Happy Book Launch Day, Deborah Lakritz!
I'm excited to have you here to talk about your journey toward publication with your debut middle-grade, THINGS THAT SHIMMER!
Delighted to be here! It's truly satisfying to think back on the journey!
Awesome! To get started, tell us how you found your way to becoming a kidlit author.
Way back when I was a preschooler, my mother took me religiously to our public library to check out books and attend story time programs. She instilled in me a love of reading that has accompanied me throughout my life. As a social worker, I used books extensively with children to help them navigate divorces and deaths in their families, as well as fears and friendships.
Once I became a parent, one of my greatest joys was buying books for my own five children and introducing them to wonderful literature. Writing kidlit was just a natural extension of all of those experiences. For me personally, I had to wait until the timing was right and my youngest child was in school full-time before I could seriously try to get published. In the meantime, I took writing classes, read great award winning titles, and started to do the hard work of learning the craft.
Wow! A mom of five, and now a published author. That's an amazing accomplishment! Was THINGS THAT SHIMMER the first manuscript you had acquired by a traditional publisher?
Actually, no. I was offered my first book contract shortly after my youngest daughter started school. With raising a large family, however, there were times when I had to step away from writing for months at a time. But now my children are all grown and out in the world, I’m agented, and I just released my third picture book, and now have this exciting debut middle grade novel set to enter the world!
That's amazing. I'm sure your kids are proud! So What inspired you to write for middle-grade readers?
The summer I turned nine years old, my family was in a horrific car accident that sent reverberations throughout our family for the rest of my childhood. Back then, the understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals was still in its infancy as PTSD hadn’t even been given its name or been identified as an actual condition. As soldiers began to return from Viet Nam, there was this understanding, a recognition, that they were suffering psychological trauma due to their wartime experiences. Soon mental health professionals began to see the commonalities between war veterans and others who’d been through life threatening experiences. That was the starting point for THINGS THAT SHIMMER; two friends united by their deep understanding of what it’s like to grow up in a family dealing with trauma. But something has to pull them apart—right? That’s what makes a plot interesting!
Delighted to be here! It's truly satisfying to think back on the journey!
Awesome! To get started, tell us how you found your way to becoming a kidlit author.
Way back when I was a preschooler, my mother took me religiously to our public library to check out books and attend story time programs. She instilled in me a love of reading that has accompanied me throughout my life. As a social worker, I used books extensively with children to help them navigate divorces and deaths in their families, as well as fears and friendships.
Once I became a parent, one of my greatest joys was buying books for my own five children and introducing them to wonderful literature. Writing kidlit was just a natural extension of all of those experiences. For me personally, I had to wait until the timing was right and my youngest child was in school full-time before I could seriously try to get published. In the meantime, I took writing classes, read great award winning titles, and started to do the hard work of learning the craft.
Wow! A mom of five, and now a published author. That's an amazing accomplishment! Was THINGS THAT SHIMMER the first manuscript you had acquired by a traditional publisher?
Actually, no. I was offered my first book contract shortly after my youngest daughter started school. With raising a large family, however, there were times when I had to step away from writing for months at a time. But now my children are all grown and out in the world, I’m agented, and I just released my third picture book, and now have this exciting debut middle grade novel set to enter the world!
That's amazing. I'm sure your kids are proud! So What inspired you to write for middle-grade readers?
The summer I turned nine years old, my family was in a horrific car accident that sent reverberations throughout our family for the rest of my childhood. Back then, the understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals was still in its infancy as PTSD hadn’t even been given its name or been identified as an actual condition. As soldiers began to return from Viet Nam, there was this understanding, a recognition, that they were suffering psychological trauma due to their wartime experiences. Soon mental health professionals began to see the commonalities between war veterans and others who’d been through life threatening experiences. That was the starting point for THINGS THAT SHIMMER; two friends united by their deep understanding of what it’s like to grow up in a family dealing with trauma. But something has to pull them apart—right? That’s what makes a plot interesting!
”A tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.”
—The Horn Book Magazine
I'm sorry to hear your family had to go through that. It must have been a real challenge for you as a child. Your characters' emotions will no doubt ring true, and your story sure to be a real heart tugger because of it.
THINGS THAT SHIMMER is the story of my heart, the idea I had on the very first night I walked into my very first class on writing for children. While it is definitely a work of fiction, emotionally it feels very true, and I hope it resonates for readers wading through the murky waters of friendships, popularity, family relationships, and identity.
Important themes to be sure. Did you have to revise much after THINGS THAT SHIMMER was acquired by Kar-Ben Publishing?
Actually, most of my revising work came before my manuscript was acquired. While querying agents, I got a full request from Susan Cohen, who at the time was an agent at Writers House. Susan liked what she read, but offered me an opportunity to revise and resubmit my manuscript. Both she and her assistant provided me with very specific feedback on how to improve the project, and I spent six months doing two rounds of revisions for them. Afterward, Susan offered me representation and started submitting it to editors! So by the time my editor, Amy Fitzgerald, read it, she didn’t have a lot of requests for big changes. Mostly we cleaned up sentences--an occasional word being replaced or eliminated.
That says a lot about having an editorial agent. I'm sure you're thrilled you got a chance to work with Susan before she retired. So now that your publication date is here, are you nervous about how kids will receive your book?
I am nervous, but I hope they will enjoy the ride as Melanie Adler navigates the world of the 1970s, while desperately wanting to be accepted by the Shimmers, the popular kids in her class.
I'm sure they will! Well, thanks for stopping by and for allowing us to share in your book launch day!
Thanks for the invite, Dionna!
THINGS THAT SHIMMER is the story of my heart, the idea I had on the very first night I walked into my very first class on writing for children. While it is definitely a work of fiction, emotionally it feels very true, and I hope it resonates for readers wading through the murky waters of friendships, popularity, family relationships, and identity.
Important themes to be sure. Did you have to revise much after THINGS THAT SHIMMER was acquired by Kar-Ben Publishing?
Actually, most of my revising work came before my manuscript was acquired. While querying agents, I got a full request from Susan Cohen, who at the time was an agent at Writers House. Susan liked what she read, but offered me an opportunity to revise and resubmit my manuscript. Both she and her assistant provided me with very specific feedback on how to improve the project, and I spent six months doing two rounds of revisions for them. Afterward, Susan offered me representation and started submitting it to editors! So by the time my editor, Amy Fitzgerald, read it, she didn’t have a lot of requests for big changes. Mostly we cleaned up sentences--an occasional word being replaced or eliminated.
That says a lot about having an editorial agent. I'm sure you're thrilled you got a chance to work with Susan before she retired. So now that your publication date is here, are you nervous about how kids will receive your book?
I am nervous, but I hope they will enjoy the ride as Melanie Adler navigates the world of the 1970s, while desperately wanting to be accepted by the Shimmers, the popular kids in her class.
I'm sure they will! Well, thanks for stopping by and for allowing us to share in your book launch day!
Thanks for the invite, Dionna!
Deborah Lakritz is the author of A PLACE TO BELONG, a picture book biography of beloved Jewish singer/songwriter, Debbie Friedman. Her debut middle grade novel, THINGS THAT SHIMMER (Kar-Ben 2024), is set in 1973-74, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of tennis legend Billie Jean King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, the Watergate scandal, and President Nixon’s resignation. Her first book, SAY HELLO, LILY, was a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Young Readers, and PJ Library selection. A former school social worker, Deborah lives in Wisconsin where she and her husband raised five children. Find Deborah online at deborahlakritzbooks.com.
