Hey all, I am super excited for today’s post! I recently got to talk with Sydney Faith, author of The Delinquent Crown, a newly released YA Fantasy. She was fabulous enough to submit to my grueling Q&A 😉 and today I get to share it with you! Sydney is awesome, and her books are fab, so let’s get to it!
Let’s start off with some getting-to-know-you questions! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hey Megan, thanks for having me! Sure thing. I’m Sydney Faith, I’m a Young Adult author, and I love cake. Lol, but really, I’m a fan of pop-punk and alternative music, Wonderland and chocolate cake. I also love making YouTube videos! I make videos about writing and bookish things on my YouTube channel “Sydney Faith Author”.
Besides writing, what do you enjoy doing with your time?
I love to read, of course, but I also love to bake and take walks with my dog.
Tell us one completely random, but fun, fact/story about yourself.
Okay, a weird fact about me is that for as long as I can remember, I’ve hated tomatoes. Like, I LOVE pizza, and spaghetti with red sauce, but I wouldn’t eat a raw tomato for a thousand dollars. (Okay, maybe I would, but you get the idea).
Now on to some writing questions! How old were you when you wrote your first book? Was that book one of your published works/did it inspire one of them?
I wrote my first book when I was maybe 13 years old. It was about mermaids! That book will probably never be published, but maybe someday I’ll turn the idea into a middle grade book.
Is writing your full-time job?
Besides writing, I also run an online business with my family.
Tell us about your writing process. (what does a day of writing look like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? What program(s) do you use to write? Etc)
My writing days right now are split into 2 sessions, mornings and evenings. I really love using sprints while I’m writing, they keep my word count up and make it easier to concentrate. I’m always listening to music while I’m writing. I’m a plotter for sure, I like to know what’s going to happen before I write something, but I certainly stray from my outline sometimes, and those changes end up being some of my favorites! I write in Microsoft Word, but I also use One Note for my notes, and Excel for keeping track of my outline. I love to have a mug of tea (never coffee) on my desk while I’m typing the morning away.
Where do you find inspiration for your books?
I find inspiration in a lot of things! Music is a big one for me, and also the natural world around me. A big portion of The Delinquent Crown takes place in the woods, so exploring it’s beauty was important for me with this book.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
For me, if I’m having a problem with writing, the problem is actually a few scenes back. When I’m feeling stuck, I like to go back and evaluate what I’ve worked on recently to see if I can find the “clog in the pipe”.
Are there any tips you could give for aspiring writers? Any “I wish I knew then what I know now” words of wisdom?
I’d say that you have to let your writing be bad. I spent a lot of time just not writing because I was afraid of writing something bad. Let it be dirt. Because after practice, you’ll learn how to pan flecks of gold from that dirt.
What is your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite?
My two favorite things about writing are 1, freedom. I can do whatever I want, it’s my world! And 2, expression. Writing is the easiest way for me to express myself and it’s really therapeutic for me. My least favorite thing about writing is the time it takes. It only takes a second to dream up a scene, but getting it into words (and more importantly, the right words) can be a long process!
Now for the book-specific questions! What can you tell us about Delinquent Crown?
The Delinquent Crown is a YA fantasy adventure about two siblings from earth who go to Olexia in search of their mother. They face magic, danger, secrets about their past, friends, and enemies. It’s fast paced and packed with magic (According to reviewers, not just me lol)!
Where did you find the inspiration for this story?
Some of my favorite stories growing up were Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and The Chronicles of Narnia. So it was only a matter of time before I had to write my own story about someone from our world exploring a strange and magical world.
Who was your favorite character to write? Your least favorite?
My favorite character to write for in TDC has to be Siymin. He’s honest and sweet and I just really connected to him from the beginning. My least favorite has to be Zekta. I found it really challenging to write for her! I think it’s because of her strong personality, I struggled with getting that to come off the way I wanted.
What is your favorite part about the world of Olexia?
My favorite thing about Olexia has to be the magic. I love writing about magic, and there is plenty to spare in Olexia. It’s in the trees, the animals, the air, anywhere I want to use it, I can.
DC is the first book in the Olexia series; how many do you have planned out?
Olexia Legends is looking like a 4-part series right now, but things can always change! I’ve got some ideas for a prequel and even spin off stories, so we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.
Do you have any other, non-Olexia, books on the planning board? If so, what can you share about them?
I’m looking to finish Olexia Legends before starting any other novel projects, but I’ve got a sci-fi idea burning a hole in my pocket right now, so maybe that will be my next project. It has to do with parallel universes, monsters, and gifted teens.
Thank you so much for sitting down with me and talking shop!!!
Thanks again for having me and I hope your readers will enjoy the first 4 chapters of The Delinquent crown for free, which they can find on my website!
About The Delinquent Crown
Olexia is a wild and dangerous world filled with magic.
Miri and Nick find Olexia by chance but choose their fate when they step through the portal. A shard of glass and a hastily-written letter from their mother are all they have to solve their puzzling past.
In Olexia Miri and Nick find danger and unlikely allies, and with their help, they learn to wield their newfound powers and find out the truth about Olexia’s buried secrets.
When the ruthless Council leader learns the siblings harbor a powerful artifact, he sends his bloodthirsty LaKaio soldiers to hunt them down at any cost.
With time running out and secrets about their past being revealed around every corner, Miri and Nick must decide if they’re going to hide away or rise up against the sinister leaders of Olexia.
Purchase Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA
Be sure to follow Sydney on Goodreads, Instagram, and Amazon, and to check out her beautiful website!
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