Today we sit down with one of my closest friends and #WriterNerds, T.G. Noble! We were published together in Shards of Survival ( coming soon to paperback!) We also beta read for each other 🙂 Enjoy!
Taryn (T.G.) Noble is a lifelong reader and writer. She’s married to the love of her life and they have two snake children, a ball python and a cornsnake. In her free time she is constantly reading and writing. Writing, because it’s her passion and she plans on venturing into the world of self-publishing soon. Reading, because she’s not happy unless she’s devouring novels.
How many physical books do you own?
Um I have five full bookshelves still at my mom’s house and I’m over flowing on end tables and floors at my house with only three bookshelves. So I don’t know the exact number on that. But it’s a lot. I could have (and want) my own library to house them all someday.
What book describes you best?
Oh gosh. This question kills me. I’ve read so many novels and related to so many characters. It’s hard to pick just one. I know there have been several that have resonated deeply with me: Fire by Kristen Cashore, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Old Magic by Marianne Curley, Promised by Caragh M. O’Brien, The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan, In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan.
That’s a long list, but they’re all books that share threads of lonely characters surrounded by fantasy, magic, and unexpected goodness and strength.
What is the very first book you read that really stuck with you?
I’ve been reading since before I can remember and when I was really young I read everything I could get my hands on. I started out with the books everyone else did at the time; The Boxcar Children, The Baby-sitters Club, Sweet Valley High… and then I read Harry Potter. But while I loved the Harry Potter books, they were sort of this special thing. I would read the HP books, watch the movies, but I didn’t realize that there were other books about magic and fantasy out there.
Maybe that was naïve and narrow minded for someone with a twelfth-grade reading level, but it wasn’t until I was in fifth grade and our teacher read out loud to us The Ancient One by T.A. Barron that I realized there were other books out there that pushed the bounds of reality and brought magic and wonder into everyday life. It was so wise and wonderful and made me realize there was a whole wide world of books I had yet to explore. I’ve been reading fantasy and science fiction ever since.
How many books do you usually read in a month?
How do you pick what to read next?
It depends on the month and how much I’m writing. I typically read anywhere from 4 to 12 books a month. I should be steadily working through my TBR pile but instead I pick what I read next based on what I’m in the mood for.
If life is really stressful and over complicated, I’ll go for a fluffy romance. If I’ve been reading too many contemporary novels, I’ll go on a fantasy stretch where I binge a ton of fantasy until my dreams start supplying me with too many story ideas to keep track of and I have to swing back for a simpler, coming of age novel or YA novel, or loop back to contemporary for a bit. Sometimes I’m in the mood for drama and dark deeds. Sometimes I’m in the mood for innocent, secondhand embarrassment inducing romps.
What are your favorite genres to read?
Fantasy, definitely. High fantasy or low fantasy, but also Romance, YA fiction, sometimes Urban Fantasy, light Science Fiction, LGBTQ+ Romance, some contemporary fiction if it’s really, really good.
Would you like some book recommendations (with links) in a particular genre?
I have so many books to read! So I can’t promise I’ll get around to it anytime soon. I’m just now starting a series my husband has been trying to get me to read for about 4 years now. But if it’s something that you absolutely LOVED and you’re dying to share it with the world, I’d be fine with some recommendations. Links are useful because you do all the work for me and I don’t have to look it up!
Are there any aspects of books that irk you?
I don’t like withheld information as a plot devise no matter the genre. That’s why mystery novels drive me bonkers. Just tell me! Let the characters be honest! Secrets kill me. I’m too curious. I also hate misogyny whether it’s intentional or unintentional. I’m too much of a feminist to put up with that kind of thing in novels.
What type of covers do you love? Which do you avoid and why?
I love pretty covers. I know that’s not specific. But if it’s gorgeous, I want to buy it. It’s a problem.
On the flip side, if the cover looks amateurish and cheap looking, even if it’s the best book out there, I won’t read the description.
This is partially because it is easy to judge a book by it’s cover. Covers that have a lot of pride and effort put into them typically indicate the author cared about putting out the best version of their book it could be on the inside too. And if the cover is crap, then that sometimes means that’s about the effort they took to polish their work.
The slight exception is for romance novels because you expect those to have the stupid industry standard of half-naked men on the cover and that’s just the way it is. I won’t judge you for playing into your market.
You’re a Harry Potter nerd too. Which house do you identify with? Do you have a favorite book and character?
I’m a Ravenclaw. My favorite HP book changes with every reread. Right now, I think Goblet of Fire is my favorite, but for the longest time it was Prisoner of Azkaban and it was even
Order of the Phoenix for a long time. I’ve reread those three so many times.
My favorite character… I love Ron a lot, but… Hermione and BOOK Ginny are also great. And HP readers totally know why I have to specify book Ginny vs movie Ginny.
What book character would you like to sucker punch in the face? How come?
Any you’d like to hug?
I’d love to sucker punch Tamlin, from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, in the face… for a lot of reasons that are all spoilers for the rest of the series.
I’d love to hug… oh geez, a million characters. I think I’d love to hug literally all the main characters from the six books I used to describe me. They’re all a little broken and sad but full of love and deserve all the hugs.
If you could recommend us ONE book (or series), which would you pick?
One. Are you serious? AHHHHHHH! I always want to recommend books that will broaden someone’s perspective: make them empathize and care more about people and places and outlooks outside of their own. I want to write books like that too.
It’s always hard to look at all the books that have shaped my heart and molded me as a person and pick just one to point to people and say, “This. This one will change your life.” But I think I’ll say Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.
Which characters in the book did you like best?
I love Ella. I love her. She’s such a great heroine. I love Char. They’re both just perfect.
What other books by this author have you read?
How did they compare to this book?
I’ve read a fair few, though she does cater to a younger reader group and most of her books are middle grade fiction. Recently I’ve read Ogre Enchanted and one of my old favorites by her is The Wish. I loved both of those immensely. She has a lot of the same themes. Self-acceptance and not judging someone too quickly being chief among them, which are both lessons to live by.
Do you generally read traditionally published or indie books? Is there a reason? How can we help get more indies on your radar?
I read both. I don’t have a preference usually as long as a novel is well written. I find certain genres it’s easier to find what you’re looking for in the indie world than through trad pub. But there are also genres I search trad pub outlets for.
Do you like/dislike short stories/anthologies?
I like them. They’re good for when I’m short on time but still want to read a complete story.
Do you prefer to shop in actual book stores or on Amazon?
Yes. Both. I like books anyway I can find them. There is something nice and relaxing yet exciting about browsing a bookshop. But it can be equally pleasing knowing the sort of book you’re looking for at that very moment, and with one click in the Kindle Store, getting exactly the story you need.
You can follow T.G. on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and her amazing book blog, all of which she spends an awful lot of time talking about the books she reads and the sort of books she’d like to write.
Author Jensen Reed 
Nice interview!
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Reblogged this on Crow Queen Review and commented:
I was recently interviewed by Jensen Reed about the books I read and the characters I love. Check it out!
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