Amber Tambourine and the Land of Laugh-a-Lot follows a young girl into a wonderous land where she makes many friends, but she worried she wont’ be able to find her way back. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

As a child I lived in a house with a backyard that was all forest and farmland. I used to wander around back there and make up little adventures for myself and imaginary friends. So certainly that was an inspiration for Amber’s backyard enchanted forest adventures.

As a child I was also obsessed with “magical otherworlds” as I call them – like when Dorothy went to the Land of Oz…or in the movie “Brigadoon” where a magical village only appears for one day every 100 years. The Land of Laugh-a-Lot is a “magical otherworld” I created based on these inspirations.

This seemed like a fun book to write. What scene was the most fun to write and illustrate?

I loved creating the look and feel of Laugh-a-Lot – it is a very colorful and vibrant place with lots of interesting characters, so definitely the scene where she first encounters this magical place is my favorite.

What do you hope young readers take away from your book?

In the book, Amber and her family have just moved to a new house and she has left her old life and friends behind. It is at its core a book about transitions in a child’s life, but I hope that it will impart the message that although change can be hard and scary, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is possible to move on, and sometimes life will take you in new and exciting directions you never thought possible.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I have so many ideas whirling around in my head for future Amber Tambourine books, so that is a possibility. Still in the process of figuring it all out at the moment, but I just kind of go where the inspiration takes me – that for me is the fun of writing!

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