Sarah Lipman lives in London with her husband, Paul, two daughters, Jasmine and Bella, and pet tortoise, Lassie. She has had a keen love for dogs ever since growing up in Florida and persuading her mom to let her look after her tennis coach’s half greyhound/half pit bull dog. Sarah has hosted an array of dogs for their ‘holidays’ over the past few years.
These experiences and her own joyful memories of stories told to her as a child spawned the idea for this book – her debut, Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love. Sarah has always loved storytelling and often makes up stories for her children. She now offers young readers a delightful journey through her world of imagination.
About Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love
When Sophia’s parents final agree to let her care for other people’s dogs to prove she’s ready, Sophia is thrilled. This is her chance! With every walk, bath, and wagging tail, she’s one step closer to her dream.
But things don’t go exactly to plan. Friendship tensions bubble up. School is stressful. Ballet rehearsals for an upcoming exam are exhausting. And who is the mysterious figure who seems to be watching her? As the challenges pile up, Sophia begins to wonder if she’s bitten off more than she can chew.
Filled with humor, heart, and a touch of mystery, Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love is a charming chapter book about growing up, staying strong, and learning that love, like dog ownership, comes with responsibility.
Beautifully illustrated by Lily Liu, the book is perfect for young readers aged 7-11 who love dogs, friendship stories, and brave girls chasing big dreams.
The interview
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I think the main driver that prompted me to write a children’s chapter book is my children. I have two daughters, age 6 and 8. We’d been hosting various dogs for their holidays for a couple of years, and one day my mom and I were chatting about how nice it would be for the girls to have some sort of record of the fun moments and memories with the different dogs.
Something interesting was always happening every time a new dog came to stay. Hence this formed the inspiration for my first book, Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
I sometimes jot down quick thoughts and ideas on the Notes app in my iPhone. I’m very disciplined in doing that as I’m super aware of how easy it is to forget a good idea that pops into your mind while out and about, especially if I am with the kids!
Fill in the blank: “People will like your book if they like stories about…”
Dogs, adventure and a touch of mystery.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
I think there is something incredibly cosy about running a bookstore. I love the scent of the books as you walk in, all those stories waiting to be shared…On the other hand I did a stint helping out in the library at my School in Florida as a tween and loved it. I remember especially enjoying the organisation element of the work and all the books having their correct place within the system.
How do you name your characters? If you write nonfiction, do you ever change the names of your characters, and if so, how do you decide what names to change them to?
I usually know quite quickly what a character’s name is. I certainly knew right away with Sophia. With Sophia’s friends, I enjoyed “getting to know them a bit” in my mind beforehand but their names also followed quite quickly.
I like to consider names I’ve always liked as a starting point, and I enjoy then developing that character as I consider the different features about them that would strike me as interesting were I to ever meet them.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
A movie would be fabulous. One can dream!
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
Judi Dench or Kylie Minogue.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Nighttime writing! It became quite a ritual during my writing process for this book; I’d put the kids to bed, finish off my work and then I’d begin writing around 10pm and would often write until 2am or 3am.
I can’t be interrupted as I found that makes it so much harder. I’m much less likely to be interrupted at nighttime, and I found this really helped me get my creative drive to flow. I also think because this is my first book, I was so wary of losing my rhythm and so creating at nighttime felt like a safe space!
What are your passions/obsessions outside of writing?
Everything music related. I work as a music artist manager and run a boutique management agency. I am very proud of my incredible clients. I also love to travel and have been to 75 countries.
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
I am about to now that the book has just launched. I hosted a launch event for the book on Thursday 6th Nov at Tate Streatham Library in London SW16.
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
I actually wrote a good chunk of the book in Cape Verde while we were on a family holiday there earlier this year. At that point I felt like I was in quite a steady flow with the draft and I was eager to keep things moving. I’m pretty good at being able to focus wherever I am.
How do you measure the success of your writing career?
I’m only really just starting out and I’ve been absolutely thrilled to get so many messages and DMs from parents and families saying how much the book has touched the children in their lives. That for me is everything. My girls are very proud of me and the book which makes me very happy as I simply wanted to write a book they would enjoy for years to come.
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