Isabella May Author

We Talk Perfect Imperfections, Spirituality and Carrot Cake!

Welcome, Taryn! You have so very kindly featured me on your blog recently and now I am delighted to return the favour. I absolutely loved your debut novel, ‘Perfect Imperfections’ and I know the beauty of your writing and characters struck a chord with many a reader.

What was the inspiration behind your current book, Perfect Imperfections?
There are so many elements that inspired me as I wrote Perfect Imperfections. I wanted to write a book that left you feeling on top of the world at the end. You know those books you read that make you feel like you’re floating in a giddy daze?
Well the story for Perfect Imperfections came to me one night as I was falling asleep, but the details of each character were hazy. I just had a basic plot that I loved at first sight. However, people I know inspired each character and the journey they took. From my lifelong friendships to my beloved husband. There are elements of them all on each page of the book.

We both share a love of writing about food and drink! Why do you think it’s important we capture more of those culinary sights and smells in our novels?
I’m such a food lover. For me food should be an experience, not just a meal. It’s not only about what you put into your mouth. It’s about the memories that are created during these moments, the people you share it with, and the emotions it evokes. By including these things into our novels we make our characters memorable, relatable, and tangible. The next time someone bakes a cake or reaches for a drink that was mentioned by a character we introduced them to, they will recall how that book made them feel, and we will be a part of their memories forever.

Your main character spent a lot of time in London, and comes back to South Africa where she learns to get in touch with her true self once again. How important is it for you to weave a little spirituality into your work? Can we expect to see more of that?
Yes, most definitely. It’s actually why I write. Spirituality is a big part of my own life, and emotional and physical healing for me goes hand in hand with your spirituality. You can’t have one without the other. I try to bring in topics that are hard to face. Things like forgiveness after devastation for example, I would like to see people who are battling these things to be able to walk in freedom from them. And if the only role I play is showing them a mirror of their own heart, by the characters I bring them, then so be it. From there on, I trust that the seed I’ve planted will flourish into freedom in their lives, and an awareness of their own spiritual identity.

I don’t think, but I know you have achieved that… and in your debut novel too!

Favourite cake?
Carrot cake. It used to be chocolate but now I’m hooked on carrot.

Favourite travel destination?
Anywhere in Europe. I’ve never been. Can you believe it? I really need to go!

Favourite positivity guru?
I actually don’t follow anyone. I try to learn from my elders. They ooze a wisdom that can only come with time.

If you could invite three authors who you haven’t yet met to a dinner party, who would they be? And what would your three courses consist of?
Oh wow! I would love to have Karen Swan over. Just thinking of it makes me too nervous to imagine what I would cook. I would need to consult a Gordon Ramsey book or something special for that.
Enid Blyton, if she were alive. I would imagine a high tea of some sorts with all kinds of pastries and cakes, earl grey tea and white gloves on my hands lol.
And I would really love to have you, but instead of a sit down dinner I would love to be in a huge kitchen, beautifully lit, cooking up all sorts of things we try out as a recipe for our next book!

That sounds amazing, I’ll start looking for flights!

Favourite books as a child?
Anything by Enid Blyton, especially The Faraway Tree!

Strangest place you have ever written?
In a restaurant, hunched over my laptop as the waiters impatiently keep asking me if I want anything else to eat. But I love the buzz around me as I get swept in my own little bubble of the story.

Loveliest thing anybody has ever said about your books?
People have been so gracious and their beautiful comments just push me forward to keep writing. But the best have been people who have written to me privately, telling me of how the book resonated with them in their own struggles, and how it helped them deal with their own dark pain. For me that makes my writing have purpose! What’s better than that?

What can we expect to see from you next?
I’m earnestly trying to finish my next novel, in-between my full time job, and mommy and wife duties. I hope it will be done soon so I can share it with the world. It’s a story I’m excited about!

I can’t wait to read it! Thank you very much, Taryn for taking time out today to talk to us.

Here is the universal buying link for the brilliant Perfect Imperfections: http://mybook.to/Perfect_Imperfections