1. The Orion Sessions has an original soundtrack that goes along with the books. How did that come about?

I’m a songwriter myself—that’s where much of my creative life began, before I wrote books. So, when I started writing about a girl finding her voice through music, it felt natural that the songs shouldn’t just be described; they should exist. I worked with my longtime collaborator Anthony Krizan to write original songs tied to key moments in the books, and with talented 14-year-old Quinn Carson to record vocals for many of them. Each book includes QR codes that link to the songs on YouTube, and they’re also available on Spotify in The Orion Sessions Playlist. Readers can hear the music Orion creates—not just read about her finding her voice but listen to it.

Because she just becomes a songwriter in Book 1, most of the actual songwriting occurs in Books 2 and 3. More songs are coming throughout the summer.

2. If a reader only takes away one thing from Best Friends, what do you hope it is?

That they’re not alone — and that who they are right now is enough. So much of middle school is spent comparing yourself to everyone else, wondering if you’re doing it “right.” If a kid closes this book feeling like it’s okay to take up space as themselves, without shrinking down or performing for anyone else, I’ll feel like it did its job.

3. Friendship is at the heart of Best Friends — including its title. How does that theme play out for Orion?

It has a double meaning, which I love. Orion’s best friend, Izzy, is a steady anchor for her—the kind of loyal, long-standing friendship that helps her through so much. Then Orion meets a boy named Jesse, who introduces her to songwriting, and together they write a song called “Best Friends.” Through that process, Jesse becomes a different kind of best friend: someone who helps Orion discover a part of herself she didn’t know was there.

So “Best Friends” works on two levels: it’s about the friendships that hold us up, and it’s also the title of the song that becomes a turning point for Orion. I liked that the title could carry both meanings at once — the people in our lives and the things those people help us find in ourselves.

4. You’ve talked about kids today being caught up in “following” rather than “doing.” How does Orion’s arc push back against that?

Orion starts the story very much focused on what other people think — fitting in, being accepted, not standing out in the wrong way. The shift happens when she starts creating something of her own through music, rather than just reacting to everyone around her. That’s the difference between following and doing. When you’re making something — even something small or imperfect — you start to find out who you are, instead of just managing how you’re perceived.

5. You mentioned sharing the book with a middle school class. Was there a moment from that experience that stuck with you?

Yes — watching how quickly kids connected with Izzy. She’s a supporting character, not the lead, but so many of them saw themselves in her. It reminded me that readers don’t always identify with the “main” struggle — sometimes it’s the character on the edges who feels most like them. That’s stayed with me, and it’s part of why I try to make sure every character in the series feels like a real person, not just a function of the plot.

6. What do you hope teachers, parents, or other adults take away from this book, even though it’s written for kids?

I hope adults remember how much weight middle schoolers are carrying — about belonging, identity, and self-worth — even when it doesn’t look that way from the outside. These books are fiction, but the feelings are very real. If reading Best Friends gives an adult a way into a conversation with a kid about what they’re going through, that’s just as valuable to me as the kid enjoying the story on its own.

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