TEAMWORK: (Left) Alexandra and Dude read in her extensive library; (Right) Alexandra is pictured after a reading event at an elementary school; By acting as an ice breaker, Dude helps Alexandra when she is meeting new people.

mation, but it made me realize that I would rather have my characters on a page instead of moving on a screen. It was in late 2017 that my father challenged me to actually finish just one of the many stories I had written and illustrated on many journals. It has always been a dream of mine to hold in my hands a book that was written and illustrated by me.

FS: How did your first story come to you?

AA: I had the idea for a story where the characters go back and forth between imagination and reality, but I could not figure out how that would play out. Then one day when I was walking Dude, the story came to me.

I have had my characters, Maddie and Albert, for a while. They originated from my earlier teenage characters, “the Outcasts.” Over time, Maddie and Albert became more fun to draw. They are the kind of characters that you can draw in any situation, and they always look cool.

When I started drawing Maddie and Albert full time, their story started to grow. Halfway through Wild Imagination, I decided that they needed an animal sidekick, so Houdini the beagle was born. The idea for Houdini came from my mom who had a beagle that could escape from anything. Houdini's escaping abilities are stories I plan to share in later books.

FS: What is your writing process?

AA: Writing the story is the hardest part. But I need to figure out what to write, so I know what I want to draw. I need to know what the characters are saying and doing. When finished, I know exactly what I am drawing. Whenever I finish a section of writing, it is a

huge sense of accomplishment. Drawing and fine-tuning the illustrations is the easy part for me. I am very visual and once I have reached this stage in the process, I have already worked out in my mind what I want each page to look like. Sometimes I draw directly on the computer, but sometimes on paper first and then fix them on the computer.

I love animals so much, especially big wild cats like tigers and cheetahs, and I use them in the books. I research a lot about the animals to make sure everything is correct. I want it to be informative and fun.

“I LEARNED TO PACE MYSELF. IF I WORK TOO LONG, I AM NOT IN A GREAT MENTAL PLACE AND AM TOO TIRED.”

Part of the ongoing process is to constantly learn about new places and experiences my characters might encounter in their daily lives. When I went to Disney, I got the idea for my characters to travel around the world in Flying the Imaginary Skies.

The Adventures of Maddie and Albert takes place in Canton, Ohio, where my mom grew up. She has shared with me many stories from her childhood, and they really inspired a lot of Maddie and Albert’s adventures. Maddie is actually based on my mom as a kid – adventurous, social, and always running around. Albert is based on who I actually am – shy, funny, and quiet.

FS: What advice can you give aspiring authors?

AA: The best advice I can give to kids who aspire to become an author or illustrator is to read every book you can get your hands on. You can learn something from everything you read. Reading will give you an idea for the types of stories you like, it will increase your vocabulary and it will help you more than you realize in understanding what goes into a successful story.

A SENSE OF ADVENTURE: When Maddie and Albert spark a friendship, they journey through a series of escapades spanning space, the open seas, and an African safari, to name a few. Alexandra demonstrates that our differences are a positive from which we can all learn from each other.