The Tales of Sophie Shenanigans: Sophie Takes a Trip follows a young rescue dog known for her playful antics who is embarking on a journey to her new home. What was the inspiration for your story?

The inspiration was quite literally Sophie herself. The main character in this book is based on my dog Sophie. And how I imagined what it was like for her to come to a new home from a completely different place. Sophie from my first memory of her, when she got off the plane, seemed calm and content. She’s a very happy, energetic and sassy dog. I remember walking her a couple of years ago thinking about what her life was like, what the whole process could have been like for her in having no say in moving and adapting to a completely new life. Also I’m also a Social Worker and I have worked with alot of people who not only don’t know how manage feelings of anxiety they don’t know what it is.

The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Anniella Ragaza?

The art and illustrations really turned out exactly the way I wanted them to. It was such a fantastic and easy experience working with Anniella. I actually had to wait a little bit to get started, because I wanted to work with Anniella: she already had a couple of other authors she was working with, she is in high demand. But it was worth the short wait because I love the way she brings animals to life on paper. The process was actually quite easy and seamless; and that was partly because of my Project Manager Sem Delima; he was instrumental in keeping communication moving. And the interesting thing is, I’ve never actually met Anniella face to face, or even on ZOOM. Everything we did was online. In fact I live in Ontario Canada and she doesn’t. She seemed to be able to “get” Sophie, which was absolutely heartwarming to me. In fact just like Anniella had never met me, she’s never actually seen Sophie besides in pictures, not even video! She was able to see photos of Sophie and read my words and design what we have in the book. I was really fortunate that I had the opportunity to work with her.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

There are a few really important ideas that I hope to get across with this book. One is the idea that life can be very unpredictable, we’ve all seen this in the last few years with the pandemic, sometimes we don’t have control over every aspect of our lives and if we can adapt, if we can manage our emotions, everything is a little easier, and definitely less anxiety provoking. I also wanted to get across the idea that sometimes, feelings like anxiety can be really scary and, for children but as well as adults if we’re able to recognize it, it’s easier to manage. I wanted readers to be able to empathize with Sophie, with what she was feeling, how she experienced anxiety and that it would help people recognize it in themselves. Lastly, the idea that it’s good to ask for support and ask for help. Sophie must leave the animal shelter and Ms. Jordan, and that’s difficult and I think we can all relate to that, sometimes, most times, something familiar feels safe. I wanted young readers to be able to understand that, sometimes when change happens we can manage it with the help of a friend, with the assistance of somebody who might know a little bit more about it than we do.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

The Tales of Sophie Shenanigans is definitely the first book in a series! In the few years that I have had the opportunity to have Sophie in my life she’s already done so many things that are inspiring future books. My plan is that my next book will be out in the next year.