Digital Book Nook recently caught up with Faith Cellan, author of “The Adventures of Archer the Axolotl: Guardian of the Lake.” We are excited to share this insightful interview with our readers today.

When did you first discover that you enjoy writing and wanted to become a published author?
It all started when I had to do some research about endangered animals and their habitats for our science school work. I enjoyed doing this so I continued doing research at home and I ended up being very curious about axolotls.

Then one day, my parents read my research and they thought it was really awesome! They even challenged me to write a story about axolotls, and that’s how it all started! It’s so cool to see how it all came from just doing some research for school!

What is your favorite and the most challenging aspect of writing?
My favorite was really choosing the names of the characters. It was the most fun part! The most challenging for me is figuring out what kind of challenges and obstacles to give the Archer, the main character!

Tell us about your latest release.
The book is called “The Adventures of Archer the Axolotl: Guardian of the Lake”. Archer is this really cute axolotl who lives in Lake Xochimilco with his family and friends. But the sad thing is, even though his world is amazing, Archer gets bullied and made fun of a lot just because of his looks. It’s so mean and unfair! But, even with all the tough times he goes through, Archer stays super strong and brave. He’s a real hero and I think kids will really enjoy this book!

How did you come up with the title of your book?
I’ve got so many other ideas about Archer so I thought I’m just going to give the book a general title and call it “The Adventures of Archer the Axolotl” so I can write more stories about him. For defending the lake, I gave him the title, “guardian of the lake” to honor his bravery.

What do you hope readers are able to get from reading your story?
When I wrote my book, I really wanted to teach kids some important things. Like, if they ever get bullied or see someone else getting bullied, they should totally stand up for themselves and for their friends. We all deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, no matter what!

And another thing I wanted to teach is that it’s totally cool to be different! We all have our own unique things that make us who we are, and that’s awesome! Being different should never be a reason for someone to get bullied or made fun of. So, if you ever feel like you don’t fit in, just remember that you’re awesome just the way you are!

Who are some of your favorite authors?
J. K. Rowling for the Harry Potter series, Stephenie Meyer for all the Twilight books, Beverly Cleary for the Ralph S. Mouse books, and Elisabetta Dami for her Geronimo Stilton collection.

Do you have any advice for writers looking to get published?
First of all, you gotta love reading! Reading a lot of books can help you get inspired and come up with your own cool stories. Another thing that really helped me was journaling! Writing down my thoughts every day trained me to be a better writer. Plus, it’s super fun to look back on all the cool things I wrote about.

Learn more about the author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | YouTube

The Adventures of Archer the Axolotl: Guardian of the Lake by Faith Cellan is available at Barnes and Noble.

About the Author

Faith was born in 2013 in Manila, Philippines. She moved with her family to Ontario, Canada in 2019. She loves to travel and is always excited to learn about unique animals and their natural Habitats. In 2022, Faith won the Save Max Canada’s Honorary Youngest CEO of the Year award for her contagious entrepreneurial spirit. Faith loves to socialize with her friends at school and with other kids in her small community. When she’s not playing outdoors with her brother, you can find her sitting comfortably on her sofa while writing in her journal with a cup of hot chocolate to keep her warm.