Spotlight On: Different Walks by Taylor Hartshorn

 Spotlight On...

Different Walks

by Taylor Hartshorn

A stack of letters burned a hole in the box under Sage’s bed for the past sixteen years. There wasn’t a day she hadn’t thought about them, just sitting there wastefully as she went about her high society life. They were letters from the only man she ever truly loved, Max; advising her to find him only when she recovered from a past that led her astray. Sage was only getting older, and the monotony of her life made that all the more prominent. If she were ever going to rekindle a lost love, there would be no better time to leave everything behind and rough it in the great outdoors. Crossing several state lines, she’d walk, unbeknownst to Max, however long and far it took to see him again.
Meanwhile, Phoebe had become disinterested with everything that used to motivate her. Adolescent years were trying enough, but with a past so unclear to her, she’d cling to gaining popularity and ignorance to pass the time, until one day everything she thought she knew came tragically crashing into perspective.   
Many miles, several secrets and one reunion help the two women realize that sometimes it’s not how far you go or what you experience, but the different walks that define the journey.
  
                         Paperback / Kindle

Interview With The Author

1.Can you describe your book in a sentence?

Different Walks is a coming of age novel with elements of romance, adventure and tragedy between two alternating character worlds that develop individually, but then collide to bring it all into perspective. 

2. How did you come up with the idea for Different Walks?

The story that became Different Walks sort of evolved over time. They say when writing a novel to begin with the end in mind, but I was sort of an unconventional writer in that way. There are two main characters, but I wrote the story line for the first, Sage, in its entirety of part 1 before beginning to incorporate the other character, Phoebe. Their stories intertwine to evolve and relate to one commonality, but that sort of happened naturally and not how I intended. Ultimately, I'm proud of the way it turned out and how all my little ideas came together to make Different Walks. 

3. What inspires you to write?

I carry around a notebook with me where I am continually jotting down notes and phrases as I hear them. I am inspired by a lot of things, I suppose, but something that inspired me for Different Walks, was the idea of publishing it before I turned 25. I was 20 short days off of turning 25-years-old when my book was released, so I made the cut! It held me accountable for my own work and was surprised that it was not difficult to find inspiration in even the simplest of things. 

4. Where is your favorite place to write?

I love the ambiance of a quaint coffee shop. It's cliche and stereotypical, but I like to bounce around and find new places in the city, grab a skinny vanilla latte, and write even if it's just for thirty minutes when I can squeeze it in. I'm not picky, I just like to get it done, and that atmosphere always proves effective.

5. Who are your favorite authors?

Some authors I really respect and appreciate are Rainbow Rowell and keeping in the Young Adult world, John Green. For authors who I think have published wonderful novels, Gillian Flynn is by far my favorite. Her tone and syntax are absolutely wonderful. I also love Paula Hawkins and would love to see more from her.

6. Name a favorite book of yours.

A favorite book of mine is Catcher in the Rye, hands down. I read it once a year. It's a simple read with a powerful story. My goal for the new year is to tackle more of the classics.

7. Give us an interesting fact about your book. 

I kept my book a secret from nearly everyone in my life. I could probably count on my fingers and toes the people who knew about this while it was in progress. I think writing a book is a very vulnerable thing to do because it takes a fictional story from something in the mind of the author and puts it into a vision to be shared with everyone willing to read it. I kept it a secret because I knew I would never in my life experience a wow factor quite like I did. I felt like writing a book secretly would be more fun for the first time around, and I wouldn't have changed a thing. Now that I have established myself as an author, a title I'm still getting used to, I'll never experience that wow factor again with readers and friends, hopefully because people would expect another novel out of me, which now, is my inspiration.