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Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Taylor Bennett | Author Chat



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 1st. 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.



Let's get real...


If your book became a movie, who would you cast for your main characters?

If my book became a movie, I wouldn’t have anyone in particular in mind. Instead, I’d hold tons of open calls to find undiscovered (but absolutely AMAZING) talent. It would be incredible to help up-and-coming young actors get their start, plus I would appreciate their more vulnerable, non “Hollywoodish” personality.

Two truths and a lie...
  • I’ve met the lead singer of my favorite band…twice!! 
  • I am a closet Regency romance nerd, even though I spent my earlier teen years despising anything remotely related to Jane Austen.
  • I love the smell of coffee—but hate the taste.
Share one pet peeve you have.

Bad. Grammar.

*Shudder*

Ugh…it drives me nuts!! I’m a proud member of the grammar police, so anytime I hear something that isn’t grammatically correct. Ooh…it really gets under my skin. And of course, I can’t really correct people (especially near-strangers) without being really rude.

I always manage to resist, but it leaves me gritting my teeth and crying a little inside.

What's one chore you hate doing?

I really, really hate scrubbing showers. I’m kind of OCD about it—don’t want to miss a spot!—so I go over each corner what feels like a million times (but is probably more like two). Plus, my arms really aren’t that strong (typing on a keyboard doesn’t build muscle) so I get TIRED fast. And I always half-choke on the smell of bleach, so…yeah. Fun. (NOT.)

What’s one thing you must do in the morning?

I absolutely have to walk in the morning. Years ago, my mom and I started taking a daily “morning walk” with the dog. We loop all through our neighborhood and spiral up an abandoned road that crests a hill. From the top, we can see all the way into town (our house is near the country.) We repeat the walk every afternoon and evening, too. When it’s dark out, we can watch the city lights, and we usually catch the sunrise in the morning. It’s an amazing way to take a break and enjoy being out in the beauty of the Oregon countryside, plus, I love talking with my mom. She’s my very best friend, and she’s also AMAZING at helping me brainstorm.

If you were forced to do karaoke what song would you pick?

In my fantasy world, karaoke machines are loaded with every song under the sun (even the more obscure ones) so I would pick “I Want You,” by my favorite band, We Are Messengers. I listened to it a lot when I wrote Porch Swing Girl, so it’s very dear to my heart—plus, it’s just a GOOD SONG! But hopefully I will never, everbe forced to do karaoke. My singing is reserved for the shower only.

Name three places you’d like to travel to & why

I would absolutely LOVE to travel to Maui (even though I’ve been there several times before, I am absolutely in love with the island and I feel as though it’s my second home) as well as Europe (specifically England and France, because of the moody weather, amazing old architecture, and delightfully old-fashioned feel) and…the Middle East! Okay, so I know traveling to the Middle East right now would be sort of foolish, but I’m enchanted by the idea of the millennia-old buildings, bustling markets, and DELICIOUS FOOD. So if things ever calm down over there…you can bet I’ll be hanging out at an old marketplace, eating authentic Afghan food.

Favorite dessert?

Cake. Cheesecake, carrot cake, white cake, lemon cake, strawberry cake—it doesn’t matter. Give me a piece of cake (and maybe some ice cream or whipped cream on the side?) and I will be satisfied. My mom is an incredible baker, and she makes some of the best cake I’ve ever tasted—I’m especially fond of her French strawberry custard cake, with homemade whipped cream…yum!

Connect with Taylor: 
Website: http://taylor--bennett.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaylorBennettAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writer__taylor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylor.bennett.author/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Taylor__Bennett/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/66039360-taylor-bennett
Order on Amazon

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.



The lie: 
I’ve met the lead singer of my favorite band…twice!! **LIE** I’ve actually met him 4 times 😉

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