(WARNING mild Lydia Green spoilers ahead.)
I recently opened questioning on Instagram for my readers to learn more about my upcoming book Lydia Green of Mulberry Glen. They were very happy to help me out and I received some excellent questions!
In this blog post, I plan to answer those questions and share my excitement for this magical novel!
So, without further ado…
What’s the Plot?
Lydia Glacier Green never had reason to worry much before.
She lived in a timeless Glen on the edge of the Valleylands with her mismatched family of fairies, philosophers, and two troublemakers known as the Zs.
But now, at age eleven, her world is turned upside down when rumors reach Mulberry Glen about a mysterious Darkness that dwells in the forest Tenebrae.
Lydia knows it is nothing to be trifled with, but, fiery and headstrong, the Zs have other ideas. A foolish choice puts their lives in danger, and although she is no hero, Lydia realizes that family is something she is willing to fight for.
But among the shifting library shelves and lonely stone towers of her quest, Lydia is chased with more questions than answers. The Darkness of the forest lurks within her own mind, and how can you fight something which is all in your head?
You’ll have to read the book to find out any more than that. 😉
How many words?
65,000+. More than twice as long as Honey Butter.
Tell us about your protagonist!!
The protagonist is (surprise!) Lydia Green.
She’s eleven years old and has lived her whole life in a magical, timeless place called Mulberry Glen.
She’s deeply thoughtful, often quiet, and considers the forest her home. She loves every aspect of nature and is an aspiring herbalist.
What is the world of Lydia Green Like?
Lydia Green lives in the Valleylands. I drew a lot of inspiration from my trips to England to create the Valleylands, especially from the food and culture. I also borrowed the Latin language and architecture from Ancient Rome. Plus a bit of my own imagination.
Tell us a bit about your villain.
The villain is an invisible force called the Darkness. The Darkness manifests itself in the forest Tenebrae, a place from which no one has ever returned.
The darkness starts to take over Lydia’s mind throughout the book, and it represents a lot metaphorically.
What inspired you to go from contemporary to fantasy?
Well, I was more of a fantasy girl, to begin with.
It’s kind of ironic actually because I’d only ever written contemporary once before Honey Butter when I was about five! Other than that, all my work was sci-fi and fantasy.
But when inspiration strikes, I follow! The genre usually chooses me, rather than vice versa.
What was the hardest part to write/hardest part of the writing process for LGMG?
Chapter 17.
1. A lot of personal emotion went into it.
2. There’s a ton of metaphorical meaning.
3. All the plot points converge.
Is there romance?
Nope.
1. I do not have the life experience for that yet.
2. My characters are way too young.
3. They’re also a little preoccupied with this whole darkness-taking-over-the-world thing.
In general, I’m not a big fan of romance.
How big is the world of LGMG?
Lydia lives in a part of her world called the Valleylands, but there’s also the Highlands, Flatlands, Icelands, etc.
Will we see any magical creatures and/or spells?
There aren’t any spells per-say, but there are fairies, Hobgoblins, and Elves.
Magic, in this book, is a natural force like wind or rain, people can’t control it.
Sometimes books or certain times in history make me want to create a certain world. What’s your inspiration?
– My trips overseas
– L. M. Montgomery and Elizabeth Goudge’s prose
– The forest behind my house
– My own faults and strengths
– The little details of everyday life
Is there any chance it will be available in hardcover?
Yes!
Honey Butter has too few pages for me to feel like making a hardcover was worthwhile. But Lydia Green is more than twice as long as Honey Butter, so most likely, yes!
What’s your favorite setting in the book?
Ooo! It’s got to be the Libraries!
The Libraries are huge and beautiful. But besides that… They’re magical. The shelves ‘shift’ to fit the mood of each section and the person who goes there. It’s ridiculously easy to get lost int eh endless shelves, and you might not find your way out for weeks.
Who is the Character that you connect with most?
A cheesy answer maybe, but I love and connect with all my characters in different ways.
That said, Lydia’s struggles are written from some of my own personal experiences, and I connect a lot with her emotionally, even though our personalities are almost opposites.
Well, that’s all for now. If you want to find out more about Lydia Green of Mulberry Glen, you can subscribe to my newsletter for future sneak peeks, or check out the book’s page here.
docendo disco, scribendo cogito,
– Millie Florence