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• First Love Language Penguin Workshop (New York, NY), 2025

• Stefany Valentine weblog - https://stefanyvalentine.wordpress.com/

  Stefany Valentine Ramirez

  YA Author

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  Like many aspiring writers, I’ve dreamt of becoming a New York Times Best-Selling author ever since I was a kid. Yet many obstacles stood in my way. I struggled to learn English because Mandarin was my first language. I was neglected in an adopted household of nine kids, and I watched my dad succumb to colon cancer all before I became a teenager. But through the heartache, I never stopped writing. In fact, storytelling became my way of organizing the chaos around me. After seven failed manuscripts and nine years of struggling to pave my way in the traditional publishing space, I finally found a literary agent, Ann Rose at The Tobias Literary Agency, to represent my stories.

  Since then, I’ve been published in the YA adoptee anthology, WHEN WE BECOME OURS. My first novel, FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE, debuts with Penguin Workshop on January 14, 2025. And my sophomore novel, LOVE MAKES MOCHI, releases with Joy Revolution and Electric Postcard Entertainment in 2026.

  There was a time in my life that I thought my grief and trauma would only hold me back. But given all the curveballs that have been thrown my way, I’m proud of myself for having persevered because never in my wildest dreams did I actually think I’d make it this far. If a random person on the internet can beat the odds, then you can too.

  For author appearances, email me at stefanyiswriting@gmail.com.

• CanvasRebel - https://canvasrebel.com/meet-stefany-valentine/

  Meet Stefany Valentine
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  Stories & Insights
  June 13, 2024
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  We recently connected with Stefany Valentine and have shared our conversation below.

  Stefany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
  Like most authors, I’ve dreamt of seeing my name in a bookstore ever since I was a child. But unlike most authors, English wasn’t my first language. I grew up in Taiwan and was brought to America when I was five years old to start a new life. As a result, I was academically behind all of my peers in grade school and eventually needed to be held back in fourth grade. But that never stopped me from chasing my dream.

  After graduating high school, I spent the next ten years writing seven failed manuscripts and shopping them around to literary agents hoping someone would tell me my writing was good enough. I had accrued over 500 rejections from industry professionals by the time I finally got one yes. Someone lived my writing and they wanted to represent me as an author.

  Two years after that, my young adult romcom about a Taiwanese girl who takes her Mandarin tutor on fake dates inspired by the love languages was bought by Penguin Teen and Penguin Workshop. It is now on track to be published on Jan 14, 2025.

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  Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
  I’m a young adult author and I write stories for readers who have rarely seen themselves reflected in media. Representation matters to young people. It has been proven time and time again that when people can see a version of themselves that isn’t characterized, they then have more confidence within themselves.

  I strive to uplift Asian diaspora, adoptees, and survivors of religious trauma as these are the underrepresented elements of my own lived identity. Young readers who are still trying to make sense of the world don’t need another mainstream production of what these narratives have traditionally offered. They need an authentic role model who has experienced what they have. My lack of conformity is my greatest strength despite existing in a system that praises conformity.

  How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
  As an author, I thought that it was my job to create books that others wanted to read. So I spent ten years writing 7 various scifi and fantasy books only to be told by industry professionals that my stories weren’t enough.

  It wasn’t until the pandemic of 2020 that I decided to shift from writing books for other people, to writing books *I* needed to read when I was a kid. This completely shifted my career. I wrote a contemporary novel about a Taiwanese American grappling with her identity as an adoptee and that’s the book that landed me a deal with Penguin Teen/Penguin Workshop. Since then, I’ve fostered a community of Asian diaspora who have been affected by feelings of otherness as that unique experience is what ties us together.

  For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
  The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is hearing how relatable my writing is. Yes, my experiences may be unique to me, but being human and feeling emotions is a universal experience. Knowing that I created something for other people to see themselves in is rewarding to me because it’s validating to know that I’m not alone in the way that I feel.

  Contact Info:

  Website: https://stefanyvalentine.wordpress.com
  Instagram: @BooksByStefany
  Twitter: @BooksByStefany
  Other: TikTok: @BooksByStefany

• The Nerd Daily - https://thenerddaily.com/stefany-valentine-first-love-language-interview/

  Q&A: Stefany Valentine, Author of ‘First Love Language’
  Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·January 13, 2025·3 min read

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  We chat with author Stefany Valentine about First Love Language, which is a romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways.

  Hi, Stefany! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
  I’m Stefany! Most people know me as the adoptee who found her bio mom while writing a book about an adoptee searching for her bio mom! But really, I’m just an avid birdwatcher who drinks too much coffee and occasionally keeps her indoor plants alive.

  When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
  I’ve always loved storytelling! After I found my bio mom, she told me that my favorite thing to do when I was little was to listen to her tell stories. I don’t remember that, but I do remember being in elementary school and writing a 20 page story about killer whales.

  Quick lightning round! Tell us:
  The first book you ever remember reading: Goosebumps—they were the books that got me into reading!
  The one that made you want to become an author: I’m not proud of this answer, but it was probably the Harry Potter series.
  The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Lately, I’ve been obsessed with anything Sonora Reyes! Their soul just speaks to my soul!
  Your debut novel, First Love Language, is out January 14th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
  Fake dates inspired by love languages! Technically that’s that’s six but “love languages” are one thing hahaha!

  What can readers expect?
  Readers can expect a rollercoaster of emotions! There’s laughter on one page, heartache on the next. There’s a lot of exploration of the good and bad of complicated topics like adoption and religion. And of course navigating the ups and downs of first love!

  Where did the inspiration for First Love Language come from?
  The inspiration for FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE came from my lived experience, but it also came from the stories shared by other Asian Americans. When Covid hit, it gave me a chance to think about my own Asian identity and how complex my relationship to it has always been. As a biracial adoptee, I always felt estranged from my Asian identity. I was embarrassed at the fact that I didn’t speak my heritage language or know anything about Taiwanese culture. But I didn’t know I was even allowed to feel those things until someone else said it first and I wanted to write a book that tackles how complex all of this really is.

  Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
  While Catie, the protagonist, and I have a lot in common, there were still things about her character that I needed to explore. By digging deeper into her character, I was able to learn things about myself, too. It was very therapeutic to write FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE.

  This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

  The road to publication was a long one. I was in the query trenches for ten years before I finally got an offer of representation. By this time, I’d written 7 failed mauscripts. But I think the greatest lesson I learned from this was that each of the stories I wrote before was for the market. FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE was the first story I wrote for myself. I think the authenticity resonated with others which is what ultimately lead me to landing my first agent and later, a book deal.

  What’s next for you?
  My sophomore novel, LOVE MAKES MOCHI, is anticipated for release in Feb, 2026. From there, I might pivot into writing adult rom-dram-com. But YA will always have my heart and I have more stories up my sleeve.

  Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
  THE FLOATING WORLD, Axie Oh

  OATHBOUND, Tracey Dion

  See also

  Q&A: Dustin Thao, Author of ‘You’ve Reached Sam’
  WATERMOON, Samantha Sotto Yambao

  SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, Suzanne Collins

  SAY A LITTLE PRAYER, Jenna Voris

  BINGSU FOR TWO, Sujin Witherspoon

  BETTER THAN THE MOVIES, Lynn Painter

• Envi - https://www.envimedia.co/author-spotlight-stefany-valentine-reclaims-the-adoptee-narrative-in-first-love-language/

  Author Spotlight: Stefany Valentine Reclaims the Adoptee Narrative in “First Love Language”
  by Sara Conway
  February 12, 2025
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  Stefany Valentine’s favorite Mandarin Chinese word means “love” — 愛 (ài). “I like the word for ‘love,’” she said a bit shyly during our conversation in a Taipei café. The debut author (who was adopted from Taiwan) also pointed out, 愛 as in “可愛” (kě’ài) or cute. “Everything in Taiwan is 可愛!” Valentine exclaimed emphatically with a laugh.

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  A few months ahead of First Love Language’s release date, EnVi Media met up with Valentine in Taipei while she was visiting the city. Although the café is a dream for literature lovers, with shelves stuffed with books and cozy couches nestled into cozy corners, that was not the most special part about this meeting. On January 1, Valentine posted, “Um so I just got off the phone with someone who might know my bio mom?!” on X. A day later, the Taiwanese American writer came back with this update: “Update-my bio mom IS alive and she has my number!! She’s not ready to talk to me yet but I can’t wait to talk to her!!!”

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  Fast forward seven months, and Valentine gets settled in at Weiyang Coffee with her husband — and her biological mother. Twenty-five years later, Valentine and her mom have been reunited, an emotional journey Valentine touches on in First Love Language. In a candid and vulnerable conversation, EnVi chatted with the Taiwanese American author about her debut novel and reclaiming adoptee narratives.

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  The Roots of First Love Language
  First Love Languages opens with this line: “ If home is where the heart is, then a broken home must mean that a heart is broken, too.” Readers first meet Catie Carlson during a tumultuous time when her life is not only being uprooted to Utah, but her biological father also recently passed away. Over the 300-page romantic dramedy, Catie grapples with shifting relationships while trying to figure out who she is as an adopted Taiwanese American teenager.

  “The main character’s background is very similar to mine,” Valentine admitted. “[It’s] almost like a self-insert.” In First Love Language, Catie’s biological parents are divorced, although her bio dad remarried, and she was adopted by her stepmom when her dad died. She also has been raised Mormon and “has an identity crisis” in the book.

  That’s the drama part of that dramedy that is First Love Language. The rom-com part comes in when Catie agrees to “teach” a cute boy (and cosmetologist) named Toby how to date by taking him out on dates inspired by the five love languages. The reason? He speaks Mandarin, and it’s only through him that she can re-learn her first language.

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  Valentine’s debut novel “sits on the cusp” of being a rom-com and a contemporary romance. “Yes, it is a romance. Yes, there is a happily ever after,” the author emphasized. “But so much of the story is about Catie falling in love with herself and not necessarily Catie falling in love with Toby.” Rather, the “two kind of happened simultaneously.” Because of these important details, Valentine’s editor suggested calling First Love Language a “romantic dramedy” because “it’s a little bit of drama, it’s a little bit of comedy, it’s a little bit of romance.”

  “It’s D) All of the above, I like to say,” Valentine noted cheekily.

  The new novel has it all: adoption feels, healing from the loss of a parent, moving, touches of exploring relationships with religion, relearning languages (and love languages), friendship and family feels, and romance. But Valentine started with a singular point.

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  “In 2020 when the pandemic hit, there was so much Asian hate, and it gave me a chance to really dig deep into my personal Asian roots and my relationship with my Asian heritage,” she shared. “And I realized, I don’t have one. The relationship I have with my Asian heritage is an estrangement because of the divorce, because of the adoption, because of being biracial and everything,” Valentine continued.

  However, after hearing other people’s stories about being Asian and their experiences, she realized “there’s actually quite a few of us who feel very estranged.” This is where First Love Language was born. Valentine also asked herself, “If I could have anything back, what would it be?” She answered her question honestly: “It was a family [and] the language that was my first language, which was Mandarin.”

  Creating First Love Language
  Unpacking relationships with languages is at the foundation, but, of course, Valentine later wove love languages into Catie and Toby’s story. During our conversation, the author revealed that her love language is “definitely quality time.” As an adoptee, she noted, it makes sense.

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  “I feel like because I miss my mama so much; it’s a wound in my heart, and so for me to feel fulfilled, I need quality time,” Valentine explained. In solidarity with those who might have had similar experiences, especially fellow adoptees, she shared a more vulnerable memory from when she was younger. If someone left Valentine for a little too long — even if it was a situation like “Hey, I’m just gonna go down the street” — it caused her to go into “panic mode.”

  “It wasn’t until I was…coming out of the adoptee fog…I was like, ‘Whoa, there’s a reason. There’s a reason for it,’” she emphasized. “It was so validating, though, more than anything,” Valentine added. “People were like, ‘Why are you freaking out?’” but this reaction makes sense as an adoptee who has been forcibly separated from their birth family.

  As Valentine underscored, “Your body carries trauma, even if your mind doesn’t.”

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  She channeled these thoughts into First Love Language, but getting to publication was not easy. Valentine’s motivation? Her mom.

  “I hope I can say this without choking up because I feel like I’m in a very vulnerable space [having just reconnected with her birth mom],” she shared. “My mom has a level of perseverance that all of my siblings share, and so now that I’ve met her, I can see how she’s persevered and how hard of a worker she is.”

  “She’s helped me write this book because it would not have happened unless I had persevered,” Valentine stated firmly.

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  But unlike its title, First Love Language is not the first book Valentine wrote. It is actually the eighth completed manuscript. “It took me 10 years of writing failed manuscripts before I finally landed an agent,” she said. That agent is Ann Rose from the Tobias Literary Agency. She “saw potential” in the story and encouraged Valentine to undergo three rounds of revisions before submitting it to editors. However, at the time, there were no bites for publication.

  “Then I wanted to revise [the manuscript] on my own because I felt that I had become an even better author in the year after [Ann Rose] signed me,” Valentine added. After 18 months of rewriting and editing, First Love Language finally had a home. Senior Editor Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House, picked it up.

  Valentine took EnVi through the memory, as she recalled, “I don’t know why, but I just knew Elizabeth was going to be my editor.” She added, “I was close, and I wasn’t gonna let this opportunity go.” Per Lee’s request, Valentine revised the first 50 pages and sent the more polished manuscript back to the editor. A few days later, Lee came back with an offer.

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  “It was a lot of perseverance, but it was also hard luck,” the author noted in retrospect. “The universe was waiting for the right moment.” And boy, is it the right moment. Although First Love Language still had half a year until its publication date at the time of this conversation, Valentine not only reconnected her birth mom, but also got to spend time with her — and in Taiwan, too. Some things really do happen for a reason.

  Uncovering More Love
  While the novel explores grief and loss, the pages of First Love Language equally burst with love. One of Valentine’s favorite parts to write was Toby and Catie’s meet cute and when Toby “realizes he needs a dating coach.” At this point in the story, he and Catie are just coworkers at his family’s hair salon. As soon as Toby’s crush comes into the salon, he is a bumbling mess, and Catie accidentally lets a small white lie slip that she has dating experience. She also offers to help Toby “practice” dating in exchange for Mandarin lessons.

  “That scene was very, very fun for me to write,” Valentine noted with a smile.

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  When she was writing Toby, she “really wanted to create a compelling male character.” And the only way to do that was for Valentine to think about “who [she] would be attracted to, ideally.” The author added, “I hope it comes off very queer-coded.”

  Like Catie, Valentine was raised Mormon. “I was told that I was going to marry a man,” she said honestly. “Then, as I was writing First Love Language, I was slowly coming out of the closet myself.” Out of this journey came Toby, who is more of an “effeminate man” with dyed purple hair and a love for cosmetology. (Valentine’s upcoming book slated for winter 2026, Love Makes Mochi, touches more on queer identity.)

  But there is even more to love about Toby. “I love that he is kind of like Catie. He’s very much like her, in the sense that Catie keeps all these secrets inside but it doesn’t feel like a secret,” Valentine shared. “He’s this kind of shy, timid character on the surface, but then once you get to know him and fall in love with him like Catie does, you realize, ‘Oh, he’s in a lot of emotional pain as well. He carries a lot of baggage as well,’” she mused.

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  Still, writing the book wasn’t always easy. “Some of the tougher scenes for me to write were obviously about adoption trauma and everything,” Valentine mentioned. Yet, at the same time, these parts of the book were “so healing to write.”

  For example, there is a flashback scene “when [Catie] could understand English, [but] she couldn’t speak it.” Valentine pointed out, “I’m not sure if that’s [a] universal immigrant experience, but it kind of ties into the whole language element of [First Love Language].” She paused for a moment, then added, “I cried many times writing and revising that chapter.”

  Another “emotional” chapter to write was one that was “heavily-inspired” by Valentine’s late father. A letter appears in the novel — written by Catie’s late biological dad — and the last line found in that letter is the same one Valentine’s father wrote to her on his deathbed. “Take your time coming home to me,” it says.

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  In a nutshell, “there’s a lot of grief; there’s a lot of celebration” in the adoptee experience, although this experience is very diverse. “I think that’s why we say frequently that there’s no one adoptee experience — there’s no universal adoptee experience,” said Valentine.

  Your Experiences Are Valid
  During our conversation, Valentine also shared her experience reconnecting with her biological mom. “I feel like I’ve always known that I am Taiwanese, and it used to just be this abstract island in the Pacific,” she began. “The more that I’ve gotten to know my mom, the more my definition of Taiwanese has changed,” Valentine added, getting a little choked up as she wiped away some tears. “It’s my home, it’s my family, it’s my personality.”

  The debut author had some wise words for fellow adoptees: “You are valid in every way.” Valentine firmly stated, “And the complexities, you don’t have to explain [them] to other people. You are valid in what you feel.”

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  “From going from in the [adoptee] fog to the transition to being out of it to reunification — that’s all under the umbrella of the adoptee experience,” she noted. “I’ve said this over and over and over again, but there’s no one universal experience for [being an adoptee]. Because if you asked me 10 years ago, what I’m telling you now is not what I would have said [then],” Valentine stressed. “But it’s still my adoptee experience. It’s constantly growing and changing in various ways.”

  Just like Valentine emphasized throughout the interview — and what First Love Language shows readers, both those who are adoptees and those who are not — “Whatever it is that you’re going through, it’s valid.”

  Keep up with Stefany Valentine on Instagram, X, and her website. First Love Language — and When We Become Ours, an adoptee anthology Valentine contributed to — are available wherever you purchase books.

• YA Books Central - https://yabookscentral.com/author-chat-with-stefany-valentine-first-love-language-plus-giveaway-us-only/

  Author Chat with Stefany Valentine (First Love Language), Plus Giveaway~ US ONLY!
  January 15, 2025No Comments
  Written by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer
  Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Interviews, News & Updates
  Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Stefany Valentine!

  Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!

  Meet the Author: Stefany Valentine

  Stefany Valentine is an emerging young adult author. Her first publication is featured in the adoptee anthology, When We Became Ours, and her sophomore title, Love Makes Mochi, is expected to release with Joy Revolution in 2026. Follow her for updates on TikTok, Instagram, and X @BooksByStefany and on her website, stefanyvalentine.wordpress.com.

  Website * Instagram * X * TikTok

  About the Book: First Love Language

  For fans of Frankly in Love and Tokyo Ever After comes a romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways.

  Taiwanese American Catie Carlson has never fit in with her white family. As much as she loves her stepmom and stepsister, she yearns to understand more about her culture and find her biological mother.

  So Catie is shocked when an opportunity comes knocking on her door: Her summer spa coworker, Toby, says he’ll teach her Mandarin. In exchange, she needs to teach him how to date so he can finally work up the courage to ask out his crush. The only problem is that Catie doesn’t actually have any dating experience. But she can fake it.

  With her late father’s copy of The Five Love Languages and all his annotated notes, Catie becomes the perfect dating coach. Or so she thinks. As she gets dangerously close to Toby and to finding out what really happened to her biological mom, she realizes that learning the language of love might be tougher than she thought.

  Stefany Valentine’s debut novel is both a fresh, fun romance as well as a profound, luminous story about grief, family, transracial adoption, and what it means to truly follow your heart.

  Purchase * Goodreads

  ~Author Chat~

  YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

  Honestly, as crappy as COVID was for everyone, the height of Asian hate crimes ultimately gave me a chance to sit down with my emotions and really think about my relationship with my Asian identity. Around this time, I’d also just finished reading THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER. In this story, I finally saw a young mixed Taiwanese girl with an estranged relationship to her own heritage. It wasn’t until I saw it on paper that I realized I was allowed to have mixed feelings about my own identity. That combined with lockdown were ultimately what fueled my imagination and allowed me to birth the concept of FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE.

  YABC: Is your main character like you?

  In many ways, yes. All of my character are like me because they reflect the way that I move through my emotions. Catie is unique because we have a similar background. But in many ways, Catie is different than me in the sense that she’s definitely more romantic than I am. When I was her age, I didn’t have the self esteem to even think I could be loved the way she is by Toby. Also, when I was her age, I was angry. I had a lot of rage that simmered just beneath the surface. Catie on the other hand allows herself to cry—something I wish I would’ve done when I was 17.

  YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?

  This is always a tough question because when I think about my characters, I think of them as real people who go to college, get married, have careers etc. But in the confines of a 300 page YA novel, this is only a snapshot of Catie’s life. That said, I did leave FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE open ended so that readers can imagine what happens next. And if this book does well, I do have a sequel in mind that I might pitch to my publishing team. But overall, I think a story is finished when the character has resolved the initial ache in their heart established at the beginning of the book.

  YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

  I’ve always known. I remember writing stories in elementary school even though English was my second language and I was far, far, far behind my peers in education. Every word was misspelled, but I sure loved making up words with lots of Qs and Xs. After reconnecting with my biological mom, she told me that even when I was a wee child, I’d always loved listening to stories. And now, audiobooks are my favorite form of reading.

  YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?

  You can thank my incredible editor Elizabeth Lee for that! She truly is a champion for this story. It’s a tricky thing to juggle the line between comedy and drama. There are many drafts of this story where I trauma dumped but she helped pull me back which allowed the lighter, more comedic moments to shine through. I especially love that she challenged me as an author which also helped me make breakthroughs in my own personal growth and discovery.

  YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?

  The comedic ones! Who doesn’t love a good laugh? In a weird way, humor is the product of healing because the trauma isn’t so traumatic once you’re able to laugh about it. But humor can also be the rug that covers up the trauma. In FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE, I think Catie’s comedic voice shows her healing while Mavis’s comedic voice is the coverup of her pain.

  YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?

  For FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE, the character I had so much trouble with was obviously Catie. In order to tell a compelling story, I had to know her inside and out. But Catie is a complex character with layers and intersectionality. To do her character justice, I also needed to unpackage my own layers and intersectionality. Again, I need to give a shout out to my incredible editor who was able to ask those questions that made me dig deeper within myself to truly bring Catie to life. Elizabeth Lee is a rockstar!

  YABC: What word do you have trouble overusing?

  “Stomach” hahaha. Personally, I carry a lot of emotional pain in my stomach so when I was trying to write Catie’s experiences, she also carried a lot of pain in her stomach. In terms of Eastern philosophy, pain in the stomach is reflective of the solar plexus chakra point which is also the chakra point for identity. Since Catie (and I) grapple with identity issues, this kind of makes sense. But it gets annoying and redundant when every beat of emotion mentions the stomach hahaha.

  YABC: If your character could meet a character from another book, who would it be?

  I’d love for her to meet Leigh from THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER as I think they would both resonate with the loss of a parental figure in addition to the loss of culture. I also think she’d be great friends with Izumi from TOKYO EVER AFTER since Izumi has a similar sense of humor and that sort of “blooming where you’re planted” relationship with their cultures. I also feel like she’d probably see Lara Jean from TO ALL THE BOYS as a big sister. Lara Jean knows a thing or two about fake dating so I imagine she’d help Catie along the way!

  YABC: What is your favorite reading space?

  I’m a big audiobook girly so audiobooks while walking my pup or doing laundry, dishes, deep cleaning etc. are my thing. I also have a walking treadmill at home and a standing desk that I use for reading manuscripts. It’s in my library surrounded by all the plants I haven’t accidentally killed (yet) so it’s a total vibe!

  YABC: How do you plan to celebrate the launch of your book?

  I’m hosting an event at the Barnes and Noble in my local town of Corpus Christi. It’ll be on the Sunday after debut. Some of my family will be able to fly in and attend! And then we’ll probably go bird watching afterwards since it’s become one of my favorite things to do aside from reading and writing.

  YABC: What hobbies do you enjoy?

  Ha! Speaking of hobbies-birdwatching is forking incredible! Listen, I know it sounds like the dorkiest hobby in the world. And it is, and I will totally own up to that. But I swear, once you start seeing birds up close, your whole perspective of reality changes. Basically, if you ever grew up wanting to become a Pokemon master, birdwatching is literally that. Minus the bird-on-bird crime.

  YABC: What’s your least favorite word or expression and why?

  I don’t think I have a favorite word exactly, but I do think I have a favorite way of writing expression. I think perhaps one of the most powerful ways to do this is just to write in a stream of consciousness. It’s vulnerable and unrefined. It’s not trying too hard. It just is. And I think that pulls at readers who have had those thoughts before.

  YABC: What fandom would you write for if you had time?

  I’d love, love, love to write a spin off for THE LAST OF US. Not only is the story morally gray and vulnerable, but I think the characters and worldbuilding also play into my strengths. I can write about religious trauma, queerness, adopteeism, and parental loss from a firsthand experience. All of these are themes woven throughout the two-part game series. In addition to that, I’m just a huge fan of the storytelling in the games and would strive to do the canonical world justice.

  YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?

  Because I have 8 siblings, my favorite holiday tradition is what I call “not so secret Santa”. When we were young, we tried to do a secret Santa where we chose one sibling’s name from a stocking and had to give them a gift. But what ended up happening was that no one kept a secret. It evolved over the years to just assigning one sibling a gift and getting it for them.

  YABC: What’s up next for you?

  My sophomore novel LOVE MAKES MOCHI is out with Joy Revolution Feb 2026. Beyond that, I’m planning to pivot into adult rom-dram-coms as book bans are making it increasingly difficult to write in the YA space. That said, I do have some book ideas that will likely be banned in YA, but I’d still love to pursue them nonetheless. I think right now things are up in the air so I’ll push forward with my “scandalous” YA ideas when I’ve got better footing.

  Title: First Love Language

  Author: Stefany Valentine

  Release Date: 1.14.25

  Publisher: Penguin Workshop

  ISBN-13: 9780593750964

  Genre: Adoption, Death, Dying & Grief, Family & Relationships, Love & Romance, Coming of Age, Romantic Comedy, Blended Families

  Age Range: 12 and up

First Love Language

Stefany Valentine. Penguin Workshop, $19.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-593-75096-4

A white and Taiwanese American adoptee reconnects with her roots and experiences first love in Valentine's romantic and profound debut. Seventeen-year-old Catie Carlson doesn't remember much about her biological mother. Following her parents' separation when Catie was five, she and her white father moved to the U.S.; the traumatic situation is made worse when her dad dies of cancer. Now living with her white stepfamily, Catie yearns to know more about her Taiwanese heritage. But living in Mormon Utah presents its challenges--microaggressions and stereotypes surrounding her ancestry abound--until she meets 19-year-old Korean and "Blackanese" Toby. Though the teens' first encounter is messy, it proves beneficial for them both: in exchange for Mandarin lessons from Toby, Catie will teach him how to date so he can ask his crush out. As Catie's Mandarin improves--and as she begins reconnecting with her mother--she finds herself increasingly drawn to Toby. Humorous moments of joy and connection--facilitated by the love interests' shared cultural appreciation and deepening attraction, as well as Catie's desire to broaden her understanding of her personal history--deftly buoy sensitively rendered depictions of heavy topics surrounding grief and transracial adoption. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)

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"First Love Language." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 39, 14 Oct. 2024, p. 88. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A812940844/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d2aaa0fc. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Valentine, Stefany FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE Penguin Workshop (Teen None) $19.99 1, 14 ISBN: 9780593750964

A 17-year-old juggles a search for her origins with an unexpected role as a dating coach.

Biracial (white and Taiwanese American) Catie Carlson yearns to find her biological mother, Ya-Fang. They lost touch after her parents divorced when she was 5; Catie's late father brought her to America from Taiwan, and now she lives with her white adoptive mom, Andrea, and stepsister, Mavis, also 17. Since Andrea's lost her job, they're leaving San Diego for Salt Lake City to stay with Joanna, Andrea's sister who's a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their more progressive family, especially pansexual Mavis, dreads the change. Catie finds a summer job at a salon and meets co-worker Toby Yoon-Hanson, 19, who's Korean and Blackanese. They strike a deal: Toby, who just spent a year abroad at the University of Taipei, will teach Catie Mandarin if she'll teach him how to talk to his intimidatingly perfect longtime crush, Nichole Yung. But Catie doesn't tell him she's never even had a boyfriend--a deception that comes to haunt her as their feelings for one another grow. Meanwhile, genealogical records at Aunt Joanna's church provide Catie with hope of finding the answers she seeks. Valentine deftly interweaves themes about identity, trust, tolerance, trauma, and forgiveness throughout the story. An engaging plot and details of daily life provide glimpses into the diversity within LDS and adoptive family cultures.

A sweet, thoughtfully developed romance with some unusual twists and layers. (author's note)(Romance. 12-18)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Valentine, Stefany: FIRST LOVE LANGUAGE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A815560469/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7e9cc180. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.