For me latest Author Spotlight, I’m joined by the wonderful Lark Taylor. We talked about writing books packed with emotional gut punches, making herself cry while writing, being steered by characters, and the importance of supportive author friends.

Over to you Lark…

First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hi! I’m Lark. I’ve been writing stories for as  long as I can remember. However, I didn’t take the plunge into publishing until 2022 with Devil’s Mark. Since then, I’ve published eight full length MM novels and had a short story featured in the 7th Edition of the Heart2Heart Anthology. 

Six of my eight novels are paranormal. Starting with the Reckless Damned series, this world explores demons, mages, vampires and wolf shifters. Found family is a huge part of my writing, and if there’s an interesting side character, you can guarantee they will eventually be getting a story.

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I’d describe my writing style as very feelings based. I like to delve into the psyche of my characters and really unpick why they are making the choices they are. Plot plays a big part too, especially with my paranormal books. You can also expect sudden twists and emotional gut punches. Although there’s always a VERY happy ever after, the road there isn’t always very smooth. 

That isn’t to say my books are full of sadness. There’s always lots of humour, sarcasm, and interfering side characters bringing a light touch to the story. 

My books also tend to have a lot of mental health representation. My characters are all at different points in their journey with it – some have learned to manage it well, while others are still trying to understand what’s going on. Mental illness is very fluid, something that I have tried to show in my stories. 

Describe your books in only three words.
Heart-pinching, spicy, sweet

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release?
My latest release is the second book in my ‘Damned Connections’ series. Justice is a grumpy x sunshine PNR romance featuring a vampire assassin and the human cinnamon roll he becomes obsessed with. Sebastian, the vampire, is a character who appears in my earlier PNR books and is universally loathed by all the other characters And rightly so, he behave like an as*h*le towards everyone. 

In Justice, we discover what happened to make him this way. Matty, a veritable ball of sunshine, is the only person to look close enough to realise there’s more to Sebastian to meet the eye. 

If you like your MCs with a side of obsession, stalking, and overprotectiveness, this might be the book for you!

Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
Ooo this is a tricky one. I think I’m going to go with Patience. The story about the Grim Reaper being separated from his human mate for over 4000 years lived in my head for a very long time before I finally sat down to get started. The prologue of that book is the first time I’ve ever made myself cry while writing. Leo and Ferry’s love story flowed easily, and I’m quietly thrilled with how it turned out.

What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
I think my influences come from too many places to name. I’ve been an avid reader from a very young age, devouring whatever I could get my hands on. 

In terms of influencing my confidence in my writing and helping me shape what I want my books to be, I’d have to say Cora Rose. While our writing styles are very different, she’s constantly pushing me to be better and to have confidence in my work. She’s also encouraged me to write what I want to write, not what others might think I should write.

What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve been writing for so long that I’m honestly not sure. These characters seem to waltz into my brain and start dictating their story. I often joke that I’m not in charge of this ship. I’m just sunning myself on the top deck while my characters steer us through.

I was inspired to begin writing MM after burning through every book in this genre that I could get my hands on. In 2020 – 21, I don’t think I did much else other than read MM books. The genre spoke to me on a level I’d never experienced before. I was toying with the idea of writing a contemporary MM, but nothing was really working.

Then, one day while working at my terribly boring office job, the opening of a novel popped into my brain.

There was a dead body in my bookshop.
Again.

Devil’s Mark was borne from these two sentences. All I knew was that someone had discovered a dead body, but rather than being frightened or upset, they were mildly irritated. The rest flowed from there, and before I knew it, I had several thousand words and side characters demanding their own books. 

What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
I tend to treat my writing as a normal job, meaning that I dedicate set hours a day to it to ensure I meet my deadlines. I have OCD (along with several other spicy mental health conditions) so having a routine is very important in helping me manage my mental health. 

My day begins after dropping my children at school. The first hour or so is dedicated to admin. I’m a huge spreadsheet nerd so I use this time to update these, as well as checking off all the other tasks that come alongside publishing. I’m also an unashamed Disney adult, so I watch AllEars youtube videos while doing this, quietly planning my next trip while I do admin.

After I’ve run out of admin to procrastinate with, I put on my noise cancelling headphones. I can’t write without music. Every month I build a new playlist based around what songs I haven’t been able to get out of my head. I don’t listen to music I’m unfamiliar with because I’m very easily distracted. Once I’ve read through the previous chapter, I start writing. I usually write best if I’m sprinting with someone. I’m very fortunate to have several sprint partners, but the person I sprint most often with is Willow Thomas. She slid into my dms back in May 2022 and I’ve been grateful for her every day since. Without her motivation, I wouldn’t have published half the books I have.

What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Always the characters. I’m a pantser which means I don’t plan out my plots in advance. (I probably should, especially when I set up something in the first book in a series that needs to be resolved in book four. Current me curses past me when this happens.) I let my characters lead me through the story.

What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
Saving Sebastian by Luna David. This has a break-up scene that is just PERFECTION. It’s so damned clever. I reread this book often just for this scene.

If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Stalker – I love a dose of unhealthy obsession coupled with intense overprotectiveness.

What would be your three desert island books?
Power/Play by Cara Dee
Robbie by Ella Frank
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
It’d have to be Devil’s Mark as it was my debut story and the springboard for my PNR world. I’d cast Tom Ellis as Cal, and Timothee Chamalet as Oscar.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
I’m a huge fan of escape rooms (except horror ones!). I’ve now done all the ones within 30 miles, so unless new rooms open, I’m going to have to start travelling further afield! I also love to crochet… but not as much as I love collecting yarn…

Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Diplodocus!

LARK TAYLOR lives in southern England with her family. An obsessive romance fan, she loves nothing more than a Happily Ever After – especially if there’s a good plot and a hefty amount of spice along the way.

For more information on Lark and her work you can visit her website, sign up for her newsletter, and follow her on Instagram, and Amazon. You can also join her Facebook Reader Group for more news and updates.