“Carol Baldwin, Author and Her Book, HALF-TRUTHS” by Joan Y. Edwards

Carol, what an honor to interview you about your new young adult historical fiction novel, Half-Truths!
It is a pleasure to be here.

1. What was the biggest change you made based on the publisher’s feedback?
Jen Lowry, publisher at Monarch Educational Services, helped me to see that my protagonist, Kate Dinsmore, wasn’t likable in the beginning. I am so glad she pointed that out to me.

2. How do you feel about the final edits and revisions that were necessary before publication?
I was happy about all the professional input I received.

3. What was the most challenging aspect of writing this book?
So many parts of this were challenging! First, I had to learn how to write a novel. The second hardest was to make sure I portrayed the Black experience as authentically as possible. Third was sticking to the kernel of my story and not wandering down rabbit trails!

4. Did you have any major plot twists or character developments that were significantly altered during the editing process?
No. One of the significant changes came from Deborah Halverson, an editor I hired before I submitted the book to Monarch. At that point, I had Kate writing poems about her experiences and feelings. Deborah said that since Kate wanted to be a journalist, not a poet, it would make more sense to have her write prose, not poetry. The poems turned into “Words That Wonder” which are journal entries in her steno pad.

 5. What are you most excited about sharing with readers now that the book is released?
I think this is a book for all ages. I hope teens and their parents or grandparents will read it and talk about it. Since it takes place in 1950—an era that is still accessible to some of us—older adults are enjoying it also. I would love to hear that families and students are talking about their own half-truths as well as what our society was like in 1950 and how it is the same or different now.

6. Compared to when your first published book about writing, how are your feelings about Half-Truths different? How are they the same?
It’s very different! When I published Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8, I was excited but not over-the-moon thrilled! Since I’ve been working on HALF-TRUTHS for 18 years, I have a lot invested in it. It is my debut novel and there were times I never thought it would get published. So, this is a pretty big deal!

 7. How are you marketing your book? Do you have any plans to participate in book tours or events to promote your book?
I have the blog tour going on this week and hope to speak at library and educational conferences. I am actively looking for reviewers and hope to hold events at bookstores. I also enjoy teaching writing at local libraries and will spread the word that way. I am part of a panel event sponsored by the Levine Museum of the New South on April 2 and hope to give talks at other museums and community groups.

8. How involved were you in the cover design process?
Jen Lowry, Monarch’s publisher, showed me several different covers before we hit on the one we both loved.

9. What were three of your biggest challenges for completing the necessary revisions and delivering the final version of Half-Truths to Monarch?
Believe it or not, formatting issues were the biggest challenge. Since I had written it in Scrivener, imported it to Word, and then put it up on Google docs, there were a lot of spacing issues. It drove me and my editor nuts!

10. How does it feel to finally hold a copy of Half-Truths in your hand?
Surreal. I can’t wait to have time to read it and savor the fact that I wrote it!

11. What is your next writing project and are you already working on it?
Out of the Flame is a middle-grade book about Kate’s paternal grandfather. Here’s the pitch: At the turn of the 20th century, a young factory worker is surrounded by deafening noise, blisteringly hot glass, and mind-numbing exhaustion. There is no end in sight until he finds mysterious notes from a boy who lived this life 150 years earlier.

12. How do you think getting Half-Truths published will affect your writing career moving forward?
Only the Lord knows!

13. What do you hope people take away after reading Half-Truths?
Don’t push family secrets under the rug. A person’s past influences their present. Whenever possible, open communication is best.
          The theme of half-truths runs throughout the book. Kate not only uncovers deceptions that have been passed on in her family, but she also comes to grips with her half-truths. Lillian, an important secondary character, is a teenage Black maid who works for Kate’s grandmother. The two girls bond over Kate’s goat, and while building that friendship, Kate frequently stumbles. In a major turning point, Kate alienates Lillian by publicly saying a half-truth about Lillian. It is only when Kate admits what she did and communicates her genuine regret to Lillian that their friendship is reconciled.
          As the story progresses, Kate discovers secrets about her family’s ancestry. She wants to talk about them to her stern grandmother— the lynchpin in the puzzle—but she’s afraid. At the end of the book, she broaches the topic as the two plant a garden together. Kate’s hunch about her ancestry is validated as she breaks through walls that have existed for decades. She is then freer to speak her voice and move forward without debilitating fear.

14. What did you learn about yourself while writing and editing Half-Truths?
What a great question! Although I didn’t start out writing about myself, I ended up drawing from my own life more than I had anticipated. It’s not autobiographical, but I did fictionalize some of own feelings and experiences. I also learned that I can take feedback and that I’m very persistent. Sort of like Kate!

15. Where can my readers find you?
The simplest way is to go to my linktree page: https://linktr.ee/carolbaldwin and pick how you would like to follow me.

I’d love for you to subscribe to my blog and to Talking Story, my quarterly newsletter. I give away quality kidlit books through both! You can email me at carol@carolbaldwinbooks.com

16. How can my readers order HALF-TRUTHS?
You can order books from:
1. Park Road Books.  Email: orders@parkroadbooks.com
2. Barnes & Noble
3. Amazon

SYNOPSIS
          It is 1950, and 15-year-old Kate Dinsmore wants to become a journalist. But, her tobacco-farming father can’t afford to send her to college. She devises a plan to move from rural North Carolina to her wealthy grandparents’ home in Charlotte in hopes of gaining their financial support. Now she has a new set of problems. How can she please her society-conscious grandmother and conform to her new classmates’ lifestyles?
          She meets Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid, and despite their racial differences, they form a tentative friendship. While exploring her grandmother’s attic, Kate unearths a secret that rocks her world and Lillian’s too. The shocking discovery reveals half-truths that threaten the girls’ friendship. What will Kate do when she must choose between Lillian and her new society friends?
          Through a mentorship with a newspaper editor, Kate realizes that journalism requires honesty. But, the risks of truth-telling make Kate question herself. If she reveals what she has learned, what price will she pay?

Half-Truths by Carol Baldwin *****
Review by Joan Y. Edwards
In her Young Adult Historical Fiction novel, Half-Truths, author Carol Baldwin integrates 1950s facts and clever fiction that shows how a white girl, Kate Dinsmore with an inner-drive searches and won’t settle with only knowing Half-Truths about her family, friends, and people in the community. We can all learn a lot from Kate and her friend, Lillian Bridges.
It is intriguing how Carol Baldwin integrated real people in her story and real headlines from Newspapers in Tabor City, North Carolina and in Charlotte, N.C. This made her story very believable and made Half-Truths resonate as a truthful story.
It was fun to see places I have been to mentioned in Half-Truths, like Ivey’s, the Charlotte-Observer building, Freedom Park and Queens College. I am so proud that the author never gave up on this story.

Watch the Trailer video overview of Half-Truths:
https://youtu.be/pWjcfdh8rYQ?si=Poi5PyGWMa99lVFp

If you would like your name put in a hat to win a free copy of HALF-TRUTHS, please leave a comment here before midnight on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Thank you, Carol, for allowing me to feature you and your book, Half-Truths on my blog. My readers and I wish you the best with all of your endeavors.

Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2025 Joan Y. Edwards

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