Featured Author - June // SARA ELLA

   You guys - I'm extremely excited about the author we have here today. She's one of the sweetest human beings on the planet, and an INCREDIBLY talented author (her writing style is like no other!). Please welcome the beautiful Sara Ella! <3

A few epic Sara-things that you should check out:

Eliyana has always recoiled from her own reflection in the mirror. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength?

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird.

Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

check out Unblemished, the first book in Sara Ella's trilogy! 

her eye-candy Instagram account, @saraellawrites 

 and her author website, saraella.com

Savannah Grace: Hey, Sara! Thank you so much for coming over to chat today, I'm honored to have you here - this is going to be so fun! What are a few quirks about yourself that people might be surprised to know?

 
Sara Ella: Well, I love ranch dressing, but I hate mayo. And yes, I know ranch is made with mayo. ;) I’m also incredibly terrified of pincher bugs (earwigs). They’re gross, and when one ends up in your straw and then your mouth? Let’s just say I get weird looks when I check every straw by looking through it like a telescope before I sip out of it. #noshame

Savannah: Oh, my gracious, did you really?? *shudders* Yeah, I definitely understand the straw-checking! ;D About your epic writings: what inspired you to write the ​Unblemished ​ trilogy?

Sara: My inspiration stemmed from my own experience as a teen. I remember feeling ugly due to less-than-perfect skin. I remember never wanting to look in the mirror because I felt like I didn’t look like the other girls my age. Today, with filtered selfies and so much on social media telling us who to be and how many likes define us, I wanted to write something that showed teens they can and should be exactly who they are. I also happen to love the theme of ​Beauty & the Beast ​ (true beauty lies within). That had a little something to do with my inspiration as well.

Savannah: That's seriously the best - I've always loved the message of the Unblemished trilogy, its honestly so inspiring <3. But writing a trilogy with such a strong message can be tough! What was the hardest part of writing the ​Unblemished ​ trilogy? (and what advice would you give to writers struggling with the same problem?)

Sara: Finishing the series off with ​Unbreakable ​ was probably the hardest.  This book came during a difficult time. To say it was a “labor of love” would be downplaying it (and I think my editor can attest to that). Wrapping up a series is hard work because I wanted readers to be satisfied, but I also knew remaining true to the story and characters could end up disappointing some reader expectations. I still look back and think of things I could have changed or left out or included.
And... and advice? The best advice I can give is to push through. Keep on writing. Believe you are ​ an author. Stop thinking what you’ve written is the worst thing ever (trust me, it’s not--not by a long shot.) Every writer deals with doubt and struggles with creativity. When you’re feeling drained and like your brain can’t function anymore, breathe. Make some tea. Take a soul break, then get back to work. As Mrs. Potts would say, “It’ll turn out all right in the end. You’ll see.”

Savannah: And it DID turn out all right in the end! All of your hard work payed off, Sara, it really did - Unbreakable was a beautiful end to an amazing series. I especially loved how you had so many different POVs in Unbreakable. How did you juggle them all?

Sara: Very. Carefully. Haha. I look at Different POVs as a nice break. El’s head is so much my particular voice that it was nice to get out of my own head and jump into Ebony’s or Ky’s or Joshua’s. I think Ebony was my favorite this time around. She’s so the opposite of me, so it was fun to be snarky and write with freedom instead of analyzing every little thing the way El does.

Savannah: I was very happy to see Ebony playing a big role in Unbreakable, I actually relate to her quite a bit! ;D Did you always know that ​Unbreakable ​ would end the way that it does, or did it come as a surprise?

Sara: Yes and no. When I began the series, the ending that came was always in my mind. But I promised myself I would not lock myself in a box either. I wanted to remain true to the characters and the story. During the writing process of ​Unraveling, I sat down with my editor at Panera and we had a lengthy discussion about what to do with a certain character. We both agreed that this character would end up exactly where I always knew they would. We laughed and cried over it. I was happy because I knew we made the right decision, and sad at the same time. I hope readers feel it ended well. It had to end that way because it did. I don’t know how else to explain it.

Savannah: Ooh, Panera <3. I'm so glad that you put so much effort into making sure that the trilogy ended perfectly, you did an amazing job with that. The whole series is, overall, a masterpiece. What was your favorite thing about writing the ​Unblemished ​ trilogy?

Sara: I loved getting to know myself through my characters and my story. I love the notes I receive from readers who feel the story changed them or resonated with them in some way. I love sprinting with my author besties over text or Skype, and I love, love, love that somehow I was given the privilege of sharing my heart with the world in story form. It’s a dream come true.

Savannah: I'm so glad that all of that has happened for you! It definitely sounds like a dream <3. And before you were published, you'd once worked for Disney, right? You were some of the characters at their theme park, if I remember correctly. What was your favorite thing about that?

Sara: Alice. And Wendy. And getting into the parks for free. I loved playing the characters I grew up with, and it was super fun to annoy Peter Pan (because “girls talk too much”), and mess around with the Mad Hatter (“a very merry unbirthday to you”). I loved the smiles on children’s faces and I loved getting weird looks when I would ask (in a British accent) if people liked peanut butter in their tea. Because I was Alice, so why not?

Savannah: That sounds like a DREAM JOB, gracious! You make the perfect Alice and Wendy, too <3. On a more bookish note, what is your favorite fairytale? (and why do you like it so much?)

Sara: I think this one’s obvious. I have always loved ​Beauty and the Beast ​ . The message of true beauty within has always resonated with me. I feel connected to that story on a very deep and personal level. Also, Belle loves books. I love books. It’s a match made in heaven.

Savannah: YES, I love Beauty and the Beast so much, its one of the best (if not THE best) fairytales out there. *highfive* I love how much you connect with that story! What are a few fairy tales that you would love to see retold in a fresh, new way?

Sara: I’d love to see a retelling of ​The Little Mermaid ​ or ​The Swan Princess ​ . I think there are a lot of mermaid stories right now, but I haven’t seen many actual retellings. It would be fun to see an author take a whack at twisting that one into something new. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be that author.

Savannah: I dearly hope so! I'd love to see you retell those beautiful tales, your writing style is absolutely perfect for them <3. Alright, one last question before we let you get back to do your epic writer-things: who are three of your greatest inspirations, and why?

Sara: What a question! My mom, because she taught me to love reading. My children, because they remind me to find joy even in the darkest moments. And my husband, because he loves me unconditionally and helps me write that kind of love into my stories.

Savannah: Okay, I absolutely LOVE how almost every person I've interviewed lists their mom as one of their greatest inspirations <3. Thank you so much for being here today, Sara - I had so much fun getting to chat with you! Best of luck with your next book, I can't wait to read it <3.

Once upon a time, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince and live in a Disney-style castle. Today, she is a winner of the ECPA Christian Book Award for her debut novel Unblemished, which released to magical applause: “a stunning journey into a fascinating new world of reflections” (RT Book Reviews). Sara spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses and conquering realms of her own imaginings.

When she’s not on deadline, Sara Ella can most often be found fangirling on Twitter, Instagram, or her YouTube channel. She may or may not be obsessed with a certain pirate from Once Upon a Time, and she has a serious condition known as “Coffee Snob-itis.” She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away” for those who put their faith in the King of kings.

Isn't she the sweetest? If you haven't read her gorgeous series yet, YOU NEED TO. I very rarely (read: basically never) buy a book new without having read it first, but I bought Unraveling on its release date and Unbreakable shortly after. If that doesn't speak in measures, I don't know what will xD. Feel free to chat with Sara in the comments! She's one of the most enchanting human beings with the most beautiful soul <3.

~ Savannah Grace 

what's your favorite fairytale?

feel free to chat with Sara in the comments!