BOOKS BY MY FRIENDS
Summer of L. U. C. K. by LAURA SEGAL STEGMAN
Welcome to Books By My Friends, Laura! Please tell us about your middle-grade novel Summer of L. U. C. K. Love the title!
JH: What’s the blurb for your book?
LSS: Summer of L.U.C.K. is a middle-grade novel about three kids longing to believe in themselves. Stuttering Darby is never perfect enough for her mother. Justin's been silent since his dad died. Naz is struggling to learn English. But when they stumble on a magical carnival near their summer camp, the ghost who haunts it might just have the power to help them find their voices.
JH: I love ghost stories! What inspired you to write Summer of L. U. C. K.?
LSS: Summer of L.U.C.K. was inspired by my favorite middle-grade book, The Diamond in the Window, whose 11-year-old main character was the same age as me when I read it. She had freckles, like me, and, she hated her freckles. So did I. But this character learned to accept her freckles -- and herself. Not only was it one of the first times I recognized myself in a book, but it also made me feel like I wasn't so alone. Decades later, this book still speaks to me so powerfully, which moved me to write Summer of L.U.C.K. I hope it will mean as much to readers today as The Diamond in the Window meant to me. With self-acceptance and overcoming self-doubt as my starting points, Summer of L.U.C.K.'s themes grew to include friendship, courage, and perseverance.
JH: What one thing do you love most about writing?
LSS: Before I started Summer of L.U.C.K. in the early 2000s, I had written only non-fiction, so it took many years to learn how to write a novel and to get it good enough to attract a publisher. My second and third books each took about a year of steady writing, which means that I got better at my craft as I went along. But what the three books have in common, other than that they are part of the same trilogy, is that I started each with a germ of an idea, and their stories unfolded to me as I went along. Every time I felt unsure about where the characters were going, I took some time, and SUDDENLY (or so it seemed), I had a solution that worked perfectly for the story. THAT'S what I love the most about writing. It's like opening a package on Christmas morning with a beautiful gift inside that turns out to be just what I need.
JH: What’s next for you in the way of writing/publishing?
LSS: When Summer of L.U.C.K.'s original publisher closed its doors in 2021, I was lucky enough to find another publisher who not only will re-issue Summer of L.U.C.K. but also its two sequels, which are now titled Ready or Not and The Chambered Nautilus. Young Dragons Press will re-release Summer of L.U.C.K. this year with a new cover and fabulous illustrations, including a map of the summer camp. The other two books will be published for the first time in 2023. Having finished The Chambered Nautilus earlier this year as the last of the L.U.C.K. trilogy, I found myself unsure what I would -- or could -- write next. Like so many of us, I'm often filled with doubts that I can write at all, even with three books completed! So I took some time to think for a few months, and just as I was despairing of ever coming up with an idea, I started a new middle grade novel in the last two weeks. It's about a 12-year-old girl dreaming of getting a part in her school acting program, her struggle to overcome her shyness, and her journey to find faith.
THAT'S what I love the most about writing. It's like opening a package on Christmas morning with a beautiful gift inside that turns out to be just what I need.
JH: How can readers contact you?
LSS:
https://www.laurastegman.com/
BIO:
Laura Segal Stegman is a Los Angeles-based arts publicist and author whose middle-grade debut, Summer of L.U.C.K., will be followed by two sequels. L.A. Parent Magazine lauded Summer of L.U.C.K. as a "good read." Laura serves as a judge for Society of Young Inklings and SCBWI writer competitions, and she shares her author journey in engaging visits to schools and libraries. Her non-fiction credits include collaboration on the travel book Only in New York. Her feature stories have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine. www.LauraStegman.com
JH: Thanks for visiting BBMF, Laura. Your middle-grade series sounds wonderful! Please come soon and update us on the WIP.
All good things,
Joy
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