Today I am thrilled to welcome author Matt Taylor to the site. Matt writes:
Greetings! I’m Timothy Matthew Taylor, but do call me “Matt” to better avoid the “Toolman” jokes. My apologies if you were born AFTER that shows popularity, and don’t get the joke. It’s part of me getting old, I guess. Anyways, I’m honored to be featured on this blog! I was asked to write a little about who I am, and why I write. So, let’s get to it, shall we?
I’m a writer for various mediums: stage, screen and now books! I was born in the deep south of the great state of Alabama. I’m a die-hard fan of Alabama football, as well as the states beauty. Yes, it’s true a lot of the history of my home state is anything BUT beautiful, yet it is the heart of dixie, and so many people there have nothing BUT heart, and love in it. I grew up in Mobile, Alabama on the gulf. Graduated high school in Mississippi. Went to college in Tennessee. Worked for a decade in Florida. I guess I got a lot of the south covered. I’m married to my beautiful wife, Jennifer, and have 3 amazing (and troublesome) boys: Jackson, Jacob and Jameson.
History is a HUGE passion and part of my life. I’m a certified genealogist, where I consistently get to look through historical records to help people find more about who they are, and where they came from. I also live near Boston, the city where American history was practically born, and for 5 years I served as a historic guide in that beautiful (and traffic-filled) city. History, however, is not why I write. I write for the flip-side of that coin: fantasy and fun.
Before I came to the North, I spent 10 years at the Most Magical place on Earth, Walt Disney World, working to entertain millions of patrons from around the world every year. I loved every second of it, especially all the time I got to spend with my dear friend, Goofy. Disney is without a doubt the greatest storyteller on Earth, and they were able to fine tune my love, and passion, for writing and telling stories. They gave me the tools, the knowledge, and ultimately, taught me how to think outside the box, that would one day lead to the creation of my first childrens book, “Carol, The Ancient Yuletide Troll.”
So, how did Carol come about? I’m a Christmas baby, born December 22nd, so Christmas is WAY up there in my passions. I’m also a HUGE fan of wordplay and puzzles, always switching words around, and always looking for a new perspective to see things. Well, one day the song “Deck The Halls” was playing. The lyric, “troll the ancient yuletide carol,” was sung. This time, however, I heard it differently, thanks to my passion for wordplay. I thought, “What if there was an ancient Christmas troll named Carol?” What’s her story? That was the beginning that ultimately led to writing her story, the first of many more to come. One for each major holiday in her world.
This story, along with the beautiful illustrations done by my dear friend, Allison Cain (you can find more of her work through her handle: hatterandholmes), has really opened doors, with more talks to move her to a new medium in the near future, who knows what’s going to be in store? Well, Carol is currently IN stores. She can be found in any major online bookstore worldwide, and through the website of my publisher: Morgan James Publishing.
Thank you so much for your time! Carol and I hope to see ya’ll soon!

Please check out Matt’s book!