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Hi! Deb Gonzales here. I’m a children’s author, career educator, and marketing strategist who has spent years crafting resources that connect people with literature in meaningful ways. As the founder of Guides by Deb, I’ve created over 400+ standards-aligned educator guides for some of the finest books in the business. And as the founder of Pin Lit Marketing, I now help book creators harness the power of Pinterest to expand their reach and keep their books discoverable for years to come.

My expertise in education, curriculum development, and book marketing strategy makes me uniquely qualified to help authors, illustrators, and publishers boost book visibility—whether through standards-aligned guides or Pinterest strategy. With an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I understand the literary world from both the creative and business sides.

If you’re looking for high-quality, affordable, project-specific supplemental materials or a marketing strategy that keeps your books discoverable, let’s talk!

Stop by Deb's Author Website

Stop by Deb's Author Website

Jerry Changed the Game!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever

Jerry Changed the Game!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever

Debbie Gonzales
Press Release, Picture Book

Guides by Deb – Keeping your books in the hearts of young readers and in the hands of those who care for them.

Jerry Changed the Game!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever

Written by Don Tate

Illustrated by Cherise Harris

Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1665919081

Synopsis: Meet Jerry Lawson, the Black engineer who revolutionized the video game industry, in this engaging picture book biography perfect for fans of Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions and Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History.

Before Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, there was a tinkerer named Jerry Lawson. As a boy, Jerry loved playing with springs, sprockets, and gadget-y things. When he grew up, Jerry became an engineer—a professional tinkerer—and in the 1970s, he turned his technical know-how to video games.

Back then, if players wanted a new video game, they had to buy an entire new console, making gaming very expensive. Jerry was determined to fix this problem, and despite roadblocks along the way and having to repeat a level or two, it was never game over for his mission. Eventually, he leveled up and built a brand-new kind of video game console: one that allowed players to switch out cartridges! He also founded Video Soft, Inc., the first African American–owned video game company in the country.

Jerry’s tinkering and inventions changed the video gaming world forever. Today, gamers have access to hundreds of video games at the push of a button, all thanks to him. Game on!

At the Edge of the Ice

At the Edge of the Ice

The Many Fortunes of Maya

The Many Fortunes of Maya