My Magical Bearded Friend follows a mysterious character who gradually appears when the sun starts to go down and disappears when the sun reappears in the morning. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The story was inspired initially by a colleague at work who has a magnificent beard. I wrote it to thank him for the help he had given me with publishing my poetry books. The story then grew into a mystery as I collaborated with Patricia (the illustrator) and we shared ideas on where the bearded man came from and how he could be a figment of a child’s imagination.

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

The experience was as magical as the story. I found her on the Reedsy website and was instantly attracted to her style of imaginative imagery. Rather than just being “the illustrator”, Patricia soon became a huge part of the formation of the story and had some brilliant ideas of where the character should go and how he should evolve with the story. Working with Patricia was a delight from start to finish and I hope to do it again sometime soon.

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

The main idea we wanted to share was how things that can seem scary in the dark can actually be exciting and comforting. We wanted to show how a child can change the perspective of what they see, such as shadows and half-light, into something benign and even interesting – not at all frightening.

I wanted the text to be as interesting as the illustrations, and I wanted the words to be easy enough but maybe a little challenging in places to draw both the reader and the listener in and show them that reading can be enjoyable.

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

There is no book currently in the pipeline, but I would love to produce another picture book – maybe even a follow up to the Magical Bearded Friend book.

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