"The Coronation" by Livy Jarmusch Blog Tour - Author Interview

Prince Addison is only several weeks away from inheriting the Kingdom of Tarsurella. The entire Palace is ablaze with excitement, as the Royal Family prepares for the event of a lifetime. Despite the exciting event which is near at hand, Addison and his younger siblings (all seven of them!) must carry on with their daily activities. Addison’s sisters, Princesses Bridget, Chasity, and Hope, have their struggles with being iconic European starlets of a modern day monarchy. The teen heiresses grace magazine covers, smile for photoshoots, and gracefully glide through important interviews–until a certain American popstar arrives on the scene. 

Kennetic Energy, the wildly popular band from the United States, is chosen to play at Addison’s Coronation. David Carter, the band’s handsome lead singer, fumbles through awkward moments with Princess Hope–in front of the cameras. When an embarrassing rumor sparks that Princess Hope is dating the young fellow, she is determined to get the band fired from their Royal gig.  

Meanwhile, Princess Chasity is dealing with her own fragile affairs of the heart. Her new security guard, Hanson Fletcher, is completely captivating, yet entirely frustrating. She attempts to keep the entrance of her heart firmly protected, while following the wisdom of Proverbs 4:23. But can she be successful in guarding her heart, from her security guard? The Coronation is Book #1 in The Tales of Tarsurella Trilogy.

BOOK LINKS

• Mark "to read" on Goodreads
• View/purchase on Amazon
• Author website

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Livy Jarmusch is a dreamer, singer, songwriter and orphan advocate. She loves fairy-tales, the smell just after it rains, golden retriever puppies and peppermint ice-cream cones. If you really want to get to know her, follow her on Pinterest, and if you find yourself repinning everything, you're sure to be the best of friends! To join this princess on her pilgrimage through life, follow on instagram @livylynnglittergirl & Pinterest @livyglittergirl

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Could you tell us what your novel, THE CORONATION, is about?


The Coronation is about a Christian family living in the fictitious, modern-day-European nation of Tarsurella. But this isn't just your average homeschooling family. Their unique family line means that they're the Royal Monarchy of Tarusrella, and twenty-year-old Prince Addison is about to become King. This story revolves around Addison and his seven younger siblings, in the days preparing for his (yep, you guessed it!) Coronation. Each sibling has a journey of their own which they embark upon, but each of their stories tie together really nicely, in a way that strengthens their family bond, as well as their faith. There are so many fun and exciting elements within this novel, and I could talk for literally hours about this, but I will say this much: if you love castles, ball gowns and handsome security guards, it's very likely that you're going to adore this story!


What inspired you to write this book?


I LOVE this question, but I'll admit that it's not very easy to answer. The Coronation is a story idea that has been brewing in my mind and heart for years, so it's hard for me to pinpoint the exact moment in which lightening struck and the ideas started flowing. I think this story was more of a puzzle for me, I slowly collected puzzle pieces throughout the years, and put them together at various points in my life. I actually started writing this story when I was sixteen (I'm twenty-three now), but the tale has evolved and changed SO much since that initial first draft, it's hard to remember where that first spark came from. But I think this is just a story that has always been in me, ever since I was a little girl. I mean, what little girl doesn't dream of castles and princes and daydream about what life might be like to grow up as modern-day royalty? Writing this book was very much a process of me just digging into my inner fantasy world and painting it with words. In the more recent years, when I was fine-tuning everything and stripping away unnecessary elements, I refined it to the core purpose which is to inspire hope and creativity.

Some trials that the characters go through are very similar to things that we each encounter in our own lives, and sometimes in this harsh world, it's easy for bitterness and forgiveness to creep in, and change the way we see the world. All of our carefree, childhood colors of faith turn to black and white, and if we don't truly forgive and let go of things that have hurt us in the past, we miss out on living the abundant life that Jesus has for us! So even though this story is very whimsical and fun, there are some intense challenges the characters go through, and at the end of the day, they realize that letting go of past offences and hurts is the only way to truly move forward in freedom and love.


Tell us about your writing and publication journey -- from initial idea to published novel.


For anyone who has never written and published a novel before, let me say this much: it is INTENSE. Everything from the first draft, to editing, editing again, again, (and again,), formatting your margins and working on your cover art; it feels a bit like mountain climbing! There are times where you wonder, "Am I really going to make it to the top? Am I ever going to finish this? Why am I doing this? Will anyone actually want to read my words?" But you have to keep going. For authors, endurance and patience are two of the most important character-traits that we have to learn! I have grown SO much emotionally and spiritually throughout the process of writing and publishing this novel. It hasn't always been easy, but I love plowing forward and stepping out in faith, blazing the trail, so to speak, because I know that there are so many of you out there who desire to do the same thing! (Or are in the middle of that process right now.) So even though it might be hard (and yes, even painful!) at times, the reward is absolutely worth it. I would encourage anyone who dreams of writing a book to step out of the boat, and onto the wild waves of the unknown. Do it, sister. Go for it! Don't expect perfection from yourself, and don't allow yourself to fall apart when things don't come together the way you thought they would: just keep going, keep praying, keep fighting, keep writing, and determine to NEVER give up. And someday, you will reach the top of your mountain!

Without giving away any spoilers, what do you hope readers will take away from THE CORONATION?


One of the taglines from The Coronation is, "Guard your heart...from your security guard." Princess Chasity, who is the third eldest sibling, has a very interesting connection with her handsome new body guard. (Who just so happens to be the same age as her...yikes!) The very real struggle of guarding her heart is a challenge that Chasity walks through, and I think ALL teenage girls have been there! I've been amazed by the emails I've gotten saying, "Wow, this book really opened my eyes and made me think about some things. I've never seen the principle of guarding your heart expressed so creatively, in such a real and raw way." Even though I didn't set out specifically to "teach a lesson on guarding your heart", it just naturally progressed because of who the characters are, and what their morals and standards are. But with all of the siblings stories, not just Chasity's, I think everything points back to the heart. Which makes sense, because Proverbs says that all of the issues of life flow out of our hearts! So no matter what, I hope that readers will be encouraged to examine and guard their own hearts, as well as be inspired to draw closer to the Lord, and not close up their hearts to Him. Jesus is our only true source of life, and within Him we're all just blinking and breathing but not truly living. So yes, it is my prayer that this story breathes life, love, and hope into the hearts of those who choose to grab their passports and visit Tarsurella!


Please share your favorite quote or passage from the book.


Oh wow, another hard question! It's been fun hearing what the readers favorite quotes are. Several of them have highlighted this one.

“We are a small country, ‘insignificant and not worth trifling with’, some may say. So small that some maps didn’t even bother to put us on them!” He chuckled and the audience joined in with quiet laughter, “But let us remember David; a small, seemingly insignificant boy who killed Goliath, the mighty giant. The stones which David used in his sling were common and ordinary, much like us. As we have seen through our country’s history, and the history of this world, God uses the weak to shame the strong. He uses the lowly and despised things to shame the proud. For even our Lord Jesus Christ did not come to the earth parading himself like they say a King should, but he came on the back of a young donkey, riding down a dusty road, with dirty, mud-stained feet, coming to be King for the lowest of the low. Humility is this country’s greatest weapon. If we were to grow proud and puffed up in our hearts, we would become fools.My Father taught me never to despise humility, for when one is humble, that is when one is acting with true honor and nobility in character."

Do you plan to continue writing novels? What are you working on now?


YES, mam! *Squeals excitedly.* The Coronation is actually the first book in The Tales of Tarsurella Trilogy. Book #2, The Rebellion, is in the editing process right now! I'm almost finished with the first draft of Book #3, and then I've got some more top-secret projects in the works. Another project that I'll be releasing this fall is Season 2 of Regal Hearts. Regal Hearts is a digital Kindle series written somewhat like a TV show, and is being released in an eposidcal format. Each 'Season' has ten episodes, and I'll be releasing a new episode each Friday, this fall. It's not the same as a traditional novel, but readers have really, really enjoyed it, so that's been a blast! For anyone who is interested, you can read Episode 1 of Regal Hearts for free on my website (www.livlynnblog.com)!

Thanks for stopping by today, Livy!

Readers: Do you have any questions for her?