Friday, April 10, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: ELENA TAYLOR




ABOUT THE BOOK



Interim sheriff Elizabeth "Bet" Rivers has always had one repeat nightmare: a shadowy figure throwing a suspicious object into her hometown lake in Collier, Washington. For the longest time, she chalked it up to an overactive imagination as a kid. Then the report arrives. In the woods of the Cascade mountain range, right in her jurisdiction, a body floats to the surface of Lake Collier. When the body is extricated and revealed, no one can identify Jane Doe. But someone must know the woman, so why aren't they coming forward?

Bet has been sitting as the interim sheriff of this tiny town in the ill-fitting shoes of her late father and predecessor. With the nightmare on her heels, Bet decided to build a life for herself in Los Angeles, but now it's time to confront the tragic history of Collier. The more she learns, the more Bet realizes she doesn't know the townspeople of Collier as well as she thought, and nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.



Book Details:

Title: All We Buried

Author: Elena Taylor

Genre: mystery


Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (April 7, 2020)


Print length: 304 pages
On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours







IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH ELENA TAYLOR


Ifs

If you could talk to someone (dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?
My father - how’s it going?

If you could live in any time period which would it be?
1800s. I would be a cowgirl and own a big ranch.

If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?

Horse trainer.

If you had to do community service, what would you choose?
Animal rescue.

If you were on the Amazon bestseller list, who would you choose to be one before and one below you?
This is the best question! Before me, Karen Slaughter, after me, Lee Child.

If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be and from what book?
I’d live in Three Pines from Louise Penny’s Gamache series. It’s so lovely and quiet, if you ignore all the killing.




Ands



5 favorite possessions:  
    •    My mazda CX5
    •    flannel pajamas
    •    coffee cups with my animals photos on them
    •    my wedding ring
and   
    •    my laptop

5 things you need in order to write: 
    •    time
    •    coffee
    •    quiet
    •    images in my head
and  
    •    focus

5 things you love about writing: 
    •    creativity
    •    independence
    •    solitude
    •    my characters
and
    •    making sh*t up

5 things you never want to run out of:   
    •    coffee
    •    dog food
    •    horse food
    •    cat food
and 
    •    computer memory

5 favorite things to do:  
    •    read
    •    spend time with my  dog
    •    work with my horses
    •    travel
and   
    •    rewrite - it’s so much better than writing the first draft


Whats


What’s your all-time favorite place?

My bed when it’s raining—the stables when it’s not.

What’s your all-time favorite author?
C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia.

What’s your all-time favorite city?
Edinburgh, Scotland. I took a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival one year as a director. I’d love to go back as a playwright and/or performer. Such a great city and the festival is an incredible experience.

What’s your all-time favorite library?
I don’t know that it’s “all-time” but I always loved the library in Port Townsend, Washington, where I lived for a year. 


What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Mean people.

What’s the loveliest sight you’ve ever seen?
My horses waiting for me at the gate.

What’s the most beautiful sound you’ve heard?
Boys choir practicing at St. Paul’s Cathedral.


What’s your all-time favorite place in your town?
My backyard.

What’s your favorite time of day?
Early morning when I can stay in bed and read.

What’s your favorite meal?
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

What’s your favorite snack?
Popcorn.

What’s your favorite beverage?
Cappuccino.

What’s your favorite hobby or past-time?
I love to paint. I would say, work with my horses, but I’ve written a lot about them! 

What’s your favorite thing to do when there’s nothing to do?
Nap.

What’s your favorite quote?
Don’t confront me with my failures. I had not forgotten them. Jackson Browne.

What’s your all-time favorite picture of yourself?
Photo with Radar.

What’s your favorite candy bar?

Heath.

What’s your favorite movie snack?
Popcorn—butter AND salt.


What’s one thing you never leave the house without?

Contact lenses.

What drives you crazy?
Running out of time.


What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
Things are rarely as important as they seem—except the things that are more important than you expect.


What movie genre do you prefer?

Drama.

What are your idiosyncrasies?
I can’t talk about a book I’m writing until I finish a first draft.

What do you collect?
Musical instruments. I’m not a musician, but I LOVE having them around.


What smells remind you of your childhood?
Sunlight on dirt with pine needles mixed in.


What author would you most like to review one of your books?
William Kent Kreuger
.

What book are you currently working on?

Second one in the new series.


What’s your latest recommendation for:
Food: I just discovered sipping vinegar. It’s a real thing. I have one made with rosemary and brown sugar. It’s to die for.
Music: Zumba playlists!
Movie: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was a nice piece of escapism.
Book: F*ckface and Other Stories by Leah Hampton
Audiobook: Red Metal by Mark Greaney.
TV: I’m digging Stumptown. Not just because it’s set in the Pacific Northwest (Portland) but also because it feels fresh—like it’s not a story or characters I’ve seen before.
Netflix/Amazon Prime: I just finished Happy Valley—I loved the protagonist. She’s so incredibly real as a complex human being.
Miscellaneous: Physical Therapy and massage—because you have to take care of the body. Don’t wait until you’re in a lot of pain. Catch it early!
Pololu Valley, Hawaii - it’s a black sand beach, accessible from a trail that starts at a tiny parking lot at the east end of 270 on the north end of the big island. Remote, isolated, stunning.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR 



Elena Taylor lives on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River in a town made famous by Twin Peaks. When she's not writing or working one-on-one with writers as a developmental editor, she can be found hanging out with her husband, dog, and two cats. Her favorite place to be (besides home) is the stables down the road, with her two horses Radar and Jasper.



Connect with Elena:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter Goodreads  |  Instagram

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indiebound  |  Books-a-million