Happy Thursday Critters! Today’s interview is a fellow author/illustrator at Two Lions, who shares the same editor with me (shout out to the fabulous Kelsey Skea!). I’m such a fan of the books Two Lions publishes and am thrilled to interview one of their newest author/illustrators and share her fantastic debut picture book!
So without further ado, please welcome Annelouise Mahoney!
Where do you live?
I live in Southern California.
When did you know you wanted to write/illustrate picture books?
I fell in love with picture books as a child but I didn't realize it was something I could do until I was in college. I was studying illustration at UMass Dartmouth and I was lucky enough to have Karen Klingon as an illustration professor, she suggested writing and illustrating for children to me and that is when the seed was planted.
Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?
I began with SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). That is my number one recommendation to everyone who asks me where to start. When I was ready to dedicate myself to the craft of writing for children I enrolled in, Writing Picture Books For Children, with Sherry Shahan through UCLA Extension. I went on to take Intermediate Picture Book Writing with Terry Pierce. My daughters were very young and the online classes made learning accessible to me. When I was ready to dive deeper, I enrolled in Art Center College of Design, Finding Your Voice evening class. That class was taught by Marla Frazee. She taught me to find the emotion in the story and to dig for the heartbeat and pull that thread through the book to tie it in the end. She taught me that it’s okay to be afraid and to feel vulnerable — and do the work anyway. With her encouragement, I began posting art on social media. While I was actively involved with SCBWI art challenges, such as DrawThis, Anna Olswanger reached out to me through email and asked if I might be interested in writing for children, seeking representation and if I had any work I could show her. Anna and I worked on revising JULIUS AND MACY for about a year until she felt it was ready for submission. I'm very grateful that during that submission process Kelsey Skea at Two Lions took a chance on me. I feel incredibly lucky.
Can you share a bit about your process?
Sure. I'm still learning and growing but I found that waiting on the words and sticking with the pictures first is my way of finding the story. I'm very messy and experimental in the beginning of a story, my sketches are loose and not pretty. I'm very open to feedback and, as hard as revisions can be, I really enjoy them. It's a refocus and revision and reseeing that clarifies the story and I enjoy that digging part.
When the story is forming and I can see it, I start cleaning up the illustrations a bit to focus on composition and expression.
As for the illustration part of the process, I like to make small thumbnail color sketches of the book before painting the final art. The color sketches are there for me to work out my color palette, and to get a sense of light and shadow before I begin the final art. Once I have a sense of the color, I draw everything out in pencil then scan that into the computer. I print out the illustration on watercolor paper, I do this because I get nervous about redrawing the illustration on a light table and it saves me some time too. The next step is painting in watercolor and scanning it back into the computer when it is dry. I can make adjustments in photoshop and make sure each spread is fitting in the template of the book.
What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?
To get new ideas flowing I need to play, and not be precious. I find that if I get too precious with a story, I freeze up and get stuck. It's like trying to make something perfect before it's had a chance to grow. For myself I find the best kind of "shaking the rust off" is loosely sketching, daydreaming, watching kids play or being out in nature. I find animals endlessly fascinating, spending time with our pets, a walk around town, a hike to see wildlife, all of that gets me inspired.
Anything you can’t live without while you write/draw?
Hmm. My favorite thing is quiet, but during this past year and a half with everyone home...that is hard to come by. I do like to settle in and have coffee, water and snacks nearby.
Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?
Oh my goodness, so many! Some of my favorites are Lisabeth Zwerger, Stephanie Graegin, Emily Winfield Martin, Holly Hobbie, and Marla Frazee.
Dream project to work on?
I feel JULIUS AND MACY was a dream project for me. Something I wanted to make so very much. I know the next book will be made with all the love and care I can give it and that will make it my next dream project.
Tell us about your debut book.
My debut book, JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT, released on April 1, 2021 with Two Lions publishing. It's a woodland tale about bravery and friendship. My main characters, Julius and Macy, like to play heroes. Julius pretends he’s the defender of the forest, while Macy has a quieter strength. When their snack disappears one night, they decide to track down the only one who could have taken it—the Night Goblin. They both have to be brave in their own ways, and they ultimately discover that the real thief isn’t anything like they imagined.
Interior Art from JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT by Annelouise Mahoney, Published by Two Lions
With its endearing characters, this gently told tale reminds us that we each have courage within us and that kindness can make all the difference.
Interior Art from JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT by Annelouise Mahoney, Published by Two Lions
What’s up next for you?
I'm working on another picture book dummy, and continue to jot down ideas as they come. I'm excited to be a Spotlight Speaker at SCBWI CenCal Writer's Day this October and other literary events this fall.
And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?
Oh my gosh, that's a fun question. I have to say, The Princess Bride. I love that fairytale movie, and how it begins with the reading of the book.
Thank you for having me on Critter Lit today! It's wonderful to spend some time with you.
Huge thank you to Annalouise for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your debut!
ANNELOUISE MAHONEY was born and raised in Massachusetts, where she spent her childhood playing pretend, making up stories, and drawing pictures. She moved to Los Angeles after college, where she worked in animation and comics. She loves to explore the forest, can’t resist a cave, and has a lot of love for all those named Julius in her life. Annelouise lives in Southern California with her family.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about Annelouise, visit her online: www.AnnelouiseMahoney.com
or follow her on social media: Twitter: @WoodlandAbbey | Instagram: @Annelouise_Mahoney
ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT, click here.
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