A Conversation with Lisa Jacovsky
Front cover of “Bones and Friends: Mystery of the Vanishing Fish”
Bender, a curious, three-legged kitty, leads his two brothers, Bo and Bones, on yet another exciting adventure! This time in “Bones & Friends: Mystery of the Vanishing Fish,” the three feline siblings share their detective skills with readers as their investigation comes to life through illustrations created by the Brainstorm Productions studio art team. This is one of several books Brainstorm Productions has illustrated for author, Lisa Jacovsky, a New Jersey-based, short-story writer who works as a Psychology professor at Union College of NJ and SNHU.
During a recent Zoom interview between Lisa and the Brainstorm Productions illustrators, Lisa shares her passions for writing and supporting three special needs rescue cat organizations. She says while most people are “dog people,” the kitty stories have captured hearts. Lisa reveals that when she’s interviewed by third parties and describes her collaboration with the Brainstorm Productions’ illustration team, the book’s sales increase! Lisa, herself, owns a few cats and certain special needs kitties – one missing a limb to amputation and one blind from both eyes needing removal - became the inspiration for her published short stories, especially the characters Bender, Bo, and Bones.
As Lisa shows her exuberance for the incredible book illustrations and gratitude for the artistic team, she expresses, “You guys are all extremely talented,” referring to the complexities of drawing special needs cats. She further explains, “You make the cats look good instead of cartoonish.” And to really emphasize how happy she is with the artwork, Lisa refers to the entire creative team as “absolute geniuses” because, she clarifies, “Even though I wrote the book, you’re the masterminds who bring it to life.”
Lisa further queries about feedback and curiosity from the Brainstorm Production studio members regarding their illustration experience. Julia Coccia volunteers, “I’ve always wanted to do book illustrations, especially book covers,” and concludes, “I feel really confident and found a new love for book illustrations.” Lisa’s smile tells it all!
We have kitties who, in both real life and fiction, found their furr-ever homes with humans loving them and supporting their special needs. We have an author who loves to share her stories and promises “more projects are coming!” The best part is the Brainstorm Productions illustration team – Bryan Martinez, Kiani Roberts, Faith Guerrero, Bryan “BRG” Ramirez, Julia Coccia, and Audrey Rodriguez - sees the fruits of their labor as the book is now available online on Amazon.
Congratulations to the Brainstorm Productions studio. We are very proud of your beautiful work!