About The Creation of This Book
The Tales of Itzland was written, illustrated and printed in the United States by female artists and business owners. Currently, the only place this keepsake is available is on this website, Itzland.com. While considering various options, Holly deemed that self-publication and self-distribution was the most empowering option for the launch of this book.
Thank you for your support! We hope you love Itzland as much as we do!
About Holly
Hi, I'm Holly! Ever since I was little, it's been my dream to be an author. To me, there's nothing more magical than holding a big book filled with tales. I wrote these stories during a tough, lonely time. Bringing the Itz to life filled me with hope and wonder. My wish is that they do the same for you. May their stories live in your heart and remind you of your strength, always.
When I'm not writing, I love dressing up my french bulldog, dancing for fun, spending time with my family and enjoying the beautiful state of Michigan.
About Alana
Hello! My name is Alana. I am a freelance artist who has always had a love for fantastical worlds. I really enjoy bringing characters to life with color and whimsy. When Holly approached me to help bring her characters of Itzland to life, it was a dream project come true. I hope you enjoy the illustrations as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Originally from Michigan, I now reside in Sacramento, California. When I'm not illustrating, I enjoy rollerblading, traveling to new places, video games, and sipping a good cup of coffee.
How “The Itz” Came to Be
The first draft of "Ritchie Rye" was written in 2007 as a homework assignment for Holly's high school poetry class.
Cut to 2011, Holly had graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism. Thanks to the housing crash and recession, creative jobs were scarce.
Jobless and living back at home with her mom and dad, Holly stumbled upon Ritchie Rye's story. She began drafting more stories for fun, after applying to that day's job postings. After Ritchie came Zeebie and Lollie followed, and then Priti, Braydie, Wilbi and finally Morley were scribbled down in a random notebook. Holly shared the stories with a few friends and then, of course, stashed the notebook away for a rainy day. She finally got a break in the corporate world, working for the Mother's Day editorial team at the Hallmark Cards headquarters.
The Itz always lived in Holly's heart and she would think about the stories often. But the problem was... Holly couldn’t draw! After a couple failed attempts to begin the illustration process, Holly had given up. But then in May 2020, Holly's best friend, Juls, called and said, "You really need to share these stories with the world, Hol." As fate would have it, on that same day, Holly's mom randomly found the original notebook filled with the scribbled drafts and gave it to Holly. It was time to truly bring the Itz to life.
Holly hopped on UpWork.com and instantly was drawn to Alana's portfolio. Alana and Holly immediately began the character development process and soon Itzland was taking form in full color. Holly and Alana are both originally from Michigan, but they didn’t know each other prior to this project.
It has been 13 years since the Itz seedling was planted and The Tales of Itlzand is finally in full bloom and here for your family to enjoy. We hope this story inspires you to see that this is more than a book, it is the cultivation of many dreams come true!
Should you judge a book by Itz cover… when there’s more than meets the eye?
These tales hold the answer and more, go ahead, look within and ready why…