Frankie’s New Brother, Written by Lisa P. Lily
1. Tell us a bit about your experience in the writing process of your book?
My experience with writing the book was interesting. I just had an idea one night for a book and sat down and wrote the book in a few hours. I changed parts of the book many times to help it flow. I did have some help from my mother who was an educational assistant who gave me honest feedback which was a great help.
2. Have you always been passionate about children’s literature?
I wrote a children’s book in public school for a class project, and that certainly had an impact on me. I have always enjoyed writing and done particularly well in English and writing in school.
3. Tell us about your theme of the book?
The book is about a little dog named Frankie who felt a little strange when his new brother Gus entered his life, but his mom knew the right things to say and Frankie decided he would be a good big brother. The story stars my two real life dogs Frankie and Gus.
4. Can you tell us about your two adorable dogs that stem from the Children’s Book?
Frankie is probably the most interesting, expressive dog that I have ever met. His talents include “bark activated ears” (ears that pop up when he barks), yoga, says mum and tries to talk, and has the biggest, best smiles. Gus has been coined the “side eye king” He always seems to have an unamused look on his face, even though he is the sweetest happiest boy ever. Frankie and Gus are social media stars with fans from all over the world!
5. How would you describe your relationship with your own siblings?
I have three younger sisters, and I have a great relationship with them. I live far away from them, but we stay in touch and update each other on all the things that are going on in our lives. I also try to go to visit once a year.
6. How did you find the journey of finding the right illustrator for your words on page to come alive?
The first illustrator I hired did not work out. The illustrations she gave me were clip art that was taken from the internet and slightly modified. While I was debating on whether I wanted to move forward with the illustrations I had or start over, I opened my Facebook feed and saw Natalia Logvanova advertising her services on a Facebook group. I researched her work and found she has many books that she has illustrated, and her work was stunning! I took a chance and emailed her, and we went from there. She did fantastic work! The illustrations look exactly like Frankie and Gus. Natalia is from Ukraine and is a lovely person. We have kept in touch and write back and forth regularly.
7. Where can we find your books for purchase?
My book is available in eBook and paperback on Amazon in many different countries. You can also purchase a paperback copy at Nova Scotia Pantry.
8. Can you tell us how being an entrepreneur has been for you this year?
I feel I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. For many years I had my own cleaning company, but this experience has been completely different. For instance, growing my brand online has been quite a learning experience. I am constantly learning new skills, and I absolutely love the creative aspect of what I am doing.
9. Who would benefit from your product most (children, parents etc).
Children with a new sibling would benefit most from the book, but as reviews are coming in, I am being told that even the adults have really enjoyed the story. I wrote the book for parents to enjoy with their children, but the book is also great for young readers to read independently.
10. What inspires you to keep creating products daily?
I create social media videos, and post daily and what inspires me to do that is it simply makes me happy, and it turns out it makes a lot of other people happy too. I think that is why I can spend endless hours doing it. I feel like a dog account is the one place where everyone can get along. I have followers from all different backgrounds and beliefs, and I think that is incredible. I have had people tell me that my videos make their day better, and what better inspiration is that? I hope as I grow as an author my books can do the same.
11. Are you thinking of expanding your line eventually into more books or a series?
Yes, I would like to write another book. Natalia is on board, and I have some ideas brewing already. I am working on designing some new dog T-shirts as well!
12. When we can’t find you writing. What are your other hobbies, interests etc.
I enjoy going for walks with my pups and doing some training. I love learning new skills, and I spend a lot of time creating videos and brainstorming content ideas. I have a great interest in helping the community and working with charities and I hope to get into that more over the coming months. I have pledged to donate 25% of my earnings from the book to help animal charities. 