Hey everyone,
Ian Tan here, lead editor and project coordinator of UnCensored Ink: A Banned Book Inspired Anthology, set to release this October 29. Here is the UnCensored Ink interview series to introduce you all to the incredible writers, as well as the local bookstores and libraries that gave them safe creative spaces. Hopefully you can put these incredible places on your to-visit list, and feel inspired to support your own local bookstore, library and indie authors.
Today I am with Abigail F. Taylor from Texas. She is an award-winning author from Texas. She lives with four cats, two small dogs, and one sassy rooster.
1. You’ve written a fine piece for UnCensored Ink: A Banned Book Inspired Anthology. Can you give us a synopsis? How did the idea for this piece come about?
My story, BECOMING, is about a marathon runner who is determined to do what it takes to push herself to becoming the fastest long distance runner. It was inspired by the questions surrounding the ethics of human achievement, the story of a woman named Jill Viles with muscular dystrophy who shares the same genetic mutation as the Olympian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, and the book CHASING CAPTAIN AMERICA by E. Paul Zehr.
2. Now, we would love to know you more! What do you enjoy doing in your free time, what is your favorite book quote, and how did you get into reading and writing?
In my free time, I love practicing aikido, going for jogs, and binge watching t.v. shows while cross stitching a never ending pattern. I also enjoy frequenting my local book clubs, and catching an art exhibit or a play when I can. But my favorite things are reading and writing. I can’t go a day without doing either. I would say getting into it was fairly easy. My family, on both sides, are big storytellers, and my dad used to take my sister and I around to poetry events he hosted when we were young. Stories have always been a backbone of who I am as a person. I think that’s why my favorite quote from a book is from Cornila Funke’s INKHEART “Books have to be heavy because the whole world’s inside them.”
3. Do you have a favorite local library or bookstore? Also can you remember bookstores and libraries from your childhood, if they are not the same as the ones now?
There was a library in my childhood town that had a really cool basement filled with all the resource books, mostly science and technology textbooks. I remember spending time looking at a guide to dog breeds as well as some books on space travel and the moon landing. But I have to admit at the time I was more invested in these fantasies and mysteries that I could get my hands on without my parents checking to see if they were age-appropriate. I did that successfully by going down to the basement.
Down there, I would sort through them to figure out which ones I’d like to take home with me. I’m sure it’s gone now, or renovated to fit a growing city, but I was drawn to the quiet mystique of the basement. I think, for kids, they’re much like treehouses: special and unique and secret. These days, when I’m not popping into my library up the street, I’m frequenting a few locals. The Wild Detectives, a bar/venue and bookstore, Whose Books, and Lucky Dog Books, which is a second chance home for books.
4. Tell us more about this bookstore/library. What do you love most about it?
The Wild Detectives is a great place to watch local bands and meet up with friends, while also grabbing a cocktail and checking out new releases. They also have a shelf for local authors, which is really cool. I love going to Whose Books because they do a LOT for the community with author talks, book clubs, and block parties (I got my most recent tattoo at one of these events!). BIPOC books and authors are the main features on their shelves.
Whose Books. I wish I had more block party photos from here, but only have a couple of videos that made its way to Instagram and the phone that had all the other photos is no more.
5. What do you have to say on the importance of sustaining bookstores and libraries?
I think it’s incredibly important to keep bookstores and libraries. Not only are they a place to read, meet like minded individuals, and escape bad weather, they’re also a valuable resource for the community. I can’t afford much, so having a library that holds free classes like guitar, basket weaving, and book binding, as well as hosting holiday events for our diverse communities is so valuable to keep a city thriving. One of my libraries even has video game seasons for the kids leaving school while they wait for their parents to get out of work. It takes a village to raise a family and bookstores/libraries are an integral part of that.
The Wild Detectives
Me and a friend at The Wild Detectives
6. Do you have any projects that your current and future readers can look forward to?
My next major projects are two books that will be released with Wild Ink. A YA horror, MARYNEAL, 1962 is set to release in 2025 and my historic magical realism novel, A HOME IN TISHOMINGO, will come out in 2026. Other than that, I have a few short stories floating around various journals and magazines. You can find a list of them on my website and all are free to read. I’ll be working on my next horror novella in the coming months. Hopefully I’ll find a home for it sooner than later!
7. Lastly, what platforms can we find you?
My website (which also includes a blog/newsletter) is abigailftaylor.wordpress.com and you can find me on
twitter: @abigailftaylor
Instagram: @abbyandfurriends
tiktok: @talltailsabigail
Well, that’s Abigail F. Taylor from Texas, everyone! Stay posted till the next one as we finally cross into the West Coast!
Wild Ink Publishing 
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