Hey, Mischa here. I’m here with Jake Taylor from The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl. Jake has some amazing moves. I’m hoping after we’re done he’ll show me a few.
[Mischa] Tell me a little about yourself.
[Jake] Hey, my name’s Jake Taylor. You’ve probably heard of me, my story’s been plastered all over the news. The short version is I’m a snowboarder who recently won a silver medal on the halfpipe. My life went from ordinary to insane when I unexpectedly made the Olympic team and suddenly became instantly famous. Then my parents had this brilliant idea to move us to a tiny Colorado mountain town. That’s where I met Sophie and we found ourselves messed up in this mystery.
[Mischa] Tell me about where you live? Who do you live with?
[Jake] Like I said, I live in Silver Springs, Colorado. My parents moved us here from Kansas so I could be closer to the mountains for training. I was hoping they’d pick Vail but instead chose this little nowhere mountain town. I didn’t really want to get involved and meet anyone but somehow it didn’t really work out that way.
[Mischa] It’d be amazing to see the mountains, but, in my time, Colorado is part of New Zion. They don’t let in outsiders.
[Mischa] Okay, next question. What’s the most important thing in your life right now?
[Jake] Well, for a long time snowboarding was all I was into but after the events of the last few months things changed a bit and I realized that relationships are more important. It’s interesting how sometimes it takes a really traumatic experience to make you see things differently.
[Mischa] What’s the worst thing someone ever did to you?
[Jake] Interesting question. Well, besides the whole insane situation Sophie and I found ourselves in, I’d have to say it was the way a couple friends back in Kansas treated me. Then again, maybe they weren’t all to blame.
[Mischa] What type of places do you hang out in?
[Jake] It’ll probably come as no surprise but being on the halfpipe is my all-time favorite place to be. I love living in the Rocky Mountains and being outside hiking, biking, boarding, and four-wheeling.
[Mischa] What annoys you more than anything?
[Jake] That’s easy – reporters. No offense, but I usually hear the same questions all the time and repeating the same answers over and over gets on my nerves. But I actually like your questions they’re not the usual boring ones I often get. So, nice job.
[Mischa What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
[Jake] There’s nothing prettier than the Rocky Mountains covered in a blanket of snow when the sun starts to rise, making the snow sparkle. Hmm, either that or Sophie.
[Mischa] Last question and then we’re out of here. Who would play you in the movie?
[Jake] Wade Poezyn, I guess. Sophie says he looks just like me.
Enjoyed the interview with Jake . . . and LOVED the book! It was one of those that kept me up waaaaay into the night, like 3:30 a.m. I can’t wait for Leslea’s new release!