Have you ever made a promise to a friend that was hard to keep?

Beverly L. Warren grew up on Long Island, New York and in southern Florida. She is a graduate of the Fashion Insititute of Technology where she studied illustration and design. After graduating she worked as a paste-up artist and taught art for grades K-8. She has illustrated several books and educational material for children, including HAVE YOU SEEN MOUSE? Beverly lives in Washington state with her husband. When she is not dreaming up stories or illustrating characters you can find her enjoying time with her family, gardening, or hiking in the mountains near her home. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.

TINKER, WHERE ARE YOU? is a picture book about young Hannah and a promise she makes to her friend Abby. Her friend is going away for a bit, could Hannah watch her lizard Tinker? Hannah promises she will do it (even though she doesn’t like lizards) but trouble ensues when the lizard goes missing. What will Hannah do?

Welcome Beverly!

Me: You are an author and an illustrator. Can you share about your journey? When did you start creating art and/or picture books?  How did that bring you to where you are now as the author and illustrator of this book?

Beverly: Having graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, I had an affinity for design and illustration. What launched me into picture books was two-fold: I became fascinated with the books I read to my children and a friend asked me to illustrate her manuscript. That story was never published but through it I was invited to a SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) meeting which is where I learned about a publisher who was seeking an illustrator for some educational material. I sent them my portfolio and landed the job. After that I worked continually, illustrating mostly educational material but also, a few books for both secular and faith-based publishers. Illustrating was my natural skill, but I had to read the stories I was illustrating and this infused in me a desire to write as well. In time I discovered Susanna Hill’s writing course, Making Picture Book Magic, which is where my writing journey got started. 

Me: I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like your story here with a pet your main character strongly dislikes, as well as a promise to a beloved friend to do something she doesn’t want to do. Where did the idea for this picture book come from?

Beverly: Tinker began while taking Susanna’s course. She suggested we mine our childhood memories for story ideas—what stood out to you? I remembered how distraught I was when my hamster disappeared. I turned the house upside down looking for her, but she was not to be found. I concluded that she didn’t like living in a cold brick house and ventured outside where the grass was greener!

The grief I felt at my hamster’s loss ignited the emotional part of the story, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to push the plot a bit harder by raising the stakes. What if the pet did not belong to Hannah, the main character, but rather it belonged to her best friend and the pet disappeared under Hannah’s care. Would this loss put their friendship on the line? In the end, the choices Hannah made did not ruin their friendship, but rather strengthened it.  

Me: Can you talk about the media you used to illustrate this book? I understand that you start with watercolor and colored pencils for your illustrations. Are you strictly a traditional artist?  Or do you use a blend of traditional and digital illustration?

Beverly: Usually, I illustrate with transparent watercolor paint and Prisma color pencils for the final illustrations. This book began with graphite on paper, but instead of using watercolor paper, I entered the graphite sketches into my iPad and finished the art there. This is the first time that I combined traditional sketches with digital final art. The app I use to add color is Procreate.

Me: Can you tell us a bit about your research process?  How long did it take you to research all the facts about anole lizards that went into this book? Did that inform your writing before you drafted this manuscript? 

Beverly: No, the manuscript was drafted first. From the start I decided I would not make Tinker a hamster, but rather a turtle and the setting would be near a pond. However, during the revision process, I was coming across too many turtle picture books, so I changed Tinker to an anole lizard. This forced me to alter the story to fit a location where these lizards lived in abundance. Once that decision was made, I began gathering facts about anoles. I had lived in Florida when I was quite young and remembered spotting these lizards on screens, porch steps and various other places. I can’t say how long the research process took because I worked on this book on and off for several years.

Me: As you both wrote and illustrated this book, which came first, your text or the illustrations? Or did you work on them in tandem?

Beverly: You would think because I’ve been an illustrator for much longer than being a writer that the pictures would come first, but the opposite is true. I begin the text by identifying the character and the problem with the setting following. Once the story is close to where I want it, I will begin working on the art which could cause me to alter the text some. At that point I may work on the art and text in tandem.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in creating this book?

Beverly: This is not my first book, but it is my first self-published book. As a self-published book it was up to me to design the cover which I enjoyed. But what surprised me was discovering that many fonts are not copyright free for commercial use. Most, I believe, are free for personal use. For those who want to self-publish go to: https://www.1001fonts.com and click on the bar that says, “commercial free.” There are hundreds of fonts to choose from.

Me: Any advice for other aspiring picture book writers and/or illustrators?

Beverly: My advice would be similar to that of other writers. Find a critique group preferably with those who write picture books. Consider becoming a member of SCBWI. Take advantage of writer’s courses, conferences and online opportunities and persevere.

When discouragement has come knocking at my door, I’ve found it helpful to take a short break and do something else that I enjoy. If you are called to write and or illustrate, then do it.

That’s great advice Beverly. Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, Beverly’s book was published in April. It’s a sweet story (with a twist at the end you won’t see coming) and gorgeous illustrations. You won’t want to miss it.