Behind the Pals

Allie and Brian were sitting at the kitchen table one morning, eating pistachios.

Pistachios can be breakfast. They're that good.

Brian grabbed one that wouldn't open. He tried everything. Finally, he tried cracking it with his teeth.

Nothing.

“This thing must be made out of kryptonite.”

Somewhere between Allie and Brian, it became... the Kryptonut.

Then they noticed another one. And another.

Before long, they had identified six different types of pistachios hiding in practically every bag. Each type received its own classification and a slightly ridiculous definition.

Then came the characters. Each classification got its own representative, complete with a name, personality, and backstory.

Allie drew the original sketches. Brian's wife added color and helped bring the characters to life, while Brian worked on their backgrounds.

The more they worked on these little nuts, the more attached they became. So naturally, they decided to write a children's book.

There was just one small problem.

Neither of them knew the first thing about writing a children's book.

But that didn't stop them.

They met with an editor, kept writing, and eventually found an illustrator who seemed perfect for the project.

There was a catch. They had to wait almost a year for him.

Turns out, some things are worth waiting for.

He took those early kitchen-table creations and transformed them into the colorful, wonderfully nutty characters of Pistachio Pals.

What started with one stubborn pistachio has grown into Pistachio Pals: Stuck in the Couch, the first book in a planned trilogy, with two more adventures in the works.

And to think, it all started with a nut that refused to open.