Interview with Charlotte Blocker and Ann Dee Ellis, Plus a Cover Reveal

I’m Ann Dee Ellis and my new middle grade novel, This Cookie Will Change Your Life, is coming out summer 2025. I’m excited to share the cover that was illustrated by Charlotte Blocker. Charlotte was my student in a university fiction course during the pandemic. A couple years later, I was delighted to find out that my publisher had chosen Charlotte to illustrate my cover! Here’s more . . .
Ann Dee Ellis: I was so happy when I heard your work was chosen for the cover, Charlotte! Tell me how you went from an illustration student to a professional illustrator.
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Charlotte Blocker: It was fairly smooth. I was doing an internship with a popular artist in the area and he was able to connect me to my agent, Linda. Linda got me some cool opportunities, including this cover!
AE: I remember you doodling in class.
CB: Yes. That would be accurate.
AE: You’re a beautiful writer, by the way. I still remember your stories.
CB: You do? That’s crazy. You have so many students.
AE: What’s funny is sometimes I remember people’s stories better than I remember their names. Stories stay with me for a long time.

CB: I get that. I learned a lot about how to write a good story in your class. I’ve been thinking about how hard it would be to teach and write at the same time. Does teaching help your writing? Or is it a drain?
AE: It can do both. I love reading my students’ work. It’s surprising and challenging and it makes me think about my own projects in different ways. My favorite part is when we meet and discuss. When you’re in a workshop environment like that, you learn how to take care of each other creatively, how to support and cheer each other on. It’s one of the best parts of teaching. Also, it’s a lot of work and can wear me out. Ha.
CB: That’s interesting. Actually one of the stories I wrote for your class I kept working on.
AE: Really?
CB: Yes! I adapted it into a 36 pages risograph* graphic comic for my BFA final project called Harper and Isaac.
AE: I remember that! I loved it!
CB: Yes. That project has helped inform a lot of my work. I was wondering, you hear so many genres as a teacher and you read a lot to be a writer. What made you want to be a middle grade writer specifically?
AE: Good question. I am drawn to kids’ problems which are actually universal problems: family, friendship, belonging, candy, community, school, growing up. I also love kids. I love how forgiving they are, how blunt they can be, how entangled and important their lives are even when adults tend to dismiss them. I believe in kids.
How did you find out you were illustrating the cover for the book and was that weird?
CB: It was kind of weird. I was at work and my agent texted, “Hey, you haven’t checked your email. I sent you something two weeks ago.”
AE: You hadn’t checked your email in two weeks?!
CB: Nope. Ha. So I checked and I started crying at work because I was so excited to have a job! It was my first one. I looked through the details and I realized it was your book!
My first thought was, she remembers me and she chose me to illustrate the cover! And I thought that’s so nice and so crazy!
I emailed my agent and said, “She was my teacher! Is that why I got the job?”
She said, “Nope. I didn’t tell her editor your name when I showed her your portfolio.”
I thought, that’s even better! It made me feel like I’m really doing this professionally because I earned it!
AE: You totally earned it. My editor sent me some of your illustrations and we were both excited about them. Later she told me that it was you! Such an awesome thing to happen to both of us.
CB: It was! Did you have the idea to put the kids on the roof?
AE: Yep, I did. I love safe spaces for kids. One of the characters in the novel likes to sit on her roof. I wanted that to be featured. My editor sent me three sketches to choose from which makes me curious about your process.

How did you approach the project?
CB: They told me to draw a group of kids on a roof, eating cookies, and looking triumphant. I looked at references and made twelve sketches. I thought through how to pose their anatomy in a way that made them look natural. I picked three, drew detailed sketches, and sent them in for review.
AE: I was thrilled to see them. It was a hard decision picking my favorite. I gravitated to the one where the kids are turned away because as a reader, I like to imagine character faces.
CB: Me too.
AE: I love the details–their backpacks, their hair, the clothes, their poses. What were some of your favorites?
CB: I liked drawing their bags. It made me feel like I could imagine them in the world.
AE: I love that. You can tell a lot about someone by their backpack. Once we picked the sketch, how much more work was there?
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CB: I did the inking and the style of my work isn’t very rendered, meaning I don’t do a lot of shading, so it went quickly. I’m more of a drawer than a painter so it’s faster for me.
AE: I love the word “drawer” to describe your style. Ha ha. I am a big fan of your work. It complements the story well.
CB: It was fun. I got to know the characters through the artwork. I can’t wait to read the finished novel.
AE: I’m excited to see your next project. Keep me updated!
Meet the author and illustrator

Ann Dee Ellis is a writer of middle grade and young adult novels. She’s also an assistant professor at Brigham Young University in creative writing. Find her hiking in the canyons or at anndeeellis.com
Charlotee Blocker is an illustrator based in Salt Lake City. She’s originally from Dallas, Texas and she loves working in children’s media and love stories. Find me at Charlotteblockerart.com
Charlotte’s links:
Charlotteblockerart.com
@charlotteblocker instagram
Ann Dee’s links
anndeeellis.com
@anndeecandy instagram
About This Cookie Will Change Your Life
Do you love cookies? Have you ever felt alone in a room full of people? This novel is for you.
It’s the summer after sixth grade when a group of classmates turn up at the library at the same time. They know each other, but they’re not friends. The truth is, they each spend a lot of time alone. Which is why it’s so unexpected when Tilly, Jada, Eleanor, and Mateo create a cookie baking business together. It just kind of happens.
The problem is their plans keep falling apart. But each failure only makes them more determined to make something—anything—work. Because what they need more than anything is an escape from the loneliness and anxiety that comes with middle school. They want to be a part of something. And in the end, the one thing that goes right is their decision to count on each other.
ISBN-13: 9781682636893
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication date: 05/13/2025
Age Range: 10 Years
Filed under: Guest Post

About Amanda MacGregor
Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on Twitter @CiteSomething.
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