FLIP TURNS by Catherine Arguelles

I’ve been excited about this book ever since I saw it announced. Catherine Arguelles’s debut middle grade, FLIP TURNS is sure to tug on your heartstrings when it comes out this September:

Thirteen-year-old Maddie just wants her classmate, Lucas, to leave her alone. He keeps asking her out—as if she hasn’t already said no a thousand times! Focusing on her competitive swim team, the Electric Eels, Maddie tries to ignore him, hoping he’ll go away.

But then, when someone starts sabotaging Maddie’s family-owned pool—glass on the deck, ketchup in the pool, followed by a “code brown”—Maddie worries it’s her “admirer” trying to get even. After Maddie’s parents rule the problems at the pool just harmless pranks, Maddie and her best friend Ez decide to investigate on their own. Could it be Lucas? And how can Maddie get him to leave her alone once and for all? The future of the Electric Eels and Maddie’s family legacy are on the line.

According to your website bio, your favorite swim event was once the 100-yard backstroke. In what ways, if any, did this make it into FLIP TURNS?

It’s funny, but Maddie’s (FLIP TURNS’ MC) least favorite stroke is backstroke! She doesn’t like that she can’t see where she’s going, which makes sense for someone with anxiety. She prefers the quiet, rhythmic breaststroke. For me, once I got the stroke counts down from the flags to the wall, I could time my backstroke flip turn perfectly, and I appreciated the precision of it. But it’s hard to master that detail, especially when you’re still growing and your arm length changes.

Fascinating! FLIP TURNS is set to debut in September of this year. In what ways are you preparing for the book’s release, and has anything happened that you didn’t quite expect?

I’ve done a couple of other interviews like this one and I enjoy these blogs! It’s fun to talk about the book in a thoughtful way. I also ordered tons of bookmarks and have been giving them to everyone I see. I didn’t quite expect the outpouring of support from authors I don’t even know. I’ve received some wonderful blurbs that I’ll start posting soon and some really nice reviews. It’s a lovely community!

Indeed it is. And I can’t wait to see those blurbs! What is something you wish you could tell your younger writer self and why?

You never know how long it’s going to take to find an agent or get published, so I would tell writers newer in the process to find other activities that they enjoy and can control. My advice is to plant something. Flowers or herbs or vegetables, but something you can water and nurture. Time moves strangely when you’re querying or on sub and it often feels like you’re stuck and can’t make progress. It’s good to watch something grow.

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