Interview with an Author - TM Mayfield

If you love mermaids, fae, and slow burn romance, think Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King series or Alexandra Christo's To Kill A Kingdom, then we have an author you need to check out! TM Mayfield.

TM, otherwise known as Taylor, has been writing fantasy for several years now, and her creative spirit has led to a massive multi-verse planned! (Think SJM connections between books.) We are very excited to call Taylor one of our Featured Authors and sell her novels. And of course, what better way to get to know someone than through an interview, so meet the mind behind The River Queen and The Fae's Deceit, and her many sequels and novels to come, because there are many planned!

TCB: Every writer is different when it comes to their atmosphere, when you're in the midst of writing and that creative outpouring, what does your space and set up look like?

Taylor: There’s noise everywhere! Between kids and my playlists I curate for each book, I thrive in the chaos. I usually write at our dining room table with the snack of the day and at least three drinks, usually a water, something with caffeine, and a Sonic Route 44.

TCB: Are there any books or movies that influenced and inspired you to become an author, and what about them had such an impact?

Taylor: So many of the Disney movies from my childhood helped me, especially the ones derived from old fairytales and folklore.

TCB: You've written several novels and even have a multi-verse in progress, where do you get your ideas from?

Taylor: Honestly, I just kind of let my wild imagination take over, it can get kinda crazy sometimes.

TCB: What part of your multi-verse is proving to be your favorite so far, and which one do you think readers will love the most?

Taylor: So far, I’m adoring the novella in working on. It’s giving me so many ideas for future books! And honestly, I think going into book 3 of The Stonemaw Chronicles may end up being a favorite. There’s so much feminine rage and the villainess era that’s coming… it’s going to be fantastic!

TCB: What has proved to be the hardest part about being an author and what tricks have you found to help you overcome some of the struggle?

Taylor: Marketing is hard! I have such a hard time sometimes with balancing writing, editing, marketing, and home life. Usually, marketing ends up taking the hit.

TCB: What is the most helpful piece of advice you've received that encourages you to keep going with your writing and the publishing process?

Taylor: Just keep going. You can’t edit an empty page and even bad writing is better than none. The more you do, the more you grow as an author.

TCB: If you could give younger you a piece of advice you wished you knew sooner, what would it be?

Taylor: I would tell myself to start sooner! I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to started writing. This has honestly been one of the best years of my life.

TCB: On a lighter note, we're big pet and animal lovers so we have to ask, do you have any pets, and if so what kinds and what are their names?

Taylor: We have three cats! Rennick is our orange cat, Gibby is our grey cat, and Shadow is our fluffy black cat who thinks he is allowed to lay on my books.

TCB: Of all your characters thus far, which is your favorite and which is your least favorite, and why?

Taylor: Vefa is my favorite! He seriously gives himbo vibes, but he’s honestly so angry and calculated. I can’t wait to show more of that side of him. My least favorite is Dolion. He’s such a douche and just all-around icky dude.

TCB: If you were magically pushed into one of your books as a character, which book and character would you choose to be?

Taylor: I’d love to be pushing into one of my cozy fantasies. Smallburrow is such a fun world and Kaida is a character I identify with so much.

We are so grateful to have the opportunity to interview Taylor and bring a little bit about her to all of the visitors at The Crafty Bookstore. Taylor has two novels available in her Stonemaw Chronicles series, with The Fae's Deceit just released on November 7, 2024!

The Crafty Bookstore currently has signed copies of both her novels The River Queen and The Fae's Deceit available for purchase separately or in a bundle with some author exclusive swag! We hope you'll support this amazing indie author in her creative journey and follow along on her social media accounts for more exciting developments.