What inspired you to start writing romance, and how did your journey from reader to author unfold? I started reading romance when I was 13. I was wandering around my local Borders or B&N and walked by the romance section and started wondering who this Nora Roberts chick was who was taking up half the shelf space. I picked one of them up (it was one of her MacGregor books), became intrigued by the idea of a meddling matchmaking Scottish grandfather, and started reading it. I haven’t looked back since!
As for how I transitioned from reader to writer, I suppose I always had story ideas in my head. And I should have known I was destined to be a romance writer when I watched this movie Princess of Thieves and was incensed the two lead characters didn’t end up together. Naturally, I re-wrote the ending in my head so they got the HEA they deserved. But it wasn’t until I met Tessa Dare in 2011 that I decided to pursue writing and publishing seriously. She encouraged me to go for it and I did! I will be forever in Tessa’s debt for her kindness, friendship, and support in getting me started down the path .
You’ve mentioned that you incorporate snark and banter into your writing. Can you share some of your favorite dialogue moments from your books? I have to admit I am fond of the moment in The Year of Cecily when she decides to teach Jeffrey a lesson about Netflix cheating and he promises to never do it again, and gives the Boy Scout and she tells him “You were never even a Boy Scout so this means nothing to me.”
And when she explained why she had to quit the Book Club. He chuckled. “Was the book club really that bad?” “I had to Marie Kondo the book club. It did not spark joy.”
In The Rachel Experiment, I love this text convo between Luke and Rachel
Rachel: I have good news and bad news. Luke: Let’s start with the good news. Rachel: Really? I would think it’d be better to get the bad news first, get it over with. Luke: Don’t decision-shame me. I get to choose how I digest my news. Rachel: What? Decision-shaming? No way that’s a thing. Luke: MOVING. ON. What’s the good news?
And when Rachel had to set Luke straight about gender inequality in the workplace.
Upon seeing the look on Rachel’s face, he could muster only one response. “The patriarchy sucks?” “Just like colonialism and imperialism.” “Duly noted.”
In Bethany Meets Her Match, I love this snippet that perfectly captures Bethany and Ethan’s competitive spirits.
Bethany slid him a look. “Bet I vaccinate more people than you.” “No way,” he protested. She stuck out a hand. “Wanna bet?” Ethan frowned. “Name your terms.” “You do my charting for me for three weeks.” “One.” “Two.” “Fine.” “What do I get when I win?” he asked. “Up to you.” Bethany shrugged. “But really a moot point because you’re not going to win.”
And this exchange when Jaya, Bethany’s BFF tests the boundaries of their friendship.
“Do you want free babysitting or not?” “Oh, hell yeah. I may order some La Perla and finally splurge on that negligee I’ve been eying. And I’m saying now, it might get loud, so earplugs. My husband loves me in satin and lace.” Bethany took a deep breath. “Jaya, I love you but there are things I just don’t need to know.” And she may never be able to look Rahul in the face ever again. Or look at him at all. “All I’m saying is when kids come along your sex life takes a hit. I have no sexy lingerie anymore. My drawers are now full of granny panties.” “Does giving birth remove all TMI filters?” And why did no one inform her of that when she did her OB rotation? That was the sort of thing she’d need to know. “I’m home alone with a four-year-old all day for the most part now that I cut back to working at Helping Hands part-time. I’m starved for adult conversation.” “And sex.” Jaya nodded. “And sex.”
Major shout out to my amazing writer friend Sally Kilpatrick who helped me find these quotes!
I think what I enjoy most about writing good dialogue and snark/banter is the back and forth between the characters. It’s like watching two expert tennis players bat the ball back and forth across the net.
How do your experiences as an Asian-American influence the stories you tell and the characters you create? As someone who isn’t from the majority/dominant cultural/racial group in this country I think it’s important for me to tell stories that help reflect the vibrant and diverse tapestry that is the Asian community. Growing up, it was so hard to see someone who looked like me on screen, especially in leading roles, and the same in books. Part of the reason I likely glommed The BabySitters Club as a kid is because one of the main characters, Claudia Kishi, was Asian-American just like me! Claudia was Japanese American and I’m Taiwanese-American but back then, that was close enough, lol.
And this is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Asian Americans still aren’t very well represented in publishing and that is something I hope will change in the future. I write my books from my perspective, and my experience, and I don’t claim to speak for the entire Asian American community and nor should I. My books can’t reflect every Asian American’s experience and perspective. The solution is to have MORE novels by Asian Americans out there so the full story can be told!
Can you talk about the importance of HEAs (Happily Ever Afters) in your work? What do you think they provide for readers? I think the HEA is the one unbreakable rule of romance. Deliver the HEA and you’re good to go-you can do whatever else you’d like with the story. Skip the HEA, and readers will rightly come at you with pitchforks. The HEA is so essential because it’s a contract with the reader. You promise them that despite the rollercoaster journey you put the characters through, all will be well by the end. As for what they provide for the readers, I think the real world can be beyond overwhelming with what it throws at you, and the good guys don’t always get rewarded and the bad guys don’t always get punished. But when you read a romance, for that space of time, you can rest easy knowing that you can escape temporarily into a world where good things DO happen to good people and by the time you get to The End, everything will be okay.
Friendship plays a significant role in your stories. Why do you think it’s essential to highlight female friendships in romance novels? I feel it’s important because of the role female friendships have played in MY life. Both my writing friends and non writing friends. Publishing is not easy, and so much of it is out of your control. My writing friends have been invaluable in helping me throughout my entire journey. I would not have made it this far without them. They talk me off the ledge, believe in me when I don’t believe in myself, smack some sense into me when I need it, and are always happier and more excited for me than I am for me. They are my safe space.
Female friendships in particular are important to me because so often in media, women are pitted against each other and see each other as competition, and I want to show how powerful it is when women support each other and build each other up.
In addition, while romance focuses on romantic relationships (as it rightfully should!) I think it’s important to highlight how important other relationships are in a person’s life. Family relationships and friendships are just as valuable and worthy of being highlighted and explored.
As someone with a background in law and politics, how do these experiences shape your approach to storytelling? My background in law definitely influences my storytelling because my books are full of lawyers and law jokes! Hey, write what you know, right? And as any writer will tell you we can and will grab inspiration from anywhere. The story Luke tells Cecily about a mouse in the jury box is a true story. I once sat in and was observing a trial when that happened.
As for how my political background affects my storytelling, I think it allowed me to meet all sorts of different people from different backgrounds. I am from the suburban part of Pennsylvania, but I got to meet folks from the rural areas, and from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It reinforced for me that where and how I grew up wasn’t the way everyone grew up and my experiences aren’t universal. I hope that exposure helps me to write characters with a backgrounds different from mine more authentically and not resort to stereotypes and cliches.
You grew up in Pennsylvania and helped at your parents’ restaurant. What kind of influence does your upbringing have on your writing? The first example that comes to mind of how me growing up on the East Coast impacted my writing is when I sent my initial first draft of Cecily to my agent, and there was a scene where Jeffrey calls his friend Greg and Greg offers to let Jeffrey come over and they can escape to Greg’s basement Man Cave. And my agent had to gently remind me “Uhh basements aren’t really a thing in California, cuz…..earthquakes.” That was a stark reminder to me how important it was for me to check my biases and assumptions! Lol
As for growing up in a restaurant family, I like to think that helps me accurately portray how hard small business owners have to work, like when I talked about how Rachel’s parents had to work, even when she was home sick from school when she was a kid. And it’s why my characters are always kind and respectful to waiters!
What do you hope readers take away from your portrayal of Asian and immigrant family experiences? I LOVE when readers reach out to me and tell me how my characters or aspects of my book resonate with them. Especially Asian American readers who tell me they totally related to Cecily’s relationship with her mother Judith, or how true the family dynamics rang to them. Or how happy they were to see themselves represented on the page. I have even had readers who weren’t Asian who have said “Even though I’m white/Middle Eastern/not Asian my relationship with my mother is just like Cecily’s!” or “My family overfeeds everyone too, just like Cecily and Jeffrey’s families!”
Basically what I want readers to take away from my books is that even though my characters are Asian, some themes (like family, love, food, friendship, etc) are universal, and resonate with everyone! These things transcend racial, ethnic, cultural, religious differences and are things we can all relate to.
You mentioned loving to binge-watch shows like The West Wing. How do your favorite TV shows influence your writing style or themes? One of the best compliments I ever received was from Sally Kilpatrick who told me I wrote Sorkin-ese dialogue. Aaron Sorkin’s writing definitely had an influence on me. I think it’s the reason why my writing is so dialogue focused. My characters just keep talking. I can write pages and pages of dialogue and totally ignore describing where the characters are, their surroundings, what they’re wearing, etc. Which can be a problem! Lol.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write their own voices stories, especially in the romance genre? I know it’s hard, and it’s an uphill journey but please please know how important and desperately needed your stories are! There are readers out there who are dying to read your books, who grew up not seeing any characters who looked like them reflected on the page, and are hungry for good representation. HEA for all means just that. We all deserve to see ourselves reflected on the page. And above all, when you write from your own experience and perspective, it is totally legitimate, and in no way has to represent and speak to every Asian, African American, Muslim, Jew, LGBTQ, Neurodivergent, Native, etc reader. It is not realistic to expect any one book to do that. Just do your homework, be authentic, and do your best. That’s all anyone can ask!
BONUS: What is one comfort read that you find yourself always reaching for again and again? I’m going to rely on the old lawyer/legal cop out-it depends. But it’s true! Nora’s MacGregor series is definitely on the top of the list. It’s how I got started in the genre so it’s fighting that it all comes full circle I suppose! Whenever I open one of the books, it’s like re-visiting with old friends, and like a warm comforting blanket. If I’m in the mood for a historical, a Tessa Dare (Spindle Cove!) or Laura Lee Guhrke (Girl Bachelors!) never fails. I also re-read Kristen Callihan’s VIP and Game on Series over and over, and Julie James is also in heavy rotation. When I want a good romance with Asian leads, I go for a Jayci Lee or Jackie Lau. See? I can’t pick a favorite and you can’t make me, lol.
