Thursday, November 30, 2017

COMING SOON!

Coming Soon: Red Door - (A Not Forgotten Companion Novella) Everyone is surprised when Detective Jack Bronson leaves his position in New Hampshire to return to his roots in a small New Jersey town. He's just broken the highest profile case of his career, and he believes that he's chosen a quiet precinct where he can glide by to retirement blissfully tucked away from the lime light. When a young girl is abducted from her home, he realizes that things won't be so easy. A single abduction leads to multiple murders and Jack can't catch a break. This killer is cunning and not easily profiled. Then, there are the dreams. Jack is seeing clues to the murders in his sleep. He'll need to turn to Thomas Lynch, the young psychic who assisted him in New Hampshire, if he wants to solve this case but bringing this killer to justice will be the hardest thing that he'll ever do.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Traveler's


When Professor David Dean is called upon to help release a trapped spirit from a research lab, he answers the call and travels to Sedona, Arizona. David quickly realizes that things aren't as simple as he was told and he must call upon his longtime friend and colleague Jimmy Redbush.

Together, the Navajo Shaman and Parapsychologist must solve the mystery behind this government project and rescue a spirit that is not quite human.

Read this Not Forgotten companion story as it develops at Bonnie Taylor on Wattpad

The completed project will be available for sale in digital format on Amazon.com.

Friday, October 6, 2017



This is a very exciting time! The Kickstarter Campaign for Zac's Guitar will end in 7 hours!
Tomorrow, we begin putting the finishing touches on the book and preparing for the launch.

While this has truly been my favorite project to date, the muse hasn't stopped chattering in my
ear and the next project is waiting to take center stage. As one book closes, another opens.

More information to follow!




Saturday, September 30, 2017

My Kickstarter Relaunch

The Relaunch

As soon as the ball dropped on my campaign, I launched the new one but not before doing a few things to ensure my success this time.

  • I created a new and improved video for upload
  • I notified my friends and any backers that I could to let them know what to do after getting the this project was not successful notification
  • I evaluated and dramatically reduced by funding goal
  • I set a shorter time frame to run the campaign

The Result

  • My funding goal was reached in 24 hours!
  • I am currently 150% funded with 6 days to go!

Check out the new campaign

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Why My First Attempt on Kickstarter Failed

The Crowdfunding Concept

First, let's talk about crowdfunding and Kickstarter in general.
Crowdfunding is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to gain exposure and backing from the general public to make their concepts and inventions into real products. With the explosion of the internet, sites like Kickstarter, still the most popular crowdfunding site in the world, that community of people grew to a global community of potential backers.

Kickstarter is compensated by taking a healthy bite of your campaign funding when you run a successful campaign, but if you can meet your objective and fund your project, it's worth it. Also, in return for backing a project, backers are given rewards. That's compensation that you, the developer must provide at the end of your successful campaign. Usually, a copy of your book or a free product along with other incentives that developers create to determine funding levels. For my campaign, $25. or more got you a signed copy of the book. $60. got you signed copies of the book series. You get the idea.

Kickstarter is an all or nothing venture, meaning, if you don't reach your funding goal, you get nothing and your backers do not pay or receive any rewards. You also walk away without getting the contact information of those backers. That's the worst part because if they believed in your project, they could become very important additions to your mailing list!

The publishing category on Kickstarter is not the most popular and many campaigns fail, so why do it? FOr exactly the same reasons you set up preorders and mailing lists. To develop a following of readers and to, hopefully, boost your Amazon sales rank and get more reviews at launch. Also, to help fund your project: Book Cover Art, Editing Services, Etc...

So Why Did I Fail?

That's really a one sentence answer. My funding goal was too high. I shot for the stars at $4,500 and ended my campaign with just under $1,000 pledged. So, the question is, why was it too high? It wasn't my rewards. I still think they're awesome and creative and have gotten excellent feedback on them. What prevented me from reaching my goal?


  • I didn't have a large following ready to pledged at launch. Basically, my friends and family and a few members of the Kickstarter community were my backers. I should have been pushing this campaign to my blog and Twitter followers and on my Facebook Book Pages well in advance to garner some momentum. I could have tried a local press release and advertised at my local library reading club. I needed to have a decent sized fan base ready to pledge. I didn't
  • I should have had my friends and family committed to making their pledges on launch day! Getting 20% funding in one day is enough to propel your campaign to the front pages of Kickstarter so that community members who aren't looking for you can see you.
  • My video was lacking. It has been 5 years since I last made a video from a slide show and since then, Microsoft has changed all of the software. I needed to download new, learn how to use it, and being a writer not an artist, I don't have images of my setting or characters so I had to improvise. 
  • I didn't market my campaign soon enough. I eventually boosted a post on Facebook and ran a sponsored ad on Google with all the right key words and I did see an increase in traffic, but by then it was too late.
  • I was a first time Kickstarter with no credibility in the community and no success rate to back up my claim that my project would succeed and be worth it. 

I have since relaunched my campaign with a very low funding goal, simply to help absorb some costs and to, more importantly, let the 20 people who really wanted me to succeed have another chance to get their rewards fulfilled. I am confident that this will be a successful campaign and thus, help to grow my credibility in the Kickstarter World.

I will also become an active member in the community. I'm sure there are projects out there that I would love to see become a reality and hopeful developers like me, who deserve to have their dreams fulfilled. This too, will help me grow credibility for future campaigns, should I decide to give it another go.
Take a look at my improved, but not epic, video

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Read and Rate a Preview of "Zac's Guitar"

Would you like a sneak peak at the first two chapters of 
"Zac's Guitar"?

Would you like to rate these chapters and leave me feedback?

Now you can! The first 25,000 words, (excluding the introduction) are now available to preview and review in the CreateSpace Community. 

Simply click this link to get started. Your feedback will remain private, (only you and I will see it) so please be honest.

Preview Link: Zac's Guitar Preview

Zac's Guitar New Promo

Thursday, September 21, 2017

The Not Forgotten Series


Not Forgotten - Lilly's Story

A must read by Louisiana author Bonnie Taylor

Lilly was a seemingly normal teenager until the sudden death of her older brother, Tony. When Tony's spirit begins sending her messages, she gains the attention of other entities and embarks of a paranormal journey that is both frightening and enlightening. She enlists a cast of unique characters who plan to help her put a stop to the evil that has now invaded her life. Lilly's story unravels with a unique blending of ideas suggesting that there may be connections between the paranormal, modern spirituality, and the philosophies of ancient civilizations.

At Second Sight

The gripping second novel in the paranormal series by Bonnie Taylor. This one is a true page turner. You won't put it down!

At Second Sight brings paranormal romance, mystery, and folklore together in a unique and compelling tale. Young psychic genius Thomas Lynch ventures away from his paranormal investigation team to work with law enforcement on a case involving a missing coed. When Thomas finds himself entangled in a conflict with strange entities he calls upon his friends David Dean and Jimmy Redbush for help. As this gripping tale develops, the worlds of humans, spirits, mythology, and environmental conscience intertwine with an intricacy that leaves no doubt that everything in our universe is somehow connected though not always working harmoniously.


Get your copies today on Amazon!


What's in the Works for Release in 2018






It's hard to imagine that another year is swiftly slipping away, but 2018 is currently peeking over the horizon! With that, I'd thought I'd announce my current projects.

In October 2017 - I will be working on a short horror story for an upcoming anthology to be released mid-2018.

Also in October, I plan to participate in the Halloween themed events on Goodreads.

The release of Zac's Guitar!!! It's here - the anticipated release of the 3rd Not Forgotten Book will take place in October, 2018!

Individual works set for 2018 release:

"The Pizza Boys" - a semi-autobiographical novel about growing up in the pizzerias of rural New York. Part love story, part coming of age story, includes a little mystery, intrigue, and humor but not paranormal!

"Obscura" - the fourth title in the Not Forgotten Series. In the quest for proof of the existence of spirits, the Highgate Paranormal Society may stumble upon a more powerful and unexpected truth. Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?


In the meantime, you can catch up on the Not Forgotten Series by purchasing copies of Not Forgotten Lilly's Story and At Second Sight on Amazon.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Hide a Book Day

Blanco and I embarked on our journey this afternoon. We were looking for the best place to hide our giveaway copy of Not Forgotten - Lilly's Story.




Blanco was very excited and took his job very seriously. He was on guard duty all the way to town!
We found the perfect location to hide the book. The West Branch Library entry pavilion.

We later discovered that this person found it!
Congratulations Shawn Scarbrock!



Book Fairy Hide a Book Update Number 1

Friday, September 8, 2017

Only 17 Days Left to Back the Book

On September 26, 2017, the Kickstarter campaign for Zac's Guitar will close. We are currently at 19% funding for this project and are hopeful that we can reach our goal. As an extra thank you to everyone who pledges to the campaign, I will be naming all of my backers on the acknowledgement page of the book. That's right, your name in print in every copy of the book!

Here's a look at some of the pledge levels. Each, includes a preorder of the book

$3 an electronic copy of the book in any format specified

$20 an autographed paperback and custom bookmark

$25 and $30 levels include the autographed paperback, bookmark, and custom pins and/or pendants designed and hand crafted specifically for this project

$60 signed paperback copies of all three books in the Not Forgotten Series

Zac's Guitar Kickstarter Link


Monday, September 4, 2017


Writing begins as an idea, a passing thought that catches the attention of the author and makes them stop and take notice. In the beginning, the author is just niave enough to believe that the idea was theirs. They find themselves clever and are proud of their unique way of seeing the world.

In time, the author grows suspicious. They wonder if the voices inside their head are really a part of them at all. They seem to know things that the author doesn't remember learning. They've observed things that the author has never witnessed. 

The author shrugs this off at first, chalking it up to inspiration. He personifies it, calling it a muse. 

If the author is a good little writer, he will finish the work without incident and continue to believe that it came from his own mind.

It's only when the author strays from his task that the truth is revealed. The voices will wake him, screaming their monologues, demanding to be heard. 

You can only fight it for so long.
If a story needs to be told, it will find a way to bleed from your fingertips on to the page.

The story has a will of its own.


Saturday, September 2, 2017

Zac's Guitar - Jimmy's Vision




David Dean got in his car in the University Garage at 9:00pm. He’d spent the evening giving a lecture on the difference between poltergeist activity and true hauntings. As he reached for the key, he noticed his cell phone sitting in the console. He wasn’t big on technology and often made a habit of forgetting his phone. He picked it up and saw that he had two missed calls. The first was from his assistant, Kerry, no doubt checking to make sure he remembered the lecture. The second was a familiar number, his old friend and colleague Jimmy Redbush.

He had a voicemail and played it hoping it was Redbush and not Kerry. Luck was on his side.

Jimmy Redbush said, “Hello, old friend. I’m calling you because I’ve had a vision and in my vision, there are many arrows. First, the crossed arrows of friendship which made me think of you. Then, I saw the two arrows pointing at the stone which are for warding off evil and the two arrows flying toward each other signifying war and I thought of our trials with young Lilly Roberts.  The last arrow flew alone signifying peace. This told me that victory is possible and that this is not the final battle.  I saw one other thing, the butterfly. This I do not understand, but I called you to ask if you’re okay and to inquire (A long pause), about your mother.”

David saved the message and stared at the phone a long time. He said, simply, “Mother”.

Sunday, August 27, 2017

E book GIveaway

The best thing to do on a rainy Sunday is read so I'm giving away 10 free copies of "At Second Sight" in any digital format selected. Just follow the link to order and enter COUPON CODE: ZB72Z at check out.

At Second Sight on Smashwords

Monday, August 21, 2017

Stressing over Kickstarter

On August 12, I launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the editing costs of my new book, Zac's Guitar. With 35 days left to go in the campaign, I've stalled at 14% funding and am feeling the stress of potential failure.  Kickstarter is an all or nothing enterprise. If you don't reach your goal, backers don't pay and you leave empty handed.


What does failure mean?

In this case, failure won't mean the demise of my book. I am a resourceful woman with a long stubborn streak and I will find a way. What failure means is that the current backers of my project will be disappointed. They have pledged with the anticipation of a reward, and in most cases, that reward includes a book. If I fail to meet my funding goal and launch the book at a later time, they would need to reorder a copy from another channel and that may be too much to ask of some of them. They were taking a chance on me and may not do that a second time.
The last thing a budding anything wants to do is turn off their audience before they've even sampled the product.

What can I do to regain traction?

First, I asked myself, "Did I assume that my backers were familiar with Kickstarter? The answer is yes. I expected my potential backers to understand the Kickstarter process and to know what it was. I discovered later, many were clueless. They saw links and figured I was sharing a way to buy my book. That's all fine and well, except they didn't act with the sense of urgency that was needed due to the deadline. Once I made this realization, I posted the why, how, and basic premise in my social media and saw about a 5% increase in funding.

Next, I asked myself if my potential backers knew what the funds were for. There's a difference between asking for presales and asking for help creating your project. I had to explain why my goal was so high, and that's a tricky one. You see, you know how much you need to finish your project, but you have to set your goal based on the cost of purchasing your reward items and paying the two fees that will be charged by Kickstarter. One for hosting your campaign and another for processing your payments. Then, there's the cost of shipping. Your backers pay to have the rewards shipped to them, but you have to ship them to you first. I can't drop ship an autographed book. I need to have it in my possession in order to sign it. 

Next, I asked, did I reach out far enough to find backers or did I rely too much on my close acquaintances? I figured out that if every one of my Facebook friends pledged $15.00, I could more than fund this campaign. The problem? To date, less than 10% of my Facebook friends have made a pledge at all. If you're surprised to hear that, don't be.  Not everyone wants to help you succeed. That was a tough lesson to learn.

I've now reached out to Facebook groups, Twitter followers, and Google + followers. I'm going to be a guest on a podcast, and have sent releases to local media outlets. I'm even planning to mention the campaign at my local library and have put updates on my Goodreads author page.

It's not over yet

I have 35 days to go. Many campaigns only run for 30 days in total so I still have time to regain my momentum. At this point, I need to average $110 per day to meet my goal and I averaged $100 per day for the first 12 days of the campaign. I'm trying to remain hopeful and to be strategic in my efforts to maximize my chances for success. Wish me luck and if you too would like to pledge your support, go here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bonnietaylor/zacs-guitar-a-not-forgotten-book-by-bonnie-j-taylo?ref=user_menu

Sunday, July 30, 2017

The Frightening World of Kickstarter

As I waited for a program to download on my computer so that I can get some work done on this marketing campaign, I decided to browse the projects on Kickstarter under the subject "Publishing". This might have been a bad idea as it has made doubts and fears run rampant in my overly active writer's imagination.

As of this morning, there are 39,685 publishing campaigns active on Kickstarter. I planned to browse through them to look at successes and failures so that I can have a better idea of what works and what doesn't when it comes to attracting backers. What really struck me though, was how many of these projects had zero backing and were live for more than twenty days!

I even backed two of them because they looked promising and I felt terrible seeing that big $0.00 on the page!

Nothing is more invalidating than spending your precious time on a project and failing at launch time but failure to sell does not mean that you've created a bad product. It probably means that you've failed to reach the right audience. Your ability to write has not been tested until you have succeeded in your ability to market.

This is a scary time, guys! Give me some positive thoughts, please!

Friday, July 28, 2017

Are you ready to help Kickstart this book?

I have written Zac's Guitar and am in the process of proof reading the results. I'm looking for blaring typo's, deep or shallow plot holes, and using my children as interventionists to counsel me through my gross obsession with the comma.

CPP Publishing will be the proud parent of the third installment of the Not Forgotten Series and I will format the manuscript for electronic and paperback versions to be created. There is even a beautiful cover in the works.

So, what's missing?

A professional editor.

While I am always willing to consider storyline advice from Beta Readers of my work, I still want to have complete creative authority over the story. I don't need someone to offer advice or input on my theme, plot, climax, or characters and their development.

What I need is a master of the English language. I need a super human who can find every typo, every grammatical error, and every missing or misused punctuation mark. No matter how carefully I go over this manuscript, I will ultimately miss something. It's happened with my other books - even the one that was published by a traditional publishing house, and each time I open a cover, the errors are all I see!

I don't want my readers eyes abused by poorly structured sentences!

That said, I will be launching a KICKSTARTER campaign to raise funds to pay that editor and you can help!

I will post links to the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and both of my sites and that's where you come in. If you want to see this book launched and are happy with the rewards that are offered for helping to make it happen, make a pledge and tell your friends. Crowdfunding takes a CROWD. I need you to help me grow a crowd.

So, what will you and your friends get for helping to fund this project?

* You will be the first purchases of this work. You get in ahead of the rest.
*You will get key insights and updates on the book's progress. You'll watch it grow.
*You will get awesome hand crafted keepsakes like pendants and pins that help tell Zac's story
*You can be there, do that, and get the tee shirt!
*Do you want my autograph? You can get autographed copies of ALL THREE BOOKS!
*If you're wondering what song Zac plays to open the portal, you can get it on MP3!
*A brave few can even become characters in a future book!

This is an exciting time and I hope we can fun together building this book!



Sunday, June 25, 2017

Thursday, June 1, 2017

The Horror's of Self Promotion

I have spent a huge portion of the past two days working on my writing career but I have barely added any text to my new book. Instead, I have been attempting to build my brand because, after all, it doesn't matter how well I write my books if no one knows that they exist! This is a promising, frustrating, and humbling endeavor. As a writer you tend to spend a lot of time in your own head. This is your safe space. Marketing yourself is exactly the opposite. You must leave your safe space and throw yourself out there for all the world, or as many people as your efforts will muster, to see. It's like being naked on a train, I mean, I think so. I've never actually been naked on a train but you get my drift.

Here's hoping that I can find some success with the marketing endeavor because my time is limited and I have a book to finish!

Wednesday, May 31, 2017


If an instrument could have desires it would want to be played.

A love affair ends when a craftsman puts the finishing touches on a fine instrument. The artist is pleased with his work and like a parent facing an empty nest sends it off to the world with grand hopes that it will bring joy and find love from another. In this case a musician who will connect with the instrument in a harmonious dance that takes shape in the form of a melody.

As much as a musician hopes to find the perfect instrument, the instrument would be desperate for the right musician. It would feel vulnerable in the hands of the person who controls the message that they will send out to the world but without him the instrument would never find its voice. Silence must be death for an instrument. If it could I believe it would go to any length to make music. Changing the world for those who hear it would be its only desire.

                                                                  - Jimmy Redbush
Excerpt from "Zach's Guitar"