M.T.: Tell us what inspired your book, Soul Traveler?

M.T.: Explain what night paralysis is and your beliefs on "Soul Traveling".

D.A.T.: Well, all too many nights I would suffer from what I thought at that time was a curse. And that curse was waking up in the middle of the night paralyzed and unable to move. All I knew about the paralysis at that time was it also happened to several members of my family as well. And we all found it discomforting. I had no idea that my astral or spirit body was disconnecting from my physical body at night while I slept. It was when I became conscious after sleeping, did I repeatedly find myself in that state. Once I realized I was connected to another vehicle for my consciousness, I began to experiment and explore. I was not looking for spiritual awareness. I would even go so far as to say I didn't believe in life beyond the physical body. But despite my infantile explorations of astral travel, my biggest discovery was that of my Soul.

M.T.: What is the theme of Soul Traveler?

D.A.T.: It's hard to put a theme on a diary, when the diary was simply documenting an unknown in my life. But if I had to choose a theme, I would say purely and simply self awareness. "Know thy self." And that self I came to know is that I am an eternal spirit on an incredible adventure of self-evolution through the human experience.

M.T.: Tell us about your amazing journey from self-published writer to the LA Times Best sellers' list.

D.A.T.: This is the strangest story of all. Several tragic things led up to a miracle. Back in 1995 I decided to leave my job at the Space Station and publish my diary. The stress of this action took it's toll on my marriage which soon disintegrated. Several month's later I found myself sitting on the edge of my bed in a rented house, holding an eviction notice, utility bills that were long pass due. And the repo man was looking for my car. Since I was more than convinced that I was actually Soul Traveling and having encounters with a nonphysical being that some would call an angel, I prayed for a miracle. And by the love of God, I was given one.

M.T.: Tell us how you got on the Art Bell radio show and how that helped your book.

D.A.T.: Well, as I was describing in question (4), after everything came to a collapse, all I could due is pray for a miracle and try to get some sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I went to my computer to check my email, and I was shocked because there was a message from Art Bell. I had no idea how he got my email, and that he even knew I was alive. To make a long story short, he asked me to be his guest for an hour, but the phone lines lit up all over the nation with people wanting to talk to me about night paralysis. What ever books that were available, sold out nationwide.

M.T.: How did you market your book when you were self-published? How do you market it now that you have been picked up by a mainstream publisher.

D.A.T.: I joined a lot of groups, Publisher Marketing Association, New Age Retail Association, etc. This allowed me to do a lot of co-op advertising in magazines like Publisher's Weekly, and others. But it was my presentations on the radio that got me the visibility of Dutton as well. I don't do the marketing much at all, I do market my lecture and classes which I talk about the concepts and techniques I describe in my book. But mostly, I do not focus on the book, instead I focus on the message in the book. None of this would have any meaning to me if it didn't have the profound spiritual impact on my awareness of myself and my reason for being here. Not to be redundant, but it's purely about who we really are. That is what I have dedicated my life, especially helping others discover their spiritual selves.

M.T.: Tell us how you negotiated your book deal with the knowledge you gained as your own publisher.

D.A.T.: This is the toughest part to describe. I know I knew my subject better than most people. And I had become very comfortable about talking about it. And when I was on a radio show, thousands of people would call, write, or even fly to California to see me. The reaction of other souls to a universal truth negotiated my deal with Dutton; I was just a vehicle.

M.T.: Tell us about your future plans (new book, workshops, movie deals).

D.A.T.: Right now, it is difficult to describe of the activities I will be involved in. The is a paperback book of Soul Traveler coming out soon, and I have been in discussion about a movie. I have another book I'm writing that will be more revealing than the first. And whatever else God has planned for me, I will try to accomplish.

M.T.: Thank you Dr. Albert Taylor for this unique interview. You can visit his web page at www.soultraveler.web.com.