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Hello Happy People,
Today Dianne is sharing her conversation with Stefany Valentine. The women chat about Stefany's debut YA novel from Penguin Random House, First Love Language.
As with many authors who have been on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt – Book Talk Podcast, from childhood, Stefany dreamt of becoming a New York Times Best-Selling author. Unlike those other authors, Stefany had a unique set of obstacles to overcome.
As a Taiwanese adoptee, her first language was Mandarin. Stefany struggled to learn English, felt neglected and lost among the nine children in the home, and dealt with the trauma of watching her father succumb to colon cancer. She was faced with all of this before even becoming a teenager.
Writing became a way for her to make sense of the world around her. Stefany attempted to forge her path alone and had many rejections before she secured an agent and things changed. Stefany was published in the YA adoptee anthology, When We Become Ours in 2023. Stefany then secured a publishing deal for her debut novel, First Love Language, which was published in January of 2025. She has more works already slated for release in 2026.
Check out today's episode to learn more about this amazing author and her work.
Stefany on Penguin Random House
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