Author Spotlight: Caroline Leavitt

NYT Bestselling Author Caroline Leavitt Discusses her novel, Days of Wonder, the Writing Life and More!

Image courtesy of Caroline Leavitt’s Social Media, permission granted.

Hey Friends!

I am SO excited to share this very special edition of A Busy Lady’s Author Spotlight featuring the amazingly talented author, Caroline Leavitt.

Caroline Leavitt is the New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels, most recently Days of Wonder (Algonquin books) which was awarded a MidAtlantic Arts/New Jersey Arts Foundation Grant, and was one of CBS/Mary Calvi’s Bookclub Picks, as well as being lauded by Oprah Daily, the New York Times, the New York Journal of Books, the Los Angeles Times, NPR/Scott Simon, NPR/Joe Donahue The Book show, Book Reporter, Audiofile, Bustle, Jewish Book Council, and more.

Image courtesy of Caroline Leavitt’s Social Media, permission granted.

In fact, check out this outstanding praise for her recent, groundbreaking novel, Days of Wonder:

“Leavitt’s gift for creating complicated, unpredictable yet self-aware characters is on full display.” THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

“Heralds the power of steady perseverance, sturdy faith and the raw restorative power of love.” NEW YORK TIMES 

“Best Books of April.” PEOPLE 

“Grade A. Her best book Yet.” THE CITIZEN

“Courageous.” NEW JERSEY MONTHLY. 

“Leavitt’s most audacious and empathetic book yet.” BUSTLE

“A true escape.” OPRAH DAILY. 

“Her finest yet.” LILITH 

“Heart-rendingly beautiful.” BOOKREPORTER

“As intricately patterned as a fine quality Persian rug. Impossible to put down.” NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS

“Book promo reel of the day.” SHELF AWARENESS

“We are such fans of your incredible work.” JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL

The hype is real. I’ve been obsessed with Days of Wonder since reading it and knew I just HAD to get Caroline on A Busy Lady. Caroline’s characters and powerful story of redemption has haunted me for days. Her intricate weave of characters, story and theme impacted my view of life, opening my heart to seeing the world through fresh eyes after reading this powerful story.

I first met Caroline over ten years ago as a student in her writing courses at the UCLA Writer’s Program. Besides being a student in her multiple writing classes, Caroline also mentored me through UCLA’s Novel Writing Mentorship. During that time, Caroline guided me one on one through developing my first novel, encouraged me to become active in the writing community, introduced me to other writers, and most importantly, inspired me to never give up. She is a true inspiration.

Image courtesy of my iPhone ;)

Besides being an author, she is also co-founder of A Mighty Blaze, an organization of 35 creative professional volunteers connecting, encouraging and supporting readers and writers online since March 2020 (learn more about A Mighty Blaze here https://www.amightyblaze.com and in the interview below).

Every time I’ve talked with Caroline, I come away feeling inspired. Her words, Never Give Up, continue to be my mantra to this day.

Now, without further ado, I present to you, Caroline Leavitt.

1. I am obsessed with your latest novel, Days of Wonder. What inspired you to write this story? 

I LOVE that you are obsessed! I was having dinner with a friend of mine who admitted that she had something to tell me that I didn’t know. I was scared, afraid she was sick, but she told me that when she had been fifteen, she had murdered someone, and she had served time for it. I was struck dumb! She told me that yes, she had done it, and at fifteen she had been a kind of runaway car without breaks. In prison, she had taken college courses and tried to recreate her whole self, determined to live a good life. She was early released, and she led that good life, getting friends, jobs, and only shying from relationships because as soon as she told people about her past, they ditched her. “When will I ever be forgiven?” she asked.

I recognized that the fifty-something woman sitting in front of me was not the fifteen-year-old girl anymore, and I loved who she was now, loved that she trusted me enough to tell me. Of course I wanted to tell her story, but I didn’t want to invade her privacy, so I told her I was going to change every single detail (if it was okay with her), only keeping the idea of what makes someone innocent or guilty and how they can be forgiven. I changed it to a Romeo and Juliet kind of story about two 15-year-old NYC kids from different classes, who are brutally kept apart by the boy’s abusive dad. My friend never had children, so I added a child into the mix, too. And then the story took on this whole life on its own.

2.   In Days of Wonder, Jude and Ella both have memory gaps about the night of the attempted murder. What drew you to the idea of memory loss as a plot device? 

Well, teens live such passionate lives, and they often don’t remember things just because they are teens. But I needed to push it, and I didn’t want it to just be another teens-taking-drugs or teens-drinking-too- much story (unless it was coffee.) I thought about what they wanted most of all, which was to be together every second they could, and the only way to do that would be not to sleep—something a teenager would think was highly romantic. And so, I googled sleep deprivation, which indeed can fade your memory and even make you hallucinate so you think something might have happened, when in truth, it had not. I found that so much more interesting than drugs!

3.   Days of Wonder deals with the consequences of a criminal conviction and reintegration into society. What message do you hope readers take away regarding these issues? 

I want people to realize that guilt and innocence are not always what you think it is, and that people really do change. Well, Charles Manson never changed, so he is the exception, and he always said, if he were let out, he would murder again. But Leslie Van Houten, the last of the Manson girls to be let out, is in her seventies now. She got college degrees while in prison. She became a peer leader. She is nothing like the young girl she was when under Manson’s spell. She’s no danger to society or anyone anymore, so why cannot she be forgiven? And forgiveness does not mean that we don’t recognize that a bad act was done. It just means that we recognize that the person who had done that act is not the person we are interacting with now. There is something called restorative justice now, which is about what can be done to make amends to those who someone harmed.

4.   Mother-daughter relationships are often complex. What did you hope to convey about these relationships through Ella and Helen’s journey? 

As both a daughter of a mother who was much like the Helen in the book, and as the mother of a son, I recognize that both roles are fraught. As a parent, you want to do the opposite of what you think were bad things done to you—but that doesn’t always make them right. Helen had left an extremely rigid community where there were strict rules and regulations for everything, with high penalties for disobeying. So, she raised her daughter Ella with a free hand and then later was left to wonder if she had been too free? Ella, too, is a mother whose daughter is adopted when she is in prison. But we don’t know what kind of mother she would have been, because at the end of the book we don’t really know how much influence or impact she will have on her daughter. I think the hardest thing about being a mother is realizing that your child’s job is to move away from you and become their own person—something you want them to do, but also something that can break your heart a little. As you want to know your more, they want to know you a little less.  It doesn’t mean you cannot have a strong, loving bond still, it just means that you are no longer the center of their world—which is the way it should be.

Image courtesy of Caroline Leavitt’s Social Media, permission granted.

5.   Can you share any experiences where mentorship played a crucial role in your writing journey? Also, what advice do you have for writers on how to handle feedback or criticism? 

Oh yes. When I started my career, I was living in Pittsburgh and knew no writers. Then I moved to NYC and still didn’t really know any writers at first until I got brave and began going to readings and conferences and introducing myself. I’ve had so many, many, many mentors—starting with my agent, Gail Hochman, who believed in me from the get-go, and even when I didn’t sell well, she still pushed for me. I have a group of writer friends and we all mentor one another, swapping pages, introductions for amazing events, and more. I don’t know what I would do without them.

6.   What mistakes do you see emerging writers commonly make, and how can they avoid them? 

Starting too soon. Sometimes I get manuscripts that set up the character’s childhood when the conflict isn’t until the character is in their forties. Too much being told instead of shown; captioning the action by telling us how the action is done instead of trusting the verb.  But there are mistakes in submitting, too, and in promoting. Some writers give up too soon. Or they take one person’s rejection as truth, when in reality, it is only one person’s opinion, and that person very well could be totally wrong. Be brave. Trust yourself and your talent.

7.   Are there any genres or types of stories you haven’t written yet but would like to explore? 

My friend Clea Simon, who writes dark mysteries set in Boston (her latest Bad Boy Beat is great), tells me she’s brought me over to the “dark side.” I am loving detective stories now, how they seed in clues as you write. After I finish my next book, I want to write about something that happened in the 1920s. I have written two historical fiction novels before, one in the 60s and 70s and the other in the 50s—but those times were sort of familiar to me because of my mom’s stories. But the 20s? Not a clue! Not yet!

Image courtesy of Caroline Leavitt’s Social Media, permission granted.

8.   Tell me more about A Mighty Blaze. How has it evolved since its inception in March 2020? 

I started the Nothing Is Cancelled book tour in March when my whole tour was cancelled. I was terrified, but I made a video of the speech I was supposed to give to a hundred librarians in Houston, complete with hand movements and sent it to Algonquin, who loved it so much, they sent it on to the librarians. So, I had an idea. I announced on my FB page that I was starting the Nothing is Cancelled book tour, and all you had to do to be on it was to make me a one-minute video, shouting out another author AND an indie bookstore. I was sure I’d have 20 videos. Instead, in a few days, I had 200. I was working nonstop, and the media got wind of it and called me, asking, “What ARE you doing, Caroline?” And I said, “I have no idea,” and everyone laughed.

I was really lucky that Jenna Blum contacted me and asked if she could help. Jenna is a genius with strategy, technology and running a business, and we created A Mighty Blaze, as a platform where we’d help indie bookstores, interview authors, and run festivals and classes. And we soon got even more media attention!

We now have over 30 passionate volunteers and programs that range from Authors Love Bookstores to Friday Frontliners to mysteries to romances and more. The best thing about it is everyone who works at the Blaze only does what they want. I get writers to interview, and I interview them. Jenna keeps things rolling!

9.   Recently, on A Busy Lady, I’ve been on a journey exploring the homes and lives of historic writers. Are there any writers, past or present, that have inspired your work?

Fitzgerald! I think The Great Gatsby is a perfect book, and it’s structured so brilliantly. I love early John Irving because he isn’t afraid of taking a moral stand about important issues.

10. What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received? 

NEVER EVER GIVE UP. I’ve had my own career seem to be ended only to have it bounce back because I persisted. No doesn’t always mean no. A rejection is just someone’s opinion.

11. Thank you for your time, Caroline. You are a true inspiration through your stories and generous support of other writers. Do you have any last thoughts you’d like to share with A Busy Lady’s readers?

Kindness means more than anything. One great thing to do is to write a handwritten note to an author you love every month. Don’t ask for anything. Just tell them how much their work has meant to you. Another thing I love to do is compliment people when I am on the street. Tell an older person you love their sense of style. Tell a person you love their energy. Kindness really lifts us all up.

Image courtesy of Caroline Leavitt’s Social Media, permission granted.

Want to learn more about Caroline and her work?

Here’s her bio:

Caroline Leavitt is the New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels, most recently Days of Wonder (Algonquin books) which was award a MidAtlantic Arts/New Jersey arts Foundation grant, and was one of CBS/Mary Calvi’s Bookclub Picks, as well as being lauded by Oprah Daily, the New York Times, the New York Journal of Books, the Los Angeles Times, NPR/Scott Simon, NPR/Joe Donahue The Book show, Oprah Daily, Book Reporter, Audiofile, Bustle, Jewish Book Council, and more. The co-founder of A Mighty Blaze, Caroline runs a blog/column called “Runs in the Family” for Psychology Today and is a book critic for People magazine and The Ethel. She’s the recipient of a New York Foundation of the Arts Grant, a Bellevue Fiction Prize, and she was a finalist in the Sundance Screenwriting Lab.

Image courtesy of Caroline Leavitt’s Social Media, permission granted.

Connect with Caroline here:

Twitter: @leavittnovelist

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolineleavitt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolineleavitt/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carowriter99

Website: www.carolineleavitt.com

You can also follow book news by subscribing to Caroline’s Substack:

And don’t forget to get your copy of Days of Wonder and check out her other books! You can buy them here:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APYZVA  or at your favorite Indie bookstore!

Till Next Time,

Sarah

AKA A Busy Lady