When Scholastic approached us about our fourth graphic novel, head writer Devon Giehl and I developed Dreamer’s Nightmare, centering the story on a coming-of-age for our two main brothers prior to the events of the series. But the crux of this tale was how both boys were coping with losing their mom and, ultimately, it was a story about processing grief.

Across all partnership projects with Scholastic, I led the creative process across writing, illustration, and publishing; selecting the creative team, guiding story development, reviewing scripts and page layouts, and ensuring the book remained fully aligned with the lore of Xadia. Leveraging my illustration background, I worked closely with our artist to refine panel composition and visual storytelling while maintaining franchise continuity. I also served as the primary partner to Scholastic, directing cover development, title design, and marketing alignment through release.

Written by Nicole Andelfinger
Illustrated by Felia Hanakata
Story by Devon Giehl