The Dawning - Megan Taylor

(Note to reader: I’ve a SIGNED copy of ‘The Dawning’ to giveaway and all details can be found at the end of this long (but very interesting) post)

It is New Year’s Eve, a time for fresh beginnings - but for each member of the fragmenting Haywood family, this night could mark the end.

With mother Stella battling depression and father Philip determined to escape, eleven-year-old Zachary and his teenage sister Nicola have nowhere to turn when confronted by their own worst fears.

Set against a backdrop of wintry beauty on the edge of a Peak District town, ‘The Dawning’ explores the danger that can arise even at the heart of a family, over the course of one dark night.

“Compelling, enthralling, ensnaring. Megan Taylor spins each character into life and then she makes us wait, breath held, as they unravel, as they twirl and twist before our eyes. This writing is fearless, is full of heart, is very, very good -Caroline Smailes”

I was thrilled to be asked to offer a cover quote for ‘The Dawning’ and I stand by all that I said there. Megan’s writing appears effortless, yet it is gripping, truthful and full of emotion. The book itself is a smaller format than standard paperbacks, ideal for handbags and pockets, offering a little something different from Weathervane Press.

I don’t say this very often, but, I urge you to read Megan Taylor’s writing. She’s my friend but, more importantly, she’s a super talented writer.

Asking Megan:

Great title! Where did you get your inspiration to write this novel? Thank you! I tried several titles along the way, but I settled on this one as it relates to how the novel takes place over a single night, while also (hopefully) capturing something of the story’s sense of revelation.

The initial ideas behind ‘The Dawning’ arrived one dreamy evening following a country walk. The Peak District setting was vital - and inspiring - right from the start. But then so too, were my characters. They became very real to me very quickly. They drove me on.

How long did ‘The Dawning’ take to write? It’s hard to remember exactly when I stopped fiddling with this manuscript. The first draft probably took about ten months, which was followed by at least six months (if not more) of rewriting.

Writers often find redrafting and self-editing difficult. Can you offer any words of wisdom? Reading back aloud is always helpful, and alongside each working manuscript, I also keep an out-takes file where cut paragraphs get sent. I used to find it easier to throw out words if they had a safety net to land in.

However, I think the more you edit, the easier it becomes. These days, I’m perhaps a little too addicted to slashing words and rearranging. I really can spend a ridiculous amount of time searching for precise descriptions.

Who do you feel would be your ideal reader? Anyone!

(Although if you like your fiction a little dark, that might help)

Is writing a full-time occupation now? Would you like it to be? No, like lots of people, I write around the edges of going to work (I’m a school library assistant) as well as looking after my children. But I’m lucky in that I only work part-time so writing remains built in to my day. Plus I really enjoy my job too - although there is a small part of me that fantasises about doing nothing but creating stories. Perhaps from a shed at the end of a lovely, long garden, like Roald Dahl.

What do you plan to write next? I recently completed a draft of a third novel, ‘The Lives of Ghosts’, a rather female suspense story about loss and longing and the different ways there are of being haunted (if you like, you can read more about it on my website )

I’ve also just started novel number four. But that one’s a secret.

Can you offer any tips for people wanting to be published? In the face of any setbacks or rejections, simply keep going. Don’t dwell, but at the same time, keep an open mind to constructive criticism. Whatever else happens, keep writing. Keep striving to improve and keep loving it – that’s the important part after all.

(sorry, that’s not really a tip is it?)

What are you currently reading? I’m currently re-reading Shirley Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’. I didn’t mean to, I kind of picked it up again by accident, and it’s such a funny, sinister gem of a book, I couldn’t help it. I’ve also just got hold of a copy of Fiona Robyn’s ‘Thaw’ and I’m looking forward to beginning that one very much.

And, finally, (with the skillful smoothness of the finest of interviewers) do you in any way know Simon Cowell? Yes. When he isn’t on the telly, he actually lives in the cupboard under my kitchen sink. To be specific, in the little dusty hole between the cat food and the plastic bags.

(I think I may have just given myself a nightmare)

You can buy ‘The Dawning’ here.

And, the lovely Megan has agreed that I can give away a signed copy of ‘The Dawning’. All you have to do is leave a ‘please pick me’ comment by 3pm (GMT) January 25, then I’ll pop all names in a mug and ask a small child to select a winner. This competition is open to all.

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About Megan: Megan Taylor was born in 1973 in Greenwich in South London. She has always loved to write and has had stories short-listed in several competitions, including the London Writers Competition and the Asham Award, but it wasn’t until six years ago, when she moved to Nottingham, that she began to take her writing more seriously.

In 2006, her first novel ‘How We Were Lost’ placed second in the Yeovil Prize (the Betty Bolingbroke-Kent award). It then went on to be published by Flame Books in 2007.

Megan’s second novel ‘The Dawning’, a taut, domestic thriller, was written during her Creative Writing MA, which she studied online with Manchester Metropolitan University. In 2009, Megan was awarded a Distinction and ‘The Dawning’ was accepted for publication by Weathervane Press. It is due for release in January 2010.

Megan continues to live and work in Nottingham, where she shares her home with her husband and two children. She is currently enjoying working on a third novel, ‘The Lives of Ghosts.’

Please visit Megan’s website or blog if you’d like to find out more about her writing.