Tara L. Thompson has
always had a passion for writing and knew that this was her calling. She
began her journey as a writer at a very young age writing poems and sharing
them with family and friends. Her first published poem was on the back of her
grandmother’s obituary. In that poem, she shared her love and loss for her
grandmother.
Tara’s debut novel, Before
I Say I Do, released in the spring of 2014, has been well received by
readers. Although her novels are fiction, her roles as a daughter, sister,
mother, and friend are reflected throughout her work. Her experience as a
preacher’s daughter also contributes to the church drama seen in her novels.
Tara’s second novel, Divided Souls, a gripping tale of how lies and deceit can
destroy a family, was released October 10, 2015.
After four years of marriage, life is
not the fairytale Rachel Simms Perkins had envisioned for herself and her
husband, Corey. She constantly fantasizes about Terrence Walker, the man she
was enamored with before her wedding. As her marriage is spiraling out of
control, Rachel questions if she said I Do to the right man or missed out on
the love of her life.
Corey Perkins wants nothing more than to
love and cherish his wife, Rachel, but one secret will not allow him to live
the peaceful life that he desires. When his deception starts to catch up with
him, will he finally tell Rachel the truth, knowing that his marriage will
never survive?
Daryl Simms has it all; a successful
career and a beautiful fiancée. But when a familiar person comes into his life,
the demons that he has tried to conceal resurface. Will he be able to fight the
spirits or will he succumb to their powers?
For years, deceit and lies have festered
in the Simms family. Pastor Simms preaches that the truth will set you free,
but will it destroy his family instead? One fatal accident exposes shocking
secrets that will change lives forever.
What inspired your book?
A lot of things inspired my book but I would have to
say the biggest would be my life experiences. As a preacher’s daughter I had a
slightly different upbringing than most. I was privy to a lot of things that
happened in the church and I use those experiences in my novels. Even though
they are fictional, my experiences along with friends and families experiences
and my imagination brought Divided Souls to life. Also there is nothing more
entertaining than church drama.
What would you like readers to take away from your
book?
I would like my readers to be entertained but at the
same time relate to the book. I want to create an escape for them from their
real life stresses and everyday problems. My books will always have an
underlying message. I want my readers to walk away from my books with a sense
of having enjoyed a book and knowing whatever you are going through it could
always be worse. There is always some element of God in my books.
Which character did you have the most fun writing
about?
I enjoyed each character in Divided Souls but my
favorite was Daryl. Daryl was so ridden with secrets that at one time during
the book he tried to take his life. I had to dig deep for his emotions. And it
was a lot of fun writing for a male character.
What did you learn while writing this book?
While writing this book I learned a lot about myself
as far as identifying with some of my characters. I also learned how much I had
changed from my debut novel, Before I Say I Do to this novel. I explored topics
that some authors stay away from but I did it in a way not to offend but
enlighten.
What are three things you wish you’d known before
you reached where you are now?
Three things I wish I had known are the advantage of
utilizing different promotion platforms, the amount of time and money used to
self-publish, and knowing your target audience in advance.
What advice would you offer to someone whose first
book is about to be released?
I would tell them to get the best editors
possible. If you self-publish make sure you have money for a great editor. Your
book represents you and you want to always put your best work out there. If you
are working with a publisher I would advise them to always push and promote
your book. Never rely on anyone else to do that for you.
What’s the most interesting change in your life as a
result of being a published author?
The most interesting change would be to
have strangers come up to me and let me know they enjoyed my book. I am from a
small town and the amount of support that has been given is nothing short of
amazing to me. This motivates me to keep going and living my dream.
What are your three favorite social media platforms
and how are you using them for promotion?
My favorite three would have to be
facebook, twitter, and Instagram.
Oprah always asks, what do you know for sure?
I know
for sure that I was created to write. Writing is my gift and passion from God
and as long as I am living I will continue to fulfil my purpose for being here.
Anything you'd like to say to the readers of SORMAG?
would like to thank the readers of SORMAG for taking the time to find out
about me and also encourage them to give new authors a try. My goal is to get
my work in front of as many readers as I can. I promise to always give my
readers the very best of me and my work.
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