Interview: Children’s Book Collaborators Brandt Ricca and Matt Miller Will Inspire You To Write

Image courtesy of Brandt Ricca

1950s New Orleans is the perfect location for a middle-grade fiction book. The renowned city has so much to offer to curious youngsters, such as its distinct gospel music, French colonial-style architecture, and, most notably, roots in the spiritual realm. Fortunately for LGBTQ+ author Brandt Ricca and illustrator Matt Miller, these collaborators understand the importance of incorporating the great American city into their fiction series for middle school-aged children. Set in 1952 New Orleans, the Barris Book Series follows Barris Hart, a nine-year-old newcomer from Washington D.C. who travels into a whimsical dream world each night after he falls asleep. With the help of Gracie, a Keeper of the Universe or spirit guide, the young boy navigates through different worlds as he confronts various characters and magical wonders.

The third and final book in the series, Barris and the Girl of Norizon, is currently available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This novel differs from the others because it goes deeper into the series’ lore. For instance, Barris travels to Norizon, the headquarters of the dream world, to learn more about the Keepers and help his dear friend, Pevy, process her parent’s messy divorce.

Hi, Phylecia chatted with Ricca and Miller about their third book and journey with completing the series during the ongoing global pandemic.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Writing a book is such a huge achievement, especially during the pandemic. What inspired you to create this series, and why did you decide to work together?

Ricca: The series started as a concept about five years ago. I wanted to call it the Harris Books, but I thought that was too similar to Harry Potter. My name starts with B, so I googled “Barris,” and I didn’t find it anywhere. Barris also has three sisters, just like I have three sisters. Our names start with “B,” so his name starts with “B.” Then, all three of my sisters started having kids, so I decided to write the book for them to enjoy. Matt and I also knew each other as we collaborated before the pandemic. So, I called him and asked if he wanted to be the illustrator of the book. He said he had never drawn children’s books. I’m like, I’ve never written them, so this collaboration was perfect.

How do Barris and the Girl of Norizon differ from your other two books? What can you tell us about the new characters and conflicts?

Ricca: The third book is the last one in the Barris Books installment. It’s different because Gracie is normally Barris’s guide for each dream world. In the third book, Norizon is the dream headquarters, so you’re getting more of the backstory of all the Keepers of the Universe. For example, Barris goes back in time to meet Gracie’s grandmother Lucy, who is nine and training to be a Keeper. The third book is also about Barris’s best friend, Pevy, whose parents are going through a divorce.

Miller: The first book is a good introduction to the series. In the dream world, Barris realizes that he needs to respect everyone and treat everyone equally. So that’s the theme of that book. The second book covers Barris’s grandfather, who has dementia. And it tries in the best way possible to help children understand that that’s a factor of life for some people.

Ricca: We also set the third book up for our next spinoff series, which comes out later this year. It is called the Bernice Books. It is about Barris’s sister Bernice who lives in 1954 New York City.

Brandt, you mentioned earlier that your series explores various themes, such as the importance of navigating complicated problems. What other lessons do you want your readers to learn while reading Barris and the Girl of Norizon?

Ricca: There’s a fine line to walk here because it takes place in the 50s, so we can’t have the characters be ahead of their time. But we’re also trying to showcase diversity. New Orleans in the 50s was still like it is today, which is very artsy and almost like a different world of its own from the United States. So, the luxury that we have with the series is that even though it takes place in the 50s, the dream world allows us to highlight the different areas of the spectrum. With the Bernice Books, it will take place in New York City. In that series, we’re trying to touch on LGBTQ+ issues because Matt and I are of that community. And so, the book will include two men who live together as roommates.

So, how did your readers absorb the complex issues in the books?

Ricca: They said they loved the characters. In the second book, I touched on Gracie and her backstory with Grandma Lucy. They’re both Black women with purple eyes and spaghetti hair. There’s a flashback with these characters sitting in the church rafters at an early morning church service in New Orleans, and they’re listening to “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” So, I researched when that song came out. It’s been interesting because, during my research, I found out the history of the music, the composers, and how it all came together. But I’m trying not to get too lost in the historically accurate information since it’s fiction.

It’s interesting that you’re working on another series after the Barris Books series. What lessons did you learn while writing the first three books?

Ricca: What a tough question. If anything, there’s a quote that I always think about and it says, “never lose your childish enthusiasm and things will always go your way.” Matt and I are both business owners, and we have days that are stressful. When I write the Barris Books, it’s like an escape. When Matt and I meet, I’m never dreading those days. I’m like, oh my God, we get to take a break from our life and get lost in these dream worlds for a little bit with these characters that we’ve come to know so well.

Miller: I do a lot of interior design visuals for clients. That job is exciting because I get to draw. But it’s not as fun as illustrating a fictional world. Working on the books made me realize that I don’t do that enough in my life. So, when I get to do something artistic, like real artistic drawing and illustrating, it’s exciting.

Matt, the illustration you did in the third book are beautiful. My favorite is the rendering of Madame Sylvie’s Charm School for Girls. So, what was your process like coming up with the designs for the series?

Miller: My background is in design and architecture, and I’ve always been obsessed with houses and floor plans. So, when I get a chance to draw Madame Sylvie’s house, which is my favorite rendering, I get excited.

When Brandt and I meet, we go over which illustrations we want to add to the book. Then, I put everything on my iPad and do it all with a stylus in a program called Fresco, which makes the drawings look hand drawn. But the program also makes it easier to fix mistakes, add layers, and adjust things as needed.

Ricca: I always tell this story about how Matt and I worked well together on the first book. I remember we were texting at 11:30 p.m., and he sent me a drawing of a house. And I literally texted him what he should add in the same minute he sent me the edit back. So, he had already thought about what I wanted in the drawing.

It’s interesting to hear about your collaboration process, and I’m sure developing this book was a labor of love for both of you. What surprised you the most when writing and illustrating the series?

Ricca: The editing process surprised me, particularly how long it takes. But we learned a lot from the first book. That’s why we put out book two and book three so quickly. We learned about the process, and we got it down to a science. Book one was written within a month, and the illustrations were done less than a month later. Then we were able to put that out a few weeks after that.

Miller: The first book was hard for me because I was so worried that I wouldn’t fit the parameters needed for printing. I was worried that I would do this illustration, and the book designer would come back and be like, “This doesn’t print right.” Or, this illustration is not the right size, or they can’t see it. So, that’s what surprised me the most. But after finishing the first book, the process is streamlined.

Brandt, you mentioned in previous interviews that Louisiana's deep history and culture influenced the series. What kind of research did you and Matt do, and how long did it take before you felt comfortable writing and illustrating the books?

Ricca: I’m from Louisiana. So, I’ve always been obsessed with New Orleans—the history, the Voodoo, the magic, the haunting stories, like everything. For the series, I had to research what was going on in New Orleans and who was there. I think Eisenhower was president at that time­, and he had visited the city too. I also researched Schwegmann’s pharmacy and grocery store, which was huge in the South. Unfortunately, it’s no longer in existence, but that was a big thing in the 50s. They were the first grocery store that included a bar.

Miller:  I did a lot of research on the architecture in New Orleans. I would find a piece of architecture that I liked and incorporate it into the illustrations. I used a lot of references from Savannah, Georgia too. I had only been to New Orleans once before I started illustrating the book, but I’ve been to Savannah a bunch of times, and their buildings are similar. So, nothing surprised me too much, but it was cool that I could throw some details into the illustrations.

Authors and illustrators tend to learn from other like-minded individuals while developing their works. What books, television shows, movies, and/or artists influenced your writing and art?

Miller: I like the book, Madeline. I would read that book all the time when I was little. I admired the illustrations because they’re pretty. Like the images are flat, but there are still details in the background and the foreground. So, instead of it being three-dimensional, it’s more two-dimensional, which is how I took inspiration for my illustrations.

Ricca: I loved the Amelia Bedelia series. The books that everyone forgot about. There’s supposed to be a movie about it, and Tom Hanks is behind the project. But my favorite author, whose style I like, is Mitch Albom. He wrote Tuesdays with Morrie. His writing style is cool, creative, and visual. From him, I learned how to be more detailed with my writing.

Like if Barris is running up a flight of stairs, I’m writing about how that feels when he gets a layer of sweat that takes over his body while running. That type of detail I learned from Mitch Albom.

I noticed you hosted quite a few events like the creative writing workshop with middle schoolers at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. What was your favorite event while promoting the Barris Books series and why?

Ricca: Honestly, it was probably this past Friday. It was the first time we were with our actual target audience, where they had read the book and given us feedback. These books came out during COVID, so we haven’t had a chance to visit any schools. So, to see that the children loved the story is great. While at the school, we created a short story on the spot with the kids, worked with each class do an exercise, gave them merchandise, and showed them our fun Instagram videos. If we let them keep going, they would have asked us questions all day.

Miller: The students were excited to talk about the books. It was nice to hear their perspective. I also liked the event at the farmer’s market we did in the fall.

Ricca: Matt and I were up at 5:00 a.m. that morning during Halloween weekend. We had candy, balloon decor, and even a live jazz musician within our tent. And we were the only non-farmers tent that was giving away merchandise and books. So, that was a fun little morning. But we will be in Tampa at a children's book fair and at the American Library Association conference next month.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who want to break into the children’s book industry, particularly those from the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups?

Ricca: Matt and I had an advantage because we both owned businesses, so we treated this like a business we were launching. To start a business, you must be passionate about the work. I put out three books in less than a year because I knew a series would sell better than one book. Matt and I also have the discipline to put in the work, even when there is no money coming in.

Miller: Set aside some time every day to write, even if it’s just 15 minutes. You don’t have to do much otherwise. The book doesn’t have to be something that you complete right away. Once you get on a roll, you will knock it out.