Melissa de la Cruz, whose YA books include the Blue Bloods and Isle of the Lost series, The Ring and the Crown, and 29 Dates, has added a new feather to her cap. The longtime Disney author is launching her very own eponymous imprint—Melissa de la Cruz Studio. The collaboration between Disney Publishing Worldwide and de la Cruz will focus on publishing both new and seasoned authors for original content to be developed and expanded across multiple platforms, including for streaming service Disney+. The platform’s range will include everything from picture books through adult titles but will specialize in middle grade and YA stories. De la Cruz chatted with PW about MDLC Studio and her hopes for the program in the months and years to come.

What an exciting new venture! Tell me about the inspiration behind Melissa de la Cruz Studio!

Thank you, it is really exciting! Disney has published many of my books over the years, so when the opportunity arose for us to collaborate, I was happy to continue our partnership. As an author, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing so many of my stories come to life, whether that be on bookshelves or on-screen, and now I have the chance to give other writers that same opportunity. I’ll be involved in every aspect of publication for books in this collection, from acquisition to launch and promotion, working in partnership with Editorial Director Kieran Viola. It’s an amazing team and I am so happy to be working with everyone at Disney on my own studio!

Describe the mission statement behind MDLC Studio. Who’s the ideal audience?

Melissa de la Cruz Studio publishes fun, fabulous, feel-good stories, so our audience is really anyone aged one to 100! We’re seeking out fantastic storytellers, whether they be critically acclaimed bestsellers or rising stars making their publishing debut, with the goal of developing their original content across platforms. You can expect to see romance, fantasy, and adventure stories with a sense of humor, basically all the things I love to read about! We’ll publish across the kid space, from YA and middle grade all the way to picture books!

What are the unique challenges involved in creating stories that have book-to-screen potential?

Writing a novel is such a personal experience, and so is reading one. Every reader takes something different away from a story, and so, one of the challenges when looking at stories with development in mind is how we can be sure that these stories will appeal to a wide audience. People want to be entertained by characters they can relate to, stories that move them, bold new worlds to explore. The books we publish will always have those factors in mind.

How are you connecting with and supporting new, diverse authors?

There’s an old saying about good stories needing to be mirrors and windows, and it’s so true. Books should reflect the world we live in and allow us to peer into the lives of others, creating empathy and understanding. Adding diverse voices to our program that is fully supported by myself and the marketing and publicity team at Disney Publishing will help these voices be heard. I also want to be sure that the stories we’re publishing are joyous. So many books featuring characters from historically marginalized communities focus on adversity, and we want our readers to know that their individual identity isn’t a burden.

You’re kicking off with a project by the amazing Mariko Tamaki. What can you share about Anne of Greenville?

I am over the moon that Mariko is on our list! I don’t want to give too much away, but the story is a YA retelling of Anne of Green Gables. Our Anne is a multi-talented, Japanese-American, queer young woman who falls in loves easily and finds herself in a love triangle. It’s a bold, unique take on the character. Readers will fall in love with Anne and with Mariko’s laugh-out-loud novel. It’s out on October 4.

How about sneak peeks at additional projects?

Here are the projects that have been announced so far.

  • Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver, a YA thriller that confronts toxic influencer culture with a killer twist. We’re also publishing another book by Jessie, but details are under wraps right now.
  • Grave Mistakes: A Dade Family Novel is Kitty Curran’s middle grade debut. “A 12-year-old’s family is deadly embarrassing (literally) in this modern middle grade coming-of-age mystery that crosses the madcap macabre humor of the Addams Family with a poignant depiction of friendship, grief, and finding your way home (even if your home is in a graveyard).”
  • The Spells We Cast by New York Times bestselling author Jason June. “Two teen magicians, the most powerful of their time, fall in love while competing in the Culling, a magical balance–preserving ritual that can only end with one of the two being stripped of their magic.”

Do you have a wishlist for stories going forward?

Right now, we are working on several big-world fantasies, historical romances with great hooks, adventure and mystery stories for middle grade readers, and some fun holiday picture books.