LJ Taylor - Law, Romance and Bad Boys

L.J. Taylor has come a long way since she tried her hand at writing a novel for the first time at the tender age of 13. The oldest of a large family of kids, she knew just how to tune everybody out and get focused. Today, Taylor is a successful lawyer and author who writes the types of stories she enjoys reading: page-turning suspense and romantic suspense novels. As our author of the day, Taylor chats about her latest novel, Dreams Deferred, bad boys and how her baby sister inspired the story of this book.

Please give us a short introduction to Dreams Deferred

Dreams Deferred is a story about a young woman whose attraction to bad boys got her into a great deal of trouble. Now, more mature and a mother, she's determined to turn her life around and make better choices in men, and she hopes that's the case with former bad boy Luke

What inspired the story of Dreams Deferred?

Dreams Deferred was inspired by my baby sister who has a taste for bad boys. 

What was it like to grow up in a large family of six kids? How would you say did it shape you as a writer?

When you grow up in a large family like I did, you learn to tune everyone out and focus on the task at hand. That is a tremendous skill set for a writer. 

Ivy has to testify in court against Zeke. How much does your work in law inspire your books?

I would say being a lawyer definitely influenced my characters and my plots. The heroines of my other two books "Just Dreams" and "The Liberian Affair" are attorneys and "Just Dreams" is a romantic legal thriller. 

Ivy seems to be drawn to bad boys. Zeke is a dangerous man and Luke is also a former bad boy. What do you think is it that makes bad boys so irresistible to women?

I think women find that element of danger inherent in a bad boy sexy and intriguing. What makes a bad boy tick?  How can we tame him?

Which actress would you imagine in Ivy's role, should the book ever get a movie adaptation?

I think all of my books would make good movies. In my reviews, readers talk about how they can visualize the scenes. I haven't decided who should play Ivy.

Does this book have an underlying message? What do you hope your readers will take away from it?

It's never too late to turn your life around or for a second chance and love conquers all. 

Dreams Deferred is very unpredictable - readers never know what to expect next. How did you pull this off?

I don't try to make my stories unpredictable, I just go where the plot and the characters take me and then tweak that if necessary in the revision process. It helps that I do a quick outline then whip out a first draft in 30 days. 

Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? What inspired your debut?

Writing has always been a part of me. I started writing poetry and song lyrics as a child. I even tried to write a science fiction novel at 13 years old. I started writing novels during National November Writing Month in 2007. I decided to self publish in 2014. 

You write about some heavy themes—things that many of your readers have probably never experienced—yet it's very easy to identify with your characters. How do you make them so relatable?

My characters are relatable because they are based on real people facing real problems. I also work very hard to make them 3D (three dimensional). 

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Readers can find me at http://www.ljtaylorbooks.com , on Facebook (ljtaylorbooks) and on Twitter @ljtaylor99