Tracy Badua is an award-winning author of books for young people. By day, she is an attorney who works in national housing policy, and by night, she squeezes in writing, family time, and bites of her secret candy stash (she has strong opinions on the correct ratio of chocolate to filling in peanut butter cups). She lives in San Diego, California, with her family.

Her work has garnered such accolades as the 2023 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Sid Fleischman Humor Award, the 2024 Children’s Literature Council of Southern California Award, multiple selections as Junior Library Guild Gold Standards, and inclusion on state book lists across the United States. Meet Tracy:

You are an author, but is it your day job? If not, what fills your days?I work as an attorney in a federal policy office, which generally means more sitting at a computer and writing, but with different topics and slightly less whimsy. Then when I get off of work, I spend time with my family, mainly trying to trick my young kids into playing games that secretly allow me nap or lie down

Did you always want to be an author? I did! When I was much younger, I used to take paper out of our family printer and handwrite books about my stuffed animals. Fast-forward a few decades, and I’m back to writing, though with markedly fewer stuffed animals in my life and in my work (though there’s still time to increase both!).

What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it? My most recent book is Thea and the Mischief Makers, a middle-grade contemporary fantasy. It has Filipino goblins, Brazilian jiu-jitsu star athlete kids, shaky social lives, and corny former best friends. I wanted to write a book where a capable character enters a space where she’s no longer good at something. I feel like that situation happens throughout our lives, whether it’s starting a new school or job, trying out different hobbies, or when someone brings out a new box or deck on game night. Then, because middle-grade authors are devious, I threw in a pair of vengeful goblins to make my main character’s life just a little bit harder.

How do you hope your book uplifts those who read it? I hope readers realize, through Thea’s journey, the value of being genuine, even if it means showing the world our real, imperfect selves. I also hope readers walk away with practical tips on avoiding supernatural beings living in their backyards.

What are you most excited about with this book? I’m excited about bringing readers yet another Filipino American main character having adventures! I love adding to the breadth of stories, whether it’s about clumsy kids or stressed-out teens, that Filipino American readers can see themselves in and that others can relate to and laugh along with as well.

How did writing a book help your career take off? I nervously laughed to myself with this question because I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like my career, whether as an attorney or an author, has taken off! As an author, having published work on bookstore shelves is a point of pride because of how much work it took to get there, and I love that I’m at a point now where people sometimes recognize me or specifically seek out my events. As an attorney, writing books for young readers has helped me put out more straightforward, easier-to-understand work, which at least makes my colleagues happy.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to succeed in your professional industry? For anyone seeking traditional publication, get used to rejection. I don’t mean to discourage anyone, but there are so many varying tastes and whims to navigate along the path of publication. You may hear “no” more often than you’d like, but if you love what you do and stand by your work, then dust yourself off, reward yourself with your treat of choice, and keep trying.

How do you handle setbacks and criticism? Oddly enough, my career as an attorney has helped me with this. After my requisite grumpy period, which usually involves a lot of TV and a baked good or two, I get very analytical. I look at whether I’ve received any feedback I can use to retool and try again.

Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage all your publicity, social media and keep your engagement up with readers? I maintain a few different social media accounts, but I tend to gravitate more towards Instagram because of the visuals and shorter captions. To be honest, a lot of my social media choices are driven by the communities on that platform. For example, I used to spend a lot of time on Twitter/X, but that has since decreased as creatives move to other platforms. Also, part of running a business is realizing where you need support. I work closely with the fine folks in-house at my publisher and at Books Forward to boost my efforts in tasks where they have greater expertise and connections.

How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I keep a lot of running lists and spreadsheets on my phone, computer, notebooks, Post-its, and anywhere that will let me memorialize even the smallest thoughts. But I also try to remember that there are only so many hours in the day and so many cups of coffee I can drink before it gets really unhealthy: it’s important to cut ourselves some slack if we slip on our timelines and goals a little bit.

How do you structure your day and make time for writing? I write after my kids fall asleep at night and on the weekends when I’m able to carve out a few hours. Because I have so much on my plate, I’ve moved away from longer writing sessions that let me sit and mull everything over; this means more pre-writing-session planning and more focus on what I need to accomplish in a limited time. Not everyone writes like this or enjoys this more aggressive process, but this schedule makes sure that I don’t spend too much time away from other things that matter to me.

What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? I love when readers tell me how they connected with my stories. I’ve had people reach out to me on LinkedIn to let me know that my young adult novels hit a little too close to home when it came to academic stress or family relationships. I’ve inspired some readers to redownload games like Stardew Valley because I’ve alluded to them in-text. There’s just something so wonderful about the knowledge that a handful of ideas made their way out of my brain and managed to find connections with people all over the world.

What book uplifts you? One of my favorite books is The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow. Alechia and I co-write middle-grade mysteries together, but I love her young adult sci-fi work. Her writing always feels so fresh and clever and leaves you with a sense of hope.

Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? I hope you all enjoy my latest, Thea and the Mischief Makers, and keep an eye out for a couple more middle grade books, including Their Just Desserts, the follow-up to The Cookie Crumbles, in 2025!

Connect with Tracy and learn more about her and her books via her website.