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WORK TITLE: LOVE LIKE CHOCOLATE
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PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://tracybanghart.com/
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 379
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; husband in the U.S. military; children: one son and one daughter.
EDUCATION:Davidson College, B.A. (English); Oxford Brookes University, M.A. (publishing).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author. Worked variously in the publishing industry.
AVOCATIONS:Fantasy football, movies, reading.
AWARDS:Moonbeam Children’s Book Gold Award in young-adult science fiction/fantasy category, 2014, for Shattered Veil.
WRITINGS
Author’s work has been translated into several languages, including French, German, and Italian.
SIDELIGHTS
Like many novelists, a childhood love of reading inspired Tracy Banghart to express herself through fictional stories, and these stories have sometimes been inspired by her family and her many travels. Banghart honed her skills while earning a B.A. in English, then learned the ins and outs of publishing while pursuing a master’s degree in that field. She eventually became a military wife and a mother, and her novel Shattered Veil was inspired by Banghart’s concern for her husband’s safety while he was serving overseas in a war zone. Part of her “Rebel Wing” series for young adults, Shattered Veil was characterized by a Publishers Weekly critic as a “strong starting point” to a “fast-paced, action-packed SF” series.
Banghart first attracted critical praise with her publishing debut, What the Sea Wants, a supernatural-themed story about a New England teen that Voice of Youth Advocate contributor Melissa Moore dubbed both “striking and exquisite.” She followed this success with the companion young-adult mysteries By Blood and Moon Child. These successes, along with the popularity of her “Rebel Wing” saga, attracted the notice of mainstream publishers, and Banghart’s companion fantasy novels Grace and Fury and Queen of Ruin were eventually picked up by Boston-based publisher Little, Brown.
In Grace and Fury readers are transported to Viridia, a kingdom ruled by an oppressive monarchy. Because females are viewed as inferior, they are forbidden to read books or gain an education and they have no political power. As young women in Viridian society, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro will only have security if one of them gains a coveted position as a “Grace” in the palace of the Superior, the ruler whose royal heir, Malachi, is now coming of age. Beautiful and compliant, Serina has been thoroughly groomed for this role by her parents: as a favored Grace, she will serve in Malachi’s harem and her sister can have a secure life as her handmaiden. When the sisters arrive at the palace in Bellaqua, however, Malachi quickly becomes enthralled by Nomi’s beauty, despite the young woman’s clear contempt for authority. Through the machinations of a devious courtier, Serina is discovered in possession of a book (stolen by Nomi) and quickly transported to a women’s prison on a remote island known for its harsh living conditions and brutality. Only by conforming to life as a Grace can the feisty and outspoken Nomi now hope to keep her sister safe.
Reviewing Grace and Fury in Voice of Youth Advocates, Kim Carter noted that the dystopian novel’s “strong characters and early plot twists quickly engage” readers. In Booklist, Maggie Reagan referenced the influences of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 work The Handmaid’s Tale, enthusing that Banghart’s storytelling “pace is quick, the ending promises a sequel, and the plot couldn’t be more relevant” to the concerns of second-wave feminists. Janet S. Thompson pointed to the author’s use of a dual narrative in telling her story, adding in School Library Journal that her “prose is florid and engaging, and she expands the drama explosively” as she pulls readers toward a cliffhanger ending. In addition to praising the development of both sisters’ complex personalities in Grace and Fury, a Publishers Weekly critic recommended the novel overall, writing that Banghart “breathes new life into this feminist story of oppression and resistance.”
A Season of Sinister Dreams is set in a magical kingdom, Tyne, and is told through the alternating stories of its two lead characters, Annalise and Evra. Annalise lives in the king’s castle, where she has been using her magic secretly for years to influence the king and his family, hoping to avenge her mother’s death. Evra, meanwhile, is a country-dweller who suddenly sees her own magical abilities manifest themselves, which sends her to the castle as well, charged with safeguarding the king. The women find themselves surrounded by danger as they pursue competing aims, with Annalise surprisingly named heir to the throne and the younger Evra relying on friends to stay alive. A Publishers Weekly contributor praised the novel, remarking that “alternating viewpoints offer gripping conflict while gender dynamics, power plays, and unexpected romance maintain intrigue.” Similarly, School Library Journal critic Emma Carbone lauded the book’s “strong female leads” and “fast-paced action.”
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Banghart next wrote her debut picture book for young readers, Love Like Chocolate, illustrated by Alina Chau, inspired by the adoption of her daughter and by her grandmother’s old recipe. In the story, a white boy about 10 years old helps his newly adopted sister from Thailand, about six, feel safe and welcome by introducing her to the family’s traditions, one of which is making and eating chocolate desserts on special occasions. Throughout the year, the children make together chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cherry mousse, hot chocolate, cupcakes, banana and chocolate pancakes, and special chocolate sauce from grandma’s old recipe, which is included in the book. At the end, the girl, in a traditional dress from Thailand, and her brother make s’mores around a campfire.
In the book, “A family welcomes a child from another culture,” a Kirkus Reviews critic observed, adding that “Digitally composited watercolor artwork features an inviting mixed palette of colors that exude connection.” In addition to the soothing watercolor illustrations, “the interactions of the brother and sister are realistically rendered, and the desserts are inviting,” noted Elisabeth LeBris in School Library Journal, who added that the mix of chocolate and love works for the young audience. The children bond over “their shared passion for chocolate and learn to appreciate each other’s differences,” according to a reviewer online at Momma Braga.
In an interview at Canvas Rebel, Banghart explained the satisfaction of successfully writing a book: “Taking the kernel of an idea and doing the hard work of sitting down and writing your characters to life on the page, …getting to the end, going back and revising…that is your first and most meaningful success.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2018, Maggie Reagan, review of Grace and Fury, p. 50.
Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2018, review of Grace and Fury; October 15, 2023, review of Love Like Chocolate.
Publishers Weekly, March 24, 2014, review of Shattered Veil, p. 53; May 14, 2018, review of Grace and Fury, p. 58; May 10, 2021, review of A Season of Sinister Dreams, p. 67.
School Library Journal, April, 2018, Janet S. Thompson, review of Grace and Fury, p. 128; March, 2021, Emma Carbone, review of A Season of Sinister Dreams, p. 101; January 2024, Elisabeth LeBris, review of Love Like Chocolate, p. 50.
Voice of Youth Advocates, October, 2007, Melissa Moore, review of What the Sea Wants; August, 2018, Kim Carter, review of Grace and Fury, p. 68.
ONLINE
Momma Braga, https://mommabraga.com/ (January 11, 2024), Momma Braga, review of Love Like Chocolate.
Nerd Daily, https://thenerddaily.com/ (July 4, 2021), Eliza Dumpleton, author interview.
Tracy Banghart website, http://tracybanghart.com (November 10, 2021).*
Tracy Banghart
Award-winning author, Army wife, and mom Tracy Banghart has an MA in Publishing and an unhealthy affection for cupcakes. Her quiet childhood led to a reading addiction, writing obsession, and several serious book boyfriends.
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy
New and upcoming books
November 2024
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Perfect Girl
Series
By Blood
1. By Blood (2013)
Moon Child (2013)
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Diatous Wars
1. Shattered Veil (2014)
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Rebel Wing Trilogy
1. Rebel Wing (2015)
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Grace and Fury
1. Grace and Fury (2018)
2. Queen of Ruin (2019)
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Novels
A Season of Sinister Dreams (2021)
Perfect Girl (2024)
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Novellas and Short Stories
What the Sea Wants (2006)
Meet Tracy Banghart
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STORIES & INSIGHTS
NOVEMBER 2, 2023
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We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tracy Banghart. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tracy below.
Tracy, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
It’s easy to conflate “success” for an author as “success in publishing.” But really, it begins with being successful at actually writing a story. Taking the kernel of an idea and doing the hard work of sitting down and writing your characters to life on the page, pushing through the midpoint, getting to the end, going back and revising…that is your first and most meaningful success.
When I was first starting to write seriously, I got really caught up in the publishing part of it all — researching agents and editors, imagining a cover, etc — before I even had a manuscript to submit. Thinking about all the ways my manuscript could succeed, or fail, paralyzed me before I had even written it. I wanted so desperately to be “an author” with a finished book on my shelf, that I couldn’t move forward, step by step, to get there. I think this happens a lot…”putting the cart before the horse” as they say.
What worked for me was joining National Novel Writing Month. Having a specific goal (write a 50,000 novel in a month), having a community and encouragement (through write-ins and daily motivational emails), and having little time to second-guess myself led to me meeting my goal of writing a novel. Sometimes we have to narrow our focus down to the pieces we can control, day by day. While that manuscript never sold and became a real book on shelves, it WAS a success. It made ME a success. Because it showed me I COULD write a novel, and I did have an agent (actually three) offer to represent it, and me.
Without that first success — the success of actually putting my story down on the page — I would not have had a foundation upon which my further successes could be built. So what do I think it takes to be successful? I think it takes breaking your goals into actionable steps, and sitting down to do the hard work, over and over. And most of all, remembering that those smaller steps on the way to greatness ARE successes, in and of themselves.
Tracy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m the author of several young adult fantasies, including the Grace and Fury series and A Season of Sinister Dreams (Little, Brown), as well as my debut picture book, Love Like Chocolate, illustrated by Alina Chau, which comes out in December. Next fall (2024), my first young adult thriller, Perfect Girl, will be released by Feiwel & Friends.
I knew I wanted to be a writer pretty much from the time I started reading. I spent school writing very bad poetry and fan fiction, took some creative writing classes and camps in high school and college, and then worked briefly in publishing. I have a BA in English from Davidson College in NC and an MA in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University, in Oxford, UK. I started writing seriously in 2009 with my first NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and have been writing steadily ever since. I’ve done pretty much every kind of publishing you can: indie/self-publishing, intellectual property, traditional, and I’ve learned valuable lessons at each stage and with every type.
As for my “brand,” on the young adult side, I’d say it’s “feminist stories about young women searching for agency.” My picture books are gentle, affirming stories of family love and inclusivity.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think people who work outside of creative fields have no concept of how luck-driven and inconsistent creative fields can be. My husband, who’s in the Army, is continually shocked at the publishing industry. An author usually has no control over – whether their book will sell, or even when or if they’ll get a response when it’s on submission to editors
– what the cover will look like
– when an editor will return feedback
– what kind of marketing a book will get
– the date the book comes out
– when they get paid
And more. It’s why it’s so important to try to find a good agent, who can negotiate some of these points. But I think people outside of publishing often assume an author is making tons of money, has control over the cover or release date, etc., and usually none of that is true. You really have to find ways to cope with uncertainty as a creative using traditional avenues.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding thing about being an author is the sense of satisfaction when I hold the finished book in my hand. I know for a lot of writers it’s connecting with readers, which I do love and value deeply, but ultimately I write my books for my teenaged self, who wanted so much to be an author and was so scared it was a dream far out of her reach.. So that moment when I get to see the fruits of that labor, when I get to see my dream realized, is always the most rewarding moment. Kind of a “look Ma, I did it!” only “Ma” is myself. :)
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think people who work outside of creative fields have no concept of how luck-driven and inconsistent creative fields can be. My husband, who’s in the Army, is continually shocked at the publishing industry. An author usually has no control over
– whether their book will sell, or even when or if they’ll get a response when it’s on submission to editors
– what the cover will look like
– when an editor will return feedback
– what kind of marketing a book will get
– the date the book comes out
– when they get paid
And more. It’s why it’s so important to try to find a good agent, who can negotiate some of these points. But I think people outside of publishing often assume an author is making tons of money, has control over the cover or release date, etc., and usually none of that is true. You really have to find ways to cope with uncertainty as a creative using traditional avenues.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding thing about being an author is the sense of satisfaction when I hold the finished book in my hand. I know for a lot of writers it’s connecting with readers, which I do love and value deeply, but ultimately I write my books for my teenaged self, who wanted so much to be an author and was so scared it was a dream far out of her reach.. So that moment when I get to see the fruits of that labor, when I get to see my dream realized, is always the most rewarding moment. Kind of a “look Ma, I did it!” only “Ma” is myself. :)
Contact Info:
Website: www.tracybanghart.com
Instagram: @tracythewriter
Twitter: @tracythewriter
Tracy Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She grew up in rural Maryland, with a cornfield in her backyard and flying squirrels in her bedroom walls, and spent her summers on a remote island in northern Ontario. All that isolation and pretty scenery led to a reading addiction, writing obsession, and several serious book boyfriends.
After high school, Tracy escaped to North Carolina, where she got her BA in English from Davidson College. After college, she sampled city life in Canada and D.C. before jetting off to England, to pursue a master’s degree in Publishing at Oxford Brookes University. When she returned stateside, Tracy dabbled in various publishing jobs but didn’t give up on her dream of being a published author. Her husband convinced her that writing full time made perfect sense given the unpredictability of his job, thus affirming her conviction that he was better than any book boyfriend.
Tracy now lives with her husband, children, and pets in Viriginia, but it won’t be long until the Army sends them off on new adventures.
She is represented by Pam Gruber at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.
Short Bio
Tracy Banghart grew up in rural Maryland and spent her summers on a remote island in northern Ontario. All of that isolation and lovely scenery gave her the time to read voraciously and the inspiration to write her own stories. Always a bit of a nomad, Tracy now travels the world Army-wife style with her husband, children, and rescue pups. She wrote Grace and Fury while living in Hawaii.
Mission Statement
Tracy Banghart’s novels feature strong women, realistic romances, and tight female friendships. She believes in cultivating worlds where women support rather than compete with one another, and first kisses happen en route to new adventures, instead of in lieu of them.
Fun (Random) Stuff
Tracy has lived in Canada, the UK, Italy, and Hawaii, in addition to many places along the US East Coast.
She is left-handed.
She was once rescued by helicopter while on a canoe trip with her dad.
Her husband originally expressed his romantic interest by daring her to eat a raw potato at a party.
The first story Tracy ever wrote was called The Dog, Cat, and Bird. She was five.
The authors Tracy discovered an everlasting love for when she was a young adult: Robin McKinley, Cynthia Voigt, Madelaine L’Engle, L. M. Montgomery, Charles Dickens, and L. J. Smith.
Her high school role model/icon, to whom she is still grateful for making her want to be a strong, kickass chick: Buffy Summers
Photographs by Kristina Yasmin Photography.
BANGHART, Tracy. Love Like Chocolate. illus. by Alina Chau. 40p. Little, Brown. Dec. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780316408516.
PreS-Gr 2--End papers covered in chocolate desserts introduce a young boy about to welcome his adopted sister from Thailand. He explains that in their home, chocolate and love go together. He invites his new sister to bake with him. As the varied desserts begin to multiply, he supports her in her new family setting. He is about nine, and she is about six, so they begin to share many activities, such as soccer, blanket forts in the house, and picking berries. He tries to include her wherever he can. A year unfolds with holidays and seasons marking the passage of time. He now asks her for a favorite recipe of hers. She shares one from Thailand that they make together. The story ends with a summer party outdoors, including family and friends from many cultures. On the last page, brother and sister share s'mores around a fire pit. The little sister is wearing a traditional dress from Thailand. The strengths of the book are that the bright watercolor illustrations have a soothing quality, the interactions of the brother and sister are realistically rendered, and the desserts are inviting. While the mix of chocolate with love and adoption is a bit saccharine, it works for the intended audience. An author's note is included. VERDICT A good purchase where books on adoption, and especially international adoptions, are needed or a collection needs updating.--Elisabeth LeBris
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
LeBris, Elisabeth. "BANGHART, Tracy. Love Like Chocolate." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 1, Jan. 2024, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A778646536/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d0f05aa9. Accessed 17 Feb. 2024.
Banghart, Tracy E. LOVE LIKE CHOCOLATE Little, Brown (Children's None) $18.99 12, 12 ISBN: 9780316408516
A family welcomes a child from another culture.
The older sibling describes the family's experience: "We start by helping her feel safe. We listen. We go slow. We show her how love works in our family. And in our family, love works best with chocolate." Important days (and sad ones, too) are observed with a different treat, from chocolate cake to cupcakes to hot chocolate. The younger child shares her favorite recipe, and together the family whips up "towers of Thai honey toast, mounds of chocolate mango mochi, and a castle of red velvet dreams." Inspired by the author's own family (her youngest was adopted from Thailand), the story is told from the perspective of the older sibling, leaving a missed opportunity to give voice to the adoptee's experiences; although the narrator asks the younger sister several questions (and she points out her favorite recipe in a book), she speaks only at the very end, which may suggest the time it can take for an adoptee to become comfortable in a new environment. Digitally composited watercolor artwork features an inviting mixed palette of colors that exude connection. The adoptive family presents white, while the adoptee has brown skin and curly hair; hints in text and art suggest she has a Thai background. Extended family and friends have varying skin tones and hair textures.
Gentle and loving. (author's and artist's notes, recipe for Grandma Banghart's Heavenly Chocolate Sauce) (Picture book. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Banghart, Tracy E.: LOVE LIKE CHOCOLATE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A768633552/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=90f118b1. Accessed 17 Feb. 2024.
BY MOMMA BRAGA POSTED ONJANUARY 11, 2024
Love Like Chocolate
Love Like Chocolate is a sweet story that celebrates the love of family, traditions and chocolate. A heartwarming read.
~ Momma Braga
Synopsis
As a family welcomes an adopted little girl to their home, her brother takes it upon himself to teach his new sister their traditions. For good days and bad, for birthdays, holidays, and everything in between, their family always celebrates with chocolate. They make superchewy chocolate chip cookies in the spring, very-berry chocolate-cherry mousse in the summer, chocolate banana pancakes in the fall, and warm chocolate sauce in the winter. But the boy soon realizes that his sister might have favorite treats of her own, and that if they work together, they can create new traditions and memories together.
#MelAndNikkiReview
Love Like Chocolate by Tracy Banghart is a sweet book that celebrates the love of family, traditions, and chocolate. The story follows a boy and his adopted sister, who bond over their shared passion for chocolate and learn to appreciate each other’s differences.
The book is filled with mouthwatering descriptions and illustrations of various chocolate treats, from cookies and mousse to pancakes and sauce. It also includes a chocolate sauce recipe from the author’s grandmother, as well as some fun facts and activities about chocolate and the countries where it is grown.
Love Like Chocolate is a perfect book for Valentine’s Day, or any day when you want to share some love and chocolate with loved ones.
If you would like to purchase this heartwarming children’s book, click here. #ad
About the Author
Tracy Banghart is the author of several young adult books, including the Grace and Fury series and A Season of Sinister Dreams. Love Like Chocolate, her debut picture book, is a love letter to two of her favorite things: her family and chocolate. When Tracy isn’t writing, she’s baking delicious treats with her husband and children, and trying to keep their pets from stealing a bite.
About the Author
Alina Chau is the author and artist of Marshmallow & Jordan and the illustrator of Bonnie’s Rocket by Emeline Lee, The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan by Kristen Mai Giang, and the APALA Honor-winning The Nian Monster by Andrea Wang, among others. She is also an award-winning filmmaker whose credits include the Emmy Award-winning Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series and numerous bestselling games. Her creative vision is strongly influenced by her Chinese-Indonesian upbringing, and she invites you to visit her online at alinachau.com.
Until next time…Happy Parenting!
~ Momma Braga