Vicki M. Taylor

What’s a book you think deserves a sequel? People ask me sometimes which of my books deserves a sequel. I understand the question—it’s the kind readers ask when a story has done its job and left them wanting more. But my answer usually surprises them, because the book I think about most isn’t one I’ll ever continue. It’s Not Without Anna. I’ve never been a writer who believes every loose thread…

What villain actually had a good point? Every great villain needs a reason. Not an excuse — a reason. The best ones don’t see themselves as villains at all; they see themselves as the only person willing to say the thing everyone else is too comfortable to admit. Few characters embody that better than Erik Killmonger in Black Panther. The Isolationist KingdomWakanda, as the film presents it, is…

There’s a particular kind of morning greeting I’ve come to treasure — the soft thud of paws on the floor, the click of nails against tile, and then Aryn and Reubyn arriving at my side for their good-morning licks. It’s become such a fixture of my days that I started wondering: what is it, exactly, that my two retired champions are trying to tell me? Turns out, quite a lot.It starts with mothers…

What quality do you value most in a friend? Some things you just know. You know the moment a friendship is real — not because someone said the right words, but because they showed up. Quietly. Consistently. Without keeping score. I’ve been thinking lately about what I value most in a friend. Not the fun kind of thinking, where you make a cheerful list. The deeper kind — where you sit with it…

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Which aspects do you think makes a person unique? Uniqueness isn’t found in the clothes you wear or the car you drive. It isn’t measured by your follower count or how many rooms your house has. True uniqueness runs deeper than any of that. It lives in the quiet, everyday choices that reveal who you really are.It starts with personality — that irreplaceable fingerprint of spirit that makes you…

If you could have something named after you, what would it be? If I ever wanted something named after me, it wouldn’t be a building or a bridge. It wouldn’t be a scholarship fund or a conference room with my name on a brass plate.It would be a bench. Outside a library.Simple. Wooden. Maybe a little worn from weather and the weight of good company.Because if my life’s work deserves a marker in…

What is your favorite type of weather? Most people glance at the sky and decide whether to grab an umbrella. I check the barometer and decide whether I can function. Living with barometric pressure migraines means the weather is never just background — it is the main event, the uninvited guest who may or may not wreck everything. A front rolling in, a storm building offshore, the slow…

What was the best compliment you’ve received? People have called me many things over the years — writer, mentor, veteran, wife, mother, grandmother. Each title carries weight, each one a chapter of who I am. But the best compliment I ever received had nothing to do with a byline or an award. It came quietly, the way the most meaningful things often do. “After I talk to you, I feel so much…

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings? Life doesn’t always go the way we plan. There are days when the weight of the world feels unbearable — when old wounds resurface, when circumstances spiral beyond our control, and when the darkness feels closer than the light. I know that feeling well. As a disabled Marine veteran, I’ve faced more than my share of storms. And over the…

For many veterans and first responders, the transition from the battlefield to civilian life is a journey fraught with unspoken challenges and internal conflict. Traditional narratives often focus on the mechanics of war, but they frequently overlook the profound psychological resilience required to endure and recover from trauma. This gap in storytelling leaves many feeling misunderstood,…

Whether you’re looking for a sweeping historical epic, a memoir that will make you rethink everything you know about resilience, or a dystopian classic that feels more relevant than ever, this list has something for every reader. These seven books have earned their places on bestseller lists, presidential reading lists, and the shelves of readers around the world — and for good reason. 1. The…