The Candies’ Last Stand is a whimsical adventure where a brave group of candies stage a daring rebellion during a Kindergarten holiday party to escape their sweet fate. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This story just kind of came to me early last year. I thought about a story where the candy came to life and decided that being eaten at a holiday party was not to be their fate. It was supposed to be a fun and silly holiday book for kids to enjoy that was unlike any other one out there on the market.

I learned a lot by working on this book regarding story dynamics, character development, editing, illustrations, and formatting.

How did you decide on the unique personalities and traits for each candy character?

I wanted to make the main candy character have a distinct personality so that they felt more real to my readers. It seemed like having candies as main characters just by themselves was not enough. So I picked different emotions which gave each character a place to start and navigate through the story.

Can you share insights into your collaboration with illustrator Sangi Parvin to create the vibrant visuals?

My collaboration efforts with Sangi Parvin began in 2022 when I hired her to create the illustrations for my book, “Are We Friends?” This book was the third book in my Gia Toddler-Preschool series that focuses on teaching life lessons and focused on friendship.

I felt that Sangi would be the right illustrator for this book because she has good ideas and is willing to put in the time & work to make them just right. Since there were different obstacles in the development of this story we started it in the summer of 2023 and then took a break because it wasn’t getting completed in time for the holidays. After a short break we decided to continue working on the book in the spring of 2024 and then I published the book on 11/1/24 once the formatting & illustrations were completed.

Sangi has a good eye for colors, contrasts, and is good at putting together the scenery for the illustrations. Once she has an idea what I am looking for regarding the illustrations, she will create a visual and come back to me for approval. It takes time to get the illustrations just right and we both had to learn to be patient with each other to make sure that everything worked out.

Are there plans for a sequel or more adventures featuring the rebellious candies?

I have some ideas in my head for things that can come after this book, The Candies’ Last Stand but nothing has been written as of yet. I hope to put some of them down on paper very soon. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this book! Thank you for your support!

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