We chat with debut author Taylor Munsell about Touch of Death, which is a young adult fantasy novel about a teenage witch who can experience a person’s future death with a touch.
Hi, Taylor! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I am the author of Touch of Death, a YA Contemporary Fantasy. I am also a chaotic neutral, which I think is pretty clear in my books. I love telling stories about prickly girls and what it means to be seen, whether that’s in adult or young adult, fantasy or romance. When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me deep within one of my many hobbies, eating a snack, or trying to go on an adventure.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
This question is always hard for me because I’d like to say that I knew I was a writer from day one, but that isn’t the case. I’ve always enjoyed writing. It’s come easily and telling stories felt almost natural, but I don’t think I realized I was a writer until my late twenties. I don’t remember how the conversation came up, but in talking to my husband, I realized that he didn’t tell himself stories at night to fall asleep. Or have characters talking acting out scenes in his head. I was teaching at the time and totally absorbed in reading. I thought I would try my hand at writing and I haven’t stopped since.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine. It’s easily the book that hooked me on the fantastic, and prickly girls.
- The one that made you want to become an author: I’m going to have to say it’s the same book. I think that first step into fantasy has stayed with me and now I can’t get enough.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: It’s a piece of fanfiction, but it’s Manacled by SenLinYu. The author actually got a book deal because of it, and I can’t wait to read whatever she puts out.
Your debut novel, A Touch of Death, is out September 17th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Death is permanent, always.
What can readers expect?
Lots of angst and friendship, a bit of darkness, and a touch of romance.
Where did the inspiration for Touch of Death come from?
So, I spent the first five years of my professional career as a Funeral Director, so death and dying are always important themes in my writing. I was rewatching Pushing Daisies and wondered what it would be like for a girl who saw the future death of anyone she touched. The story was actually a flash piece for one of my creative writing classes while I was getting my Masters degree. From there, it evolved into Chapter One of Touch of Death because I just could not get George out of my head. The story has seen many rounds of revision, but that chapter has remained.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Absolutely. Jen was hands down one of my favorite characters to write. She appeared in the original flash and when I was writing the book, I fully expected her to be a minor character. In fact, I only planned for her to be in the opening chapter. Instead, Jen wanted to be in the rest of the book and she quickly became one of my favorite characters to write.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Long, but isn’t it always? I think my timeline was shorter than many, but it still felt like slogging uphill in the snow. Touch of Death was in the query trenches for about a year, with about two hundred queries sent. It had interest, but ultimately, an editor from CamCat liked a pitch during a Twitter event and a few months later, offered to publish. I knew in my gut it was the right choice.
What’s next for you?
I have a couple of events coming up, including a book launch at Malaprop’s both in person and virtual, and I’ll be at Multiversecon in October. Aside from Touch of Death, I plan to keep writing. I have a few other books, including another YA book about witches, and hopefully they’ll find a home.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I’ve read so many amazing books this year. Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell was so good; I couldn’t put it down. Spellbound by F.T. Lukens had me on the edge of my seat. I just finished reading An Academy For Liars by Alexis Henderson and I cannot stop thinking about it. I’m really excited to start Alteration by S.E. Wheeler
