INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR OLIVIA SYKORA!!

Today we welcome author Olivia Sykora to The Diamond Mine!!

She's going to tell us about her book,  Son of the Mountain King (Book one of The Mountain King Trilogy), and about herself!

Welcome to the Diamond Mine Olivia!

 Can you tell us a little about your book?

Son of the Mountain King is an allegorical fantasy about what I believe is the greatest love and adventure story: the love of God for people. 

Judah is the young governor of the land of the Mountain King.  She longs to prove her worth, but when an enemy threatens to invade her country, Judah is faced with secrets, betrayals , and a conspiracy that may prove the undoing of herself and her people. Readers have said that Son of the Mountain King reminds them of The Chronicles of Narnia and Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis), Hind's Feet on High Places (Hannah Hurnard), Israel, My Beloved (Kay Arthur), and the fairytales of George MacDonald.  

Here's a bit more about the book for our readers to enjoy:

When an invasion threatens the land of the Mountain King, the fate of the people rests on the shoulders of young governor Judah. She has sworn to prove herself a skillful leader by protecting her kingdom from foes, but difficulty and danger surround her.

Then Judah's life is saved by two different men who divide her loyalty. One, a fascinating healer, captures the hearts of Judah and her people. The other, a mysterious shepherd, forces Judah to question what she believes to be true.

When a conspiracy comes to light that could destroy Judah and her kingdom, a single choice might cost her people everything. Will the headstrong leader prove herself--or find herself trapped?

Sounds really cool!! How did you get your idea for this story?

While I was reading my devotions one morning, the comparison of Christ's love for His people being like that of a husband for his wife struck me in a new way.

I thought, what if the entire story of the Bible were told as a simple love story, a fairytale  that speaks the truth of the greatest love story ever? The seed of SOMK grew from there.

Wow! Isn't it amazing how inspiration works?

What made you decide to be a writer?

Like many authors, I have always loved writing. However, as an English teacher I was content to work with my students on their writing and maintain a sporadic blog on the side. My dabbling in prose took a sharp turn in 2018, when I joined a worldwide challenge to write a novel draft in 30 days. It was a heady experience. I was hooked. The rough draft of Son of the Mountain King came into being the following year during my second writing challenge.

That's how my first published novel started out, from that November challenge!

What was your first story?

My first novel manuscript--which to date remains on a shelf--was the one that pulled me into the dream of becoming a published author. This story, which I outlined on the whiteboard in front of my students as an example of how to "raise the stakes" for their own stories, developed in a wild, spontaneous way that was just plain fun. It became a rollicking, modern-day adventure that is quite different from the Mountain King trilogy.

Sounds like you and your students had a lot of fun with that!

Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?

As other mixed-bag writers might say: yes. A story idea will come to me, and I'll let it simmer for a while, sometimes years. When it's time to write the story, I create a rough outline. But in the middle of being written, the story starts to shift and twist under inspirational seismic events. When the dust settles, the beginning and end points may be the only parts of the story that haven't undergone massive changes.

Such a great description of that process. I love the term "inspirational seismic events." It's perfect!

Do you have any underlying themes  that you want your readers to come away with?

In the end, hope and love. This story speaks of the most important fact in the world: God loves us, every one of us. May a fragrance of that love and the hope stemming from it envelop every reader.

Amen to that!!

Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

I'm sure they do! Not intentionally, but when I look back over a draft, many of the characters' struggles, hopes, and fears are my own or those of people I love.

Do your characters ever surprise you?

Definitely. Writing the story of these characters is like developing a friendship. I might think I know everything about someone, then boom! they do something that reveals a deeper layer. I discovered steadfast, sacrificial courage in a character who was sensible and laid back. A minor character who didn't even exist in initial drafts became a central figure in the second book. One character that I detested in the first book became a favorite of mine by the end of the second.

I love that! I've experienced the same things. It's surprising and delightful!

Do you have a favorite character in your books?

Of course, I love my main characters. But a side character I've always been partial to is Hilda, a friend of the narrator. She's a confident introvert with a dry sense of humor and an iron backbone when it comes to good vs. evil.

I bet readers will love her, too!

What are you working on now?

Book three of the trilogy is in the works as we speak! I have continued to use the 30-day method for creating a novel rough draft, and I'm almost halfway through at this point. There's a very different kind of world building going on in this story, and I'm enjoying the challenge.

And I've really enjoyed this interview, and getting to know you and your book. Thanks so much, Olivia!! 

Here's some more about Olivia, along with her links:

Olivia Sykora has always been fascinated by allegorical stories. C.S. Lewis sits on the top of her favorite authors list, and then George MacDonald with his glorious fairytales. Hannah Hurnard's classic story, Hind's Feet on High Places, became a significant allegory in Olivia's life and faith journey, and she searched for further books that could communicate spiritual truths through accessible, exciting stories.Now, Olivia has crafted a new allegorical fantasy for modern readers to enjoy. Son of the Mountain King, the first book in the Mountain King trilogy tells the greatest love and adventure story: the love of God for His people.

Here's a short bio:

Olivia is an author, globe-trotter and educator. While traveling through 30+ countries, her adventures have ranged from exploring Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, to dining with Roma royalty in Romania, to summitting Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro. Olivia taught middle school English for many years before retiring to raise her kids and to write. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where they hike, kayak, and explore.

Links:

Website: www.orsykora.com

Amazon: https://us.amazon.com/Son-Mountain-King-Trilogy/dp/1522305157

Barnes &Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/son-of-the-mountain-king-or-sykora/1147648895?ean=9781522305156

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/son-of-the-mountain-king/id6744548609

Pelican:

https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main page=product info&cPath=34 102&products id=1716

Socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orsykora/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18VzUe8Dxd/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

Interview with Publisher weekly best-selling author Tabitha Bouldin

Join me in welcoming Publisher's weekly best-selling author, Tabitha Bouldin to the Diamond mine! Tabitha has so many amazing Chrisian Romance novels . If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy her Love Inspired “Forgiving the Cowboy,” yet, definitely treat yourself. Tabitha's newest book, "The Rancher's Stolen Past" is the newest book in that Love Inspired Series and releases in March. I can't wait to read it, and hear what she has to share about it. Without further ado, here’s Tabitha!

Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor's degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She's a Publishers Weekly bestselling author and an avid reader. When she's not homeschooling her kids, you'll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha's genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.

First let’s learn a little bit about you. Can you share a few things about yourself that have nothing to do with writing? 

 Oh, that’s a fun one. Let’s see. I worked for over a decade in a doctor’s office as a medical assistant before leaving to be a stay-at-home mom. I have two kids that I homeschooled, and I’ve been married for twenty-three years. I love coffee. Like seriously more than is healthy. I’ve never met an animal I don’t like, and when I was little, I dreamed of being an equine vet. 

  I, too, love coffee :) You are in good company! What drew you to write? 

I’m one of those people who had a story idea that wouldn’t let go. I dreamed of being published by Love Inspired, since they produce some of my favorite cowboy books, and after years of work and prayer, God saw fit to allow me to achieve that dream. I love storytelling. There’s a beauty in it that lingers long after the tale is told.

That’s amazing! I have a feeling God placed that story on your heart for a reason. What’s your writing process? 

Controlled chaos. I set goals for myself so that I have my best chance at meeting deadlines, and I love outlining. But I also seem to reach a point in the outline where I stop listening to what I’ve told myself to write and let the story take me wherever it needs to go. I write every day. Even on days when I say I’m going to take a day off, I find myself at the computer or sitting down with a pen and paper because I can’t seem to stop writing. 

I feel the same way about outlining. Sometimes the characters start to decide haha. How do you come up with your story ideas? 

Stories are everywhere. I have always had a vivid imagination and a desire for creativity. A lot of what I write comes from “What if?” questions. I like to wonder what would happen in this instance or that instance, and all of those questions eventually lead me to an idea with enough backbone to hold up a story. 

Tell us about your new release. 

The Rancher’s Stolen Past is book three in my first Love Inspired series. It’s about the youngest daughter in a set of siblings who has suffered the loss of her husband and is struggling with the idea that it never should have happened. While she has been the one touting forgiveness to her older siblings, when it comes time for her to forgive the man she holds responsible for her husband’s death, she discovers that it’s much harder than she realized. It's the kind of story that hit me right in the heart because forgiveness is one of the more difficult things for me. Sadly, I’m the type who will potentially hold a grudge when wronged. It’s not something that I like about myself, and I pray that God works through my stories to help me become a better person and Christian. 

Forgiveness can be hard! I can’t wait to read this story. Are there certain themes explored in the story? 

Forgiveness is the obvious one for The Rancher’s Stolen Past. There are myriad ways that forgiveness can sneak past us or be denied, and I wanted to look at that from the perspective of a character who thought she had it all under control, only to realize she’s been hiding the truth from herself for years. 

 Do you have any favorite characters in your books? Tenley will always be a favorite. She’s one of the siblings in this series, and her story was written from a place of deep hurt in need of redemption. 

What are you working on now?

I just finished my fourth book for Love Inspired and I’m plotting the next one for that series while also editing my first book for Bethany House. I try and keep my work on a loop so that I’m constantly either writing or editing for an upcoming release. I love to be busy! 

That explains how you have so many amazing books! When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing? 

As expected, I love reading. I’m a genre hopper, so I’ll read a little bit of everything. Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoy getting out with my camera and taking pictures and spending time with family. 

Thanks for joining us, Tabitha

Check out Tabitha's Newest Book

A man in search of redemption.
A love he will fight to deserve.

Coming home isn’t easy for cowboy Zane Kingsley—but he’s eager to earn back the trust of the woman he never stopped loving. Single mom Molly Jacobs is still grieving the husband she lost six years ago, and the last person she wants to see is the man she blames for his death. When they’re forced to work together at a summer riding program for kids, Molly can’t help but notice the growing bond between Zane and her young son. Can Zane convince her that he’s a changed man and that he’s worthy of her forgiveness…and her love?

Pre-order: https://a.co/d/7hOj3zc

Want to connect with Tabitha?

www.instagram.com/tabithabouldin

www.facebook.com/tabithabouldinauthor

www.tiktok.com/@tabithabouldin_author

https://sendfox.com/tabithabouldin