I love meeting new authors and spreading the word about their novels. Today I'm happy to welcome Author Deborah DeMoss Smith, who is here to talk about her Young Adult Novel "Light Fixtures."
Set in the Deep South in 1963, Light Fixtures is a coming-of-awareness novel that features 14-year-old Aurora as she eventually realizes, via the guidance of two mystical friends, that her fast thoughts and words are more than the actions of an active teenager—especially when the mania spirals downward.
There are many nonfiction books on bipolar disorder, but rarely is the mood disorder addressed in fiction and even more so not in YA fiction; yet the number of teens with bipolar disorder continues to expand. As a writer, that snagged my attention.
Writing a story that focused on a teen experiencing the onset of manic depression (as bipolar was called then) and yet not have the novel be banal was a challenge, but one I welcomed. Aurora’s crush on Johnny Lee and her friendship with Chrissie added flavor to Light Fixtures, but the budding friendship with two unique friends—the robed, wise Mr. Hematite in the woods and his helper Mr. Dragonfly—definitely brought texture to the book.
Through their guidance, Aurora learns about herself and that, as a Light Fixture, she has the ability to shine with balance and brilliance. The title Light Fixtures—devices used to create illumination—is a metaphor for who Aurora, and all of us, are: beings who, no matter what our limitations, have the power to emit true light.
The setting of Light Fixtures is also a strong component of the novel. The story plays out in the northwest Louisiana countryside in the early 1960’s, where the culture of Aurora’s grandparents (whom she stays with), rich with its Deep South dialect and emphasis on manners, is distinctive.
Although I’ve written many TV documentaries and the nonfiction book Reflections of the Heart: What Our Animal Companions Tell Us published by Wiley, this is my first YA novel…though not my last. As Aurora goes through high school and beyond, I’ll follow her journey as she experiences life as a teen with emerging bipolar moods.
There are many nonfiction books on bipolar disorder, but rarely is the mood disorder addressed in fiction and even more so not in YA fiction; yet the number of teens with bipolar disorder continues to expand. As a writer, that snagged my attention.
Writing a story that focused on a teen experiencing the onset of manic depression (as bipolar was called then) and yet not have the novel be banal was a challenge, but one I welcomed. Aurora’s crush on Johnny Lee and her friendship with Chrissie added flavor to Light Fixtures, but the budding friendship with two unique friends—the robed, wise Mr. Hematite in the woods and his helper Mr. Dragonfly—definitely brought texture to the book.
Through their guidance, Aurora learns about herself and that, as a Light Fixture, she has the ability to shine with balance and brilliance. The title Light Fixtures—devices used to create illumination—is a metaphor for who Aurora, and all of us, are: beings who, no matter what our limitations, have the power to emit true light.
The setting of Light Fixtures is also a strong component of the novel. The story plays out in the northwest Louisiana countryside in the early 1960’s, where the culture of Aurora’s grandparents (whom she stays with), rich with its Deep South dialect and emphasis on manners, is distinctive.
Although I’ve written many TV documentaries and the nonfiction book Reflections of the Heart: What Our Animal Companions Tell Us published by Wiley, this is my first YA novel…though not my last. As Aurora goes through high school and beyond, I’ll follow her journey as she experiences life as a teen with emerging bipolar moods.
Deborah DeMoss Smith www.lightfixturesthebook.com
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