Author Q&A With Tomeko Brown
Tomeko Brown is the author of the book An Instrument for Florenda and founder of the growing brand Moving Notes Books ™. She learned to play the clarinet as a child, which sparked her love of the arts. Her professional and creative work both combine her passion for families, literacy, and inspiring youth to grow. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Education and a Master of Education in Instructional Design. Tomeko’s writings have been featured on national platforms. She is a mother of two and a native of North Carolina. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and at the beach.
What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it? My most recent book, An Instrument for Florenda, is about an eleven-year-old girl who was once a foster child and dreams of playing the clarinet in her school’s first band class. Even though the book is fiction, it was inspired by my own experiences of learning to play an instrument for the first time in my school’s band class.
What are you most excited about with this book? The most exciting thing about this book is the number of youths it has already reached—and will continue to reach. Whether through libraries, bookstores, or author visits, An Instrument for Florenda inspires youth to persevere through challenges and recognize the people in their community. These people encourage them to do their best to reach their goals.
Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage your publicity and social media while maintaining reader engagement? This is the best part of being an author for me—engaging with readers. It brings me joy to read posts or comments about how a youth or an adult felt after reading An Instrument for Florenda. These moments help build community, so I make engagement a priority when checking my social media and or published articles. I set aside time each week to ensure I can connect and respond when needed.
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I like to use spreadsheets, task lists, and my planner to stay organized. Spreadsheets help me manage tasks, while my planner helps ensure events don’t overlap. I also try to set realistic expectations by allowing enough time to reach each goal and understanding that some things require patience.
What book uplifts you? The book that uplifts me is Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. It has been my favorite since childhood. This book shows how community, perseverance, and a beloved friendship can change circumstances. It is a book that has been shared with both my children and inspired my own writing.
