Growing up on a small, rainy island in the Southeast of Alaska, I learned to say goodbye to a lot of friends who moved to town and moved away. It never got easier. Today’s picture book shares a tiny bit of that story, but pivots midstream into another story all together when two bffs are reunited.

Melissa Stoller has visited my blog before. She writes heartfelt children’s books to add joy, love, and the magical power of connection to the world. She lives in New York City with her husband, three children, and puppy. Like Hazel and Mabel, Melissa enjoys adventures with friends and family, imagining cloud shapes, and writing letters and stories. Melissa encourages all children to find their voices and tell stories only they can tell. Find about more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, or Facebook.

HAZEL AND MABEL: TWO HEARTS APART is a picture book about two best friends. One day Mabel moves away. They write letters and stay connected, remembering the best of times together. Then one day Mabel returns! Will they be able to find the footing their friendship once had after so much time has passed? The solution is wonderfully creative and the illustrations are both darling and wonderous (how do you illustrate imagination?).

Welcome back Melissa!

Me: I had SO many friends move away as a child. It was constant heartbreak. Yet you have a wonderful twist on that particular plot! What gave you the idea?

Melissa: Jena – first, thank you so much for chatting with me about HAZEL AND MABEL! I am so excited for this book, illustrated by the amazing Anita Bagdi, (Gnome Road Publishing). My inspiration for this story came from life experiences. I, too, had many childhood friends move away, and I remember those emotions so clearly. And, my three children all had experiences where best friends moved away as well. It is so tough to see a friendship change, especially where one friend moves away, and then the friendship just doesn’t seem the same and as comfortable as it always was. There were many books in the market about an actual move, but I wanted to examine what happens after the move, when two friends decide they need to get their friendship back on track and figure out new ways to connect with each other again.

Me: You have a multitude of very clever and very subtle three-beats woven all throughout this manuscript! How many revisions did it take to get your manuscript to this final state? Did it go through many revisions or was this a gift of the Muse?

Melissa: Thank you so much! I love the three-beats! I opened the story with a three beat: “Hazel and Mabel knew they would always be best friends. Even if Mabel grabbed the last gumdrop. Even if Hazel snored during sleepovers. Even when Mabel . . . moved away.” I love how Anita’s visual storytelling brings this opening to life! As for revisions, I write and think in iterations, I always have! So I can’t even count how many revisions because it was a constant revising process!

Me: Can you talk a little bit about how your book came to be at Gnome Road Publishing? I understand that they closed their doors to submissions shortly after they opened as they were so flooded. Did your manuscript make it in before they closed? Or did it catch their eye in some other way?

Melissa: I am so grateful that Sandra Sutter at Gnome Road Publishing acquired this manuscript! Sandra and her team are so wonderful to work with! I had submitted the manuscript at the very beginning according to the GRP guidelines, and I was so happy that they chose this manuscript to publish!

Me: You have published several picture books and chapter books at this point in your career. What habits have you found helpful to maintain your creativity? What do you do to set yourself up for success with your writing?

Melissa: For me, it’s very helpful to be always doing something related to the writing journey. For example, I am constantly trying to capture new ideas by observing everything around me with a writer’s eye. My family is very used to me saying aloud, “I wonder if that would make a good picture book!” I also read as many new picture books and chapter books as I can (I love to read adult books too, and in fact my book club will be starting its 26^th year next month!). And I try to write or revise something most days, or work on book marketing. So I feel like my mind is always whirring with something book related.

Me: Relationships ebb and flow. Sometimes friendships stand the test of time. Sometimes we change too much. Why was it important to you to tell this story? Why did you want to share it with young readers?

Melissa: I totally agree! I really wanted readers to leave with the takeaway that it is fine when relationships change over time. But with a really good friend, the connection can still be present even with change. Sometimes it just takes a bit of creativity and lots of heart to nurture the friendship, and get it back on track. And, I wanted to include the ideas of creativity, writing such as letter writing and writing stories, and using your imagination.

Me: The illustrations by Anita Bagdi in this book are wonderful! I love the amazing way she portrays imagination! Were there any illustrating surprises for you? Any favorites?

Melissa: I absolutely agree! Anita’s illustrations are pure magic. First, I adore the cover. The characters, the hearts, the whimsy of connection and imagination – it’s amazing. And the end pages are equally beautiful, with clouds that contain the characters’ faces at the front, and then the night sky with the characters’ faces at the end. And all throughout the book, there are so many brilliant details that readers can go back to, again and again, such as the little Owl Post where they mail their letters!

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Melissa: I knew the story arc and structure as I was writing, but I wasn’t sure of all the elements. It surprised me a bit (but it totally made sense!) that I had the characters staring up to a puffy, cloud-filled sky, and imagining cloud creations. I loved to do that as a child, and I played that game with my kids all the time, so it came naturally to use it in this story!

Thank you for all these wonderful questions, Jena! I loved chatting with you about HAZEL AND MABEL. Thanks for featuring me on your blog!

You’re welcome Melissa. Thank you for stopping by my blog again today.

But wait, dear readers! There’s more! Melissa has agreed to giveaway one copy of this book to a lucky winner (US contestants only). You can enter the Sweep Widget here. Good luck!