Sofia Talks Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and more!
This is not a word for word transcription.
Welcome Payton and Devyn!
What is your favorite all-time fantasy movie?
Devyn-Transformer movies
Sofia-I don't understand why I haven't seen these movies, they're fantasy and I should watch them.
Payton-I'm not a fan of cars, but I am a huge fan of horror movies.
Devyn-We watch them all the time.
Payton-Every time we watch a horror movie we sleep with every light on.
Sofia-What's your favorite horror movie?
Payton-Us, I swear that I have doppleganger somewhere out there who wants to kill me.
Payton-That or The Conjuring, me and Devyn watch that all the time.
Devyn-Insidious is good. Lights Out gets me every time. We were scared for a week straight.
Sofia-Why do you do that to yourselves?
Payton-I love it. The music in the background, all of it. I don't like romantic movies, like The Notebook. Devyn is the hopeless romantic.
Sofia-That's good for me to know. I love The Notebook, though.
Devyn-Isn't Terra about the elements?
Payton- I remember reading about it.
Sofia-Elementals are a God-gifted race of people that are created to take care of the Earth. Gyans are the Earth Elementals, Festans are the Fire Elementals, Boreans-Wind Elementals and Neronians are Water Elementals. The whole thread of the book is that Linc and Vela have a bond that Vela fights throughout the whole book. I had a lot of fun that, the chase, because Linc doesn't take, 'no,' for an answer.
Do you have a favorite book?
Payton-Mine's Milk and Honey (by Rupi Kaur). It's a poetry book. I get very bored with long books, so poetry is a good book for me. When I was little I watched and read The Diary of the Wimpy Kid books.
Sofia-Poetry is lyrics in music. You must like lyrics, too.
Payton-I love music, I constantly listen to it, when I'm doing things in my room or around the house.
Sofia-I listen to music when I'm writing. In fact, I just put out a newsletter where I list what songs I listened to in what scene in my book. So, when the Festans were chasing Vela, I listened to these songs. In smoochy scenes, I listened to these songs.
Ok, so what about you Devyn? What's your favorite book?
Devyn-What's that one poetry book I read at your house?
Payton-Everything This Way
Devyn-It's about heartbreak and breakups and is intriguing.
Payton-It's kind of like a blueprint to a breakup and the stages of grief related to breakups. I saw it on TikTok and had my mom order it. Devyn actually read it in like 30 minutes. The author shows in this generation how the breakup is and how you heal and social media affects it.
Sofia-Oh, and this is all done through poetry. So, is this because you had a bad break up? You don't have to answer this.
Devyn-Yea, I did have a bad break up.
Payton-But, she has a boyfriend now!
Sofia-Oh! So you're on to better and greener pastures. I feel like we're about to write lyrics to a Taylor Swift song. I'm a big Swifty fan, if you don't know that about me. But, I'm not a fan of her last album.
Payton- I don't like the Taylor version of Speak Now. Back to December, when she was young, you could feel her pain, but now it's like she's reading off a page. Like, Dear John, me and Devyn sobbed during it. Her new songs is like she's speaking to someone.
Sofia-My main complaint as a clean and Christian author is that she has a cuss word in every song. She has such a young fan base, I don't think she needs those words in her songs. But someone told me she's trying to get an older fan base, so that's why she has those words in her new songs.
Payton-In We Are Never Getting Together, there are no cuss words in that song. You can really tell she's mature and PG in that song, because younger poeple are listening to it. Compared to her newer music for people her age and her ex-guys who are listening.
Sofia-She's made fun of writing about her ex's in songs, but that's what she's known for. I just didn't feel like that oomph power in her last album.
When I hear Let It Go, I knew it was powerful and was going to be a hit. I didn't feel that way with any song in her new album.
Payton-Everyone is comparing her new music to her old music. I just don't think they're any soul to her album.
Sofia-My neighbor actually disagreed and said she became a fan with her last album. I'm just hoping she'll go back to her roots and do what's she's done in the past.
Payton-We love you, Taylor Swift, if you're listening to this.
Sofia-We do, just no cuss words, please.
Now, if you listen to poetry, do you write it?
Payton-I wrote poetry about my father and was entered in a school contest for it. I think I got third place.
Sofia-Great job! My next question, is do you know anything about my books?
Devyn-I went to your account (Instagram) and scrolled around.
Payton- I read about your book, Terra, but I didn't see anything about Dream Weaver.
Sofia-I don't have a Dream Cast for Dream Weaver. I only had one for Terra because NBC was interested in possibly casting it in a show. Which they are still interested in. They have a new division, looking for clean and Christian content and she loved my pitch. She read my book and had nothing but great things to say about it. She didn't say, 'No,' but she did say, 'Finish the series.' She can't take my book to a producer without the series being finished. So I am rushing to finish Book Two so I can get on with my series.
Have you seen my Dream Cast on Instagram?
Devyn and Payton-No
Sofia-Ok, let's watch it. (After watching it) What did you think?
Payton- I think the two overprotective brothers make complete sense in that cast. Because of their past characters.
Sofia-My book is not all romance, it's elemental battles and my friend asked if her 11-year-old can read this. I said it's geared for 14-year-olds and up because of the violence factor.
I also, have another book coming up I'm gearing myself up to write because of the creepy/scary factor.
Devyn-How long does it take you to write a book?
Sofia-Usually about a year. But, this book I'm writing, I should be done in three months. I'm sticking to 2,500 words a day so I'll be done in time. I'm usually a procrastinator, so I really find that writing this 2,500 words a day keeps me in the scene. I'm always thinking about it. There's going to be four books in this series, it's kind of like an epic fantasy.
Payton-Is this your favorite book or series to write?
Sofia-I've switched to writing first person and I'm completely in her head and I'm loving it. Everything she see's I see, what she smells, I smell, thus the reader does, too.
Payton-I feel like that's easier to connect to a book. Sometimes when it's third person, I can get confused on who's talking and what's going on.
Sofia-I'm absolutely loving writing first person with this book, Torch. Suddenly she's gotten snarky, funny and I'm seeing a whole new side of my character. It makes me think should I rewrite book one now to first person? Sometimes I think I wish people could read book two before they do book one. But that's not possible. So this book has been my favorite book to write.
My first book, no one will see the light of day with.
Payton-I feel like you really grow as a writer with your books. We used to write, in school, every month as we really saw a difference in our writing.
Sofia-Well, that's what I did with Dream Weaver. I wrote that back in 2012. And I went back and completely revamped it with new chapters and re-edited it. Everything I learned in the past ten years, I applied to my first book. When I wrote it, I wanted it to be a 3-book series, but life got in the way, so I didn't get to write it. But who knows, if I can keep up with this writing schedule, I can write a lot in the next few years.
If you can dream up a movie, what would it be? Something adventure? Something scary?
Payton and Devyn-Definitely something scary.
Payton-Or something detective, I think Devyn has watched Grey's Anatomy five times. I love Criminal Minds. I think we could put both of them together. I think we're FBI agents now.
Sofia-Why couldn't you do it? Why couldn't you someday write one?
Payton-I would. If I could just sit down and write and not get off track, I could do it.
Devyn-I just get off track super easily. And I procrastinate.
Payton-Free time is so hard. With school and sports. My free time, I nap.
Sofia-This is prime napping time right now.
Payton-She took a nap before we got here. I told her I'd wake her up.
Sofia-Have you heard of Frank Peretti? He's writes suspenseful Christian books.
Payton-The one author who used to scare me all the time is Edgar Allen Poe. I can picture it. With scary movies, I can close my eyes and close my ears. But with a book you can't do that.
Sofia-I don't know that much about Edgar Allen Poe.
Payton-I read The Crow. We had to read it for school.
Sofia-Didn't he live in the 1800's?
Payton-He wrote about his own life and wrapped fantasy and gore in it. He was definitely ahead of his time. The words he wrote was scary.
Sofia-I just read that his wife was very lively and that she was his cousin.
Payton-Yeah, I remember hearing that he married his cousin and I was surprised the school had us reading him.
Sofia-It says that she was very vivacious, but he was so spooky. What a contrast. I picture him being dark and broody. He's written about her, My Darling Wife, A Valentine to Her Husband, My Poor Virginia Still Lives-that's morbid. Oh, I guess she was sick.
Ok, to get back to my questions: If you could be in any book, which one would it be?
Payton-I would be in Twilight.
Sofia-Yea, we have a Twilight fan!
Payton-I would want to be in the Twilight vampire family.
Devyn-You know the fairy books, when I was young, I wanted to live off those books.
Sofia-Did you know that's a big trope right now? Fae books are very popular.
Devyn-If I could be in a fairy flying book, I'd like to have a wand.
Sofia-Ok, but Twilight, I'm completely on board with that book!
Did you watch the movies? (to Devyn)
Devyn-No, I'm interested in it, but I've never sat down and watched it.
Payton-Like I've never seen the Transformers movies. I'm just not a car person.
Sofia-Did you ever see Fast and Furious movies?
Payton-Yes! When Paul Walker died, oh man.
Sofia-Is that the guy with the bald head?
Payton-No-that's Vin Diesel.
Devyn-He's the brown haired guy with the blue eyes.
Sofia-Did his character die?
Devyn-No, he died. He ran into a tree, I think.
Payton-I like the Underworld movies, too.
Sofia-I love those movies! Wasn't Theo James in it? I'm just asking because I've boycotted his movies. He abandoned a show I love, called, Sanditon. It's Jane Austen's last unfinished book. Have you heard of Jane Austen?
Both-No.
Sofia-She wrote Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility. She lived in the early 1800's. She wrote these amazing books that are so famous. A show was made in her last unfinished book. Theo James nailed that show. But they weren't sure if they wasnt going to finish it, so James went to another show and never came back to Sanditon. I'm still holding a grudge about that.
Payton-I wasn't sure if these questions were going to be hard to answer, but they aren't. When you were going to ask me about my favorite fantasy movie, I was going to answer, Moana. That little chicken in that movie is my favorite character.
Sofia-I'm showing you my little LEGO Grogu character right now. I love Grogu.
Payton-I've never seen Star Wars.
Sofia-What??
Devyn-My brother was obsessed. But I've never been interested in it.
Payton-I like Avatar, but not the second Avatar. There's nothing crazy in it. I've never watched Star Wars though.
Sofia-Ok, you're going to have to sit down and watch those movies. But start at Episode Four. Four, Five and Six, then go back to Episodes One, Two and Three.
Payton-Why though?
Sofia-Because Four, Five, Six were shot in the 70's. Then the newer ones were shot later. But, I'm okay with it because Four, Five and Six were perfectly casted. Luke Skywalker, Darth Vador. Also, give Rocky a try, too.
Devyn-My dad's really into that. He's always talking with me about it.
Sofia-It's not the boxing though, it's the story.
Devyn-I like Southpaw.
Payton-I like Cinderella Man.
Sofia-What's Southpaw about?
Devyn-It's about this guy who was boxing and his wife was shot and he lost his kid. I don't like stories like that.
Sofia-Rocky 's success story is amazing. Sylvester Stallone wrote and produced those movies. He was offered a little bit of money for that movie, but he did it himself.
Sofia-Ok, I'm giving you a fun quiz, a Christmas in July quiz about old Christmas movies.
How many buttons does Frosty have in the cartoon, Frosty the Snowman?
Payton-Five
Devyn-Three
Sofia-You're both wrong, he has no buttons.
2. What is the name of the kid in Home Alone?
A. Michael
B. Calvert
C. Kevin
D. Eleven
Payton-B. Calvert
Devyn-C. Kevin
Sofia-It's Kevin.
Devyn-We're a Home Alone family during Christmas.
Payton-We're a Polar Express movie family.
Sofia- I think we have a Polar Express question in here.
Payton-Then, you're going down.
3. In one of the pranks the little boy did in Home Alone, what cuts the robber's feet when he comes in the window?
A. Toy cars
B. Broken glass
C. Lightbulbs
D. Ornaments
Both-D. Ornaments
Sofia-You're right.
4. In the movie, Elf, what is the song at the end of the movie that raises Christmas spirit so Santa can fly?
A. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
B. Let It Go
C. Frosty the Snowman
D. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Both-D.
Sofia-Yes, D is right. And by the way, I have a gift card for who wins. To raise the stakes here.
5. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch's heart is four times too small.
A. True
B. False
Payton-False
Devyn-True
Sofia-It's False, I was being tricky, it's two times too small.
6.What is the name of the Grinch's dog?
A. Antler
B. Max
C. Kevin
D. Jax
Payton-B.
Devyn-A.
Sofia-It's B.
Payton-Haven't you seen that movie?
Devyn-I haven't watched it since I was little.
Sofia-Ok, Payton is winning. She's coming back to be in the lead.
7. In A Christmas Carol, three ghosts visit Scrooge.
A. True
B. False
Payton-True
Devyn-False
Sofia-It's False. I've tricked you. Three ghosts do visit Scrooge, but so does Ebenezer's former partner. So, there's four ghosts. You are now tied.
Payton-Scrooge was like a Grinch, he was really mean.
Sofia-But then he redeemes himself, you'll never forget Tiny Tim after that movie.
8. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie puts on a play to raise his spirits during Christmas. What was the play about?
A. Scrooge in the Christmas Carol
B. Snoopy's Christmas Adventures
C. The Story of Baby Jesus
D. He couldn't decide, he didn't have a Christmas play.
Both-C. Ok, you're both tied, but there's two more questions. And the next is Polar Express question.
Payton-Oh, you're going down.
9. In The Polar Express, what does the boy take and put in his pocket after his adventure in the North Pole?
A. An Ornament
B. A bell
C. A toy
D. A candy cane
Payton-B
Devyn-D.
Sofia-It's a bell. So, now Payton is leading by one.
Payton- I have the bell. I have the whole little dust bag.
10. Where did Kevin end up on Home Alone 2?
A. Florida
B. Florence
C. Paris
D. New York
Both-D.
Sofia-Yep, it's D. So, that means Payton won!
Sofia-So, there's another opportunity to win another gift card. I'm going to read you a clip from my book. It's a scene from Book Two.
(Listen to podcast for clip)