Jazzy's books started with Sonja's passion for photography.  She adopted eight-week-old Jazzy in 2015. Sonja took over 7,000 photos in Jazzy's first year which turned into her first book, "Growing Up Jazzy."  ​

     As a child, Sonja wanted to be a veterinarian but grew into a piano player. After obtaining her music degree from West Virginia University, she started a masters in Music Therapy at Temple University in Philadelphia. Instead of getting that degree, she met and married Dale. During their 25 years in the military, Sonja and Dale lived in Maryland, Heidelberg Germany, and Virginia, and had two wonderful children.  In order to be close to their children and grandbaby, Sonja and Dale moved to  Gadsden, Alabama in 2023.