Thunderstorm Dragons is a heartwarming adventure where two kids uncover the magic within a storm, learning that fear can transform into wonder if you dare to see it differently. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My daughter was afraid of thunderstorms, and I told her the thunderstorms mean that the dragons at the mountain pilatus are coming. Thunderstorms come directionally from Mount Pilatus where we live. She then imagined how she would stomp on the dragons with her princess shoes. The story evolved thereon.

Lotta and Leo have such distinct personalities. Did you base them on real people?

Yes, they are based on my son who is 6, and my daugther is 4. Both of my children are very active and outgoing. My son is fearless and gives his younger sister nudges and confidence to become more independent.

The book beautifully conveys the idea that fear doesn’t disappear but evolves. Was that always a central theme for you?

No, this theme isn’t central in my writing in general. What is central, however, is that so far all of my children’s books (3) have a universal message which applies equally to children as it does to adults. The messages are not moralistic, but life lessons.

How did you collaborate with Nita Candra to bring the dragons to life through illustrations?

Nita has a beautiful classic style and is a pleasure to work with. I start with providing her with the complete text and a description of each scene, sometimes with pictures or very rough sketches. We then agree on the key characters. She then makes the sketches, which we do a few versions of, adding some details in each iteration before moving on to the illustrations. While it is my vision we are implementing, it is important to me that she has free creative range. I continue to be impressed by how well she illustrates dynamic and complex scenes.

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