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.

Will you be picking up Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Debbi Michiko Florence, Author of ‘Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We are thrilled to be releasing the second chapter of Debbi Michiko Florence’s recently published middle-grade novel, Keep It Together, Keiko Carter!

Seventh grade is supposed to be a game changer. And Keiko thinks she’s got it covered, especially with Audrey and Jenna by her side to shop for a new look, pick out a prime lunch spot, and even hit up that cute new bubble tea place after school. Her trio is ready to tackle life as they always have…together.

But when Audrey decides they need boyfriends before Fall Ball, it looks like things may be changing in all the wrong ways. Jenna is sick of caving in to Audrey’s demands, and soon Keiko’s besties are barely talking, leaving her caught in the middle. While she’s been dreaming about triple-dates, first kisses, and a boy she really shouldn’t have a crush on, the friendship she’s always thought was rock-solid is beginning to crumble.

Keiko feels pulled in two directions. Should she try to help her friends-even if it means losing one of them-or follow her heart? When it comes to flirting, friendships, and fallouts, how is Keiko supposed to keep it all together?

Check out the second chapter below and be sure to add this one to your Goodreads! You can find the first chapter on Scholastic‘s website, along with purchase links!

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The post Exclusive Excerpt: ‘Keep It Together, Keiko Carter’ by Debbi Michiko Florence appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself, and about Keep It Together, Keiko Carter?

Sure! I was born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, got my B.S. in Zoology and minor in English at UC Davis and my K-8 teaching certificate from Cal State Northridge. I am a born and bred Californian, but as an adult I have moved quite a bit, living in the Midwest, on the East Coast, Mexico, China, and now New England where I hope to stay. Through it all, I wrote stories, at first just for myself, but then in the early 2000s with the hope of getting published. I joined critique groups, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, took workshops and attended conferences, read many middle grade and young adult novels and craft books, and all the while wrote, revised, submitted, collected rejections, and kept learning and growing.

I am a third generation Japanese American, which means both sets of grandparents were born in Japan and came to the States. I have always gravitated toward MG and YA novels about friendship and romance, however, back then, I didn’t find contemporary novels with characters that looked like me and had shared experiences. There were some books with Japanese main characters, but often they were depicted as the enemy (books set during WWII), full of stereotypes, or as characters dealing with issues of immigration or assimilation, as “the other.” I grew up in Los Angeles at a time when there was a good-sized Japanese American/Asian American population, both in my neighborhood and at my middle school and high school. I was fortunate that I didn’t deal with overt racism or feeling like I was the only Asian. (That’s unfortunately not the case as an adult, but that’s a story for another day.) By the time my daughter was born, there were more books with contemporary Asian American characters like Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park and Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. My daughter loved Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, about a Japanese American family living in Georgia.

So, when I sat down to write Keep It Together, Keiko Carter, I knew it was going to be a story about changing friendships and first crushes in middle school, and I was determined to write it with a hafu main character, half Japanese American half Caucasian, as my daughter is. I recall a conversation we had back then about lack of representation. She said when she was younger, “Mom, Japanese Americans can fall in love, have fights with their friends, and issues with their family. Where are those books?”  I am so thrilled that Keep It Together, Keiko Carter found a home at Scholastic and I hope in the hearts of readers.

Keiko is a bit of a chocolate connoisseur, but are you also a chocoholic? And do you have a preferred way of eating/drinking it? (Personally, I love a nice steaming mug of chocolate abuelita!)

Mmmm chocolate! I do love chocolate, and while I am partial to dark with maple or caramel flavors, I will eat any chocolate. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit a local chocolate shop (and independent bookstore). I used to love hot chocolate, but these days I can’t drink milk anymore.

What drew you to writing this story for a middle grade audience?

By the time I sit down to write a story, I have already spent time with the character (in my head). I knew  Keiko was 12 years old, dealing with her two best friends who were not getting along, and starting to notice boys. All perfect for a middle grade audience. For me, the story premise and the character come first and then from there, I can write with a general audience in mind. Plus, of my childhood, middle school stands out the strongest in my memory.

What is one of the strongest memories of the 7th grade that you have?

I have so many – a lot of friend drama and boy drama. But I’m going to share a funny one. Back in the day, gold belts wrapped around a loose tunic top/blouse were all the rage. I had to beg my mom for one, but finally wore her down. The day I wore it, I was so pleased. Then in third period, I looked down and IT WAS GONE! My mom was going to be upset that I’d lost it! I got permission from my teacher to look for it. I wandered the school grounds but it wasn’t anywhere I looked. I was getting panicky. I went to one of my best friend’s classroom and asked the teacher if my friend could help me look for my belt. Miraculously, the teacher gave us permission. We spent the rest of the period looking for it everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. I was sad and anxious. Then during lunch, I felt something cold against my skin on my stomach. I lifted my shirt and THERE WAS MY BELT! It had slipped under my shirt. This memory still makes me laugh. (Hi, Shelly!)

The girls (Keiko, Jenna, and Audrey) are learning some tough lessons in this book, and I’m curious to know which lesson resonated the most with you as you were writing the book? Was it something you learned in 7th grade, or later in life?

Keiko Carter is a people-pleaser and conflict-avoider. She wants everyone around her to be happy, even if that means she has to put her own happiness aside. She learns the hard way that she can’t please everyone all of the time. I am very similar to Keiko. I didn’t even realize that I was a people-pleaser until adulthood. It’s something I’m constantly trying to balance, being generous and kind, but not to the point where I ignore my own wants and dreams and mental well-being. I’m still learning how to do this.

What was different about publishing for middle grade than your previous books?

In writing them, the biggest difference for me was the length of the books and how that affected my process. My chapter books have been between 3,500 and 10,000 words long. Keep It Together, Keiko Carter is about 50,000 words. When writing and revising and copyediting the chapter books, it was fairly easy to keep everything in my head. But for Keep It Together, Keiko Carter, it was a challenge. I had to keep a detailed “cheat sheet” of all of the characters names and what their relationship was to Keiko as well as a timeline that reminded me what day it was for each scene. Although at a school visit last year for one of my chapter books, a student asked me the last name of one of the secondary characters and I drew a complete blank. Maybe I should keep a cheat sheet on me at all times!

If you could sit down with your 7th grade self, what is something you would tell them?

That everything is going to be okay. Back then, as with many middle schoolers, I felt my emotions in huge ways. If I was sad, I was devastated. If I was angry, I was furious beyond belief. If I was upset, it felt like the end of the world. But things did get better and there were always the happy and joyful times that balanced out the not so great times. In fact, I have to remind myself of that still when I’m going through a rough time. I’d also like to add that it’s important to have friends/family you can talk to about these feelings. It helps a lot to have safe spaces to share without judgement.

I feel like the middle grade landscape has changed so much, but what are some of your “oldie but goodie” reads that might have inspired your writing?

I loved all of Judy Blume’s books when I was growing up. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret; Deenie, and Blubber dealt with friendships, changing bodies and confusion emotions, first crushes, and bullying in ways that my 11 – 12 year old self could relate to. I read those books over and over.

The landscape of publishing has changed quite a bit since March, but how can we support you as we get closer to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter?

Thank you! I appreciate you taking time to interview me. People can purchase my books online and from their favorite independent bookstores, but if they would like personalized signed copies, they can order from my local independent bookstore. Just put to whom they would like the book signed in the comments when checking out. I also have a list of my upcoming appearances (these days virtual appearances) on my website. I update often.

After this wonderful story, what is currently or soon to be in the works?

There will be a sequel to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter coming out next year!  Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is about Keiko’s best friend Jenna who decides that heartbreak is for suckers as she attempts to get over a crush and her parents’ divorce. I’m so thrilled to write another story set in Keiko’s world with these characters I’ve grown to love.

Will you be picking up Keep It Together, Keiko Carter? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Debbi Michiko Florence, Author of ‘Keep It Together, Keiko Carter’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.