#1 New York Times bestselling author Ana Huang chats with Zibby about THE STRIKER, a steamy, unputdownable romance between the world’s best soccer player and a primadonna ballerina he can’t have. Ana shares the excitement of hosting a midnight release party with 800 fans! Then, she delves into her novel’s themes of rivalry, personal growth, and forbidden love. She also reflects on her immigrant upbringing and how writing stories helped her learn English, her pivot back to writing during the pandemic, and the rise of indie publishing. Listen for teasers about her next novel!

Transcript:

Zibby: Welcome, Anna.

Thank you so much for coming on Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books to discuss your latest book, Striker, and all your other amazing work. You are like a powerhouse. Amazing. Congratulations. 

Ana: Thank you so much and thank you for having me on. I'm so excited to be here. 

Zibby: So I told your publicist when I was emailing, I was driving by Union Square the other night in New York City and I was like, and there was this crowd around the corner.

I was like, what could this possibly be for? I haven't seen a line like this in so long. So I went on the Barnes Noble website and I was like, Oh my gosh! It's Ana! I can't believe it! Um, tell me about this very unique event that you did at Barnes Noble. 

Ana: Yeah! Oh, it was um, a midnight release party for The Striker last Monday.

The book came out on Tuesday and it was amazing. It was actually my first ever midnight release. And so, I think there were around 800 people there, and so there were games, activities, crafts, giveaways, there were also a Q& A session. So we split it up into three Q& A's, so we didn't have like 800 people all on like the top floor at the same time, which would have been a fire hazard.

But, you know, we kind of chatted about the book, my future plans, and then, when it came to midnight, we counted down to midnight and everyone got their books. And it was kind of a very surreal moment and definitely a career highlight. 

Zibby: I bet. Yeah. When your crowd is a fire hazard, you know you've made it.

Ana: Put that in my bio. 

Zibby: Yeah, exactly, exactly. Well, your book is great. I love the way you write. I love your characters. I learned more about, I mean, my daughter plays soccer, but you know, this is like a whole nother, whole nother level, you know, adoption. Brotherhood, sisterhood, rivalry, ballet. I mean, you have like so many different things all percolating and written in such an accessible, like, warm, relatable way that you feel like you're immediately, like, lost in the story and sort of somehow rooting for everybody all at the same time, even though that doesn't make any sense.

Tell listeners a little bit more about the book, the backstory of it. Why you wrote it and, and all that. 

Ana: Yeah. So the striker is actually my first sports romance and, you know, people always ask me, why did you choose soccer? And I was like, well, it's because soccer is really the only sport I liked watching.

So any other sport would not work for me, but it is, it followed Asher Donovan. So he is kind of this star footballer, as they call it in London, who gets transferred to a new team that happens to be the same team his rival is on. And when the rivalry cost them a championship, he's forced to do like off season training to bond.

Um, what they didn't know at the beginning was that the rival, their train new trainer is actually his rival sister. And so of course as the summer progresses, romance and drama ensues and it's a lot of fun. . 

Zibby: I love his whole, like, I like how is this woman rejecting me? Right? She, he first. 

Ana: Yeah. 

Zibby: You know, like me, you know, it's, it would be like, I don't even know the biggest deal person in the world who I don't know.

Harry Styles, I don't know, somebody just being like, wait, I can't pick up a girl in a bar, like what is going on? 

Ana: I know, he was flabbergasted. 

Zibby: Yeah, oh my gosh, so funny. Where did this idea come from? 

Ana: Yeah, so all of my books are kind of connected in the same universe. So, Asher actually showed up as a side character in one of my previous books that was published in I would say January 2022 and he kind of just popped up on his own like I hadn't planned to write him as a side character but he showed up at one of the main characters weddings and I was like oh you know like a hot professional athlete I could probably do something with this in the future you know but I, I didn't know Let him sit on the sidelines for a bit, percolate a bit until I was ready to kind of delve into the sports romance side of things.

And then last year, I was like, you know, I think now is the time. I think it's his time to shine. And especially with the World Cup coming around and I have been watching, you know, some soccer games at the time and I was like, I think I'm just in the mood to write this book. And I did. 

Zibby: Oh my gosh, well that's as simple as that.

Take me back, like, where do you grow up? When did you start writing? How did you break into this industry? Like what's the backstory? 

Ana: Oh man, it's, I'll give you a condensed version. So I started writing actually, um, when I was very young as a way to kind of improve my English because I grew up in an immigrant household and we didn't speak English at home.

So when I went to school, I had to take English as a second language classes and my mom, to kind of speed me along a little bit, she was like, hey, why don't you write me a short story in English every day? And I did. And it kind of kicked off my love for writing. 

Zibby: Wait, can we, can we pause there for a second?

If I said that to my kids, they'd be like, no. Like, you were just like, okay, I'm just going to write a short story every single day and that just like was how it went? 

Ana: I guess I just, I was naturally inclined to like it, I guess. In my mind, I was like, oh, she really likes my stories. And granted, I don't know if the stories I wrote back then were actually like very good.

I was like five years old, but you know, I, I wrote her a little thing and she kept them and she also very much nurtured that side of me, like she would take me to the library every weekend. She really nurtured my love of books, but it was so funny because I think I was maybe eight or nine and I told her, I was like, Mom, I think I want to be an author when I grow up.

And she kind of looked at me and she was like, Oh, she's like, I love that as a hobby. But for a job, maybe something a little bit more financially stable, and I think especially because at that time, it's, it's, it's kind of that like, you know, our cultural mindset, it's like you have to have like a more stable job and like the doctor, lawyer field or whatever and artistic endeavors are not as stable, right?

So I kind of took that and I studied something else in college, international relations. And for a long time after I graduated college, I actually did not write or read for leisure for a very long time because life just got so busy. And then 2020 came around and I was in my house. And I needed a creative outlet and I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands and I started writing again.

And at that time, the publishing landscape had shifted a lot. You know, there was a rise in indie publishing, a rise in romance. And I published, you know, I published my debut series in 2020 and then I published Twisted Love, which was my breakout in 2021. And it just kind of took off from there. 

Zibby: Oh my gosh.

How fast do you write? 

Ana: I write, so it's interesting because I think compared to most traditionally published authors that come out of the gate traditionally published, I write pretty fast because I publish on average about two books a year. 

For indie authors, I am actually pretty slow because they publish faster than that.

You know, some publish every like three to four months and I can't write like that, but I think the way my brain works is that if you give me a timeframe, whether it's like six weeks or six months, I will just fill in, like, I will get it done in whatever that time frame is, you know, so, yeah. 

Zibby: I like, I like to believe I'm the same way, and yet, It's not happening that easily.

Like, other things. 

Ana: All have different processes. 

Zibby: I know, I know, I know. But then you end up with all this work, which is amazing. What makes a good story? Like, what do you think are the ingredients? Like, when you're even thinking about an outline or an overview or whatever before you jump into a story, like, what does it have to have?

What do you think? 

Ana: Yeah, so I think because I write romance, and I think it is a very character focused genre. And so, before I start every story, I always start with the characters. I have to figure out, specifically, you know, for both leads, what is their emotional wound? Like, what is keeping them from being open to love at the beginning of the story, and how do they overcome that by the end, right?

Because it's about character growth. Like, you can't have two people falling in love, but they remain static throughout the entire story because then it's like, okay, well, where's the journey here, right? Like, where's the story? Um, and so once I figure out those emotional wounds and where their personal arcs are, then I actually build the plot around that.

Because I think the conflict and the things that push their story forward have to be things that challenge their misbeliefs at the beginning and force them to grow, right? And so I kind of shape it from the inside out. And I think, you know, the character development is a really important one. You have to figure out why do they actually like each other?

Like why, why, why are these two people specifically a good match for each other? How do they make each other a better person? How do they grow? And of course, It is romance. So we need like the tension, we need the chemistry, we need the banter, um, and all of those things. But yeah, it's a lot of layers.

Zibby: Writing romance like this, how does it affect your own relationships? 

Ana: Yeah, well, I have unbelievable, I have probably unrealistic standards. So I'm like, what do you mean you're not going to? I need to go to Paris for breakfast, um, one morning. But no, I, I think it has actually been very helpful because it allows me to kind of realize the things that I value in relationships and granted, not that I am the same as all of the heroines in my stories, right?

But the way that they work through their conflicts and what is holding them back from love in the beginning, it really helped me figure out like, okay, this is what is important to me in real life. And that's what are the things that I can and cannot have in a relationship. And it also pushes me to kind of stand up for myself a little bit more, actually, because once I write that into a book, I'm like, you know, there's no reason why I can't do this in real life.

You know, like, they're so strong, like, all of these characters are so strong, and it kind of inspires me to do the same in my own personal relationships. 

Zibby: It's like you're writing your own pep talk. 

Ana: Yeah, exactly. I'm my own pep talk, my own manifestation, my very entry. 

Zibby: So what do you think is holding you back from love?

What is your wound? 

Ana: Oh man, um, that's what my mom would like to know. I think for me, I have always been sort of a very like independent in the things that I do. I really like the freedom to do what I want when I want. And so for me, I think it's a little bit hard because to think of, oh, you know, when you get into a serious relationship like that, like suddenly I have to, you know, like I can't just, just go off the next day and be like, oh I want to spend a weekend in London, like I actually have another person there that I need to take into account and it's just, that's not necessarily a bad thing but I think it's just a different way of living and kind of a different way of thinking about things that I am still sort of like processing, I would say.

Zibby: Okay. Alright, well we don't have to really go into all the nitty gritty of all your backstory. I'm like totally prying anyway, so I apologize. So what are some of the wounds and characters that you are excited to write that you haven't written yet? Oh. 

Ana: You know, I. Yeah. I'm excited to, so I've never written kind of a single parent romance before and I'm excited to kind of delve into that because those stories are so interesting because there is, there is the main couple but then there's sort of like a third character who's so important, right, which is like the child or the children and that really changes the dynamic of the story and I think it'll present kind of a new challenge for me to figure out how to weave that story together, especially because I don't have children, so I'm kind of like, it would be a whole new area for me to explore.

So I'm excited about that. 

Zibby: Well, if you would like some research, come on over. Happy to share any anecdotes or whatever. I have four kids. So, uh, yeah, but those stories are really fun. And, and also the element of unpredictability that kids bring into every story. 

Ana: They're so funny, too, because sometimes kids will just tell you, like, they have unfiltered thoughts, and I, I think they're just, like, hilarious.

Zibby: So what are some of the things you like to do when you're not writing. 

Ana: Yeah. I'm a big traveler, so I love traveling. I used to, I used to kind of do travel photography for a little bit, which I've since swapped for writing. But I would love to kind of delve back into that. And this is, this is going to sound so nerdy.

No, it's not. No, it's not. But I love crossword, I love crossword puzzles. I love puzzles of any kind, actually. And I think for me, when I need to de stress or de compress, it's It's a good way for me to have, like, something fun that is engaging, but also it doesn't take, like, too much mental energy if I'm doing, like, a jigsaw puzzle or something like that, you know?

So, I, I really love that. 

Zibby: That's fun. I like Scrabble a lot. Do you play Scrabble? 

Ana: Oh my gosh, yes. I do love Scrabble. Word, puzzles, board games. 

Zibby: Those are my, that's my catnip. Oh my gosh, I should host, like, an author Scrabble Fest. Right? Because it would be, like, everybody would, like, be starting on such a higher level.

All these wordsmiths, and we could have, like, a whole, like, competition and, like, a Scrabble off or something. I don't know. Wouldn't that be fun? 

Ana: That would be so much fun. I love a good board game night, you know. 

Zibby: Yeah. Me too. I've never actually hosted one. Okay. Well, this is now on my list of events, and you'll have to come and we'll have to play.

And how about when you read, like, what are some of the things that you've read lately or that you've loved or that you wish you could write or wish you had written or whatever? 

Ana: Hi. And it's me. So it's interesting because I write romance, but I have, when I'm writing romance, I actually have to read other genres just to kind of take my mind out of that space.

I'm like a little too into it. So I have really been on a sci-fi kick recently. So, and I know I am so late to the game in terms of this book, but I recently read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which I loved. It was so much fun. And I also read the Illuminae Files by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. That's more of like a young adult series.

Lots of action, a little bit of romance. So it's right up my alley and I've loved both of those. And currently I am reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt. And it's been a lot of fun as well. I love Octopi. I'm like, I don't think I could ever like really eat calamari again after this book, but it's okay.

Zibby: Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, you meet your fans all the time. I mean, 800 people just in one night in one store. I mean, that's crazy. Have you ever had an interaction with a fan that has made you cry? Oh my gosh, 

Ana: I wouldn't say cry necessarily, but I have gotten emotional a few times because, you know, for me, reading was such an escape growing up and has gotten me through a lot of hard times.

And that's one of the reasons why I love writing and putting my work out there is hoping that it will touch at least one person the same way. And so when people come up to me at signings, or even when they send me emails and they say, you know, your books have gotten me through like some of the toughest times.

of my life, or, you know, I feel seen in your books because of the, the cultural representation or other types of representation, and I've never seen people that, you know, looks like me in romance books before. And that, I think, hits a very special spot inside of me because that really is like one of the main reasons why I love writing.

And so, but I, I try to like read those notes when I'm alone at home, so I'm not like sobbing in public. 

Zibby: Oh my gosh, I love it. Okay, so what is the next book coming out? 

Ana: Yeah, so the next book coming out is actually King of Enby, which is coming out in March 2025, and that is actually a different series than my Strikers series.

So, King of Enby is part of my Kings of Sin series, which are billionaire romances that are themed around the seven deadly sins. And so it follows Vuk and Ayana, and it's a little bit of an interesting one, because in this book, she is actually, she starts off being engaged to his old college roommate, and he doesn't know that that is actually an engagement of convenience.

So they don't actually have feelings for each other, but he is like in love with her, right? So there is so much drama and so much like tension and pining and I am kind of in love with them. I'm kind of in love with them. 

Zibby: Yeah. Amazing. And tell me all the news for the film world, the adaptation, blah blah blah.

Ana: Oh, um, I don't know what I can share at this time, but, you know, I would love to see the, my books on screen one day and hopefully it will come sometime soon. 

Zibby: Okay. 

Ana: That's all I can say. 

Zibby: That was quite the teaser. I liked that. 

Ana: Great. 

Zibby: That was great. Amazing. Well, Anna, thank you. I am literally in my head being like, I'm gonna write to Scrabble after this.

I'm going to pitch them the idea of us doing like a Scrabble off or something and get a sponsorship. Don't you think we could do a whole thing? Wouldn't it be fun? 

Ana: Absolutely. It's going to be so much fun. 

Zibby: Yeah. Okay. I'm on a mission now. Thank you for that. You never know where these ideas come from. 

Ana: Oh!

Zibby: Yeah, why not? 

Ana: It's a good story. Yeah. You're like, how did you come up with the idea of this night? 

Zibby: Well. Wow. Well, I mean, to be honest, every good idea I have in my life and everything that has happened in my life is because of this podcast, so, so there you go. So thank you for being a part of it. Thank you for coming on.

Uh, congratulations on The Striker and thank you for the fun I had reading it and all the entertainment and, and all of that, so congrats. 

Ana: Thank you so much for having me on. This was so much fun. It's my pleasure. 

Zibby: Okay. Bye bye.