Stephanie Taylor is the owner of Astraea Press, a publishing house specializing in wholesome romance novels. In just two years, Stephanie’s publishing company has become an important name in romance publishing. Stephanie is also an author, with a new book called The Unexpected Choice which we highly recommend.
We caught up with Stephanie and got her to answer a few questions for us.
MTAR: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Stephanie Taylor: I’ve been writing since I was a little kid and somehow always knew this was the business I was meant to be in. I haven’t looked back, either!
MTAR: What do you do when you are not writing?
Stephanie Taylor: I own and run my company, Astraea Press. We have so much fun there, I can’t even call it a job!
MTAR: Which book do you recommend for a reader that is new to your writing?
Stephanie Taylor: Lucky for Her. It’s fun, sexy and has some great real life moments that you can connect with.
MTAR: What books/authors have influenced your writing?
Stephanie Taylor: Nicholas Sparks is huge inspiration for me, but oddly enough, only one of my books seem to reflect his influence and it was the hardest one I ever wrote!
MTAR: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Stephanie Taylor:I think it would be awesome to write Cameron’s story from The Unexpected Choice. It would be tough, but it would be an amazing story of redemption if I could pull it off!
MTAR: Do you have a specific writing style?
Stephanie Taylor: Sweet, clean, and true-to-life. A lot of people say once they’ve met me that they can hear me telling my stories as they read my work.
MTAR: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Stephanie Taylor: Love really isn’t an all-encompassing feeling that we all believe and want it to be. The basic idea of love is to treat someone right, love someone despite their faults…just like the “love is patient, love is kind” verses in the Bible. Love has turned into something selfish and ugly in today’s society and I wish people would remember that love isn’t selfISH, it’s selfLESS.
MTAR: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Stephanie Taylor: Nicholas Sparks and Catherine Anderson
MTAR: What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
Stephanie Taylor: Real life situations. People who CAN overcome adversity despite the odds. And I love “marriage of convenience” storylines, especially when the hero and heroine have a past together.