#BookReview ~ What’s Not True by Valerie Taylor

Valerie Taylor was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. She earned a B.S. Marketing degree and an MBA from Sacred Heart University, as well as a graduate certificate in health care administration from Simmons University (formerly Simmons College). She had a thirty-year career in the financial services industry as a marketer and writer. Valerie is a published book reviewer with BookTrib.com; and a member of Westport Writers’ Workshop, Independent Book Publishers Association, and Women’s Fiction Writers
Association. She enjoys practicing tai chi and being an expert sports spectator.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Interview

Where did you get the idea for the WHAT’S NOT series?

There are more than 85 million mature women in the United States alone, many of whom launched books like Bridget Jones’s Diary to fame and fortune in the 1990s. Today, those women are looking for stories about characters they can relate to. I created my main character, Kassie O’Callaghan, to do just that. Her struggles with her marriage, her mother, and her career are all issues many women experience themselves. Of course, we all respond to those challenges in our own unique ways.

Initially, I wrote What’s Not Said as a standalone book. It was only when my early readers asked, “What’s next for Kassie and Chris?” did I consider writing a series. Luckily, I could conceive of an ongoing saga, and thus What’s Not True was born. 

If you weren’t an author, what would you be doing with your life?

If I wasn’t writing books, more than likely I’d spend my time reading and reviewing books. I am a published book reviewer for BookTrib.com, but I’m only able to review about six books a year for them. If I had more time, not only would I do that for BookTrib, but I’d also review more books, more often, and promote those reviews, along with those I’ve already done, on my website.

What’s on your to-be-read pile?

There’s a little bit of everything on the stack of books next to my bed, including:

• Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (timely and evocative)
• Afterlife by Julia Alvarez (a book club selection)
• The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (really enjoyed The Silent Patient)
• Where You Are Is Not Who You Are by Ursula M. Burns, Former CEO of Xerox (having worked at Xerox for ten years, I’d love to hear what Ms. Burns has to say)
• The President’s Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (I consider anything by Patterson fast, light reading)

What is the best advice you received about being an author?

“Write your next book,” is probably the best advice I’ve received as an author. At first, this seemed rather odd to me, since I’d intended only to write one: What’s Not Said. But once readers started asking for a sequel, I understood the advice I’d been given. Trouble is, being a published author is a 24/7 career. I never expected that. In fact, I had absolutely no idea what path my life would take once I wrote my first “The End.” What I learned is that it’s just the beginning.

When will the third book in the WHAT’S NOT Series be published?

Since I’m just a quarter of the way into drafting the manuscript, chances are I’ll send it to the publisher in early 2022. Then a date will be set. I’m not rushing through the writing of the last book in the series because I’m committed to making it as good as, or better than, the first two. How often with movies, or even series books, people say the first movie/book was the best. My goal is for readers to say that the entire WHAT’S NOT Series is well worth a read!

I’d love to hear from you. Here’s how you can reach and follow me:

My website: www.valerietaylorauthor.com

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Twitter: @ValerieEMTaylor

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