One of my favorite ways (and the easiest, really) to discover new authors is to see what bookstagrammers who like your books are reading, or who your author friends are supporting. This was how I first heard of Michaela Jean Taylor. The cover for her debut, Only You, came across my feed one day and I did what I do best—investigate this fellow indie author. And then I discovered she had another book out and more on the way.
While she’s working on the third book in her debut series—Love In The Rockies—Michaela also has a witchy retelling that she wants to and hopes to write as a novella. And when asked what genre she’d write in if not romance, Micaela admitted that she’s started and shelved a few fantasy stories that could see the light of day.
Both her books—Only You and This Love—are out now and available in Kindle Unlimited!
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
I’ve always been a huge huge reader. I used to go to my local Barnes & Noble for midnight releases as a teenager and would spend all night reading my new treasure, only to be miserable at school the next day 😂Books are therapy, they provide an escape from the real world, and I realized early on that I wanted to try to create that comfort for other people.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best: total creative control! I love that I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself. I’m fairly impulsive, so when I have an idea for a book or a campaign, I love that I can throw myself into it and develop everything exactly how I want it. I can feel myself growing as a creative, as a business owner, as a hustling mom–and I love how confident and capable I’m becoming through it all.
The worst: being on my own for it all 😅there are things that I do wish I could outsource to make my life easier, but for now I feel like I need to earn my stripes in understanding EVERYTHING before I can delegate responsibility elsewhere.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
I love the financial opportunity of self-publishing, and the autonomy that goes with it. It’s definitely not easy, but I feel very confident in my choice. Someday I would potentially be open to a traditional opportunity (or, more ideally, a hybrid approach), but for now I’m happy in the indie world!
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Write the damn book. Even if it’s messy, just write it. You can spend all the time you need to edit and make it sparkle, but you can’t make anything sparkle if it doesn’t exist. On that note, I also highly recommend a reputable, professional editor.
There are so many different ways to do EVERYTHING. It’s overwhelming. Find what works for you and what makes you feel confident. And don’t be afraid to ask others for input. The indie writer community is so lovely and supportive.
Comparison is a nasty bitch. The amount of pure LUCK that goes into a book “taking off” is much higher than you might think, and you don’t have control over that. But you DO have control over the consistency with which you put forth effort, and the positive attitude that swirls around you.
Once you put a book out into the world, it’s not yours anymore. It belongs to the readers. Many will like it, and many won’t Reviews are for READERS, whether you agree with them or not. It hurts when someone doesn’t “get” your story. It hurts when people are mean and write terrible things. But it’s part of it, and it’s not your place to correct anyone. If it helps, I like to look up reviews for my favorite books and see how many negative reviews there are. Look, at the end of the day, everyone has different tastes and opinions. You can’t possibly bear the responsibility of pleasing everyone!
Write the book that YOU would want to read. It’s so much more enjoyable to write and edit and promote and market and hustle a book that you are genuinely so excited about. Also, read a lot of books. You’ll learn what you do and don’t like and can incorporate that experience in what you create!
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
I love the happily-ever-afters. I love when characters are flawed and messy and wild and we get to see them grow right there on the pages and find the person who just might accept them as they are. And then I love “watching” them fall in love. I love LOVE!
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Fantasy for sure! I’ve shelved a couple of fantasy stories–maybe they’ll see the light of day again at some point!
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
I’m in the very early stages of a small town/western romance that I’m so freaking excited about. I would also love to write a true enemies-to-lovers.
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Look, many young girls learn about sex through romance novels. They learn about love and relationships and all the things that come with it. Stories with sex-positive and female-forward content demonstrating clear consent is always ideal.
I loved bully romances when I was a teenager, but now that I’m in my thirties (and a mom!) I think about what young, teenage girls are reading today–and I hope with my whole heart they’re reading stories that make them feel empowered. I want them to see themselves in the pages of their books no matter what they look like or who they love or what they believe in. And I want them to learn from our stories that they can do anything they want, be anything they want, and find love and happiness without dimming their own light. I also really love seeing multicultural romances and romances that include disability.
*I don’t have anything against bully romances. In fact, I’d love to try to write one someday. But 10-15 years ago, most of what I read taught me that boys will be mean to me if they like me and I wish that hadn’t been how I gauged things with the boys around me in real life.
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
First of all, I mean, who doesn’t love a little smut? Especially woven into an already compelling and emotional romance journey? 🤌🏼
But also, sex is a part of relationships. It’s natural. I really just want to show that two people can be imperfect and messy, yet still have healthy and consensual sex in their pursuit of what makes them happy.
YOUR BOOKS
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
I currently have two books published: Only You and This Love. They are the first two books in the Love In The Rockies series, which will have four books total. All books can be read as standalones, but as the characters make appearances in other stories, the best reader experience is to read them in order.
Only You is a brother’s best friend romance featuring Amelia and Logan, who have loved each other for as long as they can remember but aren’t sure how to navigate it. There’s a dual timeline, so readers can see the evolution of their relationship through the years. It’s sweet and steamy and has all the feels! It’s also set during the holidays, and recently hit Amazon’s Top 50 Bestseller’s list for Holiday Romance.
This Love is a friends-to-lovers romance featuring Nora and Andre, who meet when Nora’s car trouble leads her to an autoshop and right into Andre’s orbit. Nora just ran away from her now ex-boyfriend after a proposal-gone-wrong, and realizes she’s constructed her whole life around someone else and doesn’t even know what she wants for herself. Andre helps her in her pursuit of happiness, and sparks begin to fly in the process!
The third book is currently in progress and set to release in March 2024. I haven’t released much about it yet–but I’ll share some tea here, with you 😉 It’ll feature fake dating, one billionaire, two cats, and a lot of female rage.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
I can’t possibly choose a favorite main character–I love them all so much and for very different reasons. But I will say that there is a side character, Adam, who’s appeared in both currently published books and he is an absolute riot. I swear, even writing him is an adventure that I never expect to go on.
IYKYK 😂He’s the best.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
There’s a certain witchy retelling that I really want to write as a novella. I’ll just keep it at that for now, but I really hope I can squeeze it in soon.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
Everyone deserves love and everyone deserves happiness. No matter your upbringing, your opportunities, or your struggles. Love and happiness are ready for you to simply choose them.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
Besides book three of the Love In The Rockies series, I’m also working on the first book of a small town/western romance that I can’t wait to share more about!
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
Seen and understood 🫶🏻
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV—So many people say Dual (especially in indie books) but I personally LOVE the mystery of the other MC with a single POV.
Standalones, series or standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances—Open that door, baby! 😂
Music or silence when writing—but at a low volume.
Plotter, pantser or plantser—I’m such a panster. So much so that I’m always surprised with how a story ends.
Water, tea, coffee or….wine? Wine, please!
Cold or warm weather—COLD. I live in Arizona, and it’s never cold here. I cannot describe the level of happiness I feel when I get to put on a sweater.
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?—I love writing in the morning, but usually end up writing at night, haha!
Illustrated or photo cover?—Both!
Make sure you follow Michaela on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. And sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on all bookish news. If you’re looking for signed paperbacks and merch, you can find that and more on her website!