After searching years for personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, Raleigh County resident Susie Taylor has finally found it when she recently held the first published copy of her debut novel, “The Wildflowers of Fayette County.”

To share in her accomplishment, Taylor will have a book signing at Elder Beerman at Raleigh Mall.

Taylor, who grew up in Kanescreek, Preston County, explains that she has always had the gift of a wild imagination and an ability to tell stories, but until recently she didn’t use these talents to pursue the possibility of writing a book. Instead, she focused on poetry and short stories as a means of escape, and resumes due to necessity.

After working in the mortgage industry during the economic crash, she realized the job wasn’t providing any sense of satisfaction.

“Though I closed loans every day, I didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the accomplishment of helping someone obtain their dream home,” she said. “This only added more pressure on top of an already stressful position. So, I purchased a camper as a means of weekend relaxation and parked it at the property my husband and I own in Fayette County.”

That summer, though not an avid reader, Taylor bought a book to occupy her time. After finishing it, she decided it was time to start writing one of her own. After spending six months and completing her book, “it became instantly clear the publishing industry was a force to be reckoned with,” she said.

After realizing what the guidelines were for a debut author, Taylor began working on “The Wildflowers of Fayette County.”

“It is a fictional, contemporary romance set in the mountains of West Virginia, overlooking the New River Gorge Bridge,” she said.

“Lydia Mason finds herself injured along the bank of the New River Gorge. She is rescued by Daniel Bowman, a quiet mountain man who resides in a cabin overlooking the river. Daniel takes Lydia to his home to care for her injuries. Through time and consequence, a romance develops between the unlikely pair, only to be threatened by circumstances involving Daniel’s friends and family,” she explained, summing up the plot.

She waded through the maze of the publishing industry again, hoping that a shorter-length novel favored the criteria required to publish a debut author, she said.

“I obtained information regarding publication through Amazon, which appeared to be the right avenue for this particular book. Through months of submissions, reworks and corrections, the novel is now available for retail sale.”

Taylor has started a third novel and says the accomplishment of getting published wasn’t something she did alone.

“I have been blessed with a wonderful, supportive husband, family and friends that carried me through this process.”

Although this professional dream came true, her next is to write full time as a career, but it’s her personal dream that drives her determination.

She said she hopes to one day take her father to a bookstore where he can pull a book off the shelf and see his daughter’s accomplishments. And for Taylor, “I want to see his blue eyes twinkle with pride, and I want to carry that memory with me until the day I die.”

“The Wildflowers of Fayette County” is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble. com, and BooksaMIllion.com.

For book signing times, call Elder Beerman at 304-255-0431.

— E-mail: kvanpelt@register-herald.com