Tell us about your books
The Girl Who Wasn’t Chosen is a twist on the classic chosen one trope packed with glowing wolves, a phoenix, and lots of adventure! It follows twelve-year-old Leda Roubis who desperately wants to be a hero but isn’t chosen by her country’s prophet. However, when a terrible accident strikes her village and the real chosen one fails to stop it, Leda sets out to be the hero her village needed all along.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
The Lightning Thief and basically anything written by Rick Riordan. I was a big fan of middle grade fantasy books with a funny voice, adventure, and lots of magic.
What inspired you to write ‘The Girl Who Wasn’t Chosen’?
When I was in middle school, I always felt really insecure about the fact that I wasn’t particularly talented or special at anything, especially since most of the books I read featured protagonists that were musical prodigies or geniuses. So, I wanted to write a book about a character who was completely ordinary like me but saved the day anyways.
Where is your favorite place to read?
Outside under a tree, although I don’t get the chance to do it as often as I’d like. My childhood home has a giant hundred-year-old tree that is incredible to read under on a warm summer day.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love singing and playing the piano, sometimes at the same time.
What did you learn when you were writing your book?
So much! The Girl Who Wasn’t Chosen is the second novel I’ve ever written and the first one I’ve ever published. There was a very big learning curve when it came to both getting better at revising the book and first learning to publish it.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A veterinarian. My local zoo had a summer camp that I attended a lot as a kid, so I became very passionate about animals from a young age.
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Honestly, just keep going. Sometimes your dreams can feel very far off or like your writing is going nowhere but if you keep going it’ll eventually work out in the end.
You can find A.Y Johlin online in these places: