Q&A With Mailan Doquang

This Q&A is with Mailan Doquang who is the author of the debut novel Blood Rubies coming out on May 7th! 

Q: Mailan, would you like to tell the readers and I a little bit about Blood Rubies & where the idea for the book came from?

A: Blood Rubies is a heist thriller anchored by Rune Sarasin, a half-American, half-Thai jewel thief who risks everything to save the people she loves. I was raised in Canada by a French mother and a Vietnamese father. I wanted to create a heroine who was culturally mixed, and to explore how the contrasting pulls of identity and biography could be woven into an action-driven thriller. 

Q: How long did it take to write Blood Rubies? 

A: I drafted Blood Rubies in under a year, but I went through several rounds of revision before going on submission. I cut a major subplot (almost a third of the book) to tighten the pace.

Q: What made you want to become a writer? Who were your biggest supporters among your family and friends?

A: I’m an architectural historian by training. I realized early in my career that my favorite part of being an academic wasn’t researching and teaching but writing. I only told a few family members and close friends I was writing a novel. My husband helped me troubleshoot everything from character development to plot, and my sister is the best Beta reader I could have asked for.

Q: If it’s not too early to talk about it, what is your next novel about & are you currently writing it?

A: I’m currently working on two books: One is the next installment of the Rune Sarasin story, which is set in France; the other is about a Vietnamese American woman whose life is turned upside-down after she becomes the victim of a random crime. 

Q: What do you hope readers get out of reading Blood Rubies? 

A: I hope readers of all backgrounds will relate to my characters. But most of all, I hope that my book entertains people. Life is stressful. Books are the perfect escape!