Interview Alert: Gina Soldano-Herrle

Please welcome author and professional ghostwriter Gina Soldano-Herrle to Frog on a Blog! Gina’s beautiful new picture book Nia’s Rescue Box is available now. With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, I’m sure many of you are in the giving spirit. Maybe you’re even feeling charitable and wondering about ways you can help out in your community. Or maybe you or someone you know is going through a tough time right now and could use a little assistance. Nia’s Rescue Box features a food rescue, which is something I hadn’t heard of before.

Food rescues are nonprofits that partner with grocery stores, restaurants, and farms to reduce wasted food. The story follows a little girl as she visits a local food rescue and learns, not only how it can benefit her and her family, but also, how she can help reduce food waste in her community. Let’s hear more from Gina!

Congratulations on the publication of your new picture book Nia’s Rescue Box! Please tell us a little about the story.

GS: I came up with the idea while working as a service participant at Vindeket Foods, a food rescue in Fort Collins, CO. I’ve been writing children’s books for years and couldn’t think of any that touched on food rescues, which differ from pantries in that there are no requirements/qualifications to shop/rescue there.

Here’s the blurb: Ashamed of her newfound food insecurity, Nia leaves the local food rescue with an empty box. Afterward, when confronted with the reality of food waste, she reconsiders accepting help and becoming a part of something greater.

Why do you feel this story was important to tell?

GS: It’s important for two big reasons—people and our food cycle. According to recent statistics from Feeding America, there are around 119 billion pounds of food waste every year in the United States. That’s roughly 40% of all food in our country every single year.

The concept of a food rescue embraces solving the environmental crisis caused by food waste while also making a huge impact on food insecurity. Vindeket’s core mission is to revalue food and people. It’s a symbiotic relationship that could bring about large-scale change to waste and hunger problems, and that’s just in the United States.

What route did you take to publish your book and why?

GS: I self-published it. At first, I queried agents and editors, but, after some interest, they all passed because they lacked the passion for it. This book is about solving environmental and social issues that affect people right now on a huge systemic level. People need to know about food rescues, and we need to stop being afraid to talk about being hungry.

Also, half of all profits from book sales go back to Vindeket, which is growing rapidly within the Fort Collins community.

The art in Nia’s Rescue Box is quite unique. How did you connect with your illustrator, Abi Joy Eaton?

GS: She’s a fellow patron/shopper at Vindeket! Vindeket founder, Nathan Shaw, and I put out a call for artists to submit sample art for the book, and Abi was the winning submission. When I saw her first piece of art for Nia, I was speechless and couldn’t imagine a better person to help tell Nia’s story.

**Winning illustration by Abi Joy Eaton**

You’re a professional ghostwriter and freelance writer and have written many articles and short stories. How does writing children’s picture books differ from the other types of writing that you do? And which type of writing is your favorite?

GS: I like to write all the things! I’ve always had a hard time narrowing down genres and I enjoy everything from picture books to adult nonfiction and all that goes in between.

The children’s book writing is quite a bit different because usually there isn’t as much research involved. Also, I usually write it without an outline. That’s for the picture books at least. I’ll write a draft or three of a new picture book idea then iron it out before sharing it with a critique group. I don’t have any critique partners for my articles. When it comes to books though, I do have some middle grade, adult contemporary fiction, and adult memoir that I work on as well and usually run past critique partners. Those also all need outlines…usually. If I don’t have some kind of outline I usually get lost in the murky middle.

How important do you believe it is to volunteer in your community, and how would you encourage others to do the same?

GS: I think it unlocks something different within every one of us. All of us have unique strengths that make us who we are, and through volunteering our time to help others, we often realize we are capable of greater things than we anticipated.

If you’re still in school, definitely check out your local Key Club (run by Kiwanis, an adult organization) or other service-oriented organizations to find nonprofits and other charities you can help. If you’re an adult, do an online search. There are some platforms you can check out that list different organizations in your area. But I’ve had the best luck with just asking around. Ask your friends. Ask their friends. I found Vindeket through a friend of a friend and can’t imagine being where I am today without them.

Gina Soldano-Herrle has been a professional ghostwriter and author since 2019. As a member of SCBWI and The 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, she’s very active in the writing community. You can find her debut picture book, Nia’s Rescue Box, at most online booksellers and read her interviews with other authors on her website.