Axel and Ava as Cat Sitters follow two friends as they try a little too hard to make friends with a new cat. What was the inspiration for your story?

I feel great sympathy for the little ones, just like Axel and Ava. That’s why I have published a whole series of books about their adventures – “Axel and Ava as Cat Sitters,” “Ava and the Last Bird,” and “Axel Washes the Rug.” In these stories, children learn to endure adversities and face their consequences. They also gain confidence and succeed in their way.

Children are just getting to know the world and doing many things for the first time in their lives. They often have more ideas and enthusiasm than actual knowledge and the ability to implement them.

I think it’s important that adults understand children’s enthusiasm and support it. Children need space and opportunities for their ideas even when they are very young. Of course, we must observe that various mistakes and failures occur safely.

Attitudes around children have a significant impact on the rest of their lives. In addition to basic physical security, children need mental protection that encourages their self-esteem and helps them to grow into balanced adults.

I was a very active child with new ideas in mind all the time. There was a lot that I wanted to test and try, including many fruitless efforts. Making candles almost resulted in a fire, and my rose perfume turned out to be a very unpleasant brown liquid. Preserving berries with sand wasn’t a success either.

But even the failed attempts brought joy, and I learned to become an optimist. I continued my efforts and often succeeded in the end! In my books, Axel and Ava are doing the same.

Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

I have to admit that I’ve never had pets for a longer time. A kitten was brought to my home when I was very young. We didn’t become friends, as the cat just ran after me in the house. After some days of constant crying, the cat had to go.

Although I haven’t gotten pets since, there is a good relationship between the animals and me, especially with those living freely in nature. I write a lot at our leisure home in the countryside. The house has large windows from which I can follow the events of the nearby nature as I write. I keep binoculars near me all the time. When I see something exciting, I immediately go out to take photos.

Sometimes the chicks fall out of the nest, the deer calves get lost from their mother, the stubborn darts or other birds fly against the window, or the playful otters spin on the beach. That’s when I’ll stop my writing, but I wouldn’t call it a disturbance!

The inhabitants of nearby nature often become the subject of my books. E.g., “You Can Fly, Little Bird” was inspired by the life in the nest on the windowsill of our kitchen. The last chick became particularly dear to me as I followed its attempts to overcome the fear. It had to gather courage for many days longer than the siblings. Eventually, it jumped off the edge of the nest, and its fresh little wings carried it away.

The mother bird waited for its offspring in the nearby tree and chirped for encouragement. I don’t need any other pets when these birds are part of my family, and I get to listen to their singing around the house and in nature!

What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?

I want to encourage every writer to be honest. When you start writing something, you need to have something meaningful to say. Life experience is helpful, too. Writers need thoughts and feelings that are truly important to themselves. I don’t think anyone should just try to please others and guess what is fashionable to write.

Unfortunately, I often come across books driven by the wrong motives. The desire to do something fashionable, attract attention by any means and create sales success is evident in implementing some books. I wouldn’t call them art.

I understand that the book industry is also a business, and it’s guided by the framework set by the business targets. However, this is a matter for the publisher, but the authors writing their first books should not focus too much on thinking about it.

The first book is just the beginning of the writing path. My prediction is that the desire to write will not disappear – whatever the reception of one’s first book will be. We’re dealing with Pandora’s box!

How do you celebrate when you finish your book?

Getting the book completed is a multi-step process for me. As a small publisher, I’m working directly with the illustrators, translators, and editors of my books, too. There are many stages in these projects with challenges and accomplishments, and they are worth a celebration, too!

The stories have usually lived inside my head and heart long before I have written them for the book. The characters are very independent and even stubborn, and I must accept their pressure on me. After taking them safely to the world – on their terms – I feel very relieved and take a break.

I have no particular way to celebrate. Maybe I will enjoy a cup of coffee with a good cake or bun and go to the sauna. I must leave the story alone for a while and let it breathe. After taking some distance, I start handling it again, moving forward in the publishing process.

Working with illustrators is a great pleasure for me, and I’m happy to share the stages with my friends on social media, too. The best moments of celebration with books are related to reaching and touching my readers. The moments when I can see the effects of my stories in their eyes are important to me.

I believe that every author will recognize the special moment of celebration associated with the arrival of a new book in print. The package arriving from the printing house contains magic! Words and thoughts have come to life.

The miracle of children’s picture books is also related to their visual artwork. A new small world has emerged through the hands and minds of two artists – the author and the illustrator. That’s a celebration to me!

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