Fans of Lisa Greenwald and Wendy Mass are sure to fall head-over-heels for this funny, sweet story of crushes, competition, and the confusing reality of middle school.
We had the pleasure of chatting with author Debbi Michiko Florence about her latest release, Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai, along with books, writing, and more!
Hi, Debbi! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Thanks so much for having me! I am a third generation Japanese American, born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles. As an adult, I’ve moved quite a bit – Mexico City, Shanghai, Michigan, Massachusetts, and New York. Today I live in a small coastal town in Connecticut. I love it here and have no desire to move again. However I do love to travel with my husband and daughter, and one of our favorite places to visit is Japan.
I have a degree in Zoology and before I became full time writer I was a raptor rehabilitator, classroom teacher, and an associate curator of education for a zoo. But the dream has always been to be an author so it really is a thrill that today I have 16 chapter books and two middle grade novels published (with more books on the way)!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
From the time I could hold I pencil, I started writing stories. My mom kept all of them. When I visit schools, I show one of my earliest stories that I wrote when I was 6 years old. Although I wrote stories throughout my childhood well into adulthood, I never considered becoming an author – more like fantasized about it. I didn’t share my stories with anyone until I took a creative writing class in college. My teacher encouraged me to submit my short stories to journals, but I never followed through. It wasn’t until I moved to Mexico with my husband for his job that I decided to seriously pursue a career in writing.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
- First novel I remember reading on my own and more than once: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White in third grade.
- All of the books by Judy Blume made me fantasize about being an author.
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is a novel I’ve been recommending to everyone I know.
Your latest novel, Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Friendship, crushes, heartbreak, milkshakes, and journalism.
What can readers expect?
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is a companion to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter, and while readers will be able to peek in on Keiko and how her life is progressing, this story focuses on Jenna the months following Keiko’s story. Jenna is hurting from her parents’ recent divorce and her own breakup with her first boyfriend, and in order to hide from her feelings and her well-meaning friends, she escapes to a Broadway-themed diner to focus on beating out her ex-boyfriend for a journalism scholarship. But there, she meets a very annoying (but cute) boy…
I hope readers fall in love with Jenna.
Where did the inspiration for Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai come from?
My editor, Jenne, asked me if I wanted to write a sequel to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter. I thought about it for a minute, but felt like I’d already told Keiko’s story. Jenna intrigued me because she’s unlike Keiko who is a people-pleaser. Jenna puts up walls because she doesn’t like showing (or feeling) her emotions. I wanted to know Jenna’s story. Fortunately my editor was 100% supportive of me writing a companion novel.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
My editor (who is very wise and observant) pointed out that Keiko and I are similar in personalities – I am indeed a people-pleaser and conflict-avoider. She was curious how I’d approach telling Jenna’s story. I admire Jenna because she doesn’t worry about what other people think – she acts and talks the way she feels at any given moment. The problem, however, is that she has issues with being vulnerable. So it’s harder for her to express true joy and love because that opens her up to getting hurt. I had to really dig to find Jenna’s heart – and was able to do so by recalling when I got my heart broken (many times) and how I dealt with those hard feelings. But whew, it wasn’t fun to go there.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
See above. Once I found Jenna’s heart and realized that her gruff attitude and demeanor was to cover up the pain she was feeling, I absolutely fell in love with her. I hurt for her and so I also cheered for her when she figured out that people could and did love her, and that it was okay to let them in.
Also, I loved writing Rin. He is the boy version of Jenna and so perfect for her. But they did not want to get to know each other at all. It was fun throwing them together.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best writing advice was from Cynthia Leitich Smith – she told me to focus my goals on things I can control. Meaning – don’t make a goal of “I will make a book sale in 18 months.” There are so many things about making a sale that writers have zero control over. Instead, make goals you can control like I will complete a first draft of a middle grade novel in 4 months.
Worst advice? I’m not sure this counts, but I recall being at a conference, and an editor said to look around the room. She said, “These people are not your friends. They are your competition.” I disagree completely. I would not be here today if not for those writer friends who offered advice, encouragement, feedback, and hand-holding. I love the children’s writing community.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on copyedits of my next middle grade novel, Sweet & Sour (May, 2022), a story about friendship, crushes, & betrayal. This novel poured out of me during the pandemic and served as an escape for me. I am not very good at describing my books so here is my brilliant editor’s copy:
Revenge is sweet!
For as long as she can remember, Mai has spent every summer in Mystic, Connecticut visiting family friends. And hanging out with her best-friend-since-birth, Zach Koyama, was always the best part.
Then two summers ago everything changed. Zach humiliated Mai, proving he wasn’t a friend at all. So when Zach’s family moved to Japan, Mai felt relieved. No more summers together. No more heartache.
But this year, the Koyamas have returned and the family vacation is back on. And if Mai has to spend the summer around Zach, the least she can do is wipe away the memory of his betrayal…by coming up with the perfect plan for revenge!
Only Zach isn’t the boy he used to be, and Mai’s memories of their last fateful summer aren’t the whole truth of what happened between them. But how can she forgive Zach for a betrayal she’ll never forget?
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
So many recommendations! Let me narrow it down to a few contemporary middle grade books releasing this year:
- The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang
- Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
- Spin with Me by Ami Polonsky
- And a few I’m looking forward to reading:
- The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon
- How To Win a Slime War by Mae Respicio
- A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
- Among MANY other books!
You can find Debbi on Twitter and Instagram, as well as at her website.
