Hello everyone!  Today I’ve got an extra special post. I was given the opportunity to be a part of The Wedding blog tour, to celebrate the book’s recent release, and interview The Tales of Tarsurella author herself, Olivia Lynn Jarmusch! And today I get to share it with you all!  I truly do love this series.  Honestly, it’s some of the best Christian YA that I’ve read in a while.

You can check out my reviews for book #1, The Coronation, and book #2, The Rebellion.  Also, be on the lookout for my review of book #3, The Wedding, coming soon.

“Vanessa Bennett is living in a real-life fairytale. Now that she’s engaged to the man of her dreams, The Palace Staff is consumed with wedding preparation. The upcoming event is no small affair, as Vanessa is bombarded with hundreds of decisions she needs to make before the wedding date arrives. Amidst the endless details concerning dresses, decorations and napkins, a greater question looms: is Vanessa truly ready to become Queen? As tensions rise within Tarsurella, the role of joining her betrothed in governing an ever-shifting nation is no small task. Will she crack under the pressure?Meanwhile, Jane Akerly is hoping to awaken from a nightmare. Her father has been missing for months. Advised to accept the harsh reality that he may never return, Jane isn’t ready to give up. She finds comfort in the one place she’s always run to for escape–her daydreams. Her imagination has the power to carry her across the ocean, stroll the streets of London, and imagine that all is well. In an unexpected turn of events, Jane is given the opportunity to create the future of her dreams–but will her pen be enough to save her? The Wedding is Book #3 in The Tales of Tarsurella Series.”

 Amazon ~ Goodreads

1. What inspired you to write the Tales of Tarsurella?

As a young teen, I had trouble finding books that I truly enjoyed reading. I had fairly high standards for what I wanted to allow into my heart and mind. I made it my own personal goal to follow the guidelines of of Philippians 4:8 when it comes to deciding what to read and watch. For me, finding books that were “pure and lovely” AND entertaining was a huge challenge, because I didn’t just want to read a long string of Hallmark-esque romances. I started writing The Tales of Tarsurella because I couldn’t find anything I wanted to read. My desire was to create a whimsical, contemporary world sprinkled with adventure and dashes of romance, yet still provide a lot of depth and Biblical insight.

2. Can you tell me a bit about you’re writing process?

The first thing that comes to mind when being asked to describe my writing process, is that it’s FUN!
I have such a blast with myself and God in my bedroom, haha! When I first wrote The Coronation, I was much more of a pantser (meaning, I was flying by the seat of my pants as I wrote!), but my writing process has gone through a bit of a metamorphosis. I plot a lot more now than I used to, but it’s all character driven plotting, meaning I let my characters and their choices design the story, rather than me as the author just dreaming up what I might like to see happen. When you know your characters so deeply and can allow them to take the reins, it’s a really fun way to write! My characters hijack my writing sessions all the time, but I love it, because it feels so organic!  

3. What’s been your favorite and least favorite book to write?

Ooo, that’s a good question! My favorite was definitely The Wedding! It was one of those stories that wrote itself in just a few short months. After living with these characters in my brain for the last 3 years, the story itself was quite effortless. 

My least favorite book to write? Wow, that’s hard! I’ve honestly, truly enjoyed every book, so I’m trying to think of the one I struggled with the most. It was probably The Coronation, because it was my first novel and I had NO idea what I was doing. The manuscript went through endless rounds of edits as I chopped characters, changed names, switched up the scene order, added people, removed them, switched up the timeline…it was a LOT of work. So if I had to choose, probably that one, yet looking back I’m so thankful for the process, and I wouldn’t have changed anything about it!

4. Do you have a writing playlist?

I don’t, actually. I really enjoy writing in total peace and quiet! Sometimes I’ll listen to a song that reminds me of a character or a certain situation they’re going through before I start a scene, but it’s really hard for me to focus if I hear lyrics floating around in the back of my mind.

Oh! One exception to this in The Wedding, though. While writing the reception scene after the big ceremony, I was totally listening to dance party music! I had to envision all of the characters dance moves, so I needed to feel the groove! Haha.  

5. How was writing The Wedding different from the other books in the Tales of Tarsurella series?

The Wedding was very different for me, because I didn’t have to think about it. I would sit down at they keyboard, and words flew out of my fingers faster than I could keep up. (Every author’s dream moment!) This book is really special to me, especially when I was writing Jane’s scenes, because they all felt so vivid as I saw them unfolding in the big-screen of my mind. I remember running downstairs to grab a bowl of cereal for dinner, then dashing back up the stairs, not wanting to talk to anyone, because I didn’t want to mess with my writing flow! That kind of magic only happens about once a year for me, haha, so I embraced it whole-heartedly. When you have a fifteen or twenty-page writing day, it’s SO refreshing as an author, and that’s what happened with The Wedding! (As compared to my usual 5 pages a day.) 

6. Do you have a favorite character?

My favorite character in The Wedding is definitely Jane! I know she can be viewed by others as rather emotional and dramatic, but I guess I relate to her in that way, so I think we’d be good friends in real life. She’s somewhat of a misunderstood character, but I love her complexity and multiple layers, she’s always so interesting to write about.

7. What’s next in your writing journey?

That’s a good question! I have a few projects I’ve been dabbling with here and there, but nothing I can announce yet. A few months ago, on my Instagram account (@livylynnglittergirl) I teased my newest project, Lost Inheritance. The premise is about a girl named Cassidy Caldwell, whose life suddenly gets flipped upside down when her rich, secret family ancestry is revealed: she’s a descendant of the famous French Princess, Cinderella.

I don’t have any specific dates or plans for publication yet, but if I were to launch a new series, it’s likely Lost Inheritance would be the first out of the gate. 🙂

The Wedding and all of Livy’s books are included in The Great Review Race, a Multi Author Monthly Giveaway. Submit your reviews to the form below to be entered into the giveaway! November Winner will receive a $30 amazon gift card! Please also invite your readers to this giveaway by posting this link in your posts under the giveaway heading. http://victorialynnblog.com/the-great-review-race/

Form for your reviews. 

Livy Jarmusch 

YA Christian Fiction Author of The Tales of Tarsurella and Regal Hearts

www.livylynnblog.com

Website. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Pinterest. Good Reads.

email updates 

  A huge thank you to Livy Jarmusch for the interview, as well as another big thank you to Victoria Lynn for hosting this blog tour!

I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I did making it.

Thanks for reading!