Q&A With Katrina Kwan 

Katrina Kwan is the author of both contemporary romance & fantasy. Katrina’s contemporary romance novels are Knives Seasoning And A Dash of Love & coming out on May 12^th Love Among Thieves. Katrina’s fantasy novels is The Last Dragon of the East & her upcoming novel, The Legend of the Nine Tailed Fox coming out in a few weeks on February 24^th! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Katrina! I’m so excited about this interview! I can’t wait to get my hands on The Legend of the Nine Tailed Fox. Would you please give a brief description of each of your novels beginning with The Legend of the Nine Tailed Fox? Where did the ideas for each book come from? 

A: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox is a standalone adult fantasy adventure that follows a nine-tailed fox demon and her demon hunter who find themselves trapped in hell. Despite being mortal enemies, they must form a tenuous alliance if they want any hope of escaping the underworld alive.

Many of my fantasy projects are inspired by Chinese myths and legends. The nine-tailed fox is most well-known through Japanese and Korean folklore (called kitsune and gumiho respectively), but when I was doing research, I discovered the origins of the nine-tailed fox can be linked back to ancient China (referred to as the húli jīng.) I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to have readers familiarize themselves with the Chinese version of the fox spirit.

Q: What do you enjoy the most about writing contemporary romance and fantasy? What wisdom do you have for aspiring authors to write in both genres?

A: There’s a lot to enjoy about writing across genres. Contemporary romance has always come easiest to me because of my prior experience as a romance ghostwriter. Fantasy requires a slightly different set of tools, but the genre is ultimately just a vehicle to help carry the story you want to tell.

My advice to aspiring authors is not to limit yourself. Be experimental. Mix and match genres to create something truly unique. I think that’s one of the reasons why romantasy has really taken off in recent years. Readers are hungry for unique and fresh perspectives.

Q: As well as having readers escape and enjoy wonderful stories, what are reminders and lessons you hope readers learn after they turn the final page?

A: I hope they learn to read diversely and with open minds. There are stories from all over the world from people across all walks of life. Reading is a phenomenal way to put yourself in another’s shoes and actively practice empathy. I think the world needs more of it, now more than ever.

Q: Can you reveal any current fantasy and contemporary romance novels you are currently writing right now? What are other genres you would experiment with writing outside of contemporary romance and fantasy? 

A: I just submitted a new contemporary romance to my publisher, (a ballroom dance romance, to be exact) but it won’t be released until 2027. I’m also in the middle of editing a dark murder mystery-fantasy hybrid, but that’s also going to come out in 2027, so we’re in for a bit of a wait!

I would love to try my hand at something more literary, but I’ve been told my voice is too juvenile. Maybe that’s my sign to start writing YA.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? Whether they do or not, Hollywood needs originality again. Who would be your dream cast to play the characters you created in your books?

A: Haha I wish. If someone in Hollywood reads this, know that all movie rights are still very available. Please hit me up!

To be honest, I’m a huge fan of animation, so I don’t really have a dream cast in mind per se. I’d love to see some talented character voice actors take up the helm, though.

Q: If any of your books were to get sequels, which book or books would get sequels and what would the characters be doing right now? 

A: Funnily enough, I don’t write sequels. All my books thus far have been standalones because I have a hard time keeping up my stamina. It takes a lot of energy and planning to create a series and I’m frankly too intimidated. But if I had to write a sequel, it would probably be for The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox. I left the ending relatively open, so if they ever wanted to go on more demon hunting adventures, I’m sure I could cook something up!