Today on KidlIt Creator Interviews author of “The Adventures of Alfie and Pepper” Sian Lewin joins Stilo and Korl from “Galaxy-Boy Delivery” for an interview. Sian talks all about how Hairy Cell Leukaemia didn’t stop her from creating, and how her dogs became her torch to guide her and give her lots of love while writing stories.
About The Adventures of Alfie and Pepper
A collection of five stories about Alfie and Pepper who are best friends and live together.Each day they wake up and experience a different adventure, from a new baby to a trip to the seaside. Alfie learns so much from his best friend Pepper and loves understanding new things, even if he doesn’t always get it right. Alfie and Pepper – Two Different Dogs – Many Adventures!
Now let’s get into the interview! Get inspired and get reading!
What makes you create? What drives you?
I was ill in 2012 with Hairy Cell Leukaemia and started to write about my dogs. I put the first story in a drawer and left it there until 2020 when I had to shield.
How did you get started in your craft?
Writing kept me going and I wrote and recorded a further 8 stories, which kept me going during lockdown/shielding.
What’s your favorite part about your craft?
My favourite part was creating the characters, they are based on the original dogs personalities. By doing the recordings of the stories I gave them a voice. Pepper is a Welsh Border Collie, so she has a Welsh accent. Alfie is a Border/Cairn Cross, he was very cheeky.
Some struggles along the way?
The initial struggle was getting an illustrator, I found Alex on my village Facebook.
What would you change about your industry?
I wouldn’t really change anything about the writing industry, perhaps a few less stars writing!! 
Your inspirations and favorite creators?
As a child I loved Little Grey Rabbit by Alyson Uttley, very traditional. I also liked Enid Blyton’s Famous Five.
Any rituals when you create things like drinking tea or breathing exercises?
I have a Latte and a couple of stem ginger biscuits. I do like a hot lime, fresh-ginger and honey when I am recording.
What makes your work stand out from the crowd?
My books are traditional, caring and each has a little life lesson. The dogs start and end in bed, to show children it’s a good place to be. Their adventures are things children can do easily, including a trip to a Farm Park, a new baby, going to the seaside, learning to swim. So in these tough times children can see a simple day out is fun.
Your favorite piece you’ve worked on?
My favourite piece was the Five Book Collection. We added some real pictures of Alfie and Pepper, plus my Editor Jen and Alex my illustrator.
Any tips to give about your craft for beginners?
If you are starting out, choose a subject you know something about and even better are passionate about. Alfie and Pepper were a huge part of our family.
What do you think about All Ages of Geek? Who do you think we should interview next? Any creators you want to give a special shout out to?
All Ages of Geek is a great focus on geek culture production, providing interactive content across a wide variety of audiences.
A great group of geeks running All Ages of Geeks. Sci-fi on a different level!
Where can people find your work online?
My website with FREE videos/audios is 
https://www.theadventuresofalfieandpepper.com/
Plus on Amazon and to order from good bookshops 
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