Please tell us a little about yourself and your work.

I have been working as a journalist for most of my professional life, writing for TV news networks in the U.K. but also completing assignments for German and Danish media as well as the United Arab Emirates where I live. Having three children changed that. I was inspired by my own experiences as a mother to write a series of picture books about the adventures of Lola, a wandering toy bunny, to help children deal with the absence of their missing teddies. Hop Lola Hop was first published in 2022, the second book in the series, Hop Lola Hop—A Yummy Market Day Adventure, has just been released. A third book will be out this Christmas. 

Was your storyline something that you envisioned from the beginning, or did you build/change it as you wrote Hop Lola Hop? 

The core concept of the book—an adorable toy bunny who gets lost but manages to have a fun adventure while away from her friend Ella—has been there from the outset. The storyline, however, changed during the course of the editing process, with Lola beginning as a mere cute-looking toy that accidentally goes missing [and changing] into an anthropomorphic character with a knack for adventure. In the story, Lola learns by exploring rather than waiting for things to happen to her, and I think this is something young children are able to relate to.

How did you create/acquire the artwork?  

The story was illustrated by Siski Kalla, a watercolor artist from England but based in Chile.

The artwork was one of the main reasons why I decided to independently publish Hop Lola Hop.

Siski shared my excitement for Lola from the beginning, and we instantly connected even though the collaboration took place online. I shared lots of reference material with Siski, from photographs to maps, to help her create the look of the city and rural landscape imagery in the book. An important part of our collaboration involved developing two lovable characters that readers can instantly fall in love with. While we settled fairly quickly on the look of Ella, the young girl in the story, we spent considerable time on Lola to balance her toy bunny–like features with her childlike personality.

How have you built your audience?  

Like other indie authors I have been connecting with parents and caregivers through social media platforms. I also do a lot of in-store events, library readings, and school visits. There’s nothing more exciting and rewarding than engaging with young readers directly. More recently, I was one of the participating authors at the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature, an annual literary event in Dubai, championing both English and Arabic writing. I was joined by a cast of actors who helped me turn Hop Lola Hop into a theatrical stage performance. It  was an amazing experience that allowed me to share my story in an entirely different way. It’s something that I am looking to develop further.

Any advice for others starting the process of independent publishing? 

Know your audience! To give your book the best possible start in life, you have to research the market and have a good idea of what else is out there. You should also be aware of who you are writing for. As a picture book author it’s important to consider the expectations of the child but also the adult who is likely to buy and read your book.All my choices—from the book’s format, paper quality, the illustrations, and my writing—took all of this into account. Hop Lola Hop is aimed at a very young audience. I avoided using big, clever words and long sentences but instead opted for language that would make my story instantly accessible to young readers and listeners.

Portions of this Q&A were edited for clarity.