Interviewing Author Sonja McGiboney Author and Photographer

Q1. Tell us about yourself. What are your favorite books to read?

A. I am a photographer and author living in Smithfield, Virginia. I have held many positions in my life as a military wife, but photography has always been my passion. I love being with people and capturing moments with my camera. My daughter and son are all grown up. Now I spoil my dog Jazzy, I am learning to play the flute and I volunteer at the local arts center. I like to read funny or historical romance. It takes me away from everyday life and stress.

Q2. Where did the inspiration to write come from?

A. After getting a puppy and taking thousands of pictures during her first year, I put together a book with a photo for each month. I wrote some cute lines with each page and I sent it to family. They asked for more and an author was born.

Q3. How did you come up with the titles of your books?

A. It’s my dog’s name. I just added what it was about after her name. I imagine Clifford and hope that Jazzy’s Books reaches the same level of popularity with kids.

Q4. Anything you're currently working in 2019?

A. I am just about to print my last two books for this year. One is a history of Smithfield, Virginia for children. My dog explores the city. There are photos of her in the museums, old houses, and parks. The other is a book about colors.

Q5. How long have you been writing?

I’ve written and told stories for over 40 years, starting with my nieces in the 1970’s and then my own children they were little in the 1990s. Professionally, I’ve been at it for two years.

Q6. What advice would you like to give to other authors?

Oh my, where to start. I did everything backward from how it should be done. My books are unique in that they use photos instead of illustrations. This in itself made it hard to pitch to agents. But I didn’t take enough time, didn’t do enough research and should have started straight away self-publishing with a distribution company like Ingram. Now I have a stack of books in my dining room just waiting for eager readers. I’ll get through them, but I need to look at better options for getting my books out there.

Make sure your covers are good and get opinions to see how others might see it. You need an objective critique of your cover to make sure it doesn’t send the wrong message. If you can afford it, have it professionally done. I learned after my first vendor event that people thought my books were about Pit Bulls. Jazzy is a mixed breed, boxer, lab and probably Pit Bull. The covers of my books feature large photos of her. It never occurred to me that someone would not see the books for what they were. They are fun books based on a concept with text that is geared for young readers.

Q7. Where can we connect with you online?

A. I am on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/sonjamcgiboney

https://www.facebook.com/jazzysbooks

I sell my books directly from my website. http://www.jazzysbooks.com/

You can email me directly: smcgphoto@gmail.com

Q8. Do you plan on writing any more books in the future?

A. Yes! Actually, I don’t think I can stop. I got so many ideas in my head.

Q9.How many books have you written?

A. I have written nine books and created one coloring book.

ABC JAZZY

COUNTING DOWN JAZZY

GROWING UP JAZZY

JAZZY COLORS - coming soon

JAZZY EXPLORES THE LIBRARY

JAZZY EXPLORES SMITHFIELD-coming soon

JAZZY SHAPES

JAZZY TIME

LITTLE RED JAZZY HOOD

Q10.Did you go to college to be a writer?

A. No, my degree is for Piano Pedagogy. But I had to write a lot of papers and essays to pass. Hahaha.

Reading that's dog-gone fun!