Exploring Creative Paths: An Interview with Author Katrina Kwan

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Hi, everyone.
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I hope you're doing well.
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Welcome to conversations
with your Chinese.
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Auntie podcast.
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I am your Chinese auntie YiYi.
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Patricia Petersen.
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I hope you're doing well and
settling into fall in this
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episode, I talk to Katrina, Kwan.
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Katrina is a Vancouver based
fantasy and romance author.
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With , six years of experience
as a romance .. Ghost writer.
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She is very excited to finally be
writing stories under her own name.
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I will share more about
Katrina in the show notes.
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In this episode, we talk
about Katrina's path.
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We talked about her debut adult
fantasy, the last dragon of
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the east is set to be released.
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October eighth.
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I hope you pre-order her boOk.
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Good morning, Katrina.
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Good morning.
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Welcome to the podcast.
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Thank you for saying yes.
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Oh, thank you very much for having me.
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I'm very excited.
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Me too.
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And I love your book.
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So I really wanted to talk to you.
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I think I read it in two days.
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Really?
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Oh, wow.
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I'm a fast reader.
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Oh my gosh.
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First question of the podcast,
please introduce yourself, your
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lineage, anything that comes to mind.
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Sure.
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So my name is Katrina Kwan.
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I am a Vancouver based fantasy
and contemporary romance author.
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I'm of Chinese descent.
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My father's from Hong Kong.
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My mom's from Wenzhou.
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But I am the first, first
generation Canadian.
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So I was born and raised
here in Vancouver.
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Um, and I, that's me.
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It's always hard to summarize.
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I know, right?
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Wait, so mom's from Guangzhou.
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What is that, China?
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Yeah, China.
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It's a coastal city.
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Um, yeah, all I know is it's on the coast.
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She doesn't really talk.
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I don't know.
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I was joking the other day with one of my
friends, like it's an Asian parent thing.
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They don't really talk
about themselves at all.
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So that's all I know about
my parents, really, truly.
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Uh, no, it's true.
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They don't, I, when my parents, both
my parents have passed, but when I was
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trying to learn about Family history.
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Yeah.
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And I was like, so tell me about your
grandparents and both of their answers
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were like, ah, that's in the past.
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I, I was literally just having a
conversation with my parents over lunch.
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I'm like, I don't even
know my grandparents names.
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Can you tell me?
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And they're like, Oh, we just, we call
them, you know, Popo and that's it.
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You know, that's their name.
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I'm like, okay, that's great.
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It's hard when you're trying
to learn about family history.
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And they don't tell you anything.
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I don't know why.
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You know, with my family, what was helpful
was going to the auntie and uncles.
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Oh, see, I don't even have
that many auntie and uncles.
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That's why.
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So it's like, anything they can
give me, I drink up because it's so
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difficult to get that information.
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To start with.
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Yeah.
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So your parents immigrated to Vancouver.
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Well, originally my father when
he was 10 he moved to Calgary,
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and then eventually they met and
decided to come back to Vancouver.
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Yeah.
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You know it's very interesting the.
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I don't know whether this is
the case with your family but
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when people do the ancestral.
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So, uh, The investigation
about their ancestry.
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I find it's very hard
to do it with Chinese.
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But I know it's like all those
records are kept so like tight.
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It's like no one's business, you know?
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Oh, it's so hard.
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My family tree for like school
projects were always so sparse because
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there was just nothing to report on.
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I think, I'm pretty sure.
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I'm pretty sure for a school project I had
to like, make up my grandparents' names
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'cause nobody would tell me anything.
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Mm-Hmm.
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. Mm-Hmm.
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. When the, I shouldn't tell you
this, I put it out in public, but,
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uh, but when I was doing my masters
in, in counseling, we had to do a
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genogram, which is like family tree.
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Mm-Hmm.
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, some of the information were made up.
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Mm-Hmm.
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because, because my parents had died.
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Where do you get that info?
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Yeah, you don't know who to ask.
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No, no.
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So I'd love to hear about your
journey, you know, childhood, career.
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I know you were a ghostwriter.
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Yeah.
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So I feel like my childhood is
very typical for, uh, you know,
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um, first generation, uh, where
there's this expectation that.
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You know, I have to be a doctor or
a lawyer or an architect, something
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safe and stable and high achieving.
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And so even though as a little girl, I
had always had this passion for writing.
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I loved being creative.
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I loved art and theater and music
and writing, and I love languages.
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I love learning languages.
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And it was very clear.
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In hindsight, it was very clear.
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Like I was very arts, humanities leading,
but because I had that expectation of, Oh,
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I have to be a doctor and have something
stable and provide for the family and
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have something secure for myself, I
forced myself to take the sciences
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and maths, even though I was terrible.
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I was, I know there's the stereotype of
Asians being good at math, but I was.
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Oh God, I was a troubled child.
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I, yeah, me too.
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Me too.
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Right.
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Um, bless my, bless my math teacher.
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Cause she was so patient with me, but
I just could not grasp the concepts,
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but eventually it came to a point
where I had to go off to college and
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that big decision of what do you want
to do with the rest of your life?
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And I made the split decision.
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Like, okay.
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I.
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I know if I'm being honest with
myself, I'm not going to make it
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through, um, a Bachelor of Science.
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I'm not going to make it
through medical school.
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My, I have passion there, and
I think it's very interesting,
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but those aren't my strengths.
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So I decided to go into
politics, because I always found
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that incredibly fascinating.
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And, um, I, I finished my Bachelor
of Arts in Political Science
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from McKinney University, which
is actually out in Nova Scotia.
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And I had the intention of going into
law, because that's the second safe thing.
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I hadn't quite broken out of that mold.
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Um, but I took my LSAT exam and
walked out, and I was like, Hmm, I
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don't know if this is for me either.
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So I wound up for a year, just working
a bank at a job, as a teller at a bank.
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That's it.
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And after that year, again, I was like,
Oh, no, oh, no, this isn't for me.
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Like, I was just very 20 year old crisis.
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Like, this is I have to choose wisely.
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And I don't know if I can do
this for the rest of my life.
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So on a whim, I decided to look for a
writing job just on like an online forum.
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And I happened to find someone who
was looking for a, an article writer.
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And I had no experience and they
were like, can we see your portfolio?
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So don't tell anyone I
made up my portfolio.
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I did a bunch of research,
like, Oh, what does.
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What does a mommy blog article look like?
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And so I put together fake articles just
to prove that I could write, because they
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don't really care about your credentials.
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Um, as long as you can
produce the content.
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And that's how I landed my
first job as a ghostwriter.
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And eventually one thing led to
another, a client referred me to
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another client and they were looking
for a romance ghostwriter and they
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were like, can you write romance books?
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Again, no, I hadn't done it.
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But I'm a, I'm a fake it
until you make it kind of gal.
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And I was like, yeah, sure.
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Hold on.
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Let me, let me show you a
sample, which I whipped up in
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like an hour and they liked it.
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So I landed my very first book job
and one thing led to another and
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next six years, I was a professional
ghostwriter, uh, specifying in romance.
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I felt like I was talking forever.
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I'm so sorry.
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Apologize.
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I love it.
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I have two questions.
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How did the trainees parents react to
you choosing creative versus sciences?
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Ooh, okay.
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I feel like
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they never explicitly stated
they were disappointed.
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I feel like they're,
they're not disappointed.
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It more, I understand that it comes
from a place of like, they just want
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to make sure that I'll be okay and that
I'll be, you know, comfortable in life.
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Um, but I think they're, I definitely
sensed their hesitation when I was
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like, I don't know if I want to
be a doctor or a lawyer anymore.
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And they're like, okay,
well, what do you want to do?
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I don't know.
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And so obviously they
were quite apprehensive.
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But once I started really getting
into the rhythm of what it was to
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be a ghostwriter producing work.
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Basically paying my bills on
time every month and eating okay.
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They were like, okay, um, clearly
you're passionate about this.
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You're, um, you know, I'm an author
first, but I'm a businesswoman second.
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Like I knew how to take care of things.
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Um, and so once they saw that I was okay,
they were like, all right, good for you.
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I'm not that they would ever say
that, but I can tell it's in there.
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It's in their eyes, you know,
Well, they must be so proud of you
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with your, with your book, the,
uh, They're so casual about it.
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I'm sure they are proud,
but they're like, Oh, good.
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They're books in stores.
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So I saw it the other day.
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Typical Chinese parents.
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Oh, yeah, they're, they're very, I
know they're proud, but they're not.
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Why it's so expressive?
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It's okay.
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It's fine.
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I'm not, I'm not beat up about it.
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I'm teasing ya.
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It's funny when you
shared the science part.
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So, uh, I grew up in Singapore and when
I was in high school, uh, they split you
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into the arts and the science stream.
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Oh, interesting.
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And arts means you take history,
geography, you know, and the science
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stream, you've got to do physics, uh,
chemistry, and my mother in her wisdom
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thought I should go into science because
same thing, you should be a doctor.
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I need a doctor in the family.
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And she put me into the science
stream for three years, the
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last three years of high school.
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But what my mom didn't expect
was that year, the art teacher
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complained to the principal.
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She was sick of the
art student taking art.
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She wants the science student to take art.
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Interesting.
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Yeah, and so we decided, so all the
science students, now we have to take art.
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And I went home and I said to my mom,
about six months in, I'm like, What do
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you think if I decide to be an artist?
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Because I think I was good at it.
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And my mom was like, I would disown you.
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No.
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I mean, I don't think she would have
done it, but she was like, no, no.
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Very clear disapproval.
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Ouch.
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Ouch.
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But I didn't go into science either.
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Mm.
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Sometimes you just, you have
to, you just know, you know
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if something is meant for you.
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But it takes courage to
listen to it, you know.
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Absolutely.
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It wasn't an easy choice, no.
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No, I bet not.
245
00:12:21,449 --> 00:12:25,730
Would you share a bit, for people
who are thinking, you know, maybe
246
00:12:25,730 --> 00:12:31,810
writing is something I want to
pursue, how does a, what, how does
247
00:12:31,929 --> 00:12:33,839
the job of a ghost writer look like?
248
00:12:35,639 --> 00:12:37,730
It's, it's very, very interesting.
249
00:12:37,750 --> 00:12:43,400
I was surprised when I first, um, was
contracted to write my first book, there
250
00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:49,219
is a whole world, a whole industry out
there, kind of, not in the shadows,
251
00:12:49,219 --> 00:12:53,149
because it's perfectly legitimate,
but there's a whole world out there.
252
00:12:54,319 --> 00:12:58,969
There's a whole industry out there
designed, it's, it's basically, you
253
00:12:58,969 --> 00:13:04,750
know, you've got the client and they put
together a team of editors, copywriters,
254
00:13:04,810 --> 00:13:10,949
uh, ghost writers specifically, and,
um, graphic artists to create the
255
00:13:11,259 --> 00:13:14,849
image, quote unquote, of an author.
256
00:13:15,359 --> 00:13:19,230
And so it's especially prevalent on
Amazon where, you know, they have
257
00:13:19,230 --> 00:13:23,665
Amazon, um, KDP, where you can, you
know, Self published, basically.
258
00:13:23,675 --> 00:13:24,835
It's very prominent there.
259
00:13:24,845 --> 00:13:27,985
That's the, that's the sort
of field that I was in anyway.
260
00:13:28,025 --> 00:13:32,074
But there's also like, um, ghostwriters
who are hired by big publishers to write
261
00:13:32,075 --> 00:13:36,494
on behalf of specifically like memoirs,
a lot of those celebrity memoirs.
262
00:13:36,884 --> 00:13:40,364
You know, I'm not saying that the
celebrities didn't write themselves.
263
00:13:41,385 --> 00:13:41,655
But, you know.
264
00:13:44,155 --> 00:13:48,355
I'm not saying, I'm not saying anything.
265
00:13:48,655 --> 00:13:51,194
I put about, I put that before.
266
00:13:51,595 --> 00:13:52,055
Yeah.
267
00:13:52,605 --> 00:13:58,474
Um, but in my particular expertise, you
know, I actually worked alongside several
268
00:13:58,505 --> 00:14:03,525
other ghostwriters and we all, were the
same quote unquote author, so that way,
269
00:14:03,545 --> 00:14:07,765
once I wrote a book, the next ghostwriter
could write the next book in the series,
270
00:14:07,785 --> 00:14:12,055
and then the next ghostwriter could write
the next one, and so that way, the client
271
00:14:12,055 --> 00:14:15,065
always ensured that they had content
coming out month after month after month.
272
00:14:15,414 --> 00:14:17,704
They're able to produce
in really fast order.
273
00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,419
quantities that way, um, to retain
their readership, basically.
274
00:14:22,980 --> 00:14:29,409
And so, you know, I'm not, I can't
say who, what projects I wrote or what
275
00:14:29,409 --> 00:14:35,370
names I wrote for, but it's, there's
an entire system, um, behind the
276
00:14:35,370 --> 00:14:37,059
scenes sort of putting these books out.
277
00:14:37,470 --> 00:14:42,194
And unless you're looking for it, it's,
It's as though they are real people.
278
00:14:42,265 --> 00:14:43,145
Like, you can't tell.
279
00:14:43,265 --> 00:14:45,595
It's so seamless and well done.
280
00:14:46,325 --> 00:14:47,285
Um, yeah.
281
00:14:47,605 --> 00:14:47,875
Yeah.
282
00:14:49,385 --> 00:14:54,885
So in my innocence about this
whole thing, as ghostwriter,
283
00:14:54,914 --> 00:14:56,375
your name doesn't go on the book.
284
00:14:57,055 --> 00:14:57,255
Nope.
285
00:14:57,635 --> 00:15:04,065
I, I basically, I write the book and,
uh, they pay me a flat fee per word.
286
00:15:04,645 --> 00:15:07,715
And once it's done, I give the
book to them and that's it.
287
00:15:07,755 --> 00:15:10,055
I clap my hands free and I
move on to the next project.
288
00:15:10,359 --> 00:15:16,510
Um, and a part of, a part of me is like, I
know a lot of people like, oh, that sucks.
289
00:15:16,510 --> 00:15:18,700
You did all that work and you get
no recognition, but that's the
290
00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:23,060
job and you kind of go into that
knowing it, but I'm definitely
291
00:15:23,069 --> 00:15:25,339
happy to be writing for myself now.
292
00:15:25,739 --> 00:15:30,079
Um, but I see it as a, as a great
It was a fantastic opportunity for
293
00:15:30,089 --> 00:15:33,990
me to work on my craft and, you
know, practice, practice, practice.
294
00:15:33,990 --> 00:15:35,070
So it was twofold for me.
295
00:15:35,070 --> 00:15:39,219
I get, I get to pay my bills and I get
to do what I love and get better at it.
296
00:15:39,219 --> 00:15:41,710
And eventually I put
together my very first book.
297
00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:47,449
So a last question about
being a ghostwriter then.
298
00:15:48,379 --> 00:15:53,910
So if I hire you to ghostwrite,
do the ideas come from me
299
00:15:53,910 --> 00:15:54,860
or does it come from you?
300
00:15:55,460 --> 00:16:00,020
So it depends, it's actually, uh, what
we did, it was, it sort of depended
301
00:16:00,020 --> 00:16:01,270
on the client, on the project.
302
00:16:01,609 --> 00:16:04,190
Some clients that I worked
with already had the idea, they
303
00:16:04,190 --> 00:16:05,509
already had an outline for me.
304
00:16:05,509 --> 00:16:09,169
They knew what characters they
wanted, what tropes they wanted,
305
00:16:09,490 --> 00:16:13,449
how long, relatively what the
storyline wanted to look like.
306
00:16:13,450 --> 00:16:16,619
And all I had to do was take
that outline and write it.
307
00:16:17,169 --> 00:16:20,439
But, uh, some of my other clients
were like, we'll pay you a little
308
00:16:20,439 --> 00:16:23,589
extra, but can you come up with
the storyline and then write it?
309
00:16:23,629 --> 00:16:24,449
I'm like, yeah, sure.
310
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:30,880
Um, so I feel like, you know,
a lot of, those projects where
311
00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:32,120
I had to come up from scratch.
312
00:16:32,150 --> 00:16:37,420
I don't feel like I'm, you know,
some people would, would worry, Oh,
313
00:16:37,420 --> 00:16:38,650
you're giving up your own ideas.
314
00:16:38,660 --> 00:16:40,829
What if you want to, wanted
to use them for yourself?
315
00:16:41,289 --> 00:16:45,390
But the genre specifically in which
I was writing, they had me writing a
316
00:16:45,390 --> 00:16:47,440
lot of like raunchy, raunchy stuff.
317
00:16:48,079 --> 00:16:52,325
And I feel like A lot of those ideas
I used for those books, I don't
318
00:16:52,325 --> 00:16:56,165
think I would ever really touch
on in my own work, in the, in the
319
00:16:56,165 --> 00:16:58,264
projects that mean something to me.
320
00:16:58,484 --> 00:16:59,075
So it's okay.
321
00:16:59,085 --> 00:17:04,835
They can have the really, um,
spicy, um, they can have that.
322
00:17:04,984 --> 00:17:05,524
It's okay.
323
00:17:06,684 --> 00:17:07,434
I'm all right with it.
324
00:17:08,854 --> 00:17:10,345
I'm just giggling in the background.
325
00:17:10,865 --> 00:17:12,734
Um, oh, wow.
326
00:17:13,085 --> 00:17:13,895
I, I feel like
327
00:17:15,994 --> 00:17:21,665
this is similar in a lot of We don't
get to see the behind the scene.
328
00:17:23,514 --> 00:17:28,965
You know, and I find, and I know
ghostwriter is not that hush hush
329
00:17:28,965 --> 00:17:34,865
anymore because I, I've heard a lot of
some celebrities with Manoa, they, they
330
00:17:34,865 --> 00:17:38,705
do admit that they have ghostwriters
and some well known authors too.
331
00:17:39,264 --> 00:17:43,784
But I feel like, oh, that's just,
you guys are doing all the hard work.
332
00:17:48,934 --> 00:17:49,324
So,
333
00:17:52,274 --> 00:17:53,764
the creativity part of it.
334
00:17:55,170 --> 00:18:01,180
I would love to hear more, like do you
have, I know some artists, writers have
335
00:18:01,180 --> 00:18:09,890
a certain time where they are the most
creative and they write, they go, they
336
00:18:09,890 --> 00:18:15,049
lock themselves up in a hotel room for
20 days to write their first draft.
337
00:18:15,409 --> 00:18:24,500
How does, So, I don't know if this
is too much information, but all of
338
00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:27,980
my ideas for my books come to me when
I'm shampooing my hair in the shower.
339
00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:29,250
I don't know.
340
00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:30,290
I don't know what it is.
341
00:18:30,699 --> 00:18:35,879
It's just the meditative kind of
mindless activity of washing my hair
342
00:18:36,220 --> 00:18:42,260
that allows my brain to wander and
suddenly an idea for a story will pop in.
343
00:18:43,010 --> 00:18:45,820
I, I don't, I've never
gone on a writing retreat.
344
00:18:46,150 --> 00:18:49,160
But when I, because I've worked
from home for so long that like
345
00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,880
my office space is just my, where
I'm most comfortable to write.
346
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,670
I, I wake up in the morning and
the first thing I do is go to my
347
00:18:56,670 --> 00:18:59,390
office and, and just, Start writing.
348
00:19:00,070 --> 00:19:03,960
Um, and I'll, I, my husband gets
very upset because he's like,
349
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:05,320
you have no work life balance.
350
00:19:05,330 --> 00:19:07,070
You literally get up, you write all day.
351
00:19:07,490 --> 00:19:11,490
And it's not write all day, like,
consistently throughout the day.
352
00:19:11,519 --> 00:19:12,570
It comes in spurts.
353
00:19:12,950 --> 00:19:14,090
And I should get better at it.
354
00:19:14,090 --> 00:19:17,830
I should set hours for myself,
because I literally, I'm so
355
00:19:17,830 --> 00:19:19,580
sedentary, it's bad for my health.
356
00:19:20,190 --> 00:19:26,899
Um, but I just, I spend all day at my
computer writing and jotting down ideas.
357
00:19:27,260 --> 00:19:30,329
And even that dinner time I'll have
a notepad because sometimes ideals
358
00:19:30,329 --> 00:19:32,589
will come to me there and I'll just
write something down real quick.
359
00:19:32,590 --> 00:19:39,170
Um, creativity kind of strikes me
whenever, usually when I'm doing the
360
00:19:39,170 --> 00:19:43,200
most mundane things, so it's always
important to have a notepad on hand.
361
00:19:45,375 --> 00:19:47,895
Have you ever experienced like a block?
362
00:19:48,835 --> 00:19:50,285
Oh yeah, oh definitely.
363
00:19:50,645 --> 00:19:56,395
I um, for my next next book, so
after The Last Dragon of the East, my
364
00:19:56,584 --> 00:20:01,195
book coming out in 2025, it's called
The Legend of the Nine Tailed Fox.
365
00:20:01,214 --> 00:20:02,785
I'm actually working on the edits now.
366
00:20:03,415 --> 00:20:07,125
I, um, was stuck on that
book for maybe six months.
367
00:20:07,774 --> 00:20:12,395
Um, I had written maybe 14 different
versions of that story before I landed
368
00:20:12,395 --> 00:20:15,114
on the version I, I finally finished.
369
00:20:15,625 --> 00:20:20,944
Um, cause I just, I think a part of me
just wasn't satisfied with how, how the
370
00:20:20,944 --> 00:20:26,395
story began, the direction I was taking
it, these little things that just as
371
00:20:26,395 --> 00:20:31,775
an author make me feel like it's off
and therefore I need to start again.
372
00:20:32,254 --> 00:20:34,584
So I've definitely had
pretty bad blocks where.
373
00:20:35,270 --> 00:20:38,170
It's more of a me thing where I
feel dissatisfied with the work
374
00:20:38,170 --> 00:20:43,340
and so it just, I can't continue
to be working on that project.
375
00:20:45,050 --> 00:20:50,119
Is the, is the, the one
that's coming out in 2025.
376
00:20:50,209 --> 00:20:53,319
Is it a continuation of the
Last Dragon of the East.
377
00:20:53,650 --> 00:20:55,109
So it's, it's a standalone.
378
00:20:55,269 --> 00:20:59,410
Um, the Last Dragon of the East is
also a standalone, but they're sort
379
00:20:59,410 --> 00:21:01,670
of, they exist within the same.
380
00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,379
universe, the same world.
381
00:21:04,860 --> 00:21:08,050
So there are callbacks, there are
references to one another, but you're
382
00:21:08,050 --> 00:21:10,280
able to read both by themselves.
383
00:21:10,310 --> 00:21:14,510
I think the, the Nine Tailed Fox
takes place 5, 000 years before
384
00:21:14,750 --> 00:21:15,829
the Last Dragon of the East.
385
00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:19,509
So they're, they're totally separate
stories, um, but you can still
386
00:21:19,509 --> 00:21:22,949
enjoy, you know, the locations,
the settings, the references.
387
00:21:23,610 --> 00:21:27,520
And, uh, I just don't have the stamina
right now to write like a series.
388
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:28,509
I've never done it before.
389
00:21:28,929 --> 00:21:33,530
So I felt like this was a good way of
Paying homage to the first project while
390
00:21:33,530 --> 00:21:35,580
still creating something brand new.
391
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:39,690
It just popped into my head.
392
00:21:39,690 --> 00:21:44,810
I'm thinking, oh, if that book is
5, 000 years, and the two books
393
00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,959
are separate, you could at some
point do a series with that 5, 000.
394
00:21:49,959 --> 00:21:51,299
I mean, maybe.
395
00:21:51,659 --> 00:21:53,050
I'm leaving it wide open.
396
00:21:53,589 --> 00:21:55,590
But you know, for now,
it's just these two.
397
00:21:56,425 --> 00:21:57,665
I'm just saying, no pressure.
398
00:21:57,705 --> 00:21:58,815
You know, I'm just dropping it.
399
00:22:00,215 --> 00:22:01,265
You know, I love your book.
400
00:22:01,295 --> 00:22:05,485
So I'm just like, Oh, that's
like 5, 000 years, my friend.
401
00:22:06,434 --> 00:22:07,984
I can slot something in.
402
00:22:08,235 --> 00:22:09,525
Yeah, no problem.
403
00:22:10,295 --> 00:22:13,095
No pressure, pressure.
404
00:22:15,185 --> 00:22:19,075
When I'm curious, I do want to talk
about the last Dragon of the East.
405
00:22:20,015 --> 00:22:24,315
Before I ask you that, I'm curious
when you think about your life, you
406
00:22:24,315 --> 00:22:33,670
know, has Has anyone contributed to
that creativity, like, to, because
407
00:22:33,670 --> 00:22:38,200
from the sound of it, my God, you're
talented in this to be able to write.
408
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:38,970
Oh, I'm blessed.
409
00:22:39,870 --> 00:22:40,770
Oh, thank you.
410
00:22:41,539 --> 00:22:43,390
Oh my gosh, I feel like.
411
00:22:44,834 --> 00:22:50,445
Obviously, my, my teachers in school
who recognized, you know, you should
412
00:22:50,445 --> 00:22:55,165
be in the humanities, like what are
you doing, just struggling in math
413
00:22:55,165 --> 00:22:57,315
and calculus and, and chemistry.
414
00:22:57,514 --> 00:22:59,785
I had a, my high school
English teacher, Mrs.
415
00:22:59,795 --> 00:23:01,235
Flinterman, I still remember her.
416
00:23:01,594 --> 00:23:06,290
I think she just, you know, She was
just such a wonderful inspiration
417
00:23:06,290 --> 00:23:09,790
to have in my life because she
was so sweet and supportive and,
418
00:23:09,820 --> 00:23:12,270
you know, she loved everything I
wrote and so that's always a boost.
419
00:23:12,719 --> 00:23:17,919
Um, so that was definitely an early
influence, but I think now, you know,
420
00:23:17,919 --> 00:23:22,159
I have a lot of authors who are friends
and I get to read their works early
421
00:23:22,159 --> 00:23:27,139
and just get inspired by just their
talent to, you know, to witness it.
422
00:23:27,310 --> 00:23:32,500
Um, as it's being written is always fun,
but in a more immediate sense, I feel like
423
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,820
I have my husband to thank because when I
was first starting trying to get my foot
424
00:23:36,820 --> 00:23:40,179
in the door of ghostwriting, he really
supported me, you know, emotionally,
425
00:23:40,510 --> 00:23:46,085
mentally, financially, to help take
that And That load off my shoulders so
426
00:23:46,085 --> 00:23:50,025
I could just focus on writing and if it
not for him, I probably would never have
427
00:23:50,025 --> 00:23:52,045
been able to launch into this direction.
428
00:23:52,715 --> 00:23:55,355
Um, yeah, that's me being sappy.
429
00:23:56,815 --> 00:24:00,915
Hey sappy, go, go, do your
sappy, have a good day.
430
00:24:01,690 --> 00:24:05,360
Having a good partner
makes a huge difference.
431
00:24:05,810 --> 00:24:06,660
Yeah, it does.
432
00:24:07,370 --> 00:24:11,609
When I see you in real life,
we'll get sad together.
433
00:24:11,609 --> 00:24:13,544
My man's pretty good too.
434
00:24:13,544 --> 00:24:14,704
We'll swap stories.
435
00:24:14,704 --> 00:24:15,865
We'll swap stories.
436
00:24:15,865 --> 00:24:20,509
So do you think you will stay
in the fantasy romance genre?
437
00:24:20,509 --> 00:24:21,669
I feel like
438
00:24:24,889 --> 00:24:33,160
I'm already kind of leaning into,
I feel like, I'm not traditionally
439
00:24:33,340 --> 00:24:38,390
contemporary rom com, not traditionally
fantasy, because I like, in my
440
00:24:38,390 --> 00:24:41,190
fantasy specifically, just because
I'm working on Ninetales Fox, I have
441
00:24:41,190 --> 00:24:45,190
a very heavy, not only do I have a
romance lean, but I also have a very
442
00:24:45,190 --> 00:24:48,634
heavy horror lean, and so I like to
combine these little elements of that.
443
00:24:49,645 --> 00:24:50,375
genres.
444
00:24:50,845 --> 00:24:54,415
So it's, it's not necessarily
straight horror or straight romance.
445
00:24:54,425 --> 00:24:55,745
It's a combination of everything.
446
00:24:55,745 --> 00:24:59,225
Cause I think when it comes to
fantasy, you have so much room to play
447
00:24:59,235 --> 00:25:00,855
and create a world that's your own.
448
00:25:00,884 --> 00:25:05,545
And I don't see why you should limit
yourself to one specific genre.
449
00:25:06,264 --> 00:25:09,094
And if in truth, I'm not really
thinking about genre, I'm just
450
00:25:09,235 --> 00:25:10,185
kind of going with the flow.
451
00:25:10,735 --> 00:25:16,010
But, um, Yeah, so my, my fantasies tend
to take a slightly darker lean, touch
452
00:25:16,010 --> 00:25:21,430
on darker subjects, and my rom coms
tend to deal with, you know, they're not
453
00:25:21,430 --> 00:25:26,269
always funny, there, there's brevity,
there's, um, there are issues that I
454
00:25:26,270 --> 00:25:33,179
try to tackle and explore in, through
my characters, um, but in, ultimately,
455
00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,269
in an uplifting, light hearted way.
456
00:25:36,950 --> 00:25:40,590
Um, so readers don't walk away
like, Oh, I'm depressed now.
457
00:25:40,630 --> 00:25:45,220
I thought that was supposed to, supposed
to be a rom com, but I like to try it
458
00:25:45,260 --> 00:25:47,670
to strike a balance, um, in my genres.
459
00:25:48,250 --> 00:25:49,800
So, I don't know.
460
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,209
I'm not going to say never say never.
461
00:25:51,209 --> 00:25:55,149
I might venture into different genres
eventually, but for now I'm quite,
462
00:25:55,780 --> 00:25:57,113
I'm just, you know, I'm just starting.
463
00:25:57,113 --> 00:25:58,250
These are my first two books.
464
00:25:58,250 --> 00:25:59,370
So we'll, we'll see.
465
00:25:59,780 --> 00:26:01,010
What the future has in store.
466
00:26:02,590 --> 00:26:02,810
Yeah.
467
00:26:02,810 --> 00:26:07,140
And I, when you said that, um, there
are some issues that you bring up with
468
00:26:07,140 --> 00:26:11,299
the characters and your book, you know,
knife seasonings and a dash of love.
469
00:26:11,350 --> 00:26:16,089
You did that because I was like,
she's touching on subject that.
470
00:26:17,380 --> 00:26:21,560
And, uh, I shouldn't admit this,
but I did, I did flip to the last
471
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:26,350
chapter to see how the two characters,
whether they figure things out or not.
472
00:26:26,739 --> 00:26:30,430
My husband always teased me, he's
like, are you cheating again?
473
00:26:30,439 --> 00:26:32,920
I'm like, but I have to know.
474
00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,199
I have to know the suspense.
475
00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:35,680
Yeah.
476
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,940
Either I email her
directly or I need to know.
477
00:26:38,980 --> 00:26:42,500
So I'm just flipping to the last chapter.
478
00:26:45,173 --> 00:26:46,423
. The Last Dragon of the East.
479
00:26:46,603 --> 00:26:47,533
Tell us about the book.
480
00:26:48,953 --> 00:26:55,613
So, The Last Dragon of the East, without
spoilers, is about a young man named
481
00:26:55,623 --> 00:27:01,353
Sai, who has the ability to see red
threads of fate, which is a East Asian,
482
00:27:01,383 --> 00:27:06,073
but specifically in this case a Chinese
myth, of this invisible red thread of
483
00:27:06,073 --> 00:27:08,123
magic that connects you to your soulmate.
484
00:27:08,963 --> 00:27:14,938
And He, he can, he can see these threads
and he likes to help couples come
485
00:27:14,938 --> 00:27:16,978
together as sort of like a side hustle.
486
00:27:17,478 --> 00:27:20,298
Um, but the thing is his own
thread is gray and fraying,
487
00:27:20,328 --> 00:27:21,728
and he's not too sure why.
488
00:27:22,448 --> 00:27:28,368
So after, um, he has an accidental
run in with a pair of dragon
489
00:27:28,368 --> 00:27:32,208
scales, he stumbles upon this
really rare medicine for his mother.
490
00:27:32,448 --> 00:27:34,288
He's sort of embroiled into this.
491
00:27:34,353 --> 00:27:37,553
And he has this devious plot to
hunt down the last dragon of the
492
00:27:37,553 --> 00:27:39,423
east by order of the emperor.
493
00:27:40,003 --> 00:27:46,403
And along the way he goes on this massive
journey across the lands to not only
494
00:27:46,403 --> 00:27:49,573
save his mother, but to find this dragon.
495
00:27:49,763 --> 00:27:50,323
And!
496
00:27:51,553 --> 00:27:55,743
along the way, he may or may
not find his, uh, his soulmate.
497
00:27:56,543 --> 00:28:00,413
So it's a love story, it's an
adventure, it's, my friends tell me
498
00:28:00,413 --> 00:28:04,273
it's heartbreaking, but in a hopeful
way, because it does involve, you
499
00:28:04,273 --> 00:28:08,293
know, love across lifetimes, and that's
always something very special to me.
500
00:28:10,383 --> 00:28:12,283
Anne is coming out in
the Year of the Dragon.
501
00:28:13,013 --> 00:28:13,933
I know.
502
00:28:14,213 --> 00:28:16,623
I realized that when I first
got the announcement and I
503
00:28:16,623 --> 00:28:18,523
was like, this is good luck.
504
00:28:18,773 --> 00:28:22,133
I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little
stitious and I think that's great.
505
00:28:23,633 --> 00:28:27,363
Would you say, would you share
what your Chinese animal is?
506
00:28:27,443 --> 00:28:31,593
So, it depends on which calendar
or whose calendar you use
507
00:28:31,633 --> 00:28:32,823
because I'm an in between.
508
00:28:33,173 --> 00:28:36,193
So I'm either a dog or I'm
either a year of the board,
509
00:28:36,383 --> 00:28:37,663
but it depends on who you ask.
510
00:28:37,663 --> 00:28:37,733
Okay.
511
00:28:38,293 --> 00:28:40,683
But mom says I'm a pig,
so we'll go with that.
512
00:28:41,693 --> 00:28:44,353
Hey, both are good
friends with a dragon, so.
513
00:28:44,603 --> 00:28:44,823
Ooh.
514
00:28:49,993 --> 00:28:51,973
Yeah, that's so great.
515
00:28:52,043 --> 00:28:54,353
How much research do you
have to do with every book?
516
00:28:55,353 --> 00:29:00,093
So, for Las Vegas specifically, I
did a lot because, like I said at
517
00:29:00,103 --> 00:29:03,413
the beginning, you know, my parents
don't really talk about their past.
518
00:29:03,813 --> 00:29:06,423
They don't talk about their own families,
they don't talk about their upbringing.
519
00:29:06,463 --> 00:29:10,888
And so, at some point I got really
curious, like, oh, what, What stories
520
00:29:10,888 --> 00:29:12,828
did you hear growing up as kids?
521
00:29:12,858 --> 00:29:16,608
What, because, you know, growing up
here in Canada, I'm very familiar
522
00:29:16,608 --> 00:29:20,768
with Greek mythology, Roman mythology,
Norse mythology, but I know very
523
00:29:20,768 --> 00:29:24,368
little about Chinese mythology,
which is a shame because I feel
524
00:29:24,368 --> 00:29:27,768
like I should know as a Chinese
Canadian, I should connect somehow.
525
00:29:28,238 --> 00:29:32,213
But when I asked my parents, they
don't, they didn't really, they
526
00:29:32,213 --> 00:29:33,853
kind of avoided the question.
527
00:29:33,853 --> 00:29:34,893
They're like, oh, he won't know.
528
00:29:35,273 --> 00:29:37,233
I'm like, I'm asking
because I want to know.
529
00:29:38,353 --> 00:29:42,443
So I had to do research on my own
and I stumbled upon, you know, the
530
00:29:42,453 --> 00:29:47,833
original tale of the Red Thread of
Fate, you know, Chang'e and Houyi, um,
531
00:29:48,133 --> 00:29:50,473
uh, the serpent, uh, the white snake.
532
00:29:50,543 --> 00:29:53,913
The Legend of the White Snake, all
of these myths and legends that they
533
00:29:53,913 --> 00:29:56,703
would have grown up with, and I'm
sure my grandparents would have too.
534
00:29:57,253 --> 00:30:01,793
And so in many ways this project started
as sort of a way to connect, even
535
00:30:01,793 --> 00:30:03,893
though they made it very difficult.
536
00:30:04,523 --> 00:30:08,733
Um, and so a lot of the research that
went into this book was basically
537
00:30:09,263 --> 00:30:13,003
mostly just about the myths and
keeping as true as possible to them,
538
00:30:13,683 --> 00:30:15,433
uh, without twisting them too much.
539
00:30:15,443 --> 00:30:19,173
Cause I, what I was trying to do was
use these myths as like building blocks.
540
00:30:19,503 --> 00:30:25,573
So they exist as truth within the world,
but Sai's story is sort of his own thing.
541
00:30:26,073 --> 00:30:30,543
And so I feel like hopefully I've weaved
them together in a way that makes it
542
00:30:31,033 --> 00:30:35,183
an homage to everyone who's come before
me, but also something brand new for,
543
00:30:35,313 --> 00:30:36,913
for readers down the line to enjoy.
544
00:30:38,883 --> 00:30:39,103
Yeah.
545
00:30:39,103 --> 00:30:40,713
And I, I have to say I'm so.
546
00:30:42,648 --> 00:30:45,888
grateful for authors like you,
like Asian authors who are writing
547
00:30:45,898 --> 00:30:52,098
these books because, look, I'm a
lot older than you, but since, and
548
00:30:52,098 --> 00:30:56,868
I've been in Canada for 30 years.
549
00:30:58,538 --> 00:31:03,943
At that time, there were not many books
that would talk about these folk tales
550
00:31:03,983 --> 00:31:10,733
that, you know, and, um, Su Lin Tan does a
great job of writing books like that too.
551
00:31:10,733 --> 00:31:15,913
And I'm just, I eat these stories up
even though they are fiction, right.
552
00:31:16,243 --> 00:31:17,233
But I love them.
553
00:31:17,233 --> 00:31:21,813
I love reading about them because
like you say, you infuse some of
554
00:31:21,863 --> 00:31:23,843
what the stories are that we know.
555
00:31:25,133 --> 00:31:25,423
Yeah.
556
00:31:25,423 --> 00:31:29,013
For me, it's just, I'm so glad that
there are stories out there and like
557
00:31:29,033 --> 00:31:33,983
with books oftentimes I'll get extra
and then I'll put it in the Little
558
00:31:33,993 --> 00:31:40,553
library in the neighborhood, because
I, one of my things I want people to
559
00:31:40,553 --> 00:31:47,963
know that these stories exist that
these authors like yourself exist.
560
00:31:51,723 --> 00:31:58,313
Yeah, I mean I said the intention
in 2020 that most of the books
561
00:31:58,313 --> 00:32:00,283
I read will be by pop authors.
562
00:32:02,168 --> 00:32:05,098
Especially Asian authors, because
I, I believe we need to, we
563
00:32:05,098 --> 00:32:07,118
need to support each other.
564
00:32:07,398 --> 00:32:07,998
For sure.
565
00:32:08,228 --> 00:32:09,058
Definitely.
566
00:32:10,098 --> 00:32:11,398
Uh, what do you do for fun?
567
00:32:12,428 --> 00:32:14,448
Oh, gosh, I write.
568
00:32:14,798 --> 00:32:16,588
I'm, like I said, I'm very boring.
569
00:32:16,588 --> 00:32:17,808
I have no work life balance.
570
00:32:18,148 --> 00:32:24,388
But, um, if I had to say, I've picked
up recently, um, painting my books.
571
00:32:24,868 --> 00:32:29,478
So it's still very nerdy, but I'll
take, I'll take my books and, um,
572
00:32:29,588 --> 00:32:33,518
because a lot of places sell limited
editions, but I can never like get
573
00:32:33,518 --> 00:32:34,888
them in time because they go so fast.
574
00:32:35,328 --> 00:32:39,738
So I've started painting the edges
with my own designs or just coloring
575
00:32:39,738 --> 00:32:41,738
them in, which is very relaxing.
576
00:32:41,748 --> 00:32:42,568
I'm not very good.
577
00:32:42,608 --> 00:32:45,748
I'm a very poor author and some might
argue that I'm ruining them because my
578
00:32:45,748 --> 00:32:48,208
art is atrocious, but it's a lot of fun.
579
00:32:48,548 --> 00:32:54,073
And, um, So I've taken up painting, but
I've also, I'm really big on kickboxing.
580
00:32:54,113 --> 00:32:56,343
I have like a little gym
downstairs in my basement.
581
00:32:56,353 --> 00:33:00,883
So whenever I'm a little frustrated,
I'll take it out on the bag.
582
00:33:01,833 --> 00:33:03,903
Um, oh, and I'm really into gardening.
583
00:33:03,903 --> 00:33:06,563
I've got a little, I've got a
lot of plants and a lot of a
584
00:33:06,563 --> 00:33:08,353
little herb garden on my balcony.
585
00:33:08,773 --> 00:33:09,463
So that's fun.
586
00:33:10,853 --> 00:33:14,533
I read somewhere that you, you're
trying not to kill all your plants.
587
00:33:14,903 --> 00:33:16,373
Oh, it's not going well.
588
00:33:16,383 --> 00:33:19,273
They're, uh, I must be
doing something wrong.
589
00:33:19,303 --> 00:33:20,983
'cause they don't like me at all.
590
00:33:21,373 --> 00:33:22,543
They're having a hard time.
591
00:33:24,263 --> 00:33:25,013
Oh yeah.
592
00:33:25,378 --> 00:33:26,633
It's, it's real bad.
593
00:33:27,153 --> 00:33:27,948
I, oh my God.
594
00:33:27,953 --> 00:33:28,773
I get, I get it.
595
00:33:28,773 --> 00:33:30,183
I'm only laughing because I get it.
596
00:33:30,183 --> 00:33:31,923
So my, I have an older sister.
597
00:33:32,043 --> 00:33:32,073
Mm.
598
00:33:32,633 --> 00:33:34,013
She's the one with the green thumb.
599
00:33:34,783 --> 00:33:35,053
Mm.
600
00:33:35,143 --> 00:33:35,893
In the family.
601
00:33:35,893 --> 00:33:40,183
Like she, so she, she in inherited
that from my maternal grandmother.
602
00:33:41,023 --> 00:33:42,373
She can't make anything.
603
00:33:42,723 --> 00:33:44,283
Flower that is not supposed to flower.
604
00:33:44,283 --> 00:33:44,523
Yeah.
605
00:33:45,193 --> 00:33:46,273
Oh my gosh.
606
00:33:46,363 --> 00:33:47,413
I have a jade plan.
607
00:33:47,413 --> 00:33:47,533
Mm-Hmm.
608
00:33:48,013 --> 00:33:50,443
That I kind of have to buy
a new one every two years.
609
00:33:50,943 --> 00:33:51,793
Because I killed it.
610
00:33:51,923 --> 00:33:53,453
And Jade plant, you're
not supposed to kill.
611
00:33:53,463 --> 00:33:55,413
They're like, No, they're
supposed to be very difficult.
612
00:33:55,433 --> 00:33:55,763
Yeah.
613
00:33:57,663 --> 00:33:57,793
Oops.
614
00:33:58,523 --> 00:33:59,193
plant killer.
615
00:33:59,743 --> 00:34:00,013
Hello.
616
00:34:01,823 --> 00:34:02,083
Terrible.
617
00:34:02,133 --> 00:34:02,903
just terrible.
618
00:34:04,513 --> 00:34:09,513
Uh, hey, I saw that video
of you painting your book.
619
00:34:10,013 --> 00:34:10,353
Yeah!
620
00:34:10,423 --> 00:34:11,273
On Instagram.
621
00:34:12,103 --> 00:34:14,213
Are you using watercolor?
622
00:34:14,783 --> 00:34:15,583
Uh, acrylic.
623
00:34:15,603 --> 00:34:16,103
Acrylic.
624
00:34:16,163 --> 00:34:21,593
Watercolor, uh, the fear is that
it'll bleed into the pages, so, um,
625
00:34:21,593 --> 00:34:24,113
you have to be very careful about
how much moisture you're using.
626
00:34:24,143 --> 00:34:27,053
It's, it's, it's relaxing,
but also stressful.
627
00:34:27,463 --> 00:34:28,823
Because you don't want to ruin the pages.
628
00:34:29,253 --> 00:34:30,693
the actual integrity of the book.
629
00:34:32,213 --> 00:34:34,903
I can't wait to see it, because I
was watching the video, I was like,
630
00:34:35,263 --> 00:34:37,253
she didn't post the end result.
631
00:34:37,803 --> 00:34:43,423
Oh, well, I'm just very shy, because
I'm like, I don't think it's very good.
632
00:34:43,623 --> 00:34:45,143
It's just, it's just for me.
633
00:34:45,143 --> 00:34:50,943
Like, I'll show the process, but the end
stuff is, my art is, uh, questionable.
634
00:34:52,793 --> 00:34:54,553
Artists are the artists on themselves.
635
00:34:55,153 --> 00:34:55,833
Of course we are.
636
00:34:56,543 --> 00:34:57,283
I'm just saying.
637
00:34:57,593 --> 00:35:00,673
How much of a perfectionist are you
with, with your, with your writing?
638
00:35:01,363 --> 00:35:06,583
Oh gosh, I'm, I'm like, I'm a recovering
perfectionist, but it's not going well.
639
00:35:07,183 --> 00:35:12,153
Um, no, I, I definitely have a
complex about the quality of my work.
640
00:35:12,523 --> 00:35:16,263
I was supposed to submit my edits
for Nine Tailed Fox like a couple
641
00:35:16,263 --> 00:35:20,043
of days ago, but I decided, no, no,
no, wait, I can make this better.
642
00:35:20,443 --> 00:35:23,483
And so I'm on like my seventh
round of edits and I'm still not
643
00:35:23,493 --> 00:35:26,163
happy, but eventually I'm going
to have to just let it go and be
644
00:35:26,163 --> 00:35:27,563
like, this is the best I can do.
645
00:35:28,393 --> 00:35:29,023
Um.
646
00:35:29,783 --> 00:35:34,613
Yeah, I just feel like I'm
a, I'm a big perfectionist.
647
00:35:34,643 --> 00:35:39,183
I it's something that kind of
has been with me my whole life.
648
00:35:39,233 --> 00:35:42,973
And I feel like it's just the atmosphere
I grew up in was very competitive.
649
00:35:43,133 --> 00:35:43,523
So,
650
00:35:45,643 --> 00:35:49,753
but I imagine it must be so hard
though, because you can add it and
651
00:35:49,843 --> 00:35:54,218
add it and add it and it's like,
Eventually you have to let it go.
652
00:35:54,698 --> 00:35:57,708
But that's always hard because you're
like, no, I could have made it better.
653
00:35:57,738 --> 00:35:58,258
I don't know.
654
00:35:58,288 --> 00:36:02,548
But it's a, you know what, I've
adopted this practice of like, you can
655
00:36:02,548 --> 00:36:06,998
always improve for the next book, you
know, so do your best for this one.
656
00:36:07,968 --> 00:36:11,008
Hear what people have to say,
learn where you can improve and
657
00:36:11,018 --> 00:36:12,558
just do your best for next time.
658
00:36:14,628 --> 00:36:15,778
I have to remind myself.
659
00:36:16,588 --> 00:36:19,928
My heart is pounding just at the thought
because I'm like, I, I'm, I know I'm
660
00:36:19,928 --> 00:36:22,178
gonna be really, really anal about this.
661
00:36:23,648 --> 00:36:26,758
I so I make pottery for fun.
662
00:36:26,898 --> 00:36:31,928
I'm a hobby and I always tell people
you have a perfectionist tendencies
663
00:36:31,928 --> 00:36:34,028
or control issue, learn pottery.
664
00:36:34,848 --> 00:36:36,868
Yeah, because it teaches you to let go.
665
00:36:37,328 --> 00:36:37,728
It doesn't.
666
00:36:38,398 --> 00:36:39,218
It is what it is.
667
00:36:39,728 --> 00:36:44,888
Well, it is what it is because so much
of the process, you figure out really,
668
00:36:44,888 --> 00:36:46,478
really early, you have no control.
669
00:36:49,088 --> 00:36:52,238
, yeah, you can do your best, but
at some point maybe the thing will
670
00:36:52,238 --> 00:36:57,248
crack, maybe it will, the color
that you think it's gonna be good
671
00:36:57,248 --> 00:36:59,948
comes out and it's like, hmm, yeah.
672
00:37:00,398 --> 00:37:01,718
So you gotta give up.
673
00:37:03,558 --> 00:37:07,698
What are you, so you are
working on the book in 2025.
674
00:37:09,988 --> 00:37:12,878
Any other things of working
on that you want to share?
675
00:37:13,058 --> 00:37:13,578
Any projects?
676
00:37:13,578 --> 00:37:15,548
Uh, yeah.
677
00:37:15,698 --> 00:37:18,948
I, I don't have a lot
of information on it.
678
00:37:19,468 --> 00:37:25,018
So, um, I've just submitted
a new book proposal to my
679
00:37:25,018 --> 00:37:27,488
editors at Random House Canada.
680
00:37:28,898 --> 00:37:33,248
It's a new contemporary
dramedy, I would say.
681
00:37:34,028 --> 00:37:36,208
Um, and that's all I have.
682
00:37:36,568 --> 00:37:37,748
I'm able to divulge.
683
00:37:37,758 --> 00:37:39,548
They haven't told me if they want it yet.
684
00:37:39,918 --> 00:37:43,238
I think they get a little bit more
time to decide, but it's a good
685
00:37:43,238 --> 00:37:44,808
sign they haven't said outright no.
686
00:37:45,478 --> 00:37:49,718
You know, so I'm hoping, I'm praying,
I'm hoping I get some good news
687
00:37:49,748 --> 00:37:50,538
because that would be really great.
688
00:37:50,578 --> 00:37:53,528
But hopefully I have
another romcom in the works.
689
00:37:54,133 --> 00:37:58,303
And I've got ideas for a new
fantasy series, kind of percolating,
690
00:37:58,343 --> 00:38:01,153
but I haven't quite figured
out how, how I want to tell it.
691
00:38:01,493 --> 00:38:02,843
So, it's just an idea.
692
00:38:02,893 --> 00:38:03,343
It's there.
693
00:38:03,343 --> 00:38:04,043
It's floating.
694
00:38:04,573 --> 00:38:04,813
Cool.
695
00:38:04,823 --> 00:38:09,573
But for now, I'm just focusing
on my recent book launch, uh,
696
00:38:09,603 --> 00:38:11,343
Last Dragon and Nightingale Fox.
697
00:38:14,506 --> 00:38:15,866
A couple more questions for you.
698
00:38:15,866 --> 00:38:18,256
What do you wish people
know about being an author?
699
00:38:21,336 --> 00:38:22,006
Um,
700
00:38:25,206 --> 00:38:26,196
we're sensitive.
701
00:38:27,416 --> 00:38:29,166
All creatives are a little sensitive.
702
00:38:29,796 --> 00:38:34,816
But you know, I'm just always so happy
when people when they pick up my book
703
00:38:34,816 --> 00:38:38,496
and they're excited and they they tag
me and they're like, this was so good.
704
00:38:38,496 --> 00:38:39,476
I read it in a day.
705
00:38:39,476 --> 00:38:41,626
It just makes me so happy.
706
00:38:41,636 --> 00:38:44,976
It makes me The whole day I'm just a
little giddy because I'm like, Oh my
707
00:38:44,976 --> 00:38:49,456
gosh, someone out there, someone out
there who I don't know, took the time to
708
00:38:49,456 --> 00:38:51,256
reach out and say that they love the book.
709
00:38:51,256 --> 00:38:53,206
And that's just such an amazing feeling.
710
00:38:54,086 --> 00:38:58,806
Um, authors also have very
poor posture and bad backs.
711
00:38:59,236 --> 00:39:00,426
Maybe that's just me, actually.
712
00:39:01,066 --> 00:39:01,546
Um,
713
00:39:03,646 --> 00:39:11,276
and we authors, authors do what they
do because they, they have stories
714
00:39:11,286 --> 00:39:15,151
to tell and, you know, What they
have to say is important and, you
715
00:39:15,151 --> 00:39:19,801
know, go in and read the book, have
fun, take away the lessons you, that
716
00:39:19,801 --> 00:39:22,751
really resonate with you and yeah.
717
00:39:25,351 --> 00:39:29,611
What advice would you give
yourself when you were 20?
718
00:39:34,261 --> 00:39:34,861
So hard.
719
00:39:36,321 --> 00:39:38,861
Ugh, hitting me with the hard questions.
720
00:39:39,041 --> 00:39:40,151
Um, I'm sorry.
721
00:39:41,111 --> 00:39:42,191
It's okay.
722
00:39:42,601 --> 00:39:44,151
What advice would I give myself?
723
00:39:45,191 --> 00:39:46,491
I could, I can think of one.
724
00:39:47,471 --> 00:39:48,191
What's yours?
725
00:39:49,951 --> 00:39:52,691
For you, it would be walk away
from the sciences, walk away.
726
00:39:52,691 --> 00:39:53,964
I know!
727
00:39:53,964 --> 00:39:57,511
If I had known earlier, I probably
would have gone into writing
728
00:39:57,511 --> 00:39:59,121
so much faster, but oh well.
729
00:39:59,931 --> 00:40:01,431
I think maybe,
730
00:40:04,821 --> 00:40:07,671
well my dad has a saying, do what
you love and the money will follow.
731
00:40:08,341 --> 00:40:11,891
So I feel like if I told myself to
put a little more faith in that.
732
00:40:12,846 --> 00:40:18,546
Like I do now, um, I think I would
be a lot less stressed as a person.
733
00:40:20,536 --> 00:40:21,786
It's true, isn't it?
734
00:40:22,456 --> 00:40:23,596
It really is.
735
00:40:23,776 --> 00:40:24,966
It's true, it's true.
736
00:40:25,566 --> 00:40:26,946
Uh, last question for you.
737
00:40:27,086 --> 00:40:32,946
Any advice for if you meet a
young person that says, Oh, I
738
00:40:32,946 --> 00:40:33,816
really want to be an author.
739
00:40:34,416 --> 00:40:35,356
Any advice for them?
740
00:40:40,226 --> 00:40:45,236
That's a strange I have so much advice,
but I feel like I can't condense it.
741
00:40:45,816 --> 00:40:51,611
You know, uh, My first major one,
specifically with regards to writing
742
00:40:51,611 --> 00:40:57,751
technique, is to outline, because
I feel like a lot of young writers,
743
00:40:57,761 --> 00:41:00,581
you know, there's a discourse
within the writing community.
744
00:41:00,581 --> 00:41:02,231
Are you a plotter or are you a pantser?
745
00:41:02,231 --> 00:41:05,201
You know, are you, are you planning
everything out or are you going
746
00:41:05,201 --> 00:41:06,241
off the seat of your pants?
747
00:41:06,641 --> 00:41:08,671
And both are perfectly valid.
748
00:41:09,136 --> 00:41:13,626
I, I'm, I'm personally a hybrid of
both, but I feel like when you're a new
749
00:41:13,626 --> 00:41:17,446
writer and you're just starting out, I
think it's really important for you to
750
00:41:17,466 --> 00:41:22,456
at least have a, a roadmap so that you
can get from chapter one to the end.
751
00:41:22,976 --> 00:41:26,926
Um, because when you're in a spying
author, the first thing you need to
752
00:41:26,926 --> 00:41:31,546
do is finish the book before you can
worry about finding an agent, getting a
753
00:41:31,546 --> 00:41:35,616
book deal, you need to actually finish
the project and I feel like having
754
00:41:35,656 --> 00:41:38,646
an outline to at least follow along.
755
00:41:38,676 --> 00:41:38,806
If.
756
00:41:40,006 --> 00:41:41,696
You decide, oh, let's
take it in this direction.
757
00:41:41,696 --> 00:41:45,866
At least you still have a roadmap to refer
back to, to get from point A to point B.
758
00:41:46,386 --> 00:41:49,486
So that's my advice from a
technical perspective, but
759
00:41:49,486 --> 00:41:53,126
I feel like from a more, um,
760
00:41:55,666 --> 00:41:59,106
overreach overarching perspective,
surround yourself with
761
00:41:59,106 --> 00:42:00,546
people who will support you.
762
00:42:01,206 --> 00:42:02,566
Um, be that.
763
00:42:02,826 --> 00:42:04,136
Friends or family.
764
00:42:04,676 --> 00:42:10,076
Sometimes friends and family aren't
the best, um, at giving advice when it
765
00:42:10,076 --> 00:42:12,546
comes to writing because I feel like a
lot of them will be like, no, no, no,
766
00:42:12,546 --> 00:42:14,706
it's good when it could use some work.
767
00:42:15,076 --> 00:42:20,221
I recommend, um, you know, go, go to
your local library, join writing clubs,
768
00:42:20,571 --> 00:42:25,291
uh, join online forums, make friends
who are also authors, uh, who are also
769
00:42:25,291 --> 00:42:30,921
writers, um, so you can basically share
in the love of your craft, because
770
00:42:30,921 --> 00:42:35,511
I feel like your best ideas, my, uh,
you know, knives got off the ground.
771
00:42:36,376 --> 00:42:39,356
When I was writing live season of
Dashalove, I would go to my writing
772
00:42:39,356 --> 00:42:40,696
friends and ask them for advice.
773
00:42:40,696 --> 00:42:42,536
Like, what do you think of this dialogue?
774
00:42:42,536 --> 00:42:43,996
What do you think of this character arc?
775
00:42:44,026 --> 00:42:45,896
Is this scene too raunchy?
776
00:42:46,366 --> 00:42:49,136
You know, and they're just
a great resource to have and
777
00:42:49,136 --> 00:42:50,656
they're wonderful support.
778
00:42:50,786 --> 00:42:54,606
And that's, that's a two
pronged advice for you.
779
00:42:54,606 --> 00:42:55,916
It's really long winded.
780
00:42:55,916 --> 00:42:56,466
I'm sorry.
781
00:42:57,201 --> 00:42:57,981
Don't apologize.
782
00:42:58,061 --> 00:43:00,731
I think that's great advice
because there's so much.
783
00:43:01,131 --> 00:43:04,731
For the listeners, the last Dragon of
the East is on pre-order right now.
784
00:43:04,941 --> 00:43:08,531
Well, maybe by the time this episode
comes out, we'll be, it'll be out.
785
00:43:08,951 --> 00:43:09,461
It'll be out.
786
00:43:10,031 --> 00:43:13,991
It comes out October 8th and Knife
seasoning and Dash of Love is
787
00:43:13,991 --> 00:43:16,391
available wherever books are sold.
788
00:43:17,461 --> 00:43:18,301
And I love that book.
789
00:43:18,351 --> 00:43:19,691
Thank you, Katrina.
790
00:43:19,901 --> 00:43:21,571
Thank you so much for having me.
791
00:43:25,608 --> 00:43:28,518
Well, what a great
conversation with Katrina.
792
00:43:28,998 --> 00:43:30,258
Her new book.
793
00:43:30,318 --> 00:43:34,218
The last dragon of the
East is out on October 8th.
794
00:43:35,568 --> 00:43:38,208
I hope you enjoy this episode and.
795
00:43:39,438 --> 00:43:43,608
Please remember to like subscribe
and share this podcast with
796
00:43:43,698 --> 00:43:46,728
anyone you think will enjoy it.
797
00:43:47,218 --> 00:43:48,528
have a beautiful day.
798
00:43:48,778 --> 00:43:49,798
See you next time.
799
00:43:52,312 --> 00:43:55,462
Thanks so much for listening to
this episode of the Conversations
800
00:43:55,462 --> 00:43:56,922
With Your Chinese Auntie Podcast.
801
00:43:57,362 --> 00:44:00,212
If you're enjoying the show, please
feel free to rate, subscribe,
802
00:44:00,272 --> 00:44:02,522
and leave a review wherever
you listen to your podcasts.
803
00:44:03,062 --> 00:44:05,892
That helps others find the show,
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804
00:44:06,432 --> 00:44:09,022
Also, remember to sign up
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805
00:44:09,032 --> 00:44:10,392
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806
00:44:10,932 --> 00:44:13,492
Links in the website, patriciapetersen.
807
00:44:13,512 --> 00:44:14,052
ca.
808
00:44:14,442 --> 00:44:20,822
That's P A T R I C I A P E T E R S E N.
809
00:44:20,832 --> 00:44:21,682
C A.
810
00:44:22,282 --> 00:44:23,702
Again, thanks for listening.
811
00:44:23,942 --> 00:44:27,292
We hope you have a great week, and
we'll see you in the next episode.