Westerville-based author Taylor Jakovina has broken into the literary world with her thrilling debut novel, What She Walked Into. The chilling story follows a young woman named Sophia, who sleepwalks her way into the middle of a mystery.
Inspired by real-life Ohio towns outside of Columbus and Jakovina’s own experiences with sleepwalking, What She Walked Into pulls the reader in with the suspense of small-town secrets and unreliable narrators.
A Literary Life
Taylor Jakovina
Growing up, Jakovina found a passion for reading and writing. Her interest in books began at a young age as a frequent participant in local library book challenges.
Then, writing essays turned writing into short stories and into ideas for full novels.
Four years in the making, her debut novel What She Walked Into allowed Jakovina to find enjoyment in thriller writing.
In addition to pursuing her passion in writing, Jakovina is a graduate student at The Ohio State University studying data analytics.
For many, writing and data analytics may not seem to be an obvious pairing, but Jakovina has found a link.
“In both…you’re solving problems, kind of like intricate issues and puzzles. There are little clues that you’re planting in thrillers, similar to in analytics,” she says.
Outside of studying and writing, Jakovina proclaims herself a “compulsive story binger.” She loves to consume any form of story, whether it be a book, podcast or TV show. Among her favorite books are those by Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl and Sharp Objects, the latter being an inspiration for What She Walked Into.
Community Support
The success of the book has surpassed Jakovina’s expectations. Though it’s only been out for about four weeks, What She Walked Into has made its way to the top 100 Young Adult mysteries on Amazon and has received glowing praise on Goodreads. The local community has been incredibly supportive, she says.
“I’ve had people from all walks of life…reach out to me (and) giving me their theories as they’ve read the book and their reviews, and support from local businesses,” she says.
She is collaborating with numerous local shops for events related to the novel. In December, she will be doing various author talks at Thurber House and Blue Couch Bookshop coordinating with the thriller themes of the novel.
Along with support from her local community and shops, Jakovina has created a close-knit group on TikTok. She interacts with her readers, while also giving them the opportunity to win limited release bundles that include a signed copy of the novel with exclusive merch.
What the Future Holds
Looking ahead, Jakovina hopes to have her novel more widely available in more stores.
And, with one full novel under her belt, she is already planning a second suspense-filled story. While not exactly a sequel, the next book will tie back into the discovery revealed at the end of What She Walked Into, but will feature new characters and plotlines.
What She Walked Into
About What She Walked Into
The small town of Ordinance, Ohio is shaken after the disappearance of Sophia’s classmate, Julie. When Sophia finds herself sleepwalking on Julie's grave, she becomes intertwined in the unsettling secrets that linger around every corner.
After having a few of her own sleepwalking incidents, one even involving turning a hair straightener on and leaving it just a few inches from her face all night, Jakovina started to think about how little control one has when sleepwalking.
“That fear of losing control…it got me thinking, what if something truly terrible happened when you weren’t conscious?” she says.
What She Walked Into is available on Amazon, Gramercy Books in Bexley and mobile bookstore Wandering Quills Bookshop.
Read a synopsis of What She Walked Into on What to read, eat and watch this weekend.
Ali Hartzell is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
