Kathy Akopov Guillory grew up in the USSR and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was nine years old. She struggled to make friends at a new school in an entirely new country and leaned on her grandma, Baba Emma, for support, which inspired this book. By day, she is a marketing consultant who lives in Maine with her husband, Chris; daughters, Emma and Eleanor; and their two dogs, Half Pint and Dr. Watson.
Q: What inspired the idea behind your book?
A: When I was nine years old, my family fled the Republic of Georgia after the collapse of the USSR. We were political refugees who were ethnically Russian and Armenian in a newly nationalistic country. We had to start over in the US with nothing but suitcases, survival skills, and the love we carried.
I didn’t speak the language. I didn’t fit in. I had to make friends in a new place. I drew a lot of my strength and inspiration from my grandmother, my Baba.
Q: As an author, what tips would you give anyone who wants to get into writing?
A: Just start writing. Don’t worry about being clever or perfect; sit down and write. Write like you’re talking to one person you love. Not an audience, not a market, just one real human. And remember that done is better than perfect. You can edit a messy page; you can’t edit a blank one.
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: Like so many others, I grew up absolutely immersed in the Harry Potter universe. I loved the magic, of course, but it wasn’t just the wands or spells. It was the friendships. The found family. The idea that even when the world feels dark, there’s still light and you carry some of it inside you.
Harry Potter taught me how to imagine big, how to build a world with rules and heart, and how to write stories that make kids feel like they belong somewhere, even if it’s not the place they were born.
Q: Was your main character modeled after anyone in your life?
A: Belle Bear, the polar bear cub, is modeled after me as a kid. Baba Bear is, of course, modeled after my dear grandmother, Baba Emma. She wore glasses and was a chess champion in her youth.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
A: I love creating a new world, one with its own rules, rhythms, and magic. There’s something thrilling about building a place from scratch and deciding how it works, what it looks like, and how it feels. It’s like being part author, part architect, and part dreamer. With Belle Bear, I got to imagine an Arctic country called Mount Bearia and a cape that reappears when you remember who you are. That’s the fun for me—building a world kids want to step into, and maybe carry a piece of with them when they leave.
Q: Do you believe that being a “good writer” is a developed skill or a natural talent?
A: Totally developed, 100 percent. Writing is a craft. You get better by doing it over and over again. Reading helps. Listening helps. Living helps. But at the end of the day, you become a good writer by writing. Sure, some people may start out with a knack for language or storytelling, but talent without practice doesn’t go anywhere. I’ll take persistence over raw talent any day. If you’re willing to show up, do the work, take feedback, and keep growing, you’re a writer. Period.
Q: Do you have a favorite book, poem, TV, or movie quote?
A: It would have to be “I came, I saw, I conquered” (Caesar, I think?). It sums up my philosophy on life. I tend not to ask for permission; I just do things.
Q: Would you write another book (or are you already writing another book)?
A: Yes, I already am! I envision The Adventures of Belle Bear as the beginning of a whole series.
Think of the Belle Bear series as The Berenstain Bears of this generation with a modern voice and an orange cape. Each book will explore a different challenge kids face today, from family transitions to standing up for themselves, and help them build confidence from the inside out. Belle Bear is just getting started!
Q: Is there an author you look up to, and why?
A: I really admire Ryan T. Higgins, a Maine-based author and illustrator best known for Mother Bruce and the Penelope Rex series. His books are smart, funny, beautifully illustrated, and genuinely kid-approved. He’s had multiple books on The New York Times Best Seller list and has won the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award, which I think says everything. His books aren’t just well written; they’re fun to read out loud. That’s a huge part of what makes a children’s book magical. I look up to how he’s built a brand that’s both hilarious and heartfelt. That’s the balance I strive for with Belle Bear too.
Q: If there were an apocalypse and you could only take five books into your doomsday bunker, what would they be?
A: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and 11/22/63 by Stephen King.
Learn more about Kathy Akopov Guillory and her new book, The Adventures of Belle Bear, here. Coming soon November 25, 2025!