Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2023, are given six questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Samantha Hawkins and can offer your support. Go here for past Debut You features.
This site contains affiliate book links. Clicking on the links will direct you away from this site, and BCBA may earn a small percentage on purchases.
Describe yourself in five words then expound on one of them.
If I had to describe myself in five words, I would choose passionate, resilient, imaginative, thoughtful, and intense.
I am passionate about whatever task is before me, and I am especially passionate about the people that my work impacts. Long before I felt called to write a children’s picture book, I had always had a passion for helping others. My mother instilled a very simple principle into my heart: I should leave this world better than how I found it. I want to leave this world better for my nieces and nephew, future children, and grandchildren. I want to be a part of raising this next generation of changemakers. I am passionate about writing literature that promotes compassion, diversity, and the spirit of activism among young readers.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
Well, it’s funny because, as a writer, you think the hardest part of the journey is writing the book—until you enter the editing phase, and oh my goodness! That truly takes time and effort and going back and forth many times to make sure that every line in the text is just right, has a place, and serves a purpose. The idea for My Mommy Marches came to me back in 2021, and I wrote the first draft of the manuscript on June 18, 2021. I submitted it on July 15, 2021, to Lantana Publishing. They were really my dream publisher because I had looked over their website so many times, and I found that their organizational mission resonated so much with my goals and hopes for my story.
Just 13 days later, the then-commissioning editor, Holly Tonks, emailed me about scheduling a Zoom call to discuss “some possible thoughts and ideas” they had for my book. On August 12, I signed my publishing contract! Yayyyy!! It was one of the best feelings in the whole world to have a publisher fully invested in getting my story into the hands of early readers all over the world. But it would still take many, many months of editing, polishing the text, deciding on final spreads from the illustrator, and putting it all together for the book to be ready to send to print. My Mommy Marches was finally published in the UK on February 2, 2023. It is set to be released in the US on March 7.
Belief in oneself is essential, but besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
I definitely have to give credit to my amazing publisher and editor. They stayed supportive, encouraging, and considerate of my thoughts and perspective throughout this whole literary journey. They realized that this was a whole new adventure for me, having never published a book before, so they gave me frequent updates as well to ensure I always stayed aware of where we were in the process. But ever since I started writing, my sister has been my “Number One Fan” and my biggest cheerleader. She was my first audience as I often made her read everything I used to write as a teenager and would then ask for her honest criticism. And my mom has just always supported me in whatever I put my mind to doing. Dedicating My Mommy Marches to the two of them was a no-brainer!
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
My book is geared toward children ages 4–8. I know that our children are the most powerful, most influential, and most passionate resources that we have in this world. They are not simply our FUTURE; they are our PRESENT! They will be the keepers of the past, but they are truly the light bearers here and now to pave the way to a morally empowered and socially responsible future.
Tell us about your book.
In my book My Mommy Marches, a young girl watches her mother proudly take to the streets to march for what she believes in. Mommy marches through the sunshine, through the rain, and through the deepest snow, on her own or hand-in-hand with others, to give voice to causes that need to be heard. Inspired to join the next generation of young activists, her daughter dreams of marching alongside her.
In 2021, I read a news article on the despairing number of children’s books in the UK market with ethnic minority characters. The article referenced a very detailed study that revealed that Black and Brown children in the UK had a greater chance of going into a bookstore and picking up a book with the face of an animal staring back at them than a face that looks like theirs. This article both saddened and alarmed me! I decided to write a book that would empower any child—of any color, race, or ethnicity. A book that I would have been proud and grateful to have read as a child or a book that I would want my biracial nieces and nephew to read.
YOU did it! Your story is going to be read by children or teens, educators, parents, librarians, and book bloggers, congratulations! How do you feel, and are there any other projects in the works—that you can discuss?
I feel incredibly grateful to call this book my own. It really has been a project of passion and love. Right now, my goal has been really getting the word out about My Mommy Marches through podcast interviews, writing guest blogs, sharing on my social media, and working on scheduling some book readings/signing events. With that said, I definitely have already been thinking about my next idea for a picture book, and I truly hope to get to work with the amazing Lantana Publishing again in future endeavors.
My Mommy Marches
Samantha Hawkins | Cory Reid | Lantana Publishing | March 7, 2023 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
Samantha Hawkins is a poet and essayist. She is a contributing writer to MadameNoire.com. Her work has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now, a collection featuring stories and poems by Black women writers. She is based in Georgia.
