I have seen many children who are collectors. This book is perfect for them!

Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in west Michigan where she writes books for kids that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. When not writing, this award-winning author might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading on the floor in the bookstore, or eating ice cream… ideally all at once. You can learn more about Cindy at her website or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube.

HANK’S CHANGE OF HEART is a picture book about a young collector. Hank is obsessed with hearts (in all forms and varieties) and he hordes them away from prying eyes until something changes the way he thinks about his collection forever.

Welcome Cindy!

Me: For those who might not be familiar with your work, can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? How has that brought you to this book? 

Cindy: I have always enjoyed writing and dreamed about writing for kids for years but didn’t have the confidence to do it until recently. When my daughters left the nest, I knew I would need something to concentrate on, so I set the goal of getting published. Your readers won’t be surprised when I say that it has proven far more difficult than I expected. But, it has also been more rewarding.  My first book came out when I was 63 so my message is always… it’s never too late to dream. Publishing my book This Could Be You only made the goal stronger. Hank’s Change of Heart is my second picture book.

Me: I love this story full of all sorts of hearts, physical and emotional. What gave you the idea?

Cindy: The whole premise stemmed from watching children in my hometown collect, paint, and hide rocks with inspiration messages on them. I loved watching them share joy. So… why not hearts? It took me a while to find the ‘problem’ in the story, but when I realized that sharing those rocks might not be easy for all children, Hank was born.

Me: You have a multitude of 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? 

Cindy: The story came together fairly easily and the ‘rule of threes’ is one of my favorite writing techniques. The end-product required lots of edits, but no major revisions. I have great critique partners who helped me get it in shape before sending it off to Michele McAvoy at Little Press Publishing.

Me: Can you talk a little bit about marketing? How did your book come to be at The Little Press?

Cindy: Because I had such a fabulous experience at Cardinal Rule Press for my first book This Could Be You, I was excited to have it considered by another small press. The individual attention that these publishers offer is unique. We are gearing up for a busy launch season with lots of blog posts, bookstore visits, and a fun in-person Book Birthday Party. I am active on many social media platforms so people will be seeing Hank a great deal. I love this community.

Me: The illustrations by Sasha Richards in this book are so fun! I laughed at the jogger with abs! Were there any illustrating surprises for you? Any favorites?

Cindy: Thanks! I agree, Sasha did a fabulous job. I must admit that the opossum surprised me at first. HA! I was never a fan, but he is absolutely adorable. As far as favorites go, I love the joy on the new friend’s face and the last image (spoiler alert) showing the whole town sharing hearts.

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

Cindy: I was surprised by how many things in nature are actually heart shaped, from leaves, to rocks, to the inside of a walnut – so much fun!

Me: Any advice for new picture book writers?

Cindy: Don’t give up! Whether you finish a page, a draft, or submit to an agent – don’t forget to celebrate the small steps.

That is great advice Cindy. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book published just last week. This is a story full of heart (no pun intended) with a sweet message that is perfect for this time of year. I can think of one little collector in my class that would love this book and I’m sure you can too. You won’t want to miss it.