The
desire to write historical fiction has long been a passion with Brenda B.
Taylor. Since elementary school, she has written stories in her spare time.
Brenda earned three degrees: a BSE from Henderson State University,
Arkadelphia, Arkansas; a MEd from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville,
Texas; and an EdD from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; then
worked as a teacher and administrator in the Texas Public School system. Only
after retirement could she fulfill the dream of publication.
Brenda
and her husband make their home in beautiful East Texas
where they enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and working
in Bethabara Faith Ministry, Inc. She crafts stories about the extraordinary
lives of ordinary people in her favorite place overlooking bird feeders, bird
houses, and a variety of blooming trees and flowers. She sincerely thanks all
who purchase and read her books. Her desire is that the message in each book
will touch the heart of the reader as it did hers in the writing.
Her latest
book is the Scottish Historical Romance A
Highland Emerald.
Author Contact Information:
Historical Heartbeats
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Aine MacLean is forced into an arranged marriage with Sir
William, Chief of Clan Munro, yet her heart belongs to a handsome young warrior
in her father’s guard. She must leave Durant
Castle, the
home of her birth on
the Isle of Mull, and travel across Scotland
in a perilous journey to her husband’s home on Cromarty Firth. William agrees
to a year and day of handfasting, giving Aine an opportunity to accept him and
his clan. He promises her the protection of Clan Munro, however, Aine
experiences kidnapping, pirates, and almost loses her life in the River
Moriston. She doubts the sincerity of William’s promises and decides to return
to Durant Castle
when the handfasting ends. William determines to win Aine’s heart. Will the
brave knight triumph in his fight for the bonnie lass?
A Highland
Emerald is the third book in the award-winning Highland Treasures series.
The novel tells the story of Aine MacLean and William Munro and is the prequel
to A Highland Pearl.
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We welcome you to My Bookish
Pleasures! Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction?
I enjoyed studying history and
earned a teaching field in the subject. Also, as a young girl, I made up all
kinds of stories. Some I wrote on paper, and some I crafted only in my
imagination. Not until I retired from the Texas Public Schools did I have time
to actually study the art of historical fiction writing and create a complete
story.
Describe your writing process.
Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?
I have a comfortable chair with
a lap desk and computer desk beside a window overlooking bird feeders, blooming
trees, and plants. All of my writing is done sitting in the window chair.
Can you tell us about your most
recent release?
My most recent release is a
novella in the Highland Treasures series entitled, A Highland Bride. The new
novella is in the same series as A Highland Emerald and the
characters are members of the same family.
How did you get the idea for
the book?
Through genealogical research,
I found a Scots ancestor who immigrated from Scotland in the
early 1800’s. I traced my roots back to the Scottish Highlands and decided to
write a novel with the beautiful Highlands as the
setting. Also, after visiting Scotland and
learning about Scottish history, I chose the fascinating 16th
century as the time frame for the series.
Of all your characters, which
one is your favorite? Why?
Of all the characters I’ve
written about, Aine MacLean in A Highland Emerald is my favorite. At
the beginning of the novel, Aine is a pampered younger daughter of the powerful
MacLean chief. Her father arranges a marriage with William, Chief of Clan
Munro. Aine must leave her home on the Isle of Mull and travel across Scotland with
William to the Munro clan lands on the Cromarty Firth. The journey to her new
home is perilous, but Aine comes to love and appreciate her husband. She grows
throughout the story into a responsible wife and mother.
What was the most challenging
aspect of writing your book?
The most challenging aspect of
writing A Highland Emerald was writing in first person voice. The novel
is written entirely from Aine’s point of view. Using first person was a growing
experience in my writing. I had to climb inside of Aine’s mind and actually
become her character, experiencing her emotions, traumas, joys and heartaches.
I enjoyed the task and hope to write another using first person voice in the
near future.
What projects are you currently
working on?
I recently finished the
novella, A Highland Bride, the fourth book in the Highland Treasures series. Now I plan to write a novel or novella
in the Wades of Crawford County
series. The Wades series is set in post-Civil War Missouri.
Hopefully, I can begin the basic outlining and plotting in the fall.
What advice would you offer to
new or aspiring fiction authors?
To new or aspiring fiction
authors I will say, “Jump in there and get started. Put that first word on
paper. You will never write a novel if you don’t begin.”
The above sounds easy, but
really is very hard or rather getting those first thoughts down was difficult
for me. I was unsure of myself and my writing. I did study the art of fiction
writing first, then began plotting and researching. A friend who began her
novel inspired me to begin mine. She prompted me to get started instead of
merely talking about it. I’m thankful for friends and encouragers who helped
and are still helping me along the way.
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