Read Clean YA with CJ Episode Thirty-Four
Welcome to a special episode recap of Read Clean YA with C.J., where host C.J. Milacci faced off against her niece Lily in an epic trivia challenge about the Talionis series, moderated by Ani.
If you’re a fan of fast-paced, clean adventures with deep themes, or just love a good trivia showdown, this episode is one for the books. Let’s recap the highlights!
During the Q&A portion at the end, CJ shares insights into her writing process as well.
Episode Show Notes below
Talionis Trivia Showdown: Author vs. Super Fan (Plus Writing Insights)
Episode Show Notes:
The Setup
This unique episode featured a four-round trivia competition testing knowledge of the Talionis series, including:
- Recruit of Talionis
- Fugitive of Talionis
- Enemy of Talionis
- Abandoned Shores
The Competition Heats Up
The trivia challenged both contestants’ detailed knowledge of the series. Each round featured five questions plus a bonus question worth three points. Early on, Lily proved herself a worthy opponent, having read some books in the series up to 10 times!
“I’ve read the books a lot of times… Fugitive I’ve probably read more than that, so that might be like 10 times.” – Lily
Fan Favorites
Throughout the episode, Ani paused to ask Lily some fun questions about her love for the series. Here’s what she shared:
- Favorite Book: Fugitive of Talionis
“I really liked how Bria and her friends were hiding in the woods. It was so action-packed!”
- Favorite Scene from Recruit of Talionis
“When Nika and Bria are walking in the ruins and sharing about faith. That was so meaningful.”
- Favorite Villains: The Valarius brothers
“Their personalities are so different, and it makes them really interesting!”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Talionis?
During the Q&A portion, C.J. Milacci shared exciting updates about the series:
- Book 4 (the final book) coming in 2025
- Potential spin-offs in development
- Character art possibilities through future Kickstarter campaigns
The Writing Journey Behind Talionis
During the Q&A portion, C.J. Milacci shared valuable insights about her writing process:
“I want to provide excellent stories. I want to show that hope can shine in darkness. I want my readers to be able to escape the craziness of their lives, but also read about truth and hope and things that are from the Lord.”
On Finding Time to Write
C.J. emphasized the importance of prioritization:
“I read my Bible in the morning and have my cup of coffee, get ready for the day. And then the first thing I do is I write… I make it a top priority for myself. Otherwise work and life and busyness and stress and overwhelm will crowd out the ability to write very, very quickly.”
The Importance of a Writing Team
She stressed the value of having support:
“The best books come when you have a team around you… we can’t write on our own and create a story that will touch other people’s hearts as much as we can do that if we have other people coming alongside of us and helping us in that process.”
Writing Clean Christian Fiction
C.J. addressed the challenges and rewards:
“There are readers who want books with Christian content that want that story that helps them better see what it looks like to follow Jesus or to live out their faith or to live courageously… if he’s called you to write clean and Christian content, then do that and do it with excellence.”
Knowing When a Book is Done
On completing a manuscript, C.J. shared:
“No book is ever going to be perfect, except for the Bible. We can’t write perfect things… but we can do them to the best of our ability. So that’s what I try to do.”
And the Winner Is…
The final scores:
- C.J. Milacci: 19 points
- Lily: 13 points
Though C.J. won, the bonus questions made the difference – proving Lily’s impressive knowledge of the series!
Stay Connected
Catch new episodes of Read Clean YA with C.J. Milacci starting January 6, 2025. Connect with C.J. at ReadCleanYA.com to suggest future interview guests.
This fun-filled episode highlighted both the depth of the Talionis series and the passionate readers who bring these stories to life.
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About Your Host
Award-winning author CJ Milacci writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As the podcast host for Read Clean YA with CJ, she loves talking about books and the deeper themes woven into the pages of each novel. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.
Always willing to get real about hard issues, C.J. also enjoys the cheesiest of puns. She chats about writing, her faith, bubble tea, and other fun adventures online (@cjmilacci) and at cjmilacci.com.
CJ Milacci is the award-winning author of The Talionis Series, and she writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As a referee, she’s always relearning the hard lesson that it’s impossible to make everyone happy, and she’s discovered that stories can be found anywhere, even on a lacrosse field. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.
Recruit of Talionis, Book 1
A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?
Fugitive of Talionis, Book 2
They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they’re hunting her.
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