Q&A With Livy Lynn! | Cover Reveal for Undercover Princess

*skitters into the room* Guys, guys, GUYSSSS!!! *flops and chugs back a cup of tea*

*coughs*

yeah, okay, I know I'm supposed to be posting every other week, but this is IMPORTANT.

I just got the cover for Livy Lynn's newest Middle Grade Series, Chestnut Academies! *squeals* It is soooo cute. 🤩🤩🤩

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Oh yeah, I should probably let y'all see it, huh? Okee, here it is!!

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you didn't think it'd be that easy, did you? 😏

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good job for catching that double period.

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ha! you fell for it again, didn't you? 🤭 Okay, I won't be a stinker. Just a leetle bit more . . .

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*squeaks* isn't it adorable?! Just saying, little me would've been all over this book. 🥰 No, heck with that. Older me would be all over this--what am I saying? Older me IS all over this!!!

And the cherry on the cake (or is it pie?) is the precious 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!

I seriously need this book on my shelf. Like, ASAP. Right next to The Tales of Tarsurella and Regal Hearts, Livy's other two series.

Oh yeah, and did I mention I got the priviledge of getting to interview Livy as well? It was so much fun, and her answers are AMAZING!!

first off, what is your heart behind this story?

My heart behind Undercover Princess is that young girls would know who they are in Christ and not give into the pressures of this world, feeling like they have to change their identity to "fit in". This Chestnut Academy series is full of stories with sweet, character-building lessons, and fun adventures for girls who adore horses to enjoy! My passion for launching this series has been building for years, but it reached the tipping point last Fall, when I called my friend Victoria and said, "We HAVE to do something!" I was frustrated by everything we're seeing in kids entertainment, with companies like American Girl, Disney, and Barbie telling stories that are harmful and causing confusion with things as simple as gender identity, and it made me so angry and sad to think that there's not a company with amazing stories that girls can delight in and enjoy! My heart is to create a brand that parents can trust, knowing that if they want their kids learning Biblical values, we will never ever undermine that in the stories we tell.

what made you want to start writing and how old were you?

I've been writing for as long as I can remember! In Kindergarten I told my teacher that I wanted to be an author when I grew up. The whimsical power of stories has always had a hold on my heart, and I've been passionate about storytelling ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil! I wrote so many stories growing up, starting and quitting dozens of projects midway through, but it wasn't until I was a teenager that I started to take my writing seriously.

who is your favourite character you've ever written and why?

Honestly, I think Princess Millie is one of my favorites! She was a very lively side character in my series for teen girls The Tales of Tarsurella and I just knew she needed her own series! Millie has an imagination larger than life, and I think I adore her so much because I highly relate with her, haha! She was very much modeled after who I was as a child!

what are three books (fiction or nonfiction) you wish more people knew about?

I absolutely adore Dust by Kara Swanson, so I always recommend that one! I also highly recommend The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron. As far as non-fiction goes, I just finished reading The Book that Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwaldi and it's such a beautiful collection of history, showing how God's word has shaped the western world in ways we wouldn't normally think of!

what is the best piece of writing advice you've ever heard?

This is going to sound overly simplistic, but the best advice I've ever heard is just to WRITE. You learn so much by writing. Turn off your inner critic and let your first draft be as messy as it can be! You can read all the writing craft books, listen to Podcasts, and study good writing, but at the end of the day, the best way you're going to learn and improve and grow is simply by writing!

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.

where you can connect with Livy . . .

♥ Check out her website (sign up for her newsletter while you're there too 😉)

♥ Follow her on Instagram, @livylynnglittergirl

♥ Friend her on Goodreads ♥ Preorder Princess Academy

♥ Check out The Glory Writers

♥ Check out her other series, The Tales of Tarsurella

The official release date is Tuesday, October 10th! *hastily goes to mark my calendar*

That's all for today's (rather impromptu) post, y'all! Thanks so much for popping in here (and hanging with me as I do a terrible job of sticking to my schedule. 😐😆)

Have you read any of Livy's other books? Are you as excited as I am for this book? ISN'T THE COVER PRECIOUS?! Do you plan on preordering this baby? What are some of your favourite middle grade books? I'd love to know! <3

Cheers!