll be easy. LOL

Virtual Book Tour Starts June 1st

Exciting news. I'm taking a Virtual Book Tour in June, 2007. This is brand new stuff and I'm going to be blogging about my experience. Come visit me on any or all of my tour stops.

My current schedule is as follows:

June 1 - Plug Your Book!
June 4 - The Wolf Never Sleeps
June 5 - Pauline Jones' All the World's a Page
June 6 - The Dana Files
June 7 - The Book Pedler
June 8 - Women on Writing
June 11 - Boomer Chick
June 12 - The Writer's Life
June 14 - Kim Robinson's The Roux in the Gumbo
June 16 - Author Alley
June 19 - Cheryl Malandrinos' The Adventures of a Wife, Mother, and Aspiring Author
June 20 - Marilyn Meredith
June 21 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
June 25 - Peggy Tibbetts’ From the Styx
June 26 - Christine Norris' The Writer’s Mind
June 27 - Mary Emma
June 29 - Be My Guest!
If you are interested in having your own Virtual Book Tour, you can go to Virtual Book Tours.

Claiming my Blog

I've signed up with a new program called Technorati. I think what they do is help optimize your blog posts on the Internet for easier searching. Anyway something like that.

Technorati Profile

That's a link to my profile.

Trust in the Wind Book Trailer

Following up yesterday's post about my book trailer for Not Without Anna, here is the book trailer for Trust in the Wind.

Not Without Anna Book Trailer

I'm crashing into the 21st century by trying new technology this year. One of the things I've decided to try is the new book trailers that have been developed. They're like movie trailers, just for books.

My first book, Not Without Anna, now has a book trailer. You can view it here.

If you like it, let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Thanks!