1. Hello Livy, and welcome to Knitted By God's Plan! Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Hi, Kendra! Thank you so much for having me! Well, my name is Livy, I'm 23 years old, I love all things sparkly, pink, and whimsical! (I'm a total girl, haha!) I enjoy writing, singing, playing guitar, and being creative for the glory of Jesus!
2. Can you tell us a bit about your new release, The Coronation, and why all of my readers need to scramble over to Amazon and buy it RIGHT NOW?
Yes! The Coronation is about a modern-day monarchy in the fictitious, European nation of Tarsurella. The story is loaded with ball gowns, ancient castle rooms, home-schooled sibling dynamics (yay for homeschooling!), a small sprinkle of royal romance, and timeless lessons about guarding your heart, trusting God in hard times, and surrendering the pen of your story to the Master Author! If you're looking for an encouraging, cute, quirky, uplifting, clean, and exciting story, you might just enjoy this! ;)
3. Can you tell us a bit of why you chose to write this book?
I actually started writing The Coronation when I was a teenager. I've always been captivated by castles and the idea of actually growing up in one was fascinating to me. This story idea floated around in my mind for several years before I finally pulled my pen out. In the beginning, I wasn't very clear on what the purpose of this story was going to be. I simply wanted to have fun with words and see what happened. The first draft was actually quite awful, (as I said, I had no clear plot-line or direction!) so I gave up. (Writers, I'm sure you can relate! So many unfinished stories!)
Several years later, I returned to the story and decided that I wanted to finish it. I saw new embers of hidden fire, sitting between the lines, ready to be breathed into a wild-fire of an adventure. Then the story took on a life all it's own! The more I wrote, the more the purpose became clearer. So for me, I guess it kind of happened backwards. I didn't have an initial purpose or goal when I started, other than just wanting to have fun! But as I continued to write, things became more and more clear. But isn't that what happens in life? We set out on a new trail, quite blindly at the beginning, trusting that God will guide our steps and somehow bring us to our unknown destination.
Writing The Coronation has been a walk of faith for me! This is my first novel, and I couldn't be more thrilled with out it turned out. Even so, there were many points during the writing process that I wanted to give up. Once I reached the climax, I had to stop for several months, and pray for an answer: how was I possibly going to fix the mess that I had just created for my characters?! Finally, the Lord revealed how the story was to end, and it was brilliant! So writers, let this be an encouragement to you. If you're stuck, don't try to force it. Stop and pray. Ask the Lord how He wants your story to end! After all, He is full of amazing ideas!
4. Is it at all possible for you to choose a favorite character, or am I just being cruel and unusual? (again)
Actually, I think I do have a favorite! Hanson Fletcher, the new security guard at the Palace. I find his character integrating, as his backstory is the most complicated and there are a lot of things about this character that are still unknown to the readers. A lot of question-marks! But the way his character is introduced, the reader instantly connects with him and hopes that he will make the right choices. He's placed in a terrible situation and it's a little bit nail-bitey to see what he's going to do next!
5. You founded the Crown of Beauty Magazine. Can you tell us about its mission and purpose?
The purpose of Crown of Beauty Magazine is to encourage girls in their walk with the Lord, and remind them of their royal identity in Christ. The world tries to tell us all sorts of things about who we are, that we're not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not talented enough, not whatever enough - but that couldn't be further from the truth! I believe that as young women, it's really important that we keep our sisters in Christ encouraged, continuing to speak life and love into one another's hearts. Knowing who you are in Christ is so very important in a world that is trying to cram damaging, deceitful messages down our throats. The mission of Crown of Beauty is to encourage girls all over the world to return to the Cross, fix their eyes on Jesus, and find their value in the one and only true place they could ever find it: the heart of God.
6. What do you do when you're not writing?
I'm blessed to be currently living on a beautiful lake, so in the summertime I spend a lot of time outside! Swimming, biking, walking, just enjoying God's creation. If I'm not writing (which is pretty much all of the time! Haha!), you can usually find me spending time with family, spoiling my adorable niece and nephew, playing guitar, or doing something creative. (Like plotting for my next book!)
7. Do you know your personality type? If so, how would you say it affects your writing?
Yes! I'm an INFP. According to Myers-Briggs, my personality type loves to communicate with others, can sometimes be perceived as quiet or shy, but actually has a lot to say. That personality type tends to be more creative, expressive, and poetic. I think that's a pretty accurate description of myself! I absolutely adoring writing, be it stories, songs, or letters to friends. Apparently William Shakespeare and J.J.R. Tolkien were INFP's as well, so I must be in good company!
Livy, your faith shines genuinely through your words, and it's beautiful. :-)
ReplyDeleteQUOTE: "So writers, let this be an encouragement to you. If you're stuck, don't try to force it. Stop and pray."
This advice came at just the right time for me; I'm currently "stuck" and "superbly unmotivated" with my current WIP. :-P Thanks for the reminder to look to the Source of all Inspiration. :-)
Keep up the good work, Sister! Your magazine sounds amazing, and I wish you the best with your writing. God bless, Sister!
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R~