Trick or Treat with Heather Pierce Stigall!

Hi readers, writers, and ghastly ghosts, too! We're thrilled to celebrate another day of fall with a must-read for the season. Author Heather Pierce Stigall is here today to share her newly released book, Gilbert and the Ghost.

Gilbert often feels invisible—just like the ghost living at 632 Savannah Street. Despite his family’s disbelief, Gilbert leaves gifts for the ghost: a friendship bracelet, a plate of cookies, even a drawing with a note. When each one disappears, Gilbert discovers that believing and friendship are worth the effort.

Want to know more about Heather and her boo-tiful new book, PLUS want to find out if she’s offering a Trick or a Treat? Read on… if you dare. 👻

Q: Thanks for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit for our Annual Trick-or-Treat Event! We’re thrilled to have you and hear all about your book. It’s perfect for the spooky season! Please tell us a little bit about how the idea for this book came to you. Which came first, the idea or the title? 

A: The title! I like wordplay, so during Tara Lazar’s 2020 StoryStorm challenge the phrase “ghost writer” popped in my head. I thought it had potential for a title, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Later, a childhood memory came to mind. My parents and aunt and uncle rented the same beach house for a few weeks each summer. One year, before we left our

rental for the season, my cousins and I hid a note somewhere in the house, hoping to find a reply when we returned the following year. Surely someone would want to be our pen pal! The next summer, we checked our secret hiding spot. Did anyone reply? No. But our note was missing! Someone must have read it, right? Maybe they did reply, but another renter received the note before us. So, we tried again, for several years, believing that eventually we would become friends with another beach lover, even if we never met. With that memory in mind, I wondered if I could write a story about a child who wrote notes to a ghost he believed lived in his neighborhood, even though no one else believed. A friendship story between a child, who understood what it felt like to be invisible, just like a ghost, and a ghost, who might want a friend too. So, I did!

Q: Thanks for sharing that behind-the-scenes look at how your book came to be. When did you first start loving ghost stories? What is one of your favorites and why? 

A: I’m not sure I remember exactly when I started loving ghost stories, but I remember listening to my counselors tell them around a fire in summer camp. One story I recall hearing was The Teeny Tiny Woman. I loved it because it had a slow suspenseful build that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and then a surprising ending that had me both jump in surprise and laugh out loud. That story was actually published in a picture book by Paul Galdone in 1984. 

Q: How did you decide on the themes for your ghost story? Did the theme arise from the story, or did you have an idea beforehand?  

As I mentioned above, this story started with a title idea. After several brainstorming sessions I decided on the themes of friendship, feeling unseen, and believing. 

Q: We love the ending of Gilbert and the Ghost and how it's a bit open-ended. Why did you decide to end the story this way?

A: I believe that the author, illustrator, and reader contribute equal parts to making a picture book, so I hope the ending of Gilbert and the Ghost will make readers wonder and decide for themselves what it means. I’ve had the opportunity to hear some young readers ideas, and some of their answers amazed me!

Q: What’s one way your MC would celebrate fall (outside of your book)?

A: I think Gilbert would play Ghosts in the Graveyard with some friends (ones who don’t treat him like he’s invisible) and tell ghost stories by the fire.

BONUS: What’s both your favorite and least favorite candy? I.e. what would you be thrilled to receive in your candy bag, and what would you desperately try to trade?

Favorite – chocolate! Pretty much anything, but I’m partial to Reeses and Kit Kats. 

My least favorite – gum. Ew.

Would you like to offer a Trick or a Treat for our readers?

A Treat! I'd like to offer a 30-min AMA virtual zoom session to one lucky reader.

THANK YOU for such an amazing treat. And thanks again for joining us. We had a blast getting to know more about you and your book!

Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter Heather’s giveaway, 1) leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by and 2) share this post on social media.

Please Note: Books/giveaways will be shipped in the U.S. only.

*Special Reminder: Those who like, leave a comment on, and share all posts will be entered into a drawing and be eligible to win:

• One (1) of five (5) Rate Your Story Speed Passes perfect for quick MS feedback, provided by Editor Lynne Marie & Author Heather Macht and/or

• A Query Critique from Agent  Lynnette Novak with The Seymour Agency 

• 
  

Winners will be drawn and announced on or about 10/22. 

About Heather Pierce Stigall:

Heather Stigall uses her experience with children and her degrees in Child Development,

Psychology-based Human Relations, and Social Work to create stories that speak to kids.

She is an active volunteer for the Eastern PA Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book

Writers & Illustrators, a member of the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, and a wife and

parent to five children and one pup. When she’s not writing, you can find Heather

hanging out with her kids (hopefully at the beach), reading, eating chocolate, baking, or

creating all sorts of treasures. She is the author of GILBERT AND THE GHOST

(Beaming Books, 2025) which Kirkus Reviews praised as “a surefire hit for readers

looking for seasonal fun.” Her debut picture book, PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY (Clavis

Publishing, 2023), was a 2023 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award nominee

and is available in six languages.

For more about Heather:

You can connect with Heather through her website, HeatherPierceStigall.com, and her social media links at https://linktr.ee/HeatherStigall.

View her Amazon page (for book reviews and purchases): Amazon.com: Heather Pierce Stigall: books, biography, latest update

---