Q&A With D.L. Taylor 

I’m delighted to be doing this Q&A with attorney by trade and storyteller by heart, D.L. Taylor. D.L. Taylor is the author of her debut romantasy novel, The Beasts We Bury which was released back in February of this year. March 3^rd 2026, the sequel The Beasts We Raise will be released! 

Q: D.L. would you like to give a brief description of The Beasts We Bury & its sequel The Beasts We Raise? I do enjoy stories with magic in them!

A: Of course! The Beasts We Bury is about a girl with a dark power but an incredibly soft heart, and a boy who set out to destroy her, only to fall for her instead.

Heir-to-the-throne Mancella has been raised to be a weapon, but at her core she is a pacifist. So, when charming thief Silver tries to use her to steal from the palace, she’s not what he expects. Worse, he finds out that his actions are stoking the intercontinental war she’s trying to prevent. Now he must choose between his future and the girl he’s coming to care for, and she must find a way to seek peace without becoming the monster everyone already thinks she is.

As for The Beasts We Raise, I don’t want to say too much, because that would involve spoilers for book one. But thematically it’s about processing what you’ve been through, and in particular learning to talk to the parts of yourself that you suppressed to survive.

Q: Where did the ideas for both The Beasts We Bury & its sequel The Beasts We Raise come from? How long did it take you to write both books?

A: They both started with magic, actually!

For The Beasts We Bury, I wanted to take a traditionally wholesome power, like summoning animals, and give it a dark twist. Thematically, I was thinking about how sometimes you can admire the strengths a person has without understanding the darkness they may have gone through to acquire that strength. So those two ideas combined into the core magic of the book, and then the characters and plot evolved out of that.

When I found out I would be writing The Beasts We Raise, I already had the characters and the world, and plot-wise some big events had just occurred (again, no spoilers!), but once more it was the magic that really solidified the themes for me, and everything else came out of that. Specifically, I was ruminating on how we sometimes shove down certain feelings or parts of ourselves to get through a difficult situation, only to find that, once we’re finally out of that situation, they have a knack of catching up with us. And the magic that features in the sequel really brings that to a head.

As far as timeline, I started The Beasts We Bury in late 2020, and I sold it in early 2023. All the major edits were done by the end of that year, so in total I spent about three years writing it. After the book deal, I worked on The Beasts We Raise anytime I wasn’t working on The Beasts We Bury, and we finished major edits on it by the end of 2024. So it is about two years total for that one.

Q: As a romantasy author, do you enjoy writing the magical scenes the most or the romantic scenes? 

A: As far as the process of writing itself, it’s the magical scenes. Magic is such an interesting story mechanic for me because you can do so much with it. As I’ve already talked about some above, it can contribute to the theme, but it can also set the vibes, progress the plot, contribute to character development, or shore up the worldbuilding. Or it can just be really cool! So, I always have a lot of fun writing those scenes, because the possibilities feel limitless.

Romance scenes, on the other hand, need to hit specific emotional beats, and so for me they’re more difficult. If a scene is not making me feel the way I want it to, then I have to figure out why, and that’s not always easy. In fact, sometimes the answer is in a completely different part of the book! But then again, when that scene finally does hit right, there’s no better feeling. So, I think I like writing magic more initially, but the romance scenes are my favorite once they’re done.

Q: What do you hope readers come away with once they finish reading your books, whether it’s learning something meaningful, or resonating with characters and enjoying a great story bringing out all their emotions?

A: I would want readers to come away with the feeling that compassion is something worth pursuing, even (or perhaps especially) when no one around you is doing the same. And that choosing peace is its own kind of strength.

Q: How many books do you plan on writing in The Beasts We Bury series? If you are not writing book 3, can you reveal any details about what you are currently writing now? 

A: As of right now the duology is all I have planned in that world. I am working on something in a completely different world, but as it isn’t sold yet I can’t give too many details. Sorry!

Q: What wisdom have you learned as an author that would help future authors out there, whether it’s creating a story, dealing with self-doubt and/or dealing with those in their lives who aren’t supportive of their dreams? 

A: Basically, keep at it. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen to you right away, and don’t expect it to. Ask yourself, “If this takes years, is it still worth it to me?” And if the answer is yes, then do it. With all your heart.

When I started writing, I was in law school, working part time, and had just given birth to my first child. I didn’t have free time then, and I didn’t have much after becoming an attorney and adding two more kids to the mix, either. But I gave myself ten years, and I said if I wasn’t published before the age of 35 then I would re-evaluate whether it was something I wanted to pursue.

It still makes me emotional to think about, but my first book came out exactly six days before my 35th birthday.

And the wait was totally worth it.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to The Beasts We Bury series? Whether they do or not, who would be your dream cast to play the characters you created?

A: I have not sold any rights yet, but for the role of Mance my priority would be an actress who could be both strong and emotional, like Jenna Ortega or a slightly older Alisha Weir. And for Silver, I need someone who can deliver a joke with a mischievous smile, like Noah Centineo in his “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” era.