Taylor Stevens


Taylor Stevens is an American author of mystery novels. She grew up in the Children of God.

Early life

Circa 1973, Stevens was born in upstate New York as part of the Children of God, her parents having joined the cult in 1969 and 1970, respectively. She has four younger siblings, all of whom were also born into the cult. Due to the cult's beliefs regarding familial bonds, at age 12, Stevens was separated from her biological family. She was also denied access to education beyond the sixth grade. Instead of attending school, much of her childhood was spent on city streets, as she was forced to beg by cult leaders, or care for the commune and the people living there. Before reaching the age of 14, she lived in communes in Mexico, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Japan, and South Korea. At age 15, Stevens began writing stories, which group leaders punished her for, separating her from her peers and calling her "a witch and full of devils."
Following the death of cult leader David Berg in 1994, Stevens and her husband, who was also a member of Children of God, moved to a commune in Kenya, then set out on a successful mission in Equatorial Guinea. With increased confidence from their success away from the Children of God, Stevens moved to Germany with her husband and toddler. In her late twenties, Stevens broke away from the Children of God, marking a significant turning point in her life.
As of 2011, Stevens's father was still involved with the Children of God, though her parents had divorced; she had developed a strong relationship with her mother.

Awards and honors

The Informationist reached the top ten of The New York Times Best Seller list.
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
2012Anthony Award for Best First NovelFinalist
2012Barry Award for Best First NovelWinner
2012Macavity Award for Best First MysteryFinalist
2014Barry Award for Best ThrillerWinner
2016Barry Award for Best ThrillerWinner

Personal life

As of 2012, Stevens lived near Dallas with her two daughters.

Publications

A Jack and Jill Thriller series

  2. Vanessa Michael Munroe series

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