A.Y. Chao is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Shanghai Immortal, the first in a trilogy following the shenanigans of charmingly profane, irreverent, sometimes petulant but always entertaining half hulijing fox spirit Lady Jing.

She’s lived in Calgary, Taipei, Paris, Stockholm, Beijing, London, and Hong Kong, giving her the unique experience of being a minority in Canada and the UK, one kind of foreigner in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong SAR, and another kind in France and Sweden, as well as an expat in England. Belonging nowhere and everywhere, depending on her mood and mindset, she’s fascinated by the interplay between self-perceived versus imposed identity and how this intersects with belonging and enjoys exploring these spaces in her stories.

Alice lives in London with her geo-historian hubby, chatterbox daughter, and sweet rescue pup. Find her online @ay_chao on Instagram. 

I had the opportunity to interview A.Y Chao, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?  

Hello, thanks for having me! I’m a Canadian fantasy writer based in the UK. Am a recovering lawyer, knitter, and Derpy stan. When I’m not chasing a deadline, I’m bingeing the latest K and C dramas and eating too many xiaolongbao.

What can you tell us about your most recent project, the Shanghai Immortal series? What was the inspiration for this?  

Shanghai Immortal is a historical fantasy which explores being caught between two worlds, and how that can result feeling the perpetual outsider. Lady Jing, my main character, is half vampire, half fox spirit. She’s a chaotic whirlwind of attitude and vulnerability who thumbs her nose at convention and social expectation; unsurprising given the story was written during lockdown! The story itself was deeply influenced by the spate of Asian hate crimes which started during the pandemic. The choice of Shanghai, an extraterritorial treaty port, was deliberate as well to emphasize the sense of being an outsider in your own home. 

What can you tell us about latest book, Paris Celestial? 

Paris Celestial is the sequel to Shanghai Immortal. In SI, Lady Jing deals with her fox spirit family, makes her friends, and grapples with her identity and place in the world. She also falls in love! In PC, Lady Jing continues her shenanigans, but this time she travels to Paris and meets her vampire family. Things get more complicated for Jing as her friends and family clash and she’s forced to pit her needs against those of her loved ones. 

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, particular historical fiction, romance, and fantasy?

One of my favourite parts of writing is the research—discovering the nooks and crannies of a historical period, especially through memoirs. I love the way words can conjure an emotional state or a specific detail which acts as a shorthand description of the story world. For example, the blank pages in Stephanie Meyer’s New Moon, the way Charlaine Harris describes vampires trying to ‘mainstream’ in Dead Until Dark. 

How would you describe your creative process?

Chaotic! I am still trying to figure out my creative process. I’m very visual when thinking about a story, so I like to think them through before committing them to paper. Once I have an idea, I write down the story I see in my mind’s eye. I used to be a total pantser, but with each manuscript I become more of a plotter. Having a barebones sketch of the scenes helps me go back and flesh it out. I never liked to do that, but now I’m finding it more efficient and especially with my ADHD brain (late diagnosis due to age-related worsening symptoms) I need every trick and tool in my arsenal to make it as easy as possible for my creative mind to sink into a flow state.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

As mentioned above, I adore historical research. Reading memoirs is my preferred method. Old maps and advertisements are wonderful to peruse as well.  I love creating characters who banter well. The most frustrating is when my brain won’t cooperate—when processing words slows down because my brain is in a fog. It’s the worst. 

As an author, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?

I owe so much to trailblazing authors, those who came before me or those who did something different with their books, be it a novel approach (mech + futuristic ancient China in Iron Widow), or interesting text treatment (the small font for the whispering teens in Gideon the Ninth). I take a lot of inspiration from the way Taiwanese and Hong Kong cinema take Chinese folklore and mythology and are endlessly innovating. They aren’t precious about it which is very freeing.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

Rescue dogs are the best! I have a very shy dog we adoped from Hong Kong. I also adore raccoons. Juniperfoxx on Instagram is one of my favourite animal rescuers.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Netflix: Please may we make a movie from your novel and pay you a gazillion dollars?

Me: YES absolutely! Please cast Michelle Yeoh, ok?

What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers out there?

Find a solid group of ride or dies because otherwise the journey can be very lonely!

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Currently working on a short story, and letting ideas for the next novel percolate!

Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

Books I cannot wait to get my hands on: Tasha Suri’s Isle of the Silver Sea, Saara El-Arifi’s Cleopatra, Samantha Sotto Yambao’s Elsewhere Express.