Author Interview: Maryneal 1962 by Abigail F. Taylor

Thank you so much for joining us for this Q&A! We’ll start off with one of our standard podcast opening questions–tell us something great that’s happened recently.

I got to see a sneak peek of Arwyn Sherman's cover for their debut novel, WE, THE MISSING, and I'm ascending! 

What are you currently reading or what’s up next on your TBR? What made you pick up this book?

I'm currently reading DOLLY CITY by Orly Castel-Bloom and it is wild! It is a gruesome satire full of body horror and is a translation from the original Hebrew, which was published in 1992. The reason I am reading it is because the recent administration pulled funding from Deep Vellum Books, one of our most prominent publishing houses that focuses on translated works. I purchased it, along with ULTRAMARINE, an incredible novella by Mariette Navarro. I I wanted to do my part in continuing to support these indie bookstores that are being directly affected by the funding for the arts being cut. Both novels spoke out to me by their spine tingling premises and, for DOLLY CITY in particular, the bookseller told me, "I never said 'what the fuck?' more in my entire life." 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start writing?

I was raised by storytellers. My maternal grandmother used to read to us from an anthology of animal and adventure tales from a collection of books she'd owned since she was a child. It was one of the few things that remained of her life at an orphanage, which she would tell great stories of as well! My father, a poet, instilled in us a love of words and would often take me and my sister to book signings and readings in the area. It was just a natural progression for me to fall into writing. 

If you could collaborate with any one author, who would it be and why?

That's a tough question! I've thought about it for a good long while. There are so many authors I admire, after all, but if I were honest, I don't know if I could collaborate with anyone. I'd be too in awe of the opportunity to be a real contributor. Or worse, it would be the case of 'never meet your heroes' and I'd hate every minute of it! 

What do you think characterizes your writing style?

Another tough one to answer! I think a reviewer would know more than myself. Something in the subconscious on my end would be glaringly obvious to a reader. I do have a habit of either writing really choppy, frank sentences, or ones that are far too long for comfort. I also know that many of my books open up with scenery. So, perhaps that's my style? Blue Light Special Hemingway... That's me!

Can you give us an elevator pitch for Maryneal 1962?

A small town girl must find a cure before the next full moon or she'll have to kill the boy next door!

Can you tell us a little bit about your characters? What are your favorite kinds of characters to write?

Delah and Hardy are two sides to the Americana coin. On one end we have the classic boy next door: Blond and square jawed, on the wrestling team, popular, and the son of business owners. He's a very Leave it to Beaver character but there is an undercurrent of wickedness that grows inside of him. Some might call it puberty. Others might call in the curse of a were-coyote. On the other side of the coin, we have his best friend and neighbor, Delah. Our protagonist is as Americana as it gets. She's half-indigenous (although her father is keeping that fact a secret.). She's tall, brawny, and into horses. She's a homebody. The type that you'd never expect to leave her hometown. Yet she must come face-to-face with the other worldly, the grim and gruesome that is outside of the little world she knows. I enjoy writing characters like these two, inverting tropes, and exploring the underbelly of what makes a person and why they choose to play certain parts.

What comes first to you when you’re writing, the world, the characters, or the storyline?

It really depends on the story. Most of the time it's a scene that is either an interesting ending or the tipping point/ inciting incident. Then my job is to figure out how and who got to the point of that scene and why. 

How different is the final version of Maryneal 1962 from the first draft?

Not too different. I'd say 70% of it remained the same. Chapter three used to be chapter one. Purlie, one of Delah's friends, ended up having a larger role in the final draft. There was also the sapphic elements that were only peeking around the corners of certain scenes and I had several beta readers encourage me to explore those moments with more depth.   

What would you like readers to take away from this book?

I can't say without spoiling most of it but I'm very proud of my ending! 

Is there anything you can tell us about any current projects you’re working on?

I'm about to start edits for my next book, A HOME IN TISHOMINGO. It is a family saga set during the Great Depression and inspired by my Indigenous and Irish great-grandparents. High Winds and sun! Plow at your peril! 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us! Do you have any parting thoughts or comments you’d like to leave for our readers?

Support your indie bookstores and one of the best way to help out an author you love is to ask your local library to carry their books!

And finally, where can you be found on the internet if our readers want to hear more from you?

You can find me at abigailftaylor.wordpress.com

bluesky: abigailtaylor.bsky.social   

twitter: abigailftaylor

tiktok: talltalesabigail 

instagram: abbyandfurriends

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About the book:

Warned by a soothsayer at a traveling fair that something evil is about to come to Maryneal, sixteen-year-old Delah Nix chalks it up to carnie theatrics and ignores the woman's suggestion to leave before dark. But then her sister is savagely attacked on their way home, and her murder leaves the small farming community stunned. The authorities scramble to place the blame on a deranged man, the carnival workers, and even the nearby Indigenous community.

Delah, however, starts to suspect that something supernatural is afoot when a childhood friend, bitten in an attempt to save Delah's sister, gains powers and a thirst for the county's livestock. As much as he is enjoying his super speed and perfect hearing, Delah senses there will come a point of no return and begins to desperately search for a way to save her friend before he hurts himself or the girl they both love. With the full moon approaching and no salvation in sight, Delah is faced with an unconscionable decision: If she can't find a cure, she'll have to kill the boy next door.