New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy returns to The Nerd Daily to chat with us about her upcoming release Faith: Greater Heights, the conclusion to Faith’s origin story! We got to ask Julie all about bittersweet feelings finishing this duology, her writing advice and so much more!
Hi, Julie! Thank you so much for joining us once more! How are you doing? Tell us how your 2021 has been!
2021 has been a wild ride! Three book releases out in one year is not for the faint of heart. But I’m so deeply grateful for my readers and the opportunity to share my work with them.
Lightning round: What books come to mind when you hear the following words: superhero, fierce friendships, adorable dogs and sapphic love?
Oooo!I can’t think of single book that hits all of those notes, but here are a few that touch on one or several: I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki, Ship It by Britta Lundin, Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee, and Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade.
Now, onto Faith: Greater Heights! What can readers expect from the conclusion to Faith’s story?
Well, if you’re a reader of Faith’s comics, you know where Faith’s story is headed in the long run, but I wanted to be sure to tie up some loose ends while still delivering some exciting action and heartwarming moments. There’s a new villain on the scene and unlikely allies!
Finishing this origin story duology must be bittersweet – what is your favorite memory of writing Faith’s story?
We spent a lot of time strategizing the vision for these books long before I wrote the first one, and I truly loved working with that original team (who have moved on to other things, but remain constant cheerleaders!). I also loved collaborating on the cover with my cover designer, Jenna Stempel-Lobell, and artist, Kat Goodloe. Kat and I also have collaborated on creating sticker sheets for preorder incentives, and she’s just such a delight and has a real understanding of Faith as a character.
The relationships in Faith’s books are so wholesome – interactions between Faith and her grandmother or Faith and her friends Ches and Matt feel like a hug. What was your favorite scene to write with these amazing characters?
This is a hard one to narrow down, but there’s a scene at the start of book two with Matt, Ches, and Faith where they’re getting matching tattoos and I think after everything they went through in book one, it felt really good and earned to write something like that. In this book, Faith goes to the retirement home where Grandma Lou now lives to get ready for prom, and that was also so delightfully fuzzy feeling.
What superpower would you love to have and which one would be the worst to get stuck with?
I think I would love to fly or be invisible. Or even teleport! And I think anything that involves, like, lazors or flames or anything uncontrollable coming out of your eyes or hands would be miserable. (Here’s looking at y’all Cyclops and Rogue.)
We see quite the new faces in this novel but there are also certain shunned characters that make a comeback…without spoiling too much, what do you think will shock readers most about this book?
Ahhh! Well, there isn’t much I can say, but you will definitely have all your questions from book one answered. And there might even be some angsty crushing in the mix!
If you had to pick one song to encompass the vibes of Faith’s journey in this sequel for our readers, which song would you choose?
This is maybe the hardest question ever, but let’s go with Brutal by Olivia Rodrigo.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever been given? What would you love aspiring authors to know about the writing process?
I think the best writing advice I’ve ever gotten is that writing isn’t a one size fits all job. I always get so in my head about what process or methods work wonders for other authors that I trick myself into thinking I’m failing when it doesn’t work for me. So find what works for you and keep your eyes on your own paper. I still find myself comparing my work in progress to someone else’s totally finished and beautifully published book, and when I do that, I’m just selling myself short.
With Faith: Greater Heights releasing soon, what are you currently working on? Care to share a sneak peek with us?
I’m currently working on a middlegrade that I can’t say much about yet and I’m also writing a super spicy romance novel with my BFF, Sierra Simone. (You can visit julieandsierra.com for more info on that!)
Last but not least, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Always! Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June, Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant, It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill, and A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell
