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Taylor Leigh

@authortaylorleigh

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Visually impaired witchy fantasy author. Come for the books, stay for the chaos
Rep: @handspunlit

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I have a rare degenerative eye disorder that has no treatment or cure called retinitis pigmentosa (RP for short) where my peripheral vision is slowly tunneling in. I have a hard time adjusting from bright environments to darker ones, I sometimes struggle to see as much at night, and I wear sunglasses all the time.

Even if you do know that I’m going blind, most of you have never heard the full story. Because my main character in my adult fantasy novel endures much of what I go through on a day-to-day basis, I wanted to share a bit more about how, exactly, my diagnosis came to be.

To be completely honest, even years later I still struggle. There are days I barely think of it at all, but there are also days where it’s impossible to ignore. My whole life has shifted and all I can do is hope scientists find a cure. In the meantime, I am doing everything I can to take advantage of the time I have. That is why I wrote The City of Dragon Glass. It’s why I try to explore life as much as possible. It shapes every day of my life.

So, even if you’re not interested in reading my book in the future (*when* it’s published - we’re manifesting a book deal here), I hope you take some time today to look around and relish the things you can see. Memorize everything you can, because you never know when your life will change irrevocably. Black & white photo of a girl in sunglasses seated facing left as she reads a book
Text reads: How I Learned I Was Going Blind by @authortaylorleigh

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6 months ago

Another productive reading month! We’re back in heavy romantasy land with a smattering of other genres.

Not pictured: the glorious thriller I had the privilege of critiquing for @brittanyt.bowen inspired by her experience thru-hiking the PCT (definitely one to look out for)

Are any of these on your TBR? by @authortaylorleigh

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14 days ago

Just a look at non-writing life, recently.

Swipe to the end to see the absolute chaos goblin that’s decided we are its family. by @authortaylorleigh

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25 days ago

I’m not talking much about my fantasy novel The City of Dragon Glass because it’s out of my hands at this point, but art is good for the soul and I can’t help but to share!

@kristenliart has truly brought all my visions to life. If you’re looking for a phenomenal artist, I can’t recommend her enough. Blurred background with the text “swipe for new art!” With an arrow and “the city of dragon glass by Taylor Leigh” by @authortaylorleigh

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a month ago

Is this cringe? Probably.

Do I care? Not a chance.

(Okay, like, maybe I care *a little*. But I’m still gonna post it. Shame doesn’t belong here.)

Three very different projects, three very different vibes. Which is your favorite? A hand reaching toward light with the text “I heard you’ve been very good” by @authortaylorleigh

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a month ago

We’re back in Beaufort, NC where I did all the touristy history tours! This video, you’re getting clips of a small cottage from the 1700s, the courthouse, the jail (including a pillory, writing from the prisoners…and a n00se), and a school teacher’s home.

My newest work in progress is based around a town a lot like Beaufort, but set in a second world full of magic, witchcraft, yearning love, vengeful families, and possibly some vampires. by @authortaylorleigh

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a month ago

Think sapphic Dracula (film) X Romeo & Juliet set in a second world inspired by the coast of North Carolina and filled with witches and magic.

🩸When Wrenetta Levreau and her betrothed, Dorian Baudelaire, arrive at her family’s abandoned estate, something in the residence whispers to her of long-buried secrets rotting amidst the foundation of the town. Wren is determined to unearth every last one—including those of the mysterious Vesper Dubois. The town adores Vesper, but to Wren she is nothing but cold. Rumors abound of haunted burying grounds—as well as a long history of the Dubois family protecting the women of the town, sometimes by lethal means. And despite Vesper’s chill, something seems to tether the three together.

The closer Wren gets to unspooling the sordid past of her and Dorian’s families, the more she is beset by hallucinations of drinking blood and forbidden trysts. Woven beneath it all is the past narrative of Seraphine Dubois, a woman who fell in love with Wren’s ancestor—and witnessed just what the families are willing to resort to if anyone dares threaten their power.

With a hurricane looming, Vesper, Wren, and Dorian are caught in a magnetic pull none of them can deny, one that risks upending everything expected of them—and reaping the consequences for such defiance.🩸

My dear friend and I visited Beaufort, NC this week for me to get inspiration for my next book. I’ve been to Beaufort numerous times, but never did the tourist thing and learned about the town’s history.

It was a glorious day filled with pirate lore, centuries old graves, stunning homes, and learning about Victorian life. If you like the sound of the pitch or want to see me share more about the town and what I learned, you know what to do. by @authortaylorleigh

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a month ago

August was a pretty solid reading month for me! Trying to balance researching for my WIP (peep the “botanical curses & poisons” book) with getting back into the fantasy/romantasy headspace. Honestly, this month was mostly full of PHENOMENAL reads.

September will be my last month of willy nilly choices before diving into some spooky stories and gothic tales 😈 can’t wait.

Have you read any of these? Which was your fave? by @authortaylorleigh

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a month ago

I can’t wait to write in autumn vibes again. Cozy blankets, bonfires, crisp nights. by @authortaylorleigh

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2 months ago

The Soul Weaver was the first novel I ever wrote, the first novel I ever queried, and it’s the book of my heart. It earned me 13 requests from agents and even though it wasn’t the book that got me agented, it taught me so much.

While writing it, I endured three incredibly painful losses. I poured that grief, love, and heartache into Astraea’s experience, pulling from my own emotional experience.

Once Dragon Glass was out of my hands, I debated on whether or not to revisit TSW or not, but with OPOP in percolating mode (see What I’m Working on Part I) and Chaos Story a bit of an outlier (see What I’m Working On Part II), I decided to reread my manuscript with fresh eyes.

I fell in love all over again. AFTER I got over how much better it could be, of course.

I immediately noted the desperate need for more voice and introspection. The antagonist needed more layers, the romantic subplot needed more tension, and the world could use a little expansion.

Since then, I’ve been bouncing between TSW and OPOP. Truth be told, coming back to this story feels a lot like coming home. I’m currently ~15k words into my revision, though I haven’t been pushing myself. My goal is to switch to OPOP by October, so that gives me a few months to hammer out the changes in TSW while I prep what I need for drafting OPOP to go as smoothly as possible.

This brings us to a close (for now) of all the projects I’m currently working on! I have a few ideas sitting in my “nuggets” folder that I still want to get to, but those are for another day, err…month, err…year… by @authortaylorleigh

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2 months ago

The moment you walk into an indie bookstore and go “yeah, I’m making this place my entire personality.”

The Lazy Daisy in Jacksonville, NC is beyond lovely. If you’re ever spending time at the beach, consider stopping by! My girlfriend and I didn’t even have a chance to stop by the sip shoppe but it looked SO cute.

They have books organized by spice rating, a local author area, and so much more. Be a doll and support indie bookstores! by @authortaylorleigh

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2 months ago

Petition to become your new chaotic author friend. Background is a blurry photo of two deer in the woods
Text says:
Tired of the “a little chic” trend?
Introducing: “a little unhinged”
Chaos loading in 3…2…1… by @authortaylorleigh

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2 months ago