Jasmine Guillory, the bestselling author of nine romances for adult readers, makes her YA debut this fall with It’s Only Dancing (Scholastic, Oct. 6), a charming, ebullient romance that has a classic rom-com feeling while staying grounded in contemporary themes. The protagonist, Kat, is ambivalent about weeks of enforced family bonding at a rustic California summer camp, but everything changes when she meets dance teacher Jordan. A gifted ballet dancer, Kat was deeply hurt by hostility toward curvy Black girls like her and swore off dancing. But when Jordan needs a partner for an upcoming hip-hop performance, she dares to step outside her comfort zone. Guillory answered our questions by email.

Did you have a hip-hop playlist for writing this book?

I can’t listen to music with words while I write—it’s too distracting—but I listened when I wasn’t writing, and it definitely helped. Lots of Missy Elliott, Rihanna, Doechii, Megan Thee Stallion, and Beyoncé. And, of course, one of my favorite hip-hop anthems: “Baby Got Back.”

Did you have any summer camp experiences that informed the story?

A few! They all had that “outside of my real world” feeling that I wanted to capture. I was a theater kid, so I did some drama camps, and being young and creative and making something with a bunch of other young people was the best, most buoyant energy. I wanted Kat to be able to experience this.

What was it like to write for young adults?

The most challenging thing was to try to think like a teenager and understand how Kat would feel about herself, dance, her family, going to camp…and especially what about Jordan would attract her. I really wanted to respect Kat and her feelings, and I wanted this book to do her, and other Black girls who feel like her, justice. I’d love to write more YA! My next book is another adult romance, but I already have some YA ideas swirling around in my brain.

The theme of joyful exploration without judgment was so gratifying and affirming.

One thing I hope young readers will take away is that it’s OK to mess up and keep going. Many teens have gotten this message that to be awkward, to fail, is the worst thing that can possibly happen, and I get that. I felt like that, too, and I didn’t have the added pressures of recording devices in every pocket and social media to judge me. Quite honestly, I often still feel like that today.

When I first started writing, I knew I wasn’t particularly good. I’d been a huge reader for something like 30 years, so I knew what a good book looked like—and what I was writing was not good. But I also loved everything about it. So I pushed past the humiliation and fear and kept trying to get better. It’s funny that I say this in the past tense because I feel like this is [still] what I do with every single book.

But, also, we don’t have to be good at everything! I do watercolor paintings, and I’m terrible, but I love doing them. Life isn’t about becoming an expert in everything; it’s about learning new things and attempting to enjoy the process.

Are there any books out this fall that you’re excited about?

In YA, Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters and Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo both look amazing. And for adults, I can’t wait for See You Next Tuesday by Kate Stayman-London and The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw.

Laura Simeon is a young readers' editor.