Author Interviews

Interview with Simon Stephenson, Author of The Snowman Code

By on December 15, 2025   /   Articles, Author Interviews   /   Leave a comment

Today, let’s give an enthusiastic Mixed-Up Files welcome to writer and screenwriter Simon Stephenson, author of the debut MG novel, The Snowman Code. The novel, first published in the U.K. in 2024, and illustrated by Reggie Brown, has been praised by The Guardian as: “Sparkling, humorous, and poignant.” It’s out tomorrow (!!!), December 16, from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

THE SNOWMAN CODE: A Summary

It’s March, and London is experiencing its longest winter since 1773. The ground is covered in snow, and ten-and-a-half-year-old Blessing hasn’t gone to school in months. The horrible Driplet Triplets have made sure of that by bullying her mercilessly. If Blessing’s mom weren’t so sad all the time, she might be able to help; but Mom won’t get out of bed, or even go to work. And the longer the winter goes on, the more depressed she becomes. Blessing is scared that she’ll be separated from her mom—again.

Just as Blessing is about to lose hope, she meets an unexpected new friend: Albert Framlington, a six-hundred-year-old snowman. Albert holds the key to solving Blessing’s problems, but he has a problem of his own, and he needs a human’s help. Can this unlikely duo find a way to help each other, and to overcome the never-ending winter? Or is it too late?

Interview with Simon Stephenson

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Simon, and huge congratulations on the U.S. publication of your debut MG novel!

SS: Thank you! We are now one day out from “Snow Day” and I am excited.

MR: Can you tell MUF readers a bit about The Snowman Code, as well as the inspiration behind it?

SS: I think you summarized it brilliantly in your introduction. The Snowman Code is the story of a ten-and-a-half year old girl, Blesssing, and the six-hundred-and-something-winters-old snowman, Albert Framlington, she befriends. The story takes place during the longest winter London has ever known and they must team up to try and end it.

The inspiration comes from a few places. In my previous job as a children’s doctor, I’d worked with kids like Blessing and since that time I’d always wanted to write something they might see themselves in. Likewise, growing up in Scotland, snowmen featured regularly in my childhood. Writing films for young people finally gave me the confidence to tell this story.

A Real Blessing

MR: Blessing is an incredibly likable character, with highly relatable problems—including getting bullied at school and dealing with her mom’s depression. What is the secret to writing such real, three-dimensional characters?

SS: I appreciate that. I think when you are writing something with fantastical elements – i.e., a talking snowman – it helps to keep everything else as plausible as possible.  I think for me, as much as anything that tends to involve mixing the light with the dark. There is a version of a snowman story where it is all happy-magical-fantastical-unicorn-land and there is a version of Blessing’s story where it is all sad and downbeat. In life I think the truth often lies somewhere in the middle, and that is where I try to land. The way Blessing encounters her problems is the way kids do: those problems are a part of their life, but not the whole story. At heart, all kids are just kids.

MR: Blessing forms a deep friendship with Albert, a six-hundred-year-old snowman.  On the surface, they have little in common, but their bond is strong. What were you trying to say about the pair’s unlikely friendship, and about the nature of friendship in general?

SS: I liked the idea of two headstrong characters – a kid who knows she is usually right, and a snowman who usually thinks he is right – teaming up on an adventure together. I never set out to talk about friendship in general, but it does always seem to come out in my work. I think perhaps it is just one of the most important parts of life as a human, and if you are going to write about humans – and even snowman – it is inevitably part of that.

The Impact of Climate Change

MR: Another overarching theme in the book is climate change. We see this in London’s “broken weather,” where the city is experiencing the longest winter since 1773. What sparked your interest in this topic, and what do you think the takeaway is for readers?

SS: Sadly, I think climate change is just a fundamental part of our lives now, and it’s part of the conversation about seasons. I remember every winter of my childhood as having at least one good snow, and now we are lucky in Scotland if we get one every couple of years. In the specific world of the book, I think this goes back to the idea that if you are writing about something magical, it helps if it has a dose of reality to it.

British vs. American Editions

MR: Setting is another important aspect of the book. What made you choose London? (I know you lived there, as did I.) Also, The Snowman Code was first published in the U.K., in 2024. Are there any notable differences between the British and American editions?

SS: I miss London! I worked with kids like Blessing when I lived and worked in East London, and so it seemed the natural place. Victoria Park, where Albert lives, was my local park and everything else in the book — the canal, the flower market, the hospital – is drawn from life.

The UK and American editions I think are the same except for some spelling changes. But after 12 years of living and working in America I did recently discover that we use the word “quite” in different ways. In British English, “quite” means somewhat, whereas in American English it means “very.” A phrase like “quite good” therefore means either “somewhat good: or “very good,” depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on. This seems important information and I think they should tell you it on the plane.

MR: I totally agree! 🙂 

The Leap to MG

MR: This is your first MG, but not your first book. You’ve written several for adults, including Set My Heart to Five (2020), which is being adapted into a movie and for which you’ve written the screenplay. What prompted your decision to take the leap from adult books to MG? 

SS: I’d always wanted to write for young people, and it just took me a while to get there. After working on the movies Luca and Paddington 2, I got sent a lot of children’s books as potential adaptations and it just seemed like it’d be fun to write my own.

Writing for the Silver Screen

MR: This brings us to your movie-writing career: As above, you’ve written for Pixar’s Luca, Paddington 2, and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. How does your job as a screenwriter influence your writing?

SS: I think one thing screenwriting teaches you is economy. A screenplay is only about fifteen or twenty thousand words, so every word has to count. I try to bring that to my prose and edit pretty ruthlessly. (F. Scott Fitzgerald cuts everything he writes by half, and that seems about right.)

MR: Speaking of movies, are there any plans to adapt The Snowman Code for the silver screen? I can see it as a gorgeous, animated feature. (I’m guessing you can too. 🙂)

SS: Yes! We are currently having some interesting conversations about this, so watch this space.

Simon’s Writing Routine

MR: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any particular habits or rituals?

SS: Get up. Drink coffee. Bang head against desk. Repeat.

I do my best to eliminate distractions, so I block the internet on my computer and turn off my phone. I work best in a quiet coffee shop and luckily there is one right near where I live.

MR: What are you working on now, Simon? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know…

SS: So, currently there are a few different things on the boil: adaptations of my two previous adult books, and then some screenwriting things besides. My ambition for 2026 is to write another book, so hopefully will be settling down to that in early January.

Lightning Round!

 

And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Gummy bears. Not just my preferred writing snack, but also my preferred meal.

Superpower?  Flying would be pretty great, but I will happily take whatever is available.

Favorite season? I mean, I think I had better say winter. (I live in southern California, so it is no great hardship here.)

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Absolutely. If we are going to have an apocalypse anyway, we might as well go all in, right? Here in LA, many people keep “earthquake kits” – grab bags containing water, flashlight, batteries etc. I have a joke with my friends that mine just contains zombie make-up, because that would be fun and a good way make sure nobody bothers you.

Favorite way to dress a snowman? I’d better cite Article 4 of the snowman code, which stipulates that a good disguise consists of a raincoat, waterproof trousers, sunglasses, a hat, a scarf and a pair of gloves. (Pictured here: Simon’s late brother, Dominic, the subject of Simon’s memoir, Let Not the Waves of the Sea.)

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? My fiddle so I can finally get some practice in, a bicycle of some sort, and Moby Dick so I can finally find out what happens in the end.

Favorite place on earth? The west coast of Scotland in the summertime, which is three days in June and you can never predict the three days.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Simon. It was a pleasure to learn more about you and your books, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Thank you for having me! I’m grateful for your support (and Albert and Blessing are too!)

All About Simon

SIMON STEPHENSON is a writer for adults and children, and is a screenwriter. Before he became a full-time writer, Simon was a physician. His latest novel, Sometimes People Die, was published in 2022.  Simon has written two other books, Set My Heart To Five (2020), and Let Not the Waves of the Sea (2012), a memoir about losing his brother. The book won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards and was serialized on BBC Radio 4. Simon has also worked as a writer on various films, including Pixar’s Luca, Paddington 2, and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. Like every other Hollywood screenwriter, he has a drawer full of unproduced scripts and forgotten promises. He lives in Los Angeles. Learn more about Simon on his website.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines and selected jokes for Reader’s Digest. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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Author Spotlight: Ali Terese

By on December 11, 2025   /   Author Interviews   /   Leave a comment

In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Ali Terese about her middle-grade graphic novel, VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T.

Ali Terese is a middle grade and YA author who writes funny and heartfelt stories including FREE PERIOD (Scholastic – 2024) and VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (Aladdin / Simon & Schuster – 2025). Her work has received the National Book Award – Longlist honor, a School Library Journal starred review, an Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award, and a Kids’ Indie Next selection. FREE PERIOD is part of the Chicago Battle of the Books and Texas’s Lone Star Reading List. Visit Ali online for book bonuses, giveaways, and resources like discussion guides, recipes, craftivism projects, and more at aliterese.com.

All About the Book!

From the author of National Book Award-longlisted FREE PERIOD comes a new hijinks-fueled comedy about finding your voice, perfect for fans of Carrie Firestone and Lisa Yee!

Sporty Meg and fashionista Jo don’t have much in common besides being 7th graders at Somerset Middle School, where everyone is obsessed with being voted the Greatest of All Time and celebrated at the Harvest Ball. But when their mascot Somerset Babette (aka the world’s cutest goat) is kidnapped, Jo and Meg are wrongfully accused of being the culprits.

The burned-out soccer star and chronically-ill overachiever band together and assemble a rag-tag squad to steal the goat back. Banter, activism, self-care, double-crosses, big shenanigans, and even bigger feelings follow as the girls fight to change how animals are treated at their school and achieve true freedom for their four-legged, sweater-chewing friend in this laugh-out-loud middle-grade heist centering friendship and bodily autonomy.

Interview with Ali Terese!

Congratulations on your new book release! I absolutely adored it! Publisher’s Weekly gives VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. a starred review and writes, “Centering an intersectionally diverse cast across Meg and Jo’s alternating first-person POVs, Terese delivers a joyful slice-of-life romp about finding oneself and uplifting others.” I love this description of your book. What inspired this story?

I call this book Ted Lasso for tweens because it is full of hope, hilarity, and people who really care about each other and their goat! The book is set in a sports-crazed suburban town where the middle school mascot, Somerset Babette, has lost her little farm to yet another sports field and is now trapped in a parking lot. Well the kids are not going to let that happen to her! 7th grader Jo is already scheming to set the goat free when she and classmate Meg witness Babette getting kidnapped. Meg and Jo bring together a reverse heist crew to steal Babette back so they can truly change the way animals are treated on their campus. There are wild chases, double-crosses over disco fries, and an accounting fart joke for the ages. In standing up for Babette, the students find their voices in making decisions about their own bodies too, which is what inspired me to write this book in the first place.

When I was younger I had juvenile arthritis like Jo and a sports injury like Meg, but I didn’t know how to make my voice heard. So when the adults in my life said things like champions play through pain, you’re exaggerating, and limping will make it worse, I took all that to heart. I believed that my body existed in service to a game, teammates, a sport. When in reality, our precious bodies belong to us alone, and there isn’t some switch that flips when we turn 18 so that we know how to make decisions about ourselves. We need to learn as children when to rest, when to seek care, and build a society that allows those things to happen. I think kids deserve hilarious, affirming stories to remind them that they have a say over their own health and safety right now, and I feel so lucky that I get to write them.

Characters

Meg and Jo are such interesting main characters, and I enjoyed the rest of the cast as well. Who was your favorite character to write in this book, and why?

This is an impossible question! But I’ll say Meg because she is such an earnest goofball. When she’s injured at the beginning of the book and is forced to take a break from soccer, it gives her a chance to ask if playing this sport nonstop is how she wants to spend her life. Over the course of the story, she realizes she doesn’t actually know! Which I think is good for kids to see. She loves the game, but she isn’t willing to pay the price of her pain to play it at the level her dad and coaches expect. It is so hard to speak up for yourself in these situations, to see something different than the way you’ve always lived, and I loved spending time with Meg as she made her messy way through it. My hope is that young readers will reflect on her story and think about the decisions they’re making.

Craft

The plot has some great twists, and the heist element was fun and suspenseful. Was it difficult to craft? What were your biggest challenges in writing this?

I had so much fun with it! From a craft perspective, I had to keep reminding myself that even though there were mystery elements to figuring out who had taken Babette and why, the real focus was on the heist team. For me, heists are perfect for middle grade stories because they are natural team building exercises. Everyone has to recognize their own special skill and the special skills of the kids around them, figure out how they can all fit together to solve a problem, and then work with people who are different from them to create change. I also really enjoyed that Meg found her love of being part of a team in soccer translated to putting the squad together to save Babette. I hope sporty readers will think about how their creativity and leadership skills on the field can help them make a difference on issues they care about too.

Impact

As an animal lover, I really liked the concern for Babette and her well being. And the fact that the kids cared enough to do something. You are so good at writing stories that spur kids to positive action for their communities. Can you tell us a little about your 2023 debut novel, FREE PERIOD, and how it has spurred positive change in communities?

FREE PERIOD is a middle grade comedy where a couple of chaos monsters fight to get maxi-pads in all school bathrooms for all students who menstruate. It uses comedy, delightfully disgusting desserts including maxi-pad cupcakes and tampretzels, and wildly weird crafts like crochet utersuses to get kids laughing and having fun with an issue that can sometimes be different to talk about. My hope is that it is an entry point to the school period equity movement which is one of the greatest examples of student led action in our nation’s history. When I first started working on the book about a decade ago, no states required pads in schools. Now because of the work of students and their allies, about half the states in the country either require pads in some school bathrooms or provide funding for them. It has been so amazing to hear from young readers that they’ve gone to their principal after reading the book to advocate for period products and to partner with non-profits around the country doing this work. In the bigger picture, I hope kids see from Gracie and Helen’s story that you don’t need fancy or formal training to create change. Advocacy is for everyone, and they can use what they already love to do in life to make their voices heard.

Inspiration

Your new book also addresses the themes of sports burnout/bodily autonomy and a gradual return to playing after injury. These are so timely and relevant for today’s young athletes, and from what I can tell, rarely addressed. Did a personal experience motivate you to explore these areas in your book, or how did you decide to highlight these topics?

As I mentioned earlier, I was motivated by own experiences with sports injury and chronic illness as a young athlete. But when I started research for this book, it seemed so much had gotten worse rather than better in the decades since I played. Of course as a parent, I knew there were still overzealous parents and coaches, all the more complicated as children are pushed to specialize in a single sport and even play on more than one team per season. I was honestly shocked, though, to see the number of specialized children’s sports injury clinics popping up around the country for game nights. If there are so many injuries to justify a dedicated care center, how have the adults not stepped back to say, wait should we reevaluate what is causing all these injuries to children in the first place? That really informed the collective action aspect of the book. Children should be able to play and enjoy sports, but if their adults aren’t going to help them do it responsibly, teammates may have to work together to demand protections like a safe return-to-play plan that involves gradually returning after injury or burnout under the supervision of medical professionals. Also, grown-ups get it together.

Favorite Experiences

What have been some of your favorite experiences since becoming a published author?

If you go to my author website aliterese.com you’ll see a big part of my art is bringing the book world into the real world through craft. If there is a cuterus uterus cookie in the book you better believe I’m baking those in my kitchen. Same with the free bracelets, yarn crafts, t-shirts, games, and other resources on there. A few weeks ago, I heard from a young reader that picked up VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. at her local indie and saw the crochet Babette I’d dropped off at the store. And now she is crocheting her own Babette with her mom. My heart!! Can there be anything better than the art you put into the world bringing parents and kids together? I hope they make the cutest goat ever and talk about the intergenerational issues in the story while they do!

Advice

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Please believe it when everyone says a bad agent is worse than no agent. I know it is so hard to hear when querying gets more challenging each year, but this isn’t gatekeeping. It is writers sharing their experiences which can range anywhere from wasted time to bad deals to dead books to not even wanting to participate in the industry anymore. You need and deserve to work with a professional who has the knowledge and experience to sell your book and advocate for you. Don’t settle for anything less!

Up Next

Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?

A laugh-out-loud feminist adventure where messy girls change the world.

And for the lightning round:

Coffee or tea?

All of the espresso please

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise

Favorite place to travel:

The Dolomites

Favorite dessert:

Whipped cream

Superpower:

Outlining

Favorite music:

Vitamin String Quartet – I actually got to see them in concert this year! They were so funny in addition to playing great music.

Favorite book from childhood:

THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin

PS Thank you so much to Sydney and From the Mixed Up Files blog for all you do to promote children’s literature!!!

Find Ali on Instagram at @alitereseauthor.
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WNDMG Author Interview: Khushboo Patel on her Verse Novel ALL THAT CHANDNI KNOWS

By on December 10, 2025   /   Author Interviews, Diversity, WNDMG   /   1 Comment

 

Author Interview – Khushboo Patel

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Khushboo Patel today. Khushboo is a debut author of a gorgeous new middle grade novel in verse as well as a couple picture books, and I had the honor of reading (and blurbing) her gorgeous MG book! Her title is called “All That Chandni Knows” which launches from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Kids on March 31, 2026.

I absolutely loved every bit of this book— the verse, the plot, the character, the voice. I find myself always searching for new verse novels, and I promise you—this one is magical!

 I was enthralled from the very first page of the book, and I know everyone will adore it too!

I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

About ALL THAT CHANDNI KNOWS:

Description taken from online:

A powerful middle-grade novel in verse set in India at the turn of the millennium that follows a 12-year-old girl as she navigates new beginnings, difficult truths and a crush.

Perfect for fans of The Night Diary; Red, White and Whole; and Remember Us. 

For twelve-year-old Chandni, 1999 is the year everything must be perfect. And why shouldn’t it be?

Her parents are well-respected doctors in the community, she’s the leader of her friend group, and her crush is even hinting at liking her back. She also has her sights set high on a spot at India’s most prestigious boarding school for girls. If she stays focused and works hard, the dream just may be in reach.

But as the boarding school selection looms closer, Chandni is overwhelmed by a devastating secret that’s threatening to tear her family apart. With life and relationships spiraling around her, Chandni will have to decide between pursuing her ambitions and protecting her family.

Set against the vibrant turn of the millennium in India, this debut middle-grade novel in verse is a beautiful and vulnerable story about the seismic events that life throws at us and the love that helps us brave it all.

Interview with Khushboo:

I loved getting to talk to Khushboo about her new book and I know you will enjoy meeting her and Chandni as well.

 

SSS: What a wonderful book. I was interested right away, from the very first page and Chandni’s teasing of her secret! What is the inspiration behind Chandni’s tale (and only what you feel comfortable sharing) ?

KP: Thank you, Shifa! I so appreciate the care with which you asked this question.

This story started for me with these questions: What happens when the world as we know it is upended? What do we fear? What do we rely on? Where do we find comfort or relief? How do we navigate the push-pull between ambition and protection, and acceptance and agency, and perfection and freedom?

And as I was writing, more questions showed up (some that I wasn’t expecting), and I loved exploring and grappling with them. 

This book is very much a work of fiction, but like Chandni, I grew up in Vadodara in the late ‘90s, and I struggled with some of the things she struggles with. And while it is a story of pain, it is also a celebration of so many things I love—coming-of-age stories, mother-daughter stories, first-person stories, poetry, music, my childhood city, language, food and culture, middle-grade friendships and crushes, all the games we played, and just getting to show kids today—a life before the internet.

SSS: As a mom of three girls, I wanted to reach out and hug Chandni! Her voice and her personality are so sweet, and yet full of strength, and the clear care you took to craft a story that was both important and compelling was absolutely remarkable! How did you balance such a strong voice with such a heart-wrenching story?

KP:I think when you are dealing with some pain, it is easy for the character to slip into a complaining or whining tone. And when you are trying to write a flawed character, it can sometimes come across as brash or annoying. It’s all so tricky! I certainly see that now when I look back at the beginning of my first draft, and I think that’s normal because setting up the story is so hard craft-wise, and in the first draft, you are just trying to figure out the characters and the story problem on the page. Good thing we get to revise and revise and revise!

Voice can be such an elusive and inexplicable thing and it’s so often a writer’s unique way of looking at and expressing things, but I think a part of it is also working on craft and story.

I think what helped the voice here is the fact that Chandni is a complex character. She has such different roles at home and at school and so much is changing around and within her, that she is forced to act, even if she is doing some things all wrong. I think it helps to have a character with agency and enough things happening with the plot, which are not things one would usually think of when thinking about voice. Chandni came into her own when I put her through the wringer, and she had to react and do things.

And I am forever grateful to my brilliant critique partner and friend Lisa Carter, who told me that the trick is going to be conveying this story through the eyes and voice of a protagonist who is in pain, YET is innately positive, proactive, and making the best of her situation. It’s advice that I held close while revising.

SSS: I loved reading all the details about Chandni’s life, her food, her culture, and even the historical time frame that was so relatable to myself as a kid growing in America in the 90s/2000s!

How does Chandni’s setting of 1999 India impact her life, her friendships, and her family?

KP: This is such a good question, because the fact is that the story would not have worked if it was not set in this time period in this particular society. She would probably not have kept this secret as long as she did, or would maybe have felt less scared of societal expectations and norms, and then the stakes just wouldn’t be there in the same way.

And yet, the story also lives in a place that maybe feels liminal and timeless and relatable because a lot of these societal conversations (colorism, women’s safety, patriarchy, religious tensions, etc.) are still relevant today, not just in India, but in many parts of the world.

 

SSS: I absolutely loved how the mother was a doctor! I loved how you both critiqued society for the misogyny present in some spaces but also showed the resilience and strength of women that have always persevered and taken up space throughout any time and place. How did you strike this balance?

KP: I loved exploring that in this book—that mirroring of ambition and the pull of dreams, and staying true to oneself, even for the mother. How the conditions are always difficult, but we try to push boundaries for ourselves and future generations. And also, the tension of how that sits alongside the demands of motherhood. Life and society are not perfect, so then, what is the perfect choice? Which also ties into one of the main themes of the book.

 

Link to order here.

Writing Process

 

SSS: When did you start writing the story and was the process a long one?

KP: I wrote just one chapter in prose in September, 2022 and shared it and the premise with Joyce (my lovely agent), who immediately cheered it on. Then the story mostly just sat in my head and in the form of a list of scenes as notes. In February, 2023, I did a workshop with SCBWI on beginnings and endings, and I then started drafting more seriously, this time in verse. From there, the first draft came out pretty quickly, and I shared it with some writing friends and then with Joyce in April, 2023, who loved it. I also sent it out for more critiques and then again, I just sat with the feedback and the story. So much of writing for me is also just thinking about the story and the many directions it could go in and working things out in my head before I put them on paper. I wasn’t feeling ready to put it out and wanted to revise more, but didn’t know how to begin, and I was also working on my other picture books and taking more courses and learning craft. Simone (my brilliant editor) acquired it in May, 2024, and it went through several intense rounds of revisions after that! Writing is never easy for me, but the whole process has been so rewarding, and I will forever cherish these years I spent working on it.

 

SSS: How is the process of writing a historical novel in verse? Was there anything specific you had to research, or did you write it from mostly your personal memories?

KP: Since it’s not a fact/history-heavy story, it was mostly from personal memories and mining memories of friends and family. It was so fun to go down memory lane! In terms of research, I did do some general search to nail down the specific year that would work best for the story, and I also spent a lot of time listening to music from that time, to find exactly what I needed for certain scenes.

SSS: Any advice for fellow middle-grade authors?  

KP: I’m not sure I know enough to give advice, but one thing that has really helped me is the support of my writing friends, so I’d say, find your writing community.

The writing process is so personal, so the best advice seems to be—try different things and do what works for you.

And here are some things I routinely tell myself:

Just try. This is a long game, rejection/ block is a part of the process, and endurance/ giving yourself grace is key. Read deep and wide and engage with different types of art (paintings, music, architecture, movies, etc.). See what you like, don’t like, lean into your taste, and trust your gut. Try new things and keep your mind open. Keep learning craft. Do the deep work. Ask for help. Let go of perfection, get past the cringe, and be okay with ‘failing’ publicly. And don’t forget to have fun!

All easier said than done!

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to share with us?

KP: No, I think you covered it all. You asked such great, thoughtful questions!

SSS: What else can we look forward to from you?

KP: My picture book Stolen Colors, illustrated by Tara Anand (who also did the beautiful cover art for Chandni!) is out from Levine Querido on March 3, 2026. It is a book about body safety and consent, and I can’t wait for the world to see Tara’s stunning, powerful art.

And I have another picture book My House is a Muddy River coming out from Putnam/ Penguin Kids in Spring 2027, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu, which was actually my first book deal!  It’s a flood story set in India and I recently got to see the gorgeous first sketches.

I feel so grateful to get to work with such amazing artists and editors.

 

Thank you Khushboo for joining us- and again, I reiterate to everyone to go READ THIS BOOK!!!

 

KP: Thank you for having me! I so appreciate your kind words and support. You and your work are an inspiration, Shifa! All my best to you.

 

About Khushboo Patel:

Khushboo Patel is an Indian American author of children’s books. Before she found the courage to write, she was a lawyer and an entrepreneur. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. All That Chandni Knows is her debut novel.

 

Website: https://www.khushboo-patel.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/khushboo_.patel._/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/khushboopatel.bsky.social

 

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