21 Feb Author/ Illustrator Annelouise Mahoney and JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT

EL: I am thrilled to welcome author/illustrator, Annelouise Mahoney today. We met in our marketing group, “The Picture Book Scribblers,” and I’m so happy we did. I was lucky enough to read a review copy of her debut picture book, JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT, and it is not to be missed. I’ll let her tell you about it. Welcome, Annelouise!

AM: Hi Ellen. Thank you for having me here on “Writing Outside The Lines.”

EL: My pleasure! So, please tell us a little about this book.

AM: I’m excited to share my debut picture book, JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT with you. My book features Julius, a brave badger cub who pretends he is the defender of the forest, and his friend Macy, a little mouse who is equally brave in her own way. She has an eye for helping those in trouble. These two friends love to play heroes together. When their snack disappears one night, they decide to track down the only one who could have taken it, The Night Goblin. Julius and Macy need to be brave in their own ways and ultimately discover that the real thief isn’t anything like they imagined. It’s discovering that sometimes being brave isn’t about being a superhero, and that courage and kindness can make all the difference when we need to be brave. This story was inspired by my daughters, the depths of their friendships, and the many ways they are brave, especially with someone by their side. Julius and Macy will make their way out in the world on April first with an early release March first for Amazon prime members.

EL: Yay! I can’t wait to hold this sweet book in my hands. I love this picture of your little inspirations!

You are an author/illustrator, and that’s not easy!  I am in awe of you! Do you think of yourself as more of an illustrator or more of an author? Did you start as an artist? What is your process?

AM: Aw wow. I’m in awe of you too. You have an incredible knack for storytelling. I like to say I’m an illustrator first and an author second. I really struggle with the writing process. I love the play part, that beginning of dreaming up characters, making scribbly sketches, thinking of possibilities and listening to what the characters want, but finding how to tell the story is a wrestling match for me. I did start off as an artist. I have a background in animation and comics. I spent some years painting the backgrounds for animated T.V. shows. I’ve taken lots of writing classes through UCLA Extension and Gotham Writers Workshop to study the craft. I’ve also taken SCBWI workshops and intensives. It never gets easier. I haven’t found that secret sauce, but I do love it. I am completely enamored by children’s books, and I love that feeling of getting lost in the story. I never lost that love of imaginative play and the spirit of childhood. For me, the storytelling begins with the pictures and jotting down thoughts. I’ve learned that if I can stay in the pictures first, I won’t get too lost

EL:  Thanks for the kind words. But back to you!  What are some of your “surreal” moments around this book?

AM: Ahh, that’s an awesome question. JULIUS AND MACY is my first book, so I’m kind of like a kid who has been invited to a special place, all along questioning if I could actually get there. It is experiencing something I’ve always wanted to do and doing that for the first time. This means the whole process amazes me. JULIUS AND MACY had many rejections and many more revisions, so to see the advanced reader copy in my hands and think, Wow. My little guys made it, they really made it into a book. That is an amazing feeling.

EL: They DID make it into a book, and it’s a beautiful book. Do you have a specific writing/ drawing routine? If so, will you share it? 

AM: Oh, I really wish I did. My routine is really about stealing little moments here and there. Before Covid, it was revising in the car while waiting for my kids’ practices to be over or noting revisions or story ideas in the grocery line. During Covid, it’s rising early before the house is filled with Zoom calls and help with homework. It’s literally making time and being okay if the day slips by, as well as grateful when I get a few hours to myself.

EL: I can’t imagine doing all this during this time with kids. You’re pretty amazing. Do you consider yourself a planner or a panster? Why?

AM: Ha! I’m a bit of both. I’m definitely a panster in the beginning. I’m literally scribbling characters and jotting down thoughts. The planning happens once I think I found a character, a sense of their story, and begin the search for how to tell it.

EL: What advice do you have for aspiring kidlit writers or illustrators?

AM: I would say that if writing for children is something you really want to do, be passionate about it. Read, read, and then read more children’s books, especially books that have been published within the last five years. Be gentle with yourself. If you don’t have hours blocked out for writing that doesn’t mean you put off writing; it means you become determined to carve out creative time when you can. Know that you will grow with each story you write and first drafts are meant to be just that, first drafts. You will follow your first draft with a second, and third and onward until it is as polished as you can make it. Please know you can do this, it just takes time. Keep writing, keep showing up, keep creating and it will click for you.

EL: Great advice! Where can we get your adorable book?

AM: JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT is available for you to pre-order at your favorite bookstore, Target, Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Here are the links to order:

1. TARGET https://www.target.com/p/julius-and-macy-by-annelouise-mahoney-hardcover/-/A-82146991#lnk=sametab
2. BARNES AND NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/julius-and-macy-annelouise-mahoney/1137645755?ean=9781542007160
3. INDIE BOUND https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Julius+and+Macy%3A+A+VERY+BRAVE+NIGHT
4. https://www.amazon.com/Julius-Macy-Very-Brave-Night/dp/154200716X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=249SPAHYZGJDD&dchild=1&keywords=julius+and+macy+a+very+brave+night&qid=1613506479&sprefix=Julius+and+Macy%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1

EL: Thank you so much for stopping by today, Annelouise! I hope our readers pop over to your website at www.WoodlandAbbey.com to learn even more about you.

AM: Thank you so much for having me here.