Find the Story You Need with Olivia Smit

I’m so delighted to welcome Olivia Smit to my blog today.

I recently had the privilege of hearing her read the first chapter of Seeing Voices, and I was HOOKED. I asked Olivia about what inspired the story. What she told me about her story was timely and really relevant for today. So I thought ya’ll should to hear it. So here she is to tell us more about Seeing Voices and stories filled with hope.

“I’m hungry for stories that remind me we’ll be okay.” – Olivia Smit

Take it away Olivia!

Often, readers and writers seek out stories for similar reasons. For some, a book represents an exciting adventure at the end of a long day. Others find that stories provide them with a much-needed escape – especially in times like these! I often read for comfort or encouragement, and I choose which stories to write for much the same reason.

In different seasons of life, I find myself searching for different stories. In the midst of a pandemic like the one we’re currently facing, I find myself drawn to lighter stories, adventures I know will end well, and characters who have their fists tightly wound around the promise of hope.

Although I wrote “Seeing Voices” almost five years ago, when there was no hint of COVID-19, I was at a place where I needed a happy story. I was craving something lighter than my current circumstances, a story where a family grew together instead of falling apart, where there was sunshine and a cute small town and everyone wanted to be together more than anything else in the world.

Writing “Seeing Voices” was totally a labour of love, a way to create the story I wanted to escape into – to offer myself the reminder that happy endings still exist, and hope is alive and well even in the midst of tough circumstances.

Now we’re in the midst of a season of uncertainty, feeling anxious about what the future may bring, I find I’m drawn again to stories like this. Although I never expected (or particularly wanted) to launch my debut novel in the midst of a global pandemic, I’ve been realizing lately that stories like Skylar’s are the ones I’m searching for now: I’m hungry for stories that remind me we’ll be okay.

Whether or not you end up reading “Seeing Voices,” my prayer for each one of you is that you are able to dive deep into the stories you need, now and in the days to come. May each one of the books you lean into press back with a message of hope, and may all of the endings you turn to be happy ones.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia Smit loves baking, visiting small towns, and writing stories that face hard truth with hope and encouragement. Olivia has an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing, English Language, and Literature and lives in Canada with her family. Seeing Voices, which released on April 15^th, is her first novel.

Social: @oliviamsmit

Website: www.oliviasmit.ca

ABOUT THE BOOK

Skylar Brady has a plan for her life—until a car accident changes everything.

Skylar knows exactly what she wants, and getting in a car accident the summer before twelfth grade isn’t supposed to be part of the plan. Although she escapes mostly unharmed, the accident has stolen more than just her hearing from her: she’s also lost the close bond she used to have with her brother.

When her parents decide to take a house-sitting job halfway across the province, it’s just one more thing that isn’t going according to plan. As the summer progresses, Skylar begins to gain confidence in herself, but as she tries to mend her relationship with her brother, she stumbles upon another hidden trauma. Suddenly, she’s keeping as many secrets as she’s struggling to uncover and creating more problems than she could ever hope to solve.

Buy the book here: WhiteFire store , Amazon.com , Indigo.ca , Book Depository

Melony Teague writes contemporary romance with a dash of humor, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words, and she believes everyone has a story to tell. Melony is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the co-author of As the Ink Flows, a devotional for authors. Her fiction debut, A Promise to Keep released, Jan 21, 2020. Melony was born in South Africa and now lives in Toronto with her handsome husband, their two teenagers, and does the bidding of her two adorable cats.

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