Work samples

  • "Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat" Picture Book
    "Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat" Picture Book

    "Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat" follows a squirrel who stashes food for the winter...and is delighted when some seeds grow into yummy plants the next spring. Readers will learn about what squirrels eat and how their seed caching behavior helps forests grow. Plus, all the antics you'd expect from a squirrel, like outsmarting dogs! This book was published by Sourcebooks on September 5, 2023 and is illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

    Available for Purchase
  • "Call Your Mother," picture book written by Tracy C. Gold
    "Call Your Mother," picture book written by Tracy C. Gold

    “Call Your Mother” celebrates all the moments when kids rely on their mothers, from infancy to when they are parents themselves. This book is inspired by my own changing relationship with my mother when I became a parent–and by my grandpa’s continuous reminders to my dad–“Carl, call your mother!” It will be published by Familius in February 2024 and is illustrated by Vivian Mineker. In rhyme and rhythm, this book explores how you are never too old to need your mother. 

    Available for purchase here: https://tracycgold.com/books/

    Available for Purchase
  • "Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby" Picture Book
    "Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby" Picture Book

    In "Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby," exhausted parents try to get their baby to sleep with little success. It's Adam Mansbach's popular baby shower gift book, "Go the F**k to Sleep," except it's actually meant to be read aloud to children. I wrote this book when I was an exhausted new parent myself and I hope that it will give comfort to other parents who are exhausted--and maybe even help them to get their children to go to sleep. Adele Dafflon, the illustrator, added quirk and humor via her illustrations. This book came out on March 2, 2021. 

    Available for Purchase
  • "Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat" Picture Book
    "Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat" Picture Book

    "Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat" is about a very hungry bat searching for food on Halloween. With a rhyming scheme matching "Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet," this book offers a fun way to learn about the important role bats play in the ecosystem. Nancy Leschnikoff's illustrations shows bats searching for food while neighborhood kids do the same in their costumes. This book was published by Sourcebooks on August 3, 2021. I have been doing school visits to teach children about bats and their role in Maryland's ecology. 

    Available for Purchase

About Tracy

Baltimore City

Tracy C. Gold loves writing about families and nature. She is an author, freelance editor, and mom living in Baltimore, Maryland. Her published and forthcoming picture books include “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby,” “Call Your Mother,” “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat,” and “Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat.” She also writes short stories, essays, novels, and poems. 
Tracy's short stories, essays, and poems have been published in several magazines and anthologies, including "Erase the Patriarchy… more

Picture Books

I fell in love with reading as a child and I am honored to bring this love to children through my own books and connected works. 

My first published book, "Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby," was published in March 2021 by Familius, a growing independent book publisher based in California. The book is illustrated by Adele Dafflon. I wrote this book as a sleep-deprived new mom and I hope it will help other exhausted parents laugh through the long nights, and maybe convince their children to sleep. More importantly, I am excited that creating a book geared to 0-2 year olds could help spark a love of reading even before a baby has its first laugh. The spare, poetic text evokes the humor, beauty, and frustration of new parenthood. I collaborated with the publisher and illustrator to create a sweet and silly visual layer to the story, while representing safe sleeping environments.

My second published book, "Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat," was published in August 2021 by Sourcebooks, and is illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff. This book shows bats trick or treating for bugs. A fun rhyming main text should bring smiles to kids, while a non-fictional addendum gives educators opportunities to use this book as a way to make science fun. I worked with the publisher and illustrator to increase the accuracy of the illustrations while remaining appealing to kids.

 

My third published book, "Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat" was published in September 2023 by Sourcbeooks, and is also illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff. This book shows how squirrels store up food for the winter--and how the food they don't eat can become new plants in the spring. 

My fourth published book, "Call Your Mother," comes out in March 2024 from Familius, illustrated by Vivian Mineker. It celebrates all the times you need your mom, from when you're a baby to when you become a mom yourself. 

I also have a fifth book, "Call Your Father," contracted with Familius and anticipated to publish in 2026. 


Along with my writing, I have also been visiting schools, bookstores, and festivals, to share my love of writing (particularly in rhythm and rhyme) with children. I also lead discussions about how bats and squirrels affect ecology, and hopefully increase children's appreciation of nature. 

 

I also teach classes about writing; most recently I launched two on-demand courses, one about rhythm and rhyme in picture books, and one about picture book basics.

Historical Novel about Ship of Jewish Refugees

I am working on a revision of a historical novel about the St. Louis, a ship of Jewish refugees that was turned away from the US, Cuba, and Canada in 1939. The novel follows a teenage passenger and a young crew member who is half-Jewish and hiding his ancestry. The two join together to stop a Nazi on board from completing a spy mission in Havana.

I have attached the first chapter.

The novel is geared toward young adult readers, defined in the publishing industry as ages 14-18. While the main purpose of the novel is to tell a good story, my hope is that bringing this story to the attention of young readers will help educate future generations about the Holocaust and increase empathy toward the millions of refugees in the world today. Refugees are still being turned away from the US border and sent home to peril. I have spent years researching this novel thanks to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, St. Louis Legacy Project, descendants of survivors, and more. This novel is complete and I am working with my literary agent to prepare it to submit to publishers.

I have completed three other unpublished novels focused on young people but am galvanized by my love of writing and researching this historical novel. I hope to follow in the footsteps of novelists like Linda Sue Park and Ruta Sepetys who have built careers writing fiction that shines a light on history for readers of many ages. Image of the St. Louis in Havana courtesy of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (public domain)
  • "In Sight of Shore" Chapter One
    This is the first chapter of "In Sight of Shore," my young adult historical novel about a ship of Jewish refugees that was turned away from the US, Cuba, and Canada in 1939.

Notable Works Edited

As a freelance editor, I work with many writers locally and nationally on books, essays, and short stories. Many of my projects have been regional in nature. As an editor, I work to help authors reach their visions and realize their books' full potential.

I served as an editor for the "Baltimore Love Project Book," a photojournalistic review of the 20 murals around Baltimore created by artist Michael Owen and executive director Scott Burkholder. The book was written by Rafael Alvarez and photographed by Sean Scheidt. 

I edited "The Holy Shroud: A Brilliant Hoax in the Time of the Black Death" and helped author Gary Vikan, former director of the Walters Art Gallery, find his publisher, Pegasus Books. "The Holy Shroud" explores who made the famous Shroud believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus, when they made it, and how they made it. Vikan uncovers why the Catholic Church persists in perpetuating the myth behind this false relic.

Branching out from Baltimore, I worked with author Candace Buford on her book "Kneel," which was published by Harper Collins. "Kneel" follows a high school football player who refuses to stand for the National Anthem as a protest of police violence.

In addition to my work on published books, I also help many new writers hone their craft. 

 

  • "The Holy Shroud: A Brilliant Hoax in the Time of the Black Death" by Gary Vikan
    "The Holy Shroud: A Brilliant Hoax in the Time of the Black Death" by Gary Vikan
    I worked closely with former Walters director Gary Vikan on this non-fiction book about his journey to uncover the truth about how the Shroud of Turin was made. I helped him revise the manuscript and craft a book proposal to reach out to literary agents. With the help of his literary agent, he landed a book deal with Pegasus Books.
  • Baltimore Love Project Book
    Baltimore Love Project Book
    I worked closely with Michael Owen and Scott Burkholder, the Baltimore Love Project team, to bring this documentation of the mural project to life. I helped writer Rafael Alvarez revise the project, and worked with designer Billy Mitchell and photographer Sean Scheidt to create a beautiful art book.

Classes and Workshops

I am passionate about helping people find their voices by improving their writing. 

My work as an educator has spanned from working with Baltimore City high school students, to teaching undergraduates at the University of Baltimore, to leading continuing education classes via Johns Hopkins Odyssey program. Whether my students are taking my courses as a requirement or for fun, I aim to inspire them to see themselves as writers and use their voices. 

I have offered free webinars, articles, and courses via Reedsy, an organization geared toward helping self-published authors. I also regularly publish free resources on my own website.
 

  • Professional Editors Fix and Polish Writing Extracts Submitted by Authors
    I recorded this webinar via Reedsy to help authors learn how to improve their work on a sentence level.
  • How to Write Multiple POVs the 'Game of Thrones' Way
    I recorded this webinar via Reedsy to help deal with a common problem writers have: how to effectively write multiple points of view in one story or novel. I analyzed George R.R. Martin's popular "Game of Thrones" to provide an example.