Hello everyone! I’ve got an extra special post today. In honor of her latest release, Regal Hearts: Season Three, I had the wonderful pleasure of interviewing the author, Livy Jarmusch!

For those of you who have been here for a while, you may remember my interview with her back in 2019. You also may remember my reviews for Season One and Season Two. Needless to say, this blog is turning into a Livy Jarmusch fan page and I am totally okay with that. 😂😂

Livy’s newest book release, Regal Hearts: Season Three, releases tomorrow, April 1st, and to celebrate, she is hosting a huge media tour all month long. Be sure to head over to her Instagram, @livylynnglittergirl, as well as her website, www.livylynnblog.com, to learn more!

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1. What inspired you to write the Regal Hearts series in a television-like format (with seasons and episodes instead of sequels and chapters)?

Something I talk about pretty frequently is my struggle as a teen to find entertainment that I throughly enjoyed (books and visual media alike!) that follow the guidelines of Philippians 4:8. You can only watch so many episodes of “Little House on the Prairie” before lamenting the fact that the best entertainment was crafted way “back in the day”, and begin to wonder WHY we aren’t flooded with a variety of amazing, high quality, modern, faith based media options?

As a little girl, I dreamed of someday producing my own TV shows, and as a teen I dreamed of someday publishing novels, so I think Regal Hearts is a merging of paths for these two ideas. I thought it would be really fun to create “a TV show you can read”, which would come in a unique style that’s not quite detailed enough to be a novel,
yet still gripping enough to turn on your “inner movie theater” and desire to watch the scenes play out in your head.

2. Who is your favorite character in season 3?

I always say that my favorite character in Regal Hearts is Arden, but I really love the growth that we see in Aurora in season 3, specifically! I feel like Aurora can get kind of a bad rep, based on how she’s introduced in Season 1, and some of the immature choices she makes, but I think that watching a character grow and blossom into her true identity, over time, is half the fun!

3. I know there is a little bit of intertwining of characters between Regal Hearts and your other series, Tales of Tarsurella. For those interested in both series, in what order would you recommend reading all these books?

I don’t think it really matters all that much which series a reader begins with, but I definitely have a recommended order once you’ve gotten started on either series.

So for sake of example, I’ll just lay it out like this:

-Regal Hearts 1
-The Coronation
-The Rebellion
-The Wedding
-Regal Hearts 2
-Regal Hearts 3

The most important thing is just to know that Regal Hearts takes place two years after The Coronation, so if you plan on reading both series (you certainly don’t have to, but there’s some fun world-crossing that makes it really enjoyable if you do!), you may hit some big spoilers if you read RH 2 & 3 without getting caught up on the Tales of Tarsurella series.

4. What is your favorite book? Has that book inspired or influenced your writing style or your characters at all?

It’s so hard to choose a favorite book! Can I pick my top 5?

Not to be cheesy or cliche, but the Bible is my #1! Like yes, I know it’s the living Word of God, but it’s also a literary masterpiece!

Second place, would have to be Pride and Prejudice. (Yes, I have the same favorite as Jane Akerly, hehe.)

My third fave, is Dust by Kara Swanson! Such an unforgettable adventure, what’s not to love about Peter Pan?

My fourth is Proof by Jack Cavanaugh, and the fifth is a super sweet story I just read a few weeks ago (I’m telling you, the faves are always changing, haha) Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese.

I’d say the Bible and Pride and Prejudice have definitely influenced my writing style and characters a bit, but the last 3 I read after writing my books, soooo maybe they’ll influence what’s to come in the future. 😉

5. You have written both fiction and non-fiction books. Which do you prefer to write? Also, if you can pick, which book has been your most favorite to write?

It depends on what kind of season of life I’m in, but I think I prefer friction!

Nonfiction is enjoyable as well, but because I do a lot of devotional writing for my magazine, Crown of Beauty, I think I tend to get a little more enjoyment out of fiction, just because it gives a little more space for freedom and flexibility.

I started out publishing nonfiction, and even though it’s still very affective and moving, I love how fiction can bypass your mind and go directly to your heart.

6. You have been self-publishing for quite a while now! What is one piece of advice that you could give to writers interested in pursuing the self-publishing journey?

Oh wow, there are SO many things I could say on this topic! Actually, my friend Victoria and I, offer what we call “Cheerleader Sessions” for those in the publishing arena, so that we can pass on some of what we’ve leaned to those who desire to begin dabbling, or dive in head first!

Self-publishing is a journey. It definitely doesn’t happen overnight, and you have to be really patient with the process, and patient with yourself. Also, if you struggle with perfectionism, this is a particularly great challenging to just pull the trigger and “do the thing”, instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment, or the “perfect” story, or the “perfect” prose. Sometimes God calls you to jump into something before you have it all figured out or are at the “level” you want to be, and that is very humbling!

Everyone’s publishing journey is unique, but we’re not called to do it alone. Writing commits is SO important, so don’t isolate yourself. Connect with those who have similar passions and dreams, and learn all that you can from one another, even though you’re all unique and called to slightly different variations of similar dreams.

7. As someone who is very vocal about your faith, how do you find time to do all that you do and still make intentional time to spend with God?

I think that for me, spending time with God is just one of those non-negotiable things in my life. I need Him like I need air! Waking up and spending time with Him first thing has become such a deeply ingrained habit, something my heart desires to do everyday, so it’s not like I have to force myself to work through some “Checklist” of doing my “religious duty” of prayer and Bible reading.

I approach my relationship with God as if it’s a relationship…because it is! 🙂 So in the same time that I desire to spend time with my close friends, I truly want that time with Him.

Prioritizing being with Him comes from knowing that He prioritizes being with me! Jesus said, “I desire that they be with Me where I am,” (John 17:24), and that’s just totally mind blowing to me! Like, Jesus, the son of God, the Holy and Anointed One, King of Kings, DESIRES to spend time with me.

It’s not just something He wants for my own good, or because it will make me “holy”, or make me a “better person”…Jesus actually enjoys and WANTS to be with me. Isn’t that amazing?! And He feels the same exact way about you, too! He created you, He delights in you, and He wants to spend time with you.

He wants to hear about your day, know what’s on your heart, and engage in conversation and relationship. He is such a personal, compassionate, loving, God! We’re so blessed!

8. Do you have any more books or exciting projects coming out this year or next that you are able to tell us about?

Well, many of you have been asking about Book 4 of The Tales of Tarsuella, and it is currently being edited, so that means things are moving forward! I don’t have a release date yet, but I’d love to aim for a summer release! 🙂

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Thank you so much for such a fun interview, Livy! I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Click here to purchase your copy of Regal Hearts: Season Three as well as the rest of the Regal Hearts and Tales of Tarsurella series!