Congratulations on another book! How has the launch of One Last Word been for you so far? Has anything stood out to you about this book compared to previous books?

It’s been busy! For this book, I decided to tour a few southern cities, where the Asians are less than 2% of the population. I was so pleasantly surprised by the engaged audiences and their willingness to read broadly. In almost every podcast interview or live audience Q&A, I’ve been asked about my standup comedy background, which I’ve never gotten before. Maybe this book is funnier? Not sure… but it’s fun to discuss! 

Your main characters across all your books are flawed but fearless. I love reading about such driven women! Who inspires you to write these characters?

I like to create stories with big stakes, so I try to create unique protagonists who can overcome obstacles and end up with a happily ever after in life and love. I want my characters to feel real and relatable, but for them to connect with the reader they need to have flaws and make mistakes. When you think about all the people who seem like they have perfect lives, don’t they seem a little boring? I also like writing fast-paced stories — having dynamic main characters helps me achieve this. 

Many of your characters are entrepreneurs. What draws you to this lifestyle as a writer? Do you own your own business (besides writing, of course!)?

In my former life in-between corporate gigs, I was an entrepreneur! I made ecofriendly bags and totes that were made in the USA and after a couple of years I ran into a few production issues that made materials and labor costs unsustainable. I learned a lot when I ventured out on my own (operations, sales, marketing, promotion) and a lot of this is reflected in my books. I learned over the years that I wasn’t cut out to be a long-term entrepreneur— I really respect anyone who can launch a business and keep it afloat! 

In One Last Word, our main character Sara is an app developer. What kind of research did you do to get a feel for this industry?

I was lucky enough to have friends and acquaintances in the start-up and VC world, so I interviewed several people about their experiences in getting funding or working in a start-up environment. I also worked in the tech world myself so a few parts of the story are based on my own experience.

Sara’s app, One Last Word, is designed to send messages to loved ones after the user passes away. Due to a glitch, her own messages are sent to everyone from her high school crush to her parents (while she is very much alive) with hilarious, disastrous, and heartwarming results in the aftermath. If One Last Word were a real app, would you be a user? Why or why not? With whom would you want to share your last words?

I’d absolutely be a user— growing older I’ve become better about not holding grudges, but a few remain. I could see notes going out to a couple of ex bosses and possibly a high school teacher or two. 

You’ve also had quite a career in stand-up comedy. How do you feel that influences your writing?

I keep a list of funny things I observe and categorize everything into three tiers: joke-level, scene-level, and story-level. Stand-up gave me the skills to know how funny bits might hierarchically fit into a story. It also helped me with my timing, beats, and word choice— those really come in handy when writing funny scenes or dialogue.  

At Pango, we celebrate giving books longer lives by buying and selling used books. Do you have any personal stories or thoughts about secondhand books that you’d like to share?

A good friend of mine is a serious book thrifter. When I told her about Pango and how we were exploring AAPI opportunities, she was delighted. She always discovers new authors through used book sites and marketplaces like Pango and goes on to follow the careers of authors she’s enjoyed. They allow for discoverability of new voices in a way that big chains don’t. She told me “You’ll find new readers, and then your stories will be read by more people who need them”— and that’s exactly what I want.

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