Interview with illustrator Maya lilova

Wonderfully talented illustrator (and recently also turned author) Maya Lilova and I have been working together for nearly three years now. Together we've created the world of The Gates of Aurona and we now have two collaborative projects coming up: THE LEFT BEHINDS and THE GHOST AND THE CIGARETTE. She's also helped me redesign THE SHADES OF VENICE series and SPECTRE OF INTENTION. I thought it was long past time to give her a proper introduction!

Hi Maya! Some of our readers don’t know that you live on the opposite side of the world from me, in Bulgaria! Can you tell our readers a little about what makes Bulgaria such a unique and amazing place to live?
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Bulgaria is interesting, as it offers a blend of Europe, the Orient, the Mediterranean, and of course the good old Balkans. I live in Sofia, which is just like any big city, although it does have a richer history than many. But the smaller towns and the nature parks offer an ever-charming experience indeed.
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​The Left Behinds is set in rural Bulgaria. Can you tell us about your ties to rural Bulgaria and what your best memories of this magical place are?

When I was a kid, my sister and I spent the whole summers with my grandmothers at their villages and so did many other children from the cities. This is because many families migrated to the cities during the 20th century, but kept their rural residences and roots, where the elders eventually to moved again in retirement. We spent a lot of time playing, exploring the surrounding fields, and hanging out with the animals. Until dark!

How did you hear about the spooky creatures in this book? Did you ever go looking for spooks when you visited your grandma?
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Actually, my grandmas, due to Communism, did not have the folksiest upbringing! It was a very pragmatic ideology and all things religious and occult were frowned upon. I got into the folklore when I was a teenager and an adult, reading some fantastical literature. I am catching up on the looking now!

What is your favorite spook and why?
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I think that would be the plutenik! Discussing it with my Mom kind of kick-started this project. The interesting thing about the plutenik is that it has a vast amount of regional variations - from nearly a traditional vampire, to a helpful house sprite!
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​GATES fans always tell me how much they love your illustrations. Can you tell us how you got into art, what you love about it, and what inspires you most?

I have been doing it as long as I remember! It's just a thing I do. I have a lot of fun with it! I like to see the nice or interesting things in the surrounding world, whether it be humans, animals, plants, or technology. And I've curated my social media feed, so I see a lot of cool digital, ink, and watercolor art, which are some of my favorite styles!

For those future illustrators out there, can you share what it is like to work as an illustrator?

My favorite thing about the profession is that we get to learn many things doing research for an illustration. All kinds of sciences and humanities, and of course art styles play a role! So you get to stay curious and keep experimenting. And as a book illustrator in particular, you have the privilege of reading many cool books. Rewarding work!​

And last, but not least, our readers are curious: How did we meet and what is it like to work with a writer in a time zone completely upside down from your own?

We met through a freelancing platform. I do believe that for most jobs, remote work is the future. As long as a task is completed, the participants can freely manage their time and even travel around. And hey, nearly all timezones have a time window where everyone is awake and active! Except the Australians...
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Thank you so much, Maya, for sharing some of your experiences with us! I can't wait to learn more about Bulgaria in our future projects. You always know how to keep the work fun and I think it shows in our books. 

From the upside down timezone: here's to many more amazing creations!