Today is cover reveal day for Undercover Princess the first in the new middle grade Chestnut Academy series by Olivia Jarmusch and Glory Writers Press. McKenna and I were fortunate enough to be picked as part of the cover reveal team and it has been a lot of fun experiencing this together. As part of the form we filled out when we applied, McKenna wanted us to ask the author some questions. So when we got chosen I let her choose the questions to ask. First I want to share a little bit about the book and then I will share the questions McKenna asked and Livy's answers to them.
McKenna and I enjoy reading together, but have a hard time finding contemporary books that are clean and well written. Glory Writers Press to the rescue. I have been following Victoria Lynn, who is one of the creators of Glory Writers Press, for a while and love her books. So when her and Livy mentioned a middle grade series coming out I was very excited and immediately shared that news with McKenna. Once we read the blurb for the book we were even more hooked. In all honesty because I'm the bigger book nerd I may be more excited, but she likes horses and can't wait to see what happens to Millie.
Millie is a character we first meet in the Livy's book series entitled the Tales of Tarsurella . I intend to read this series over the rest of the summer. Millie gets her own story and adventure in the Chestnut Academy series. Here is the blurb:
"Ten-year-old Princess Millie finds herself far from her castle in Europe and smack dab in the middle of horse school madness in Kentucky! But there's a catch: nobody knows she's a princess! Determined to fit in with her classmates at Chestnut Academy, Millie resorts to drastic measures—like a daring hair transformation. Can she keep her true identity under wraps?
Saddle up for an unforgettable adventure as Millie gallops into the hearts of new friends, takes on the thrilling challenge of competing with Starlight the magnificent mare, and discovers the importance of being who she was truly created to be! Get ready for a wild ride full of laughter, friendship, and true princess power!
Undercover Princess is the first book in a delightful series for girls ages 8 to 12, Chestnut Academy!"
This story has McKenna's kind of adventures, which is great because she likes adventure, she's just picky about the kind of adventure in books or even movies.
We got to interview the author via e-mail and it was so much fun to have that opportunity. Here is a little bit about the author:
Olivia Lynn Jarmusch (but her friends call her Livy!) is an author, singer, and songwriter. Livy enjoy's crafting YA Christian fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When she's not writing, you can usually find her playing guitar, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning her next big trip, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies.
Here are the questions McKenna asked and Livy's answers:
1. She would like to know some favorites: specifically color, food, ice cream flavor and number,
My favorite color has been (and will probably always be) pink! I've had many people tell me that I'm going to outgrow it someday, but I'm almost 30 and pink is still my favorite, so I'm not sure if those people are right, haha!
I absolutely love Mexican food, and my favorite ice-cream flavor is mint-chocolate chip! I have two favorite numbers, 7 and 2!
2. What books inspired you growing up and influenced you in writing this story?
I absolutely loved reading the American Girl books growing up. My favorites were Felicity and Kit! I can see a bit of both of those characters in Millie. Felicity's love for horses, and Kit's love for storytelling are both something Millie would relate with!
3. She wants to know more about how you keep the pace going in books? I wasn't sure how to rephrase this one. I'm thinking along the lines of strategies you use to keep the plot moving forward
This is a great question! I find it a little bit difficult to answer, because storytelling is something that is so natural for me, it's almost like breathing. I don't really think about how the story comes together, or the mechanics of it all, because I feel such a natural flow when I sit down to write. But for any aspiring writers out there, I would recommend checking out books like "Plot and Structure" by James Bell Scott, or "The Snowflake Method" by Randy Ingermason. I've read both of those and highly recommend them. Learning how to properly plot a novel is a great way to get started!
4. Why did you choose the name Millie for the main character?
Millie is actually a character from my series for teen girls, The Tales of Tarsurella. Millie is one of seven siblings in the Royal Family of Tarsurella. She was one of my favorite side characters, and I've always known that she deserves to have her own series and shine as the star that she is! I honestly don't remember when I first came up with her name, it was so many years ago! But I've always loved the name Millie. :)
We feel blessed to be able to share this cover reveal and a little more about the author. We are going to be pre-ordering this book. If you would like to do the same, the book can be found here: The Undercover Princess . It releases Tuesday October 10th and we can't wait!
Thank you for spending a little time with us, we hope you have a blessed day.
