Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Journey to Unshakable Faith by Sydney Witbeck, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: A Journey to Unshakable Faith
Series: Journeys of Faith #1
Author: Sydney Witbeck
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: July 2021
Genre: Christian Medieval Action/Adventure Fantasy
Left with no other option, fourteen-year-old Esther is forced to leave the castle for her own safety, not knowing if she will ever see her mother and father again. With only a pack of food and her faithful horse Onyx, Esther sets off on an adventure to find her mother’s people. But the enemy is never far behind, closing in on the princess who eludes them. Will she be able to make it to safety? And will she ever see her parents again?
When all hope seems lost, Esther soon finds that God never leaves His children on their own. At every turn, Esther meets friendly faces willing to help her as she strives to find a way to get back to her parents. With only her faith in God as her weapon, Esther turns back to home, determined to have the victory once and for all. But will that be enough? It seems that Esther will never see her parents in this world again. And all hope seems lost when Esther is finally captured and hidden away. It’s time for the villagers to take up arms and fight for their freedom. Will they prevail? Or will evil finally win? The true victory lies in finding a faith that is unshakable.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Buy Directly From the Author
Interview with Author Sydney Witbeck
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
First and foremost, I am a daughter of the King of Kings. If there is one goal I want to pursue in my writing, it is to give God the glory and make known all His wondrous works (Psalm 105:1-2). God has blessed me with wonderful parents and two sisters. They’ve been my biggest supporters on this crazy writing journey! I live out in the country in beautiful Laurens, South Carolina and help take care of our goats and chickens. Currently, I work as a manuscript editor for a Christian publishing company, Ambassador International.
What do you do besides writing?
When I’m not writing, you can usually find me curled up with my favorite book, making memories with my two sisters, helping my parents at their store – Learning Cycle Homeschool Store, or training my miniature horse, Sunny.
What was your favorite part of researching for this book?
I love castles. The idea of them, the structure, the aesthetics, the size – everything about castles is fascinating to me, especially when you throw in things like dungeons and secret rooms. I’ll try not to give away any spoilers but there is a battle scene that takes place over a couple chapters. About half of it takes place inside a castle. So, I knew I needed to figure out the layout and structure of medieval castles. I researched some and even printed out a couple castle floor plans to help me picture where people would most likely be fighting, where the strengths and weaknesses were, that sort of thing. It helped me write the scene in a way that would be realistic without being confusing. Plus, I got to look through a lot of pictures of castles as part of the research, so that was a bonus!
How do you find visual inspiration for your characters? Do you have images you can share that come close to how you picture your characters?
Characters are the first thing I imagine when it comes to starting a new story. Generally, I can already picture them and then maybe I’ll go on Pinterest and try and find a picture that matches what I see in my head. But one website I discovered midway through writing my second book that was very helpful from a visual standpoint is Armstreet.com. They sell everything from Viking jewelry to Medieval armor to Renaissance dresses. They really focus on the historic accuracy of their designs as well as the aesthetics, and I’ve found some pictures there that are close to what I was trying to imagine for my characters!
In order from left to right: Row 1 – Esther, Pellingor & Arianna (Pellingor’s hair should be darker, but I’m just picky 😊), Reia. Row 2 – Malon, Fiona.
All pictures were found on Pinterest and belong to their respective owners. Except the last one. I took the last one of my dog, Lola, who was the inspiration for Esther’s dog, Fiona.
What are some songs that you listened to or inspired you while writing your book?
I put on music with lyrics while I’m writing (especially during the first draft), my brain will become distracted! So, I tend to listen to a lot of instrumental music and soundtracks throughout my writing process. When writing my first book, the music I turned to the most was the Lord of the Rings soundtrack (which is epic even when you’re not writing, and quite helpful for getting me in the right mood to write my hardest chapter – the battle scene!)
What message would you like readers to ultimately take away from the book?
As a young, teenage Christian, I struggled a lot with doubt and assurance. I want my readers to come away from this book understanding that those feelings are real, they’re something a lot of people struggle with – even under the surface – but also that you don’t have to stay in that place of doubt and questioning. God is always there for His children, willing to help them and grow their faith. I also want readers to see the importance that Godly friends, role models, mentors, and parents have on their lives. Find those kinds of people and talk to them when you’re struggling. God uses His Word to strengthen our faith, but He also uses other believers.
What can we look forward to coming from you in the future?
I am currently working on a Nordic/Viking-inspired novel that will hopefully be released in 2025. I want to show what an impact the light of Christianity had on the spiritually dark culture at that time. It will explore the cost of Christianity and forgiving one’s enemies while featuring redemption arcs, storms at sea, and a protective older brother/reckless younger brother duo. I’m excited to share this story as I’ve been having a lot of fun writing it!
More Books in This Series
About the Author
Sydney Witbeck is a Christian self-published author. She has a strong love for the Lord, her family, church, and friends. She has been blessed with supportive parents and two sisters and often helps out at the family business, Learning Cycle Homeschool Store. An avid bookworm, Sydney is happiest curled up with a good book. She has always enjoyed reading and rereading her favorite stories – a passion that soon transferred to writing books of her own. Her writing journey began when she heard how many moms were looking for fiction novels for girls that were both clean and Christian. In her free time, she likes drawing, spending time with her dog, and caring for her miniature horse and her three goats.
Connect with Sydney by visiting storiesoffaithfulness.com.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and signed paperback copies of A Journey to Unshakable Faith and the sequel, A Journey to Abiding Forgiveness.
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 17, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 24, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
