This picture summarizes how July has gone for me.

Like Ember, I too am lying on metaphorical turf grass, exhausted from the act of existing, awaiting my next nap and snack.

I would love to tell you that I’ve spent this month living my best Artist Girl life, cranking out fantasy novels and running 10ks without breaking a sweat, then roasting marshmallows around campfires with my 500 hot friends by night.

But the truth is that I feel like I’m clinging onto one of those inflatable tubes tethered to the back of a speeding boat. Except I fell off the tube a mile ago and am swimming frantically after the boat. And the water may or may not have sewage in it. And something just touched my foot.

But though the horrors persist, so do I.

Happy July, everyone.

Climbing the Wall of Awful

In perhaps the worst plot twist ever for an author to experience, this month I really did not want to write.

I realized that I no longer felt the same excitement about creating that I did as a kid. I used to crave the little pockets of time when I could write and daydream about my stories whenever I had to do something else. Now, I often dread sitting down at my computer to work on a draft.

To be clear: being a full-time author is a dream job and I am incredibly privileged to be in this position. I am aware that my worst problems now are still much better than my best days at other jobs. The fact that I’m so aware of this is actually part of the problem (more on that later).

Regardless, this is frustrating not only because writing is my only source of income and not making forward progress scares me, but also because I was deeply ashamed of not enjoying it.

Because I’ve worked so many “normal” jobs, I never forget just how lucky I am to be a writer. So, anytime I struggle with the realities of writing, my knee-jerk reaction is to call myself lazy and ungrateful. How can I “struggle” with making up ghost stories in my pajamas when other people are getting yelled at by customers and mopping up bodily fluids for minimum wage? I have been those people, and past Kylie would never trade this life for that one.

I think having a dose of this kind of perspective is definitely healthy. It helps me not take myself too seriously. I know I’m not some artistic genius who deserves special treatment. I’m just a weirdo with a laptop and a Word document. The problem is when it transforms from a bit of tough love to….

The Wall of Awful.

This is a concept coined by ADHD coach Brendan Mahan. Basically, it’s the idea that a lot of people with ADHD can struggle with task initiation because they’ve built up a huge mental barrier in their minds that makes seemingly simple tasks seem insurmountable.

The wall is made of bricks of past failures, fears of disappointing others, memories of criticism or rejection, worries about the future, etc.

I started to realize that the haze of dread when I sat down at my computer was actually a wall made of lots of awful bricks.

The fear of not making enough money this year.

The fear of disappointing my readers.

Last week’s failure to meet my word count goal.

The shame at not finding this process as easy as I think it should be.

Even more shame at not enjoying every moment of a job I know I should be grateful for.

The idea that I’m a failure for not being more productive despite writing full time.

So… it turns out that my stress wasn’t coming out of nowhere. The feeling of nameless dread that I was ready to just label as “writer’s block” and bully myself into “getting over” was actually a lot more complex than I’d thought.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy. Like I said, I have an incredible job and these are champagne problems.

I’m sharing this because I know a lot of you also create and will inevitably find yourselves stuck at one point or another, so I hope this is helpful. I know that a lot of you see how many books I’ve written and think I’m just effortlessly prolific, and I don’t ever want anyone to feel bad about themselves because they’re comparing their perception of me to their own work.

So! Now that we’ve recognized that we’re all building self-sabotaging walls between us and our goals… what do we do?

Brendan Mahan goes into a lot more detail about how and how not to go about dealing with the Wall of Awful (read more HERE if you’re interested), so I won’t try to paraphrase all his research here. But these are the techniques I’ve been using:

Breaking the project into ridiculously small tasks. I don’t mean just “Revise Chapter 1” or “Write the dolphin-riding scene.” I go even smaller.

Open the document. Re-read the last page you wrote. Add one more instance of romantic tension. Flag moments where you’re missing a beat.

Writing a book is a huge, intimidating task. But at its heart, it’s just a collection of smaller tasks.

For motivation on this front, I often think about a Delta employee I encountered while traveling for work.

I arrived at the airport and filed into an absurdly long line to check my bag, which was not moving at all because apparently a flight to Nigeria had been cancelled and there were only two Delta employees left to help both the stranded international travelers and the domestic ones trying to check their bags.

One of these employees calmly announced that “the only way I’m getting through this line is one person at a time. That’s the only way this is going to happen.”

Low and behold, she got through the line, and I got on my flight with time to spare. All hail the ridiculously chill Delta lady.

Giving myself a runway. For people with ADHD in particular, I’ve learned that we often need a bit more time to settle into a task and get mentally prepared to tackle it. Often, just sitting down and trying to start a task cold doesn’t always work. Brendan Mahan calls this process “climbing the wall.” It might look like procrastinating to an outsider, and sometimes it is! But other times, it’s just priming your brain to work effectively. As anyone with ADHD can tell you, trying to work against your brain rather than with it rarely yields positive results.

For me, this often looks like listening to my writing playlist for a few minutes before I actually start to write. Sometimes I’ll look at art that inspires me and gets me excited to create, like clips from Interview with the Vampire or videos of Alysa Liu ice skating. Sometimes I’ll meditate, or stretch, or clean out a few emails even though they’re not a priority, but just because they help me feel a bit less mental clutter.

Now that I tell myself these actions are “climbing the wall” rather than just wasting time, it’s a lot easier to be kinder to myself, which actually makes it easier to stop climbing rather than spiral into more shame-procrastination. Which brings me to the most important thing to do:

Show myself compassion. The first two methods are short-term fixes. The only way to actually break down the wall for good (which I’m still working on) is to really sit with the bricks that build it and find ways to move past them.

For me, this looks like a lot of positive self-talk. I remind myself that the way I write is different from the way my friends write, and that I’m not lazy or ungrateful just because I sometimes spend less time at my desk than other people.

I remind myself that I can be grateful for this life while still acknowledging that writing is not always easy, and those two feelings can coexist.

I remind myself that the only way to truly and irrevocably disappoint my readers is to write in a way that’s inauthentic. I remind myself that there are authors who I love even though I haven’t loved all of their works equally.

It’s a process, but I’m getting through it. One problem at a time.

The 1 Mile Time Trial

My other project for this month was finishing up my 12-week speed training program. Every 3 weeks, I’ve been timing how fast I can run a mile on a treadmill in order to track my progress.

The good news is that my final time trial was 1 minute and 21 seconds faster than my time trial 12 weeks ago!

The bad news is that I think my suffering while running unlocked a portal to another dimension.

If you ever want to experience the full spectrum of human emotions in a matter of minutes, I recommend doing a 1-mile time trial.

I felt pure elation at my raw speed. Doubt that hollowed out my stomach as I wondered if I could keep up that pace. Dread as my heart rate started to go up. Pride as I crossed the 1/2 mile mark. The darkest depths of shame as I realized my pace wasn’t sustainable and I had to slow down. Rage as I remembered my motivation and bullied myself into running faster again. Fear, as I realized that falling off the back of the treadmill was a real possibility.

I think I saw God, and glimpsed the afterlife, and possibly saw what I looked like in an alternate dimension in which I grew up as a farmhand in Medieval Ireland.

It’s almost a joke that all writers run now, that there must be something about it that helps us become better writers.

Maybe that’s true for some authors. I’ve heard some of them (most notably, Haruki Murakami) say that they like how both writing and running force you to practice discipline.

For me, it’s actually the opposite. I love that how I run is nothing at all like how I write.

My best writing doesn’t come from chaining myself to my desk and forcing myself to work until my eyes bleed. No shade to authors who do this—it just isn’t productive for me.

I write best when my creative mind is nurtured like a finicky orchid, spoiled with gorgeous artistic and musical input.

By contrast, I run my best when I’m bullying myself into picking up my fucking feet and not giving up even when I want to barf.

I am in control of my running in a way that I’m not really in control of my writing. The days when I have an awful run are still days that improve my fitness, whereas days when I write an awful chapter could very well be a waste of time and result in lost income. To run well, all I have to do is convince myself to endure. To write well, I have to not only get the words down but do so brilliantly and skillfully, knowing that those words will soon be perceived by others (let’s just say there’s a reason I don’t post my running times on Strava).

Of course, how fast I run isn’t 100% in my control, otherwise I would just choose to run 5 minute miles every day. I’m limited by my current fitness level, prior injuries, the weather, my body type, etc. But I can follow a prescribed training plan and be reasonably sure that I will be fitter by the end of it, which isn’t always promised with writing.

I like to have something that gives me a sense of accomplishment and has nothing at all to do with books. I like to remind myself that writing isn’t the only thing I can do, and that if one book doesn’t sell well, it doesn’t mean that my whole world has come crashing down. Basically, running is my way of touching grass.

I’m a bit scared at how hard I’m going to have to work in the coming months, now that I’m transitioning into a 5k training plan and shooting for a new PR. But I know that even if I fall short of my expectations, I’m improving. That reassurance means a lot.

Old-school Relaxation

I’ve finally accepted that my brain is too reliant on the dopamine slot machine that is social media. Shocker, I know.

When you have a dopamine-thirsty ADHD brain, it’s a bit more complicated than simply blocking social media all day every day. I’ve learned that if I take away Instagram and Threads, my brain will find other ways to get a dopamine hit. On one of these days, I found myself doing a Reddit deep-dive on a Youtuber who I hadn’t thought about since I was 10.

I’ve been looking for ways to rest my brain without using screens.

So far, I’ve tried:

Maze books. These are stimulating enough for me in a way that coloring is not, and they have a defined endpoint, which is nice. I dislike erasing everything when I choose the wrong path, though. The tiny eraser pieces are kind of an awful sensory experience.

Find the Cat books. This is like I-Spy but with cartoon cats. It is almost definitely designed for children. It’s very easy, which is great when I don’t want to concentrate as much as when I need to solve a maze.

The Killer Isn’t Alice. This is a book of 46,000 names, and 18 clues to help you eliminate all names but one (the killer). So far, I’ve gone through and crossed out all names with less than 4 letters, and am in the process of eliminating all names that start with S. I have no idea why, but this is one of the strongest dopamine hits I’ve ever gotten from something that has no screens whatsoever. It’s somehow incredibly satisfying and I look forward to doing it whenever I have a break. In fact, I have trouble putting it down.

Solo-RPG Journaling books. I’ve just ordered these, along with some pretty dice and cards, so I haven’t had a chance to try them yet.

It’s too soon to say if any of these things have drastically changed my life yet. But I figure that less screen time can only be a good thing.

Working on my next horror novel almost killed me.

Japanese Gothic was challenging because it was my first dual-POV book. Hell to Pay was even harder because it has 3 POVs. Now, because I apparently love pain, I decided to write the twistiest, most structurally complex book I’ve ever attempted. There’s only one POV, but from the very first page she is very explicit about how unreliable she is. The first few chapters juggle multiple versions of the truth.

Though I was already working on this book when it came out, I was inspired deeply by this season of The Vampire Lestat and actually took notes on some of the episodes, which were a true masterclass in satisfying reveals and unreliable narrators.

My editor has seen the outline and first few chapters and given me the green light to continue, so I’m glad to know that the concept is at least viable.

I also spent much of this month revising short stories for two different anthologies. One is a story in The Kids Came Back Wrong, edited by Wen-yi Lee. The other is a secret! Both of those are either done or in final stages of editing.

I’ve also been working on pass pages for Hell to Pay, which is now officially cleaned up enough for Netgalley! I deeply love this book, so this took a while because I was very careful in my read-through.

And lastly, I’m back to revising my (currently unsold) YA fantasy book!

I won a Shirley Jackson Award???

I was actually playing Baldur’s Gate 3 with my friends when I found out about this. I honestly did not expect to win, so this was a huge surprise. All I can say is that to have a novel about anti-Asian hate crimes not only read widely but also recognized by awards committees is such a huge honor which I never even dared imagine.

Hell to Pay is available for request on Netgalley!

You can request it HERE!

Upcoming Appearances:

8/8/26: Chris Golden’s Carry me to your Bookshelf tour at the Cabot in Beverley, MA (Tickets)

8/13/26: Launch event at Brookline Booksmith for Clay McLeod Chapman’s release of horror romance Devil Inside! (Tickets)

9/26/26: Bookmarks Festival, Winston-Salem NC (Tickets)

Preorder Links:

Hell to Pay (US) (3/30/27)

Hell to Pay (UK) (April 8, 2027)

Infernally Yours (2/23/27)

The Kids Came Back Wrong (add on Goodreads)

What I’m Reading:

My favorite books I read this month are:

The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas. This was a super interesting read that mainly focuses on how to convey emotions effectively in fiction without just saying “she was sad.” I would highly recommend it if you already feel comfortable with the mechanics of plot and character arcs and want to dig deeper on improving your writing at the line level. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re still working on story structure.

Incarnate by Alma Katsu. This one isn’t out yet, but you should definitely preorder it if you liked The Substance. It’s a techno thriller retelling of The Portrait of Dorian Gray.

What I’m Watching:

The Vampire Lestat. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: this is one of my favorite shows ever, in any genre, of all time. Season 3 is particularly fun because of the contemporary setting, so you have Lestat walking around vaping, talking about Labubus, saying things like “serving cunt.” But it’s also so deeply earnest and has one of the most heartbreaking, moving moments I’ve ever seen on TV (episode 3 anyone??). It’s a masterclass in writing problematic characters and giving them emotional depth without trying to excuse their actions. It also has some of the best acting I’ve ever seen. Seriously, watch this show.

Baby Reindeer. This is about a female stalker so might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the characters are so interesting that I’ve been hooked. It’s about a man who is being stalked, but, for emotionally complex and fascinating reasons, kind of maybe likes it?

That’s all for July! I’m happy to report that companies are already marketing their pumpkin spice drinks, which means that hopefully fall will soon be upon us.

All my best,

Kylie

I’ve become a somewhat of a Bostonian Snow White in recent weeks.

And by that, I don’t mean that I’m incredibly pale (though I am) or that I eat poison apples (I only eat caramel apples), or that I am the Fairest One of All (lol).

But rather, every forest animal you can imagine has been bursting out of the trees to greet me.

This summer, I’ve started running early in the morning instead of the afternoon (a necessity in this heat). This is apparently when all the woodland creatures come out to play.

I learned that there’s an abundance of wild rabbits in my neighborhood and none of them understand how to avoid joggers. More than once, I’ve run past a rabbit who is so startled by my appearance that it starts running in front of me rather than out of my path, so I end up looking like I’m chasing three bunnies down the sidewalk.

Last week, a giant male deer with fuzzy antlers popped out of the trees in front of me when I was running. I was keeping an eye out for bunnies when this happened, so imagine my surprise when a massive creature burst out instead of a tiny rabbit.

There’s also been a plethora of unusually polite turkeys. I say “polite” because they’ve been using the crosswalk and staying on the sidewalk, and I say “unusually” because they’ve been known to chase down UPS trucks and once dislocated a mailman’s hip.

It brings me great sorrow to report that running first thing in the morning actually does help me focus and give me more energy. As much as I despise rolling out of bed and putting on sunscreen instead of a kettle of tea, I’ve been forced to accept that it’s actually good for me.

Animals aside, it’s been an eventful June! Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to and what’s coming next.

Level 31

I celebrated my birthday at the beginning of this month!

Last year, my birthday was a haunted house extravaganza. I dragged all my friends to the Lizzie Borden House and terrified them by making them play hide and seek in the dark.

This year, my birthday was bookended by two trips to Pittsburgh, so all I wanted to do was lie in bed playing video games, eat some ice cream cake, and watch an episode of BBC Sherlock.

Two of my friends sent me TWELVE POUNDS of candy corn as a birthday gift. For those of you who don’t know, I am a disgusting human being who adores candy corn. I refuse to disclose how much of that I’ve already eaten.

I went out for ice cream and a walk with my best friend, ordered a pizza, then ascended to level 31.

StokerCon

StokerCon is the biggest horror literary convention in the US, and this year, I was there!

I am a horror girl through and through, so it was delightful to be surrounded by people just as weird as me, to yap about the genre I love the most, and to learn about all the new and exciting horror books that are out there. I blacked out in the dealer’s room and left with a huge stack of new horror novels, even though I knew damn well I am out of bookshelf space at home. It was a true kid-in-a-candy-store moment.

Some highlights included:

Witnessing Nat Cassidy play guitar and sing a song about a murderous child and his very supportive mother.

Watching a short horror film competition that included murderous genitals.

Running with author Ai Jiang and forcing her to join my group of running writers.

Riding a dubious sky trolley to glimpse a scenic view of Pittsburgh

The trip definitely drained the last of both my physical energy and my social battery, so as much as I enjoyed it, I was happy to head home.

But I’m glad that I got to start my 31st year this way—confident in my weird interests and unapologetically me.

This month, I’m full of secrets! I’ve been working on a lot of things that I either am not allowed to talk about yet or simply don’t want to jinx by talking about.

So here, in extremely vague terms, are the reasons I’ve been so stressed as of late:

I just turned in a draft of a short story for a secret project. All I can say is that it has Corpse Bride vibes.

I’m also doing revisions for my story in The Kids Came Back Wrong, a YA horror anthology.

I’m almost finished with the proposal for my next horror novel! This is the second book in my two-book deal (the first one being Hell to Pay), so the fact that this book exists isn’t really a secret. But my editor hasn’t seen a single word of it yet, so I don’t want to talk much about a book that could very well change a lot. I’ll say this much, since my editor already knows: I’m calling this one my Snow Horror.

I’ve also been busy tying up a lot of loose ends for my already-announced projects—acknowledgments and proofreading for Infernally Yours and Hell to Pay.

Lastly, I’m still working on my next YA project, still currently unsold as it’s still currently unfinished. All I’ll say about this one is it has One Piece vibes.

I revealed the cover for Hell to Pay!

This cover is by the incredible Evangeline Gallagher! I’m absolutely obsessed.

I was in New York around the time that we started discussing cover concepts, so I took some pictures of apartment buildings in the city that I wanted the team to consider for the cover. I envisioned a classic haunted house cover (with the haunted building front and center) but with a NYC apartment instead of a crumbling mansion. As always, the team delivered!

The UK cover hasn’t been revealed yet, but it is very different! I love it just as much, for different reasons. If my team had pitched the cover concept to me, I probably would have said no. But when I saw the cover, I was immediately convinced.

I’ll be at Bookmarks Festival!

If you live near Winston-Salem, NC, come say hi to me there on September 26th!

Preorder Links:

Hell to Pay (US) (3/30/27)

Hell to Pay (UK) (April 8, 2027)

Infernally Yours (2/23/27)

The Kids Came Back Wrong (add on Goodreads)

What I’m Reading:

My favorite books I read this month are:

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao, which low key broke my heart but I enjoyed it anyway.

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson, a horror novella which made me hungry for cupcakes and then extremely NOT hungry anymore.

What I’m Watching:

One Piece (live action). I never have high expectations for live action anime adaptations but this one actually slaps. It’s just the right amount of silly and earnest (the tone of K-Pop Demon Hunters, more or less)

Obsession: the best horror movie I’ve seen in years, and I say this as a huge horror movie snob. Go watch it if you love horror.

June is just about over, and we’re well and truly into the depths of hell—I mean summer. I’m finishing this newsletter while hiding from the heat wave and plotting my next ice cream excursion.

I hope all of you stay safe and comfortable this summer! May your weekends be filled with beach days, BBQs, and sunshine.

All my best,

Kylie

(*Giveaway now closed—winners have been contacted)

I’m writing this newsletter from Boston Logan airport, where I’m perched at the counter of the Delta Sky Club and am watching baggage trucks drive around the tarmac far below.

I feel a bit like a wolf in sheep’s clothing here, or rather, a plebeian in rich people’s clothing. I recently got a new credit card that gives me sky lounge access (normally reserved for people who spend over 10k on Delta flights per year, which I thankfully do not), so I came here to:

a) finish this newsletter which I meant to finish yesterday, and more importantly:

b) see how much free food I can cram into my backpack

I’m on my way to Pittsburgh Book Fest to speak on a horror panel. After that, I’m flying back to Boston for two days to celebrate my birthday, then I’m off to Pittsburgh again for StokerCon. So, as you can probably imagine, my brain is certifiably a pile of goo.

I’m overwhelmed by how much travel I have coming up, all the projects I need to finish, all the people I want to spend time with, my ambitious running goals, and all the books I want to read. Then I feel bad for being overwhelmed, because I know a lot of authors have to do all of these things in addition to a full time day job or taking care of children.

But whenever I’m tired and stressed, I try to remember that this is the kind of life that 20-year-old Kylie dreamed of… I only wish I had 20-year-old Kylie’s energy to match it.

Here are a few of this month’s highlights:

Reflections on the Half Marathon

Last month, I talked about my mixed experience at the Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon. Now, I want to talk a bit about the aftermath.

I realized, after seeing my race time, that I hadn’t improved very much since last year’s race, despite being mostly consistent with my training.

It was incredibly frustrating to me to think of how much time and energy I’ve put into this sport in the past year (not to mention laundry! I do so much laundry now!!) only to not improve at all.

So I decided to make some changes.

I’ve joined a gym so I don’t have an excuse to skip my runs on hot summer days and can instead do them on a treadmill.

I’ve switched from general strength training classes to cohort training customized to support my running.

I’m sleeping more (with mixed results—fellow insomniacs know there’s only so much you can do on this front) and fueling (aka eating) more thoughtfully. In other words, slightly fewer handfuls of jelly beans going directly from the bag into my mouth and slightly more fruits and vegetables.

My new motto is: “I can do anything with enough protein and sleep.” Whenever I feel like I’m not cut out for my hectic schedule, I take a nap or eat a protein bar. I’m outsourcing my anxiety by believing strongly in the power of future Kylie, who has recharged after a good night’s sleep. Am I putting too much faith in her? Perhaps. But that’s her problem, not mine.

A Portland Misadventure

This month, I did my first-ever book event in Maine!

I have family in Maine and went there frequently as a child to visit them. So, for the first time, some of my mom’s family got to come to one of my book events!

The event took place in Portland, which is an adorable coastal city. I haven’t spent much time there because my family has always lived in what I like to call “Deep Maine.” In other words, the parts of Maine that most people have never heard of, where you have to wear neon vests during hunting season and can ride a side-by-side on the road.

Hard Shore Distilling Co was kind enough to host the event, and they even made book cocktails!!

The event was wonderful… until it was time to drive back home.

Some of you might know that I got my car about a year and a half ago now. She’s a Hyundai Ioniq 5 which I’ve named Stitch because of her blue color. She’s fully electric.

I’d driven her out to the Lizzie Borden House in Western Mass before (about 90 minutes each way) without needing to charge up, so I figured that I could make the drive to Portland and back in a single charge too.

I forgot that Maine is the wild wild west, and people go very fast on the highways.

Highways in MA have speed limits of 55-65mph. Not being someone who drives on highways very much, I’m usually comfortable around 60, letting other cars pass me. But highways in Maine have speed limits around 75mph. Driving 60 on those roads makes me an annoying outlier at best and a dangerous obstacle at worst.

When you’re going 70mph in an EV with the AC blasting, the battery drains. Fast.

I watched the numbers tick down on my battery as I headed home. The car started whining unhappily when I got down to 10%. I told myself that if I got down to 5% and was still on the highway, I would take the next exit and find a place to charge.

The battery got down to 5% and Stitch started whining more loudly. CHARGE IMMEDIATELY, the screen said.

So I took the nearest exit… then took a wrong turn and ended up back at the highway… then finally managed to get off the highway again with 4% left.

The closest place I could find to pull over was a high school parking lot. I pulled up the app to search for places to charge, but I had no service. So I got out of Stitch and walked around the parking lot, hoping the police car parked at the entrance didn’t find this incredibly suspicious. I didn’t even pass for a high schooler when I was actually a high schooler, so I definitely don’t now.

I walked around until I finally had service, only to find that the closest EV charger was a Walmart 12 miles away… and I had a whopping 14 miles left in the tank.

If you don’t have an EV, you might think this is good news.

But the supposed miles left in the battery can change quickly depending on how fast you’re driving. 14 miles could easily be 10 miles if I ran the AC.

I googled “what happens if my EV battery drains” and found out that this is called “turtling” and is very bad for your battery. I quietly had a mental breakdown in a high school parking lot as I imagined having to call a tow truck or stalling out on the highway. Book tour sure is glamorous, huh?

I crawled at the absolute minimum speed legally allowed, sweating profusely (both from stress and because I didn’t want to use the battery on the AC), and prayed to the car gods as I headed for Walmart.

I made it with 2% battery in the tank.

Stitch has yet to fail me.

Impending doom (summer)

As many of you know (because I never shut up about it), summer is my least favorite season. I hate being hot, sweating, and wearing sunscreen. When I was a kid, I preferred the school year simply because I’m a huge nerd and enjoyed classes more than any kind of camp.

But, in the spirit of gratitude and trying to make the most of these next few months, here are a few things I’m actually looking forward to this summer:

1. Going to a BTS concert! I love BTS but have never seen them live. I had tickets to one of their shows in April 2020 but, well… we all know how that turned out.

2. Going to WorldCon with my friends! This year, WorldCon is in Anaheim, CA. So I get to enjoy some sunshine, visit some of my college friends, then run and write and network

3. Swimming in the lake near my house! I’m not a beach person (who wants salt water in their eyes?? Or to be submerged in freezing water that feels miserable even on the hottest summer day??) but I do enjoy taking a dip in the lake under a canopy of trees. To be clear, when I say “swimming” I don’t mean anything even remotely athletic. I mean treading water and/or floating on my back to cool down. And don’t worry, I keep an eye on the bacteria levels in the water, which the city tests every week.

I’ve just turned in copyedits for Hell to Pay, my next horror novel coming out in 2028!

I’ve also been working on my next next horror novel, which may or may not be inspired by a certain athlete in the winter olympics.

I finished a zero draft of my currently-unsold YA fantasy project, but I put revisions on hold to focus on horror for the time being.

I’ll be at StokerCon!

I’m super excited for this one, as it will be my first time at StokerCon. As someone who could yap about horror all day, this is my dream.

Japanese Gothic was reviewed in the New York Times!

Not only was the reviewer (Emily C. Hughes) incredibly kind, but the article included this great custom illustration by Hokyoung Kim.

Bat Eater is nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award!

This is particularly exciting to me because it means my name will be on this Wikipedia page! Needless to say, this is a huge honor.

Preorder Links:

Hell to Pay (US) (3/30/27)

Hell to Pay (UK) (April 8, 2027)

Infernally Yours (2/23/27)

The Kids Came Back Wrong (add on Goodreads)

What I’m Reading:

My favorite books I read this month are:

You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews

The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson

What I’m Watching:

The White Lotus Season 3 (I love Aimee Lou Wood)

Young Sherlock (give me more Irish accents)

What I’m Playing:

Still Baldur’s Gate 3, but now thankfully contained to weekly sessions with my friends. One of these friends has already beheaded allies and gotten all of us smited by a god, so we’re all having a great time.

I’m finishing up this newsletter from my hotel in Pittsburgh. It’s a gorgeous, sunny day in the mid 70s. I feel incredibly grateful and also in disbelief that I’m in this hotel because someone liked my silly little stories enough to pay for it.

Last but not least, I’m giving away 3 copies of the signed Aardvark edition of Japanese Gothic, which you can see here!

If you’d like one and live in the US, comment your favorite ice cream flavor under this post and I’ll pick 3 at random next week. Please only comment once!

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

I hope all of you are enjoying the start of spring and have fun things to look forward to this summer.

All my best,

Kylie

I am currently a puddle of pudding.

As someone with the soul of a house cat, this month has been pure chaos. I was on quadruple deadline for my writing projects, which I raced to wrap up before leaving for BookCon, my book tour, and running my second half marathon. Now that I’m home and in my bed at long last, I can honestly say that:

This was one of the best months of my entire life…

AND

I would perish if I had to do this every month.

I’m excited to rant to you all about April’s adventures, but first, please appreciate this picture of me holding my book birthday cake. Yes, that is Timothee Chalamet covered in chocolate, which I will explain later. Do you see the crazed but delighted look in my eyes? This picture was taken shortly after I finished the half marathon, which was also my last big responsibility in April. I was relieved and also a little bit out of my mind.

First and foremost… BOOKCON!

I arrived fashionably late on the first day of BookCon thanks to a dim sum lunch, which left me ignorant of just how long the lines were in the morning. My lovely publicist sent me detailed pictures of how to get into the building and pick up my badge, which made me feel like a true VIP (more on that later).

I’d been in the Javits only once before, when I was a panelist at NYCC. I remember it being insanely stressful and chaotic. I tried to leave the building but couldn’t find my way out for 20 minutes and ended up walking through impenetrable clouds of weed and impressive but terrifying cosplay. So this is to say, I didn’t find BookCon crowds overwhelming but the bar is in hell.

The first thing I did was take about 10,000 photos of my dear friend Katie Wu being interviewed, as if I were her mom or voracious paparazzi being paid per shot. What can I say, I love to see my friends succeed. Her debut novel, Madder Lake, is coming out next year from Harper Voyager and it’s amazing!

I did my own TikTok interview with a lovely person named Emily who truly should get a job as a TV anchor because she was an incredible interviewer. Then I ran off to take more mom pictures of Katie’s first signing before my publicist escorted me to my own panel.

I’ve done enough panels, events, and interviews at this point that I usually feel pretty relaxed and confident talking about horror in front of a crowd. But I realized, as staff led me back stage where I met CHUCK TINGLE and TANANARIVE DUE that there was actually a lot to be nervous about.

For one, this panel was on the main stage. This is by far the biggest audience I’ve ever spoken in front of. The room was so big that they had to use huge TV screens so people in the back could see our faces (luckily I didn’t know about this until after). Our moderator, Bethany C. Morrow, announced us individually and gave us a true pop star entrance.

If the crowd and the stellar authors beside me weren’t intimidating enough, I realized as soon as I sat down that the mic echoed A LOT. I don’t think the audience could hear it, but any time me or the other panelists spoke, it echoed all the way to the back of the massive room. Immediately, my brain had to switch on to 150% power to just try to understand what everyone was saying. Luckily, my ears adjusted after a bit, though I unfortunately couldn’t understand a lot of what Chuck was saying during the panel.

But despite my brief moment of panic, I think the panel went really well!

You can watch it here! PopVerse apparently found it interesting when I talked about how for me, horror is about making the reader uncomfortable.

After the panel, the lovely BookCon staff escorted us to our signing… by DRIVING US IN GOLF CARTS AROUND THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING!!!

I have only ever used a golf cart once before, and that was in college when my friend and I were out of our minds studying for finals and hijacked one of the campus golf carts using our PO box keys. I’d never been escorted anywhere with one, or ridden in the back of one, which was shockingly fun!! And also felt very dangerous. I clung on for dear life because I could easily have face-planted into pavement.

Then I went straight to my signing!

For context: I’m very used to not having a lot of people in my signing line.

My debut did well, but I knew I was no Victoria Aveyard and that was fine, so it genuinely never bothered me to have a short line. I would just enjoy my time making small talk with the lovely people who showed up.

But I realized that things have really changed since Bat Eater came out.

For the first time, I had a very long line.

My publicist had to politely tell me that I really needed to stop chatting and move things along, because the line was very long and people would be waiting forever.

I met so many lovely people, including Paley, who sent me a Bat Eater mug that she made last year and this year also made me Japanese Gothic bowls???

Everyone was so lovely and kind. No one minded when I had to turn around and stuff half a granola bar in my mouth because I hadn’t eaten in hours and didn’t want to pass out.

I was tired and hungry but I really hope everyone who came to see me knows just how grateful I am. I knows lives are short and TBR lists are long, and the fact that anyone would prioritize my writing and spend their day at BookCon waiting to meet me is such an honor.

Part II: THE BOOK TOUR

The Monday after BookCon, I was so exhausted that I skipped my run and hid away in my hotel room to summon the energy for my launch event that night. By afternoon, I managed to get dressed and make my way out to Brooklyn for dinner with my conversation partner, the one and only Chloe Gong.

I know a lot of people wonder what authors are like in real life. We have to create internet personas that are obviously quite polished. I can tell you honestly that Chloe Gong is both incredibly kind and very cool and down to earth. Before the event, she ended up chatting with me and a few of my elementary school friends, one of whom recommended a Minecraft movie to her. I told him “you’re going to look Chloe up later and see how famous she is and think… oh god, I talked at her about Minecraft.”

But the event went wonderfully! It was also my first time at The Twisted Spine, which is a horror bookstore in Brooklyn, complete with a skeleton dog.

The next day, I made my way to Missouri for an event with Main Street Books! It was my first time in Missouri, and while I’d love to say I explored the city… the truth is that my copyedits were due in four days and I was bone-tired, so I once again hid in my hotel room and worked until my event.

I met up with a lovely friend who I’d only ever spoken to online, but who took me out to dinner and then took mom photos of me at the event.

I had a wonderful conversation with Chris Schmitt, a bookseller at Main Street Books. Every single reader there was also so kind and wonderful! One reader gave me incredible Japanese Gothic earrings! Another showed me a picture of a surgically-removed body part (with my consent!)! I love that I have truly convinced so many people that I’m such a weirdo that you all feel comfortable doing things like that. Please don’t ever stop being awesome.

Next, I flew back home to Boston, spent all day doing laundry, and then drove into town for my hometown launch event at Brookline Booksmith with Eric LaRocca!

While looking into the crowd, I recognized one of my coworkers from the public library where I worked for several years. Then next to her, I recognized a bunch of my other coworkers! I was so thrilled and surprised to see my old library friends there to support me.

But there was no time to rest, because the next day….

Part III: The Half Marathon

I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to sign up for a half marathon on the tail end of my book tour, but I’d already gotten a non-refundable hotel booked, so there was no turning back.

If you read my last newsletter, which started with “running is not going well,” you might be dreading this part of my newsletter. Some of you might remember that I ran a half marathon around this time last year, and it went horribly thanks to the heat. Thankfully, this time around it was around fifty degrees and slightly rainy, so I was optimistic that, if nothing else, I wouldn’t have the sun working against me.

My friends and I had a pasta dinner the night before, then went our separate ways. I ate a chocolate muffin for breakfast, then headed out to our racing corral around 8:30am. I told myself that this could not possibly be as bad as last year.

At 9am, we started to run.

And I felt… shockingly good.

I had a smile on my face for the first five miles. I was beating my practice run times by about two minutes per mile. I remembered how this time last year, I was suffering so badly by mile three that I didn’t know how I would finish. This year, I hit mile five and felt like I could keep running forever. I was passing other runners with confidence. The downhills felt incredible and the uphills felt doable. I was glad I decided to do this race even though four weeks ago I considered dropping out.

I won’t lie, it did get harder as the race went on. My pace slowed down, and I felt a bit ill from my running gels. Just like in my practice runs, by about mile seven, my body seemed to realize that torture I was putting it through and start protesting loudly. My legs felt almost disconnected from my brain, and it was all I could do to keep them moving forward, albeit more slowly than before. People passed me on the uphills now. My knees and ankles started to hurt, and I felt myself hobbling along.

But I finished the race, and I felt….

Shit.

To be honest I felt incredibly weak in the immediate aftermath. My friends were high on endorphins while I had to sit on the ground, stuff a dry bagel in my mouth, and dread the journey home. It felt like I’d truly reached the upper limit of what my body was capable of.

But after a shower, and a nap, and then several days of rest…

I can’t wait to run again.

I’m so proud that I’m someone who can finish a half marathon. I’m proud that weeks ago I seriously considered dropping out, but that I made myself go to New York after an exhausting book tour and do it anyway. I’m proud that I reached the point where many people would quit, but I didn’t. And more importantly, I’m so motivated to do better next time.

Of course, my friends and I celebrated with pizza and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 at Katie’s apartment. That was when I received the surprise book birthday cake with Timothee Chalamet’s face on it. My friends know me a bit too well.

In the first half of April, I was busy drafting another YA project (unsold, and therefore a secret!) and plotting my next horror project (sold as part of my two-book deal with Hell to Pay, but currently unwritten so also secret!)

In between all the chaos of book tour and my half marathon, I finished up copyedits for Infernally Yours (more on that below!) and line edits for Hell to Pay!

Now that my YA and adult books are publishing in the same season, I’m finding the workload a lot worse than in previous years. Still, busy is the goal for freelancers, so I don’t want to complain about juggling multiple book contracts. The reality of it is that I’m pretty burnt out and falling behind, but it’s a very good problem to have.

Japanese Gothic is a USA Today Bestseller!

This is the first time any of my books have been on a bestseller list in the US! And as of today, it’s actually clung on to the list for a second week! I’m truly so grateful to my team and to my readers for getting the word out about this weird little book.

I announced my next YA book!

A teenage girl must compete against her wealthy cousins for the hand of the Prince of Hell in order to win an inheritance and save themselves from being stuck as yokai forever in this young adult romance inspired by Japanese folklore.

A normal girl would’ve wept over her grandmother's coffin at her funeral, and hugged her family tightly as they mourned. But Sakura Smith is not a normal girl. And this is not a normal family. On the day of her estranged grandmother’s death, all of Sakura’s family turned into Yokai, creatures from Japanese folklore. Now Sakura not only has to deal with her rich, entitled cousins, but she also has to manage her newly sentient hair and the eternally hungry mouth that has suddenly appeared on the back of her head.

But Grandma Kojima didn’t leave them without options. In order to regain their human forms, all they need to do is make sure someone in their family marries Benjiro, the teenage Prince of Hell. And to sweeten the deal, Grandma Kojima added an extra clause: whichever cousin marries Benjiro will receive ALL of her inheritance. Spurred by their greedy parents, Sakura’s cousins immediately jump at the chance to get their hands on Grandma Kojima’s massive estate.

Sakura knows she needs that money more than any of her wealthy family members, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it to the altar. But will she be able to keep it together when she starts getting real feelings for the sweet, kind Benjiro?

Preorder Links:

Hell to Pay (US) (3/30/27)

Hell to Pay (UK) (April 8, 2027)

Infernally Yours (2/23/27)

The Kids Came Back Wrong (add on Goodreads)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

This is embarrassing to say as an author, but I didn’t finish a single book this month. Between my quadruple deadlines and half marathon training, I was so fried physically and mentally by the end of the day that I could really only summon the energy to doomscroll or play video games for a bit. The traveling didn’t help, as I get motion sick from reading on trains and planes, so I lost a whole lot of work time just moving from place to place.

But! I’ve just started reading You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews and am already in love.

What I’m Watching:

Sweetpea! I love Ella Purnell ever since I saw Fallout, so I’m devouring this very silly, dark series.

What I’m Playing:

Still Baldur’s Gate 3. I keep finding new ways to make it interesting for myself, including an Honor Mode playthrough and a gith bard playthrough. Luckily I am a bit more in control of this obsession than I used to be, but it has yet to die.

That’s all from me this month!

All my best,

Kylie

“Suffering makes me feel alive!” I say to myself, quoting the incredible Alysa Liu as sweat runs down my neck, ten minutes into my tempo run. “I love suffering!” I think again, more forcefully, as if I can convince my body that this is true and it will suddenly stop hurting so much. “I feel so alive right now!” I think, when my brain and body both know that all I actually feel is death.

I come to a stop. No mantra is going to save me from this heat.

Running is not going well.

For the past 8 weeks, I’ve consistently been running four times a week: two speed training sessions, one easy run, one long run. But recently, things have been going off the rails.

On a recent run, my eyelids were so heavy that I thought I might actually fall asleep while running.

I rested a few days and had a great workout on Tuesday. But on Thursday, when the temperature rose another ten degrees, I had such a difficult run that I ended up breaking down in tears of frustration. I had to walk home because it turns out it’s really hard to run and cry at the same time.

You would probably think, based on how often I run and how much I yap about running, that I’d be at least kind of good at it. That would be a fair assumption.

But sometimes, it feels like all the work I do amounts to nothing at all. I see very little progress, or even negative progress.

There are lots of factors I could point fingers at (the increasing heat, work stress, insomnia), but not much I can do to change them, so it seems pointless to assign blame. This is where I’m at, and I have a half marathon in about 4 weeks that I don’t feel ready for at all.

The day of my ill-fated tempo run, I cut my run short and took a shower, then a nap. I scrolled through videos of Alyssa Liu and Eileen Gu talking about how they cried in frustration while training. If olympians can cry, then surely crying is not only allowed but an integral part of the process. We get emotional about things that matter to us, after all.

Three days later, I laced up my running shoes again, and set out for my ten-mile long run.

I gave myself permission to be as slow as I needed to be to make it to the end. It was a cool, sunny day, and a breeze came off the river to my right, which sparkled in the sunlight. The first five miles flew by. Not quickly, mind you, but I finished them.

By mile seven, my legs felt heavy and I was having trouble not slouching from fatigue. I played “I’ll Make a Man out of You” on repeat and hoped it would carry me through the last few miles.

And wow, was that effective.

I thought about the movie montage of all the soldiers becoming more fit and skilled, of Mulan climbing up the pole just to prove that she could.

I crossed the ten-mile mark right at the chorus, and rather than stopping from exhaustion, I kept going until the end of the song.

Running has not been going well, but it’s still going—I’m still going—and I think that’s what matters.

Strength training, on the other hand, is going great!

My back injury is much improved, which is fantastic because my health insurance decided to stop covering PT in 2026 and didn’t tell me until I had a bill for $200. Gotta love American health care!

This month, I’ve been training with landmines (doing landmine training? Doing landmine exercises? Landmining? I could never pass as a gym bro, clearly) which is basically lifting barbells from one end while the other is fixed in one place.

It is unreasonably fun.

I imagine that this is why people like lifting tires—it makes you feel so powerful!

Besides that, my days have been filled with writing, reading, and a truly unholy amount of interviews in the run-up to the release of Japanese Gothic. I’ve made time for a few social outings, but mostly have been keeping my head down, trying to get as much work done as possible before my book tour completely consumes my life.

I spent this month plotting and then drafting another YA project!

This one hasn’t sold yet. Some of you may know that I tend to say very little about my projects until they’ve sold. I believe in jinxing more than I believe in manifesting. The more something matters to me, the fewer people I tell about it until I’m 100% certain my hopes will come true.

So here’s what I can say about this project:

I’m actually having fun.

I think a lot of people assume that being a full-time writer means I’m having a blast doing what I love every single day. And while this is true sometimes, and I’m grateful every day that this is my career… I realized recently that I’ve lost a lot of the joy that I felt when I first started writing.

This isn’t that surprising, all things considered.

Now that writing is my full-time job, I have to care a lot about whether or not my books sell well, which puts a lot of pressure on me. Now that I’m trying to write two books a year instead of one, I’m constantly jumping from deadline to deadline in a way I wasn’t really when I first started, so I get burned out a lot faster. And the more I succeed, the more I feel the pressure to keep succeeding and not let down my team or my readers. Champagne problems, I know. Don’t get me wrong, I much prefer this job to being a dental receptionist again, pressures aside.

But recently, I’ve taken the Alysa Liu approach to writing. That is, I just want to share my art with people. I want to enjoy the process regardless of the outcome.

I used to think that commercial success and creative fulfillment were at odds with each other, but now I’m realizing that they don’t always have to be.

In short: writing this book brings me so much joy.

It feels similar to when I wrote The Scarlet Alchemist, which was my easiest book to write by far. I truly loved the world of that series and felt so motivated by my team’s enthusiastic support. This is a story for me, and I hope one day it’s a story for you as well.

I contributed to a YA horror anthology!

The Kids Came Back Wrong, edited by the wonderful Wen-yi Li, was just announced!

This was such a fun project and it’s an honor to be in the same anthology with so many authors who I admire. This book is gonna be so fantastically weird, I promise!

My short story is about a girl named Reiko Robinson, who becomes oddly obsessed with eggs.

You can add it on Goodreads HERE!

My US tour for Japanese Gothic is coming up!

I mentioned this last month, but here’s a reminder and the links for the Brookline event!

Tickets for Brooklyn HERE (very few tickets left!)

Tickets for St. Charles HERE

Tickets for Portland HERE

Tickets for Brookline HERE

I’ll be at BookCon in April!

Here’s my schedule! Please come say hi if you’re around!

Preorder Links:

Japanese Gothic (US) (4/14/26)

Japanese Gothic (UK) (30/04/2026)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

My favorite book this month was Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews. I got this audiobook from the library and listened to it while running, expecting some gnarly plant horror. So tell me why I ended up CRYING ON MY RUN because the romance was so beautiful??? Seriously, what a gorgeous book.

What I’m Watching:

I’m still watching Dead Like Me, which is only getting funnier. I also saw Undertone, which was not for me, but this seems to be a pretty polarizing film, so let me know if you loved it.

What I’m Playing:

NOTHING, THANK GOD!!

In a brief moment of wisdom, I deleted all the mobile games from my phone and set myself free. It turns out that having an easily-accessible dopamine slot machine is actually not that good for an ADHD brain.

That’s all from me this month!

All my best,

Kylie

Chinese New Year is one of my favorite holidays.

I love the smell of fresh flowers, laundry soap, and oranges in my kitchen. I love having an excuse to scrub the floors clean, wear new clothes, and cut the split ends off my hair. I love going to the fishmonger to buy fish that feels too expensive for an everyday dinner but is practically mandatory for a new year’s dinner. I love the sense of hope, and newness, and family togetherness.

This is also the year of the fire horse in the Chinese zodiac! Despite my fear of horses (readers of The Scarlet Alchemist might have clocked this), I might just have to make the fire horse my new patron saint because of the slew of good luck that has already blessed me this year.

First, in perhaps the best news ever: my dear friend and fellow author Katie Wu learned she’s officially cancer free!! Here’s her video where she talks about this and also how she casually wrote 1.5 books while going through chemo because she is a goddess.

Second, I attended two weddings in two weeks this month! I’m full of love for my friends and their happiness, and also lots of delicious cake.

Third, in a true fire-horse-level miracle, I made it home from NYC on the tail-end of a massive blizzard.

So let’s take a look back on February, the start of Fire Horse Year!!

An American Chinese New Year

On the Friday before Lunar New Year, I sat in the longest line for the car wash I’d ever seen. After a month of sporadic snow, everyone was ready to wash all the road salt off their cars.

Someone asked me once how you know when to wash your car during winter in New England, considering it snows every few days. The answer is: when you see a long line at the car wash.

But this time, washing my car wasn’t a matter of vanity or even being a responsible car owner. It was a matter of good or bad fortune.

Don’t these people know that this determines my luck for the rest of the year? I thought while white-knuckling my steering wheel because I was technically parked illegally (the car wash line was so long it spilled out onto the main road).

If I lived in China, New Year celebrations would look a lot different.

I would probably have the next two weeks off from work, and would travel to see my extended family, where we’d have a huge dinner, watch fireworks, and exchange lai see (red envelopes full of money).

Because I’m not married, I guess I would technically still receive red envelopes along with all the children in my family, which is hilarious. But then again, if I lived in China, I would probably be married by now, as women tend to get married earlier.

But alas, I live in Boston, and the Asian side of my family lives in Maine, over 3 hours away. My Chinese grandfather passed away several years ago. My Chinese friends either live out of state or have traveled to China for the holiday.

So, as a Bostonian Chinese-American, I do things a little differently.

There’s a strong tradition of deep-cleaning your home before Chinese New Year, which I take very seriously.

I cleared old bottles out of the fridge and bag up old clothes to donate. I boxed up and donated a ton of author copies of my books to Narrative Books for the Somerville for Palestine used book sale. I washed all my bedding, replaced a rickety old nightstand with one that can actually hold books, got my hair cut and my teeth cleaned. I picked out a new red shirt and underwear, then bought new clothes for my parents to wear.

The last thing to do was prepare the new year dinner.

Whole fish is particularly good luck on Chinese New Year, but I learned last year that it’s hard to find this outside of Chinatown.

FLASHBACK SCENE: CHINESE NEW YEAR 2025

INT. FISHMONGER’S SHOP - DAY

Kylie enters the store and approaches the man behind the fish counter.

KYLIE

Do you have whole salmon?

FISHMONGER

No… no one ever wants that… you would have had to ask for that in advance. You can get fillets.

KYLIE (FEELING FOOLISH)

Oh, um. Okay. Can I get salmon fillets?

FISHMONGER

How much?

KYLIE (HAVING AN INTERNAL CRISIS BECAUSE SHE HAS NO IDEA)

Three pounds?

The Fishmonger cuts a slab of salmon and slaps it on the scale. Kylie’s eyes go wide. She instantly knows she has requested way too much salmon. The fishmonger looks at her expectantly. She wants him to think she is a wise adult who knows what she’s doing. She has already taken too long to respond.

KYLIE

That’s perfect, I’ll take it.

END SCENE

And so ensued the week in which I ate nothing but salmon because I had accidentally bought $70 worth of fish thanks to my awkwardness.

This year I got a very respectable one pound of salmon, buckled it safely into the passenger seat of my car, then drove to the supermarket to buy flowers, bok choi, and pastries. I texted my parents to see if they wanted anything at the store, since I was going to be making dinner for them anyway. My dad said no, and my mom didn’t answer, which is typical as she doesn’t check her phone very much.

I realized upon checking out that I hadn’t brought my reusable bags inside, so I tried to stuff everything inside my tote. This might have worked fine if not for the very tall flowers that were trying to nose-dive out of my bag at every opportunity as I walked to the car. I ended up holding the eggs in one hand and fishing (unsuccessfully) for my car keys with the other as I headed outside.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was probably my mom, asking me for something at the store. Too late, I thought. I already checked out.

I reached my car and set my eggs down (dangerously) on the ground so I could take out my car keys and my phone.

But it wasn’t my mom who texted me.

It was Katie.

So it turns out that deboning a whole fish wasn’t necessary for good luck this year. The Fire Horse is smiling down on us already.

I spent this month working on my next horror novel, which I can finally talk about!!!

You can add it on Goodreads HERE!

If you kept an eye on my Instagram stories, you might have seen mentions of this already, but my US publisher hadn’t technically announced it yet. It’s about demons, and NYC, and capitalist greed, and eating intestines. Basically, imagine if a demon wanted your apartment but you couldn’t afford to break your lease so you had to just… deal with it.

I won’t lie, this was one of my tougher revisions. Not because of the book itself, but because of the pressure I’m starting to feel on my career as a horror writer.

Bat Eater was so well-received, and I’ve already gotten a slew of accolades and media attention for Japanese Gothic. This is, objectively, a good thing, and certainly much better than getting lots of criticism for my work. But it does also make me feel very pressured to keep writing books that people like just as much, if not more. It’s hard to compare my next book, which is still a work in progress, to the polished final version of my first two horror novels. I don’t want to disappoint my readers. I try to keep that fear out of the writing process, but it’s easier said than done.

But I’ve been very inspired recently by the joyful approach that olympic gold medal skater (who am I kidding, she needs no introduction) Alysa Liu takes to her art. She said “there’s no way to lose” (when skating for the joy of it) and then went on to win a gold medal.

This is the approach I want to take with my writing—to write books that are fun and meaningful to me regardless of how they’re received, since that part is out of my control.

I’ve definitely felt less joy when writing these days compared to when I was first drafting The Keeper of Night. It’s one of the perils of turning your hobby into a career—there’s suddenly a lot of admin, and you have to care at least a little bit about the reception because it’s how you pay your rent.

But Alysa Liu is a great reminder that joy and success don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I do believe that that kind of energy and sincerity can shine through your art.

Japanese Gothic US Tour

I’m going on tour to celebrate the release of Japanese Gothic!

Tickets for Brooklyn HERE

Tickets for St. Charles HERE

Tickets for Portland HERE

(No event link for Brookline MA up yet, but mark your calendars!)

I have a few more events coming up that I either can’t announce yet or they’re so far away that it would be a bit silly to announce them this early, so keep an eye out if I’ve missed your city but you were hoping to catch me!

This is the first time I’ve been on tour since The Empress of Time came out, and I’m so so grateful and excited to meet readers!

I’m also going to be signing at the Bow Market Book Fair in Somerville, MA on March 21st!

Preorder Links:

Japanese Gothic (US) (4/14/26)

Japanese Gothic (UK) (30/04/2026)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

This month, I devoured an early copy of To Dream in Darkness by Ann Liang. It’s about a death god who falls in love with the goddess of healing, who he’s supposed to kill. Ann Liang really knows how to write a romance that will rip your heart right out of your chest.

What I’m Watching:

I started watching Dead Like Me, which is about an 18-year-old who is killed by a falling toilet seat and has to become a grim reaper. It’s hilarious and sad, which is my favorite vibe these days. I’m also watching Claymore, an anime about demon-killing women who become powerful by making themselves human-demon hybrids. Their armor is a bit hilariously revealing, but the story is solid so far.

What I’m Playing:

Do you remember how I talked about playing Cats & Soup last month?

Well here’s the thing… mobile games (if you don’t pay for them) have a lot of ads for other games.

I’ve started a horrible pattern where I play a mobile game… enjoy the ad for another mobile game… download that mobile game… enjoy the ad for a DIFFERENT mobile game, etc. etc. Please help me I am stuck in an endless loop. My current obsession is Screwdom, which is about unscrewing different colored screws. It’s so silly. But it’s somehow SO SATISFYING.

That’s all from me this month! May the luck of the fire horse follow you all into spring!

All my best,

Kylie

Lately, I’ve been telling a lot of lies.

Yesterday, while virtually coworking with a friend, I lied when I told her I had a podcast interview to do. In reality, I was boarding a train from Boston to NYC.

That evening, while standing in line at a pizza shop in Brooklyn, I lied when I texted the group chat a photo of the cake I’d made “that day” and placed strategically on my very recognizable kitchen table to make it seem like I was in my kitchen when I sent it.

Today, I lied when I said I couldn’t video chat because I was “taking the day off of work.” Actually, I’m working while reclined on my friend Yume’s bed beside her snoring black cat named Boondoggle. We’re going to go for a run (me and Yume, not me and Boondoggle), then we’ll pick up a cake and balloons.

At 5:30, I’ll finally come clean:

I’m here for a surprise party.

I absolutely LOVE planning parties for my friends. Last year, I planned a video-game themed surprise 30th birthday party and a Winnie the Pooh themed bridal shower. I love visualizing how the decorations will look together. I love tucking unexpected surprises into the decorations (like the guest of honor’s face on the confetti or cake toppers that look like their cats). I love deeply contemplating what flavor of cake will bring my friends the most joy.

If I had unlimited funds, my friends would live in constant fear of when they would walk into their next surprise party because I would throw them on a weekly basis.

When my mom was pregnant with me, my parents decided not to find out my sex before I was born. They said “at this age, there are so few surprises left in life.” To that, I say: not if I can help it. If there’s one thing about me you need to know, it’s that I’ll always keep you on your toes.

January Goals

January is like catnip for people who like to plan. I’m one of those people with a scarily detailed Google calendar who loves trying out different physical and digital planners to set yearly, quarterly, and monthly goals. For someone with a brain that feels as chaotic as mine, this kind of planning is important to helping me feel in control and minimize overwhelm (which can easily paralyze someone with ADHD).

I know that in last month’s newsletter, I said I’d talk about my goals in January. But after I sat down to think about it… I didn’t end up setting any goals for 2026.

I had a lot of ambitions in 2025. Some of the things I wanted came to pass (like selling another adult horror novel), some things happened but in ways that were different than I expected (running a half marathon), and others didn’t happen and probably never will.

I won’t lie, part of the blame for my shortcomings undoubtedly falls on me—I played too many video games, spent too long scrolling on my phone, and slept in instead of working out on probably too many Sunday mornings.

But other things came up that simply mattered to me much more than the arbitrary goals I’d set for myself. My friends had health problems. I had health problems. Two of my dear friends got married. I made new friends and wanted to prioritize spending time with them.

2025 taught me that I have a lot less control over my life than I’d like to believe. It’s a terrifying but also liberating thought.

So this year, my “goals” are actually just silly things on a little Bingo sheet that I hope to get around to.

I’d like to go ice skating at least once in 2026. I’d like to do at least one thing that scares me. I’d like to finish my origami challenge that I started and promptly abandoned in December. I’d like to spend some time in nature every day. These are all moments that happen in between lots of hard work, of course. 2026 definitely won’t be a year of only fun and games. But I do want to prioritize the things that will matter more to me in 50 years than whether or not I promptly answered an email.

What I actually did in January

This month, before this top-secret spy mission, I took a (not secret) trip to NYC to visit friends. I had possibly the best breakfast of my life at Thai Diner. Please admire the french toast with Thai tea butter and crispy rice eggs.

I made new friends and ate darkness with them. This isn’t a joke, this was literally just called “darkness” on the menu.

It’s black sesame pudding with black rice, and it was delicious but messy.

I got back into my running routine and actually started to see improvements.

But then, of course, there was a massive snowstorm. Now I can only run on a sheet of slush or in the middle of the road because of all the snowbanks. At least seeing the sunlight reflect off the new snow brings me unparalleled joy. Winter is such a blessing.

I just turned in another revision for my next YA book. This took up most of the month, and was one of the most challenging revisions I’ve done so far. It was an emotional process which I don’t want to talk much about right now, but please know that I feel really good about the final product. This book is by far my silliest one yet. Here’s a small excerpt:

The prince turned toward the doorway. “Guards!” he called. “You may begin.”

“Begin?” Uncle Makoto said warily. “Begin what?”

Haku appeared and opened the doors, letting in a parade of human-sized frogs.

Everyone scrambled back as the frogs leaped across the room, holding pieces of luggage over their heads. Half a dozen frogs rushed through the room carrying suitcases, silk bags, and… was that a grandfather clock?

“Why are there giant frogs here?” I said.

The prince blinked. “Well, small frogs can’t carry my luggage,” the prince said. “I’ve enlarged them for this purpose.”

---

I’ve also just seen some cover gorgeous cover sketches for this book, which I can hopefully share with you soon!

Bat Eater is on the preliminary ballot for the Stoker Awards!

For those who might not know, the Bram Stoker Awards, presented by the Horror Writers Association are considered “the premier recognition for writers of horror and dark fantasy.” I’m not considered a nominee for the awards until the next round, but it’s still incredible to see my book on a list with so many authors who I deeply admire.

Japanese Gothic has a new US publication date!

My spooky samurai haunted house story is now coming to you on April 14th, 2026! Tour details coming soon.

Japanese Gothic received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal!

You can also check out the interview I did for Library Journal here!

Japanese Gothic is on the New York Times and USA Today lists for Most Anticipated Books of 2026!

As you can see, there’s a lot of excitement around Japanese Gothic! I’ll be doing a tour this time around, so keep an eye out for more info!

Preorder Links:

Japanese Gothic (US) (4/14/26)

Japanese Gothic (UK) (30/04/2026)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

I’m unfortunately in a bit of a reading slump. I read a couple books that weren’t for me, so I don’t have much to report for this section. As an author, I don’t believe in speaking poorly of my colleagues in public, and think it’s much better to hype up the books that I like instead of criticize the ones that I disliked.

To be clear, this is my stance on reviewing books as an author, not as a reader. I think readers should feel free to share their honest opinions online as long as they don’t tag the author in a negative review. But as an author, if I post a negative review of someone’s book, I run the risk of ending up on a very awkward panel with the author of said book in the future.

So instead, this month, I’d like to know what you all are reading. Are there any books that absolutely captivated you this month? I’d love to hear about them!

What I’m Watching:

I just started season 2 of Fallout. This show is such an incredible balance of funny and earnest. It’s a bit surreal to watch a show about the apocalypse in times that feel quite apocalyptic, but as a story I appreciate it.

What I’m Playing:

One of my friends introduced me to a mobile game called Cats & Soup, which has now taken over my life. You basically hire a bunch of adorable cartoon cats to chop carrots, squeeze lemons, stir soup, etc. and use the funds to buy the cats their own onsens, hammocks, and flower fields.

That’s all from me this month!

All my best,

Kylie

On a Thursday in early December, I charged down Newbury Street, through the crowds of tourists and college students and Christmas shoppers, only one goal in my mind: a hot bowl of ramen.

I was playing tour guide for Joan (one of my college friends) and her partner, who were visiting from New York.

We escaped the frigid wind and bundled into a tiny garden-level ramen shop. I ordered my favorite truffle salt ramen and Joan ordered the yuzu sesame ramen, then we sat down and began defrosting.

I worried the noodles wouldn’t thoroughly impress Joan, who is known for her excellent taste in restaurants. I have the palate of a child and am easily impressed by artificial cheese, so “good” food by Kylie standards isn’t always objectively impressive.

But it was extremely important that I impressed Joan today.

You see, I have a not-so-secret agenda: to convince all of my friends to move to Boston.

I’m a born-and-raised Boston girl, and I’m going to remain here for the foreseeable future for several reasons:

1. My parents live here. I’m an only child, so caring for them as they get older is going to be my responsibility. Therefore, I will move here eventually one way or another.

2. I’m introverted and not great at building a new social network from scratch. So, knowing that I’ll return to Boston eventually, I’d rather just build up my social network here, where I already have childhood friends.

3. I love the cold, and also how liberal MA is, and most importantly, how many Dunkins there are.

But I’ve lived all over the world, so I have many long-distance friends who I unfortunately don’t get to see that often.

Like Joan, for instance. I met Joan in college in Atlanta, and she since moved to NYC. As many of you know, I visit NYC all the time, and many of those visits involve Joan taking me to her favorite restaurants. I’ve never had a bad meal under her guidance.

But now, since Joan was considering a move to Boston, I made a plan of attack.

I showed up that morning with a full walking tour itinerary. I’d already grilled Joan on what she wanted to see in the city, so we were exploring the neighborhoods she might end up living. She didn’t want to get a car, so I’d flagged apartments with less than 10-minute walks to a train station. For another friend, I’d actually made a PowerPoint presentation about all the pros of living in Boston.

It’s almost funny how I’ve become Boston’s #1 spokesperson, because when I was a kid, I never thought I’d stay here.

I imagined that I’d live in a New York City high rise like Joan, or that I’d start a new life in Japan, or maybe become a screenwriter in LA. The thought of staying so close to home felt like a massive failure. Not because there’s anything particularly wrong with Boston—it’s an objectively great city. I just had this idea of myself as an intrepid explorer, destined for a glamorous and exotic lifestyle.

But, after doing quite a lot of traveling in my 20s—even living in Korea for several years—I’ve realized that what matters most to me definitely isn’t the glamor, or how “cool” my life looks to other people.

What matters to me are the small, objectively mundane moments that make up most of my life.

Like going out to dinner on my mom’s birthday and sharing a cheese plate with her, then ordering more cheese within five minutes.

And going for a run alongside a river on a winter morning, when it’s sunny but there’s enough clean snow on the ground that the world is white. There aren’t many people outside, so I can be at peace with my thoughts.

And singing BTS songs in my car while I drive to the next city over for a group strength class, where a fluffy dog greets me at the door.

And walking through Harvard Yard in the snow around Christmas, an iced coffee in my frozen hand.

And watching my high school friends wave goodbye to me from their second-floor window as I get in my car after we spent the afternoon baking in their apartment.

And, in the beginning of December, defrosting my hands on the steam wafting off my bowl of truffle salt ramen.

“Do you like it?” I asked Joan.

“I do!” she said. Though I wouldn’t put it past her to say that just to be kind after I’d already warned her not to have high expectations for my restaurant recommendations.

Still, she finished the bowl.

I got to visit another college friend this month, but this time, quite far from home.

My friend Lina (who I lovingly call “Sushi”) got married, and I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. The ceremony involved a lot of Indian traditions that I’d never before experienced but had an absolute blast with.

We smeared turmeric on the couple for luck, had gorgeous henna painted on our hands which we heated over a fire, and played tug-o-war with the groom’s side of the family.

This is my second wedding (and second time being a bridesmaid!) this year. I won’t go on for too long about this, since I ranted a lot in my last newsletter, but I just want to reiterate how lucky I feel to have such good friends, and how happy it makes me to see them happy. I teared up a bit at both weddings when I thought about our younger selves when we first met, and how I wish those poor stressed out girls could have seen this beautiful moment and known that everything would turn out just fine.

I turned in a project to my editor right before Lina’s wedding, so when I returned home, I was left to catch up on all the emails I’d been ignoring during all the deadline and wedding chaos. I feel like I spent days replying to emails just saying “I’m so sorry I took this long to get back to you—I was at an elaborate Indian wedding with a horse” before I finally managed to break the surface.

Then there were two lovely book events for me to attend in an author capacity—a book club at Side Quest Books and a spooky reading at Brookline Booksmith—followed by my best friend’s birthday party, a family Christmas party, and a boatload of errands like getting my state inspection sticker on Stitch (my car who is officially 1 year old!!). I caught up with old friends over udon and coffee and amazing hot chocolate. I finally got my Christmas tree.

I started my half marathon training in earnest and was having a great time running on such sunny winter days. The whole world glows from the snow on the ground this time of year. I was starting to feel like the runs were getting easier, probably because I’m a snowman and am thriving in my element.

Then I woke up with a sore throat.

The sore throat turned into a stuffy nose, and then a fever, and then suddenly I was sick on Christmas Eve.

There went my plans to visit my family over the holidays, or kick my half marathon training up a notch this week to take advantage of the good weather, or even to unapologetically devour all my Christmas chocolates.

For days, all I did was hydrate and lie in bed playing Baldur’s Gate 3. But despite how bad I felt, and how frustrated I was at being forced to put my goals aside, there was a strange sort of peacefulness to suddenly having nothing on my plate whatsoever, no expectation that I achieve anything at all other than rest.

My mind usually feels like 1000 Chrome tabs open at once. I rarely get such a complete break from the spinning gears of my own brain. I realized, too late, that I probably needed this break very badly.

My lungs are clearing out and I’m finally ready to get back into the swing of things. Specifically, my half marathon training. I have big goals this year and the sticker charts to make them possible. I can breathe through my nose again. I’m ready.

This was a month of answering emails and doing research.

I’ve got a stack of (overdue, at this point) library books calling my name, which I carefully selected for my next project. This book (which I’m calling Project Jennie) is very different from anything I’ve written before. It’s not quite a fantasy or a horror and is only a touch speculative. Because it’s unfamiliar territory, I’m doing a lot of research. I don’t want to get too specific now, as I like to keep my books very close to the heart until they’re a bit more solidified.

But, as a result, I have little to report on the work front this month.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is #10 on USA Today’s list of Best Books of 2025

The Bat Eater UK paperback is coming out January 8th!

Check out the Sunday Times Bestseller banner! The first chapter of Japanese Gothic is at the very end. You can preorder it here!

Preorder Links:

Bat Eater (paperback, UK) (08/01/2026)

Japanese Gothic (US) (4/21/26)

Japanese Gothic (UK) (30/04/2026)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

My favorite book this month was We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad. This is a prequel/sequel (I know that’s a confusing sentence, but it’s good, trust me) to Bunny. Basically, rich MFA girls turn bunnies into boys. It’s such a bananas concept but I absolutely loved it. Mona Awad is a master of satire.

What I’m Watching:

I just finished It: Welcome to Derry and enjoyed it! The gore is pretty creative (you’ve got babies on umbilical cords flying around) and the historical setting is immersive.

There’s a subplot involving a Native American tribe, which—to my understanding—was planned while working closely with the Wabanaki Nation. On one hand, I’m glad there’s more diversity in horror and that the creative team behind the show is attempting to be thoughtful about it. I’m not Native American so I obviously can’t speak to how successful they were.

On the other hand, I would love to see film adaptations of books written by Native American authors like Stephen Graham Jones. My Heart is a Chainsaw would be a fantastic series!

That’s all from me this month! I’m going to talk more about 2026 goals in January, once I can get a bit more organized. I hope you all have a happy and safe new year!

All my best,

Kylie

(Spoiler alert: there are SO many exciting things in my “Professional Updates” section this month, so if you read nothing else, scroll down to that part!)

At this point in the year, I have well and truly lost my marbles. They’re rolling downhill and falling into sewer grates. I’m slipping on them as I’m trying to pick them up. I snatched one off the ground and did a victorious fist pump only to realize it was actually a pebble.

In more tangible terms: on more than one occasion this month, I’ve nearly left home wearing my house slippers instead of outdoor shoes. I put two contact lenses in the same eye. My library books are overdue. I have unread texts from three weeks ago.

I know this is pretty standard for most people in the run-up to Thanksgiving. I don’t mean to complain about my dream job or suggest that I have it harder than anyone else (I don’t). I guess I’m hoping we can all commiserate together.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are a few things I’m particularly thankful for this year:

• Stitch (my car)

This time last year, I was car-less. Having lived in Seoul and then Boston for the past 8 years, I was able to get around on public transit and Ubers. But there were things I wanted to do that were impractical without a car—going to my strength class the next city over, going on road trips to Western MA with my friends, doing more events at Brookline Booksmith, etc. So I bought Stitch last December entirely with money I earned from writing.

Now, every time I sit in my car, it feels a bit surreal knowing the car is a direct result of my writing. It feels a bit illegal to be able to convert my silly stories into a car.

• Living in Massachusetts

MA is far from perfect, but I’m grateful every day to live in a liberal state with great education and healthcare. The healthcare was particularly important to me this year, when I had my heart issue.

• Being a bridesmaid (x2)

I got to be a bridesmaid for the first time this year, and will do it for the second time in early December! I know a lot of people complain about how expensive and stressful the bridesmaid experience can be. But personally, I’m just so grateful that I have friends who like and trust me enough to give me that kind of responsibility. Of course, no one needs to make me their bridesmaid for me to feel appreciated in our friendship, and I’m never offended if one of my friends doesn’t ask me. But it does make me feel very loved to know that I’ve been chosen because I’ve been a good friend over the years, which is truly one of the most important goals in my life.

Now that we’re almost at the end of the year, I’m taking stock of what’s left on my 2025 bingo card, which was inspired by VE Schwab (much like this entire newsletter)

I don’t have BINGO yet, but I’ve marked off these squares:

• Sell a YA Book

  • I will hopefully be able to announce this soon! It’s more similar in tone to I’ll Find You Where the Timeline ends than The Scarlet Alchemist. That is, it’s extremely silly. There are frogs wearing party hats. It’s SO unserious.

• Deadlift 100lbs

  • I hit this goal early in the year, then promptly developed back problems and am now very carefully deadlifting 45lbs at a time lol. But I did it, so it still counts!

• Host a party

  • I planned a Don’t Starve Together themed surprise birthday party for a friend, as well as a bridal shower for a different friend. I just really like celebrating my friends.

• Sell an adult book

  • I hope I can talk more about this one soon too! It’s another NYC-based horror!

• Do an escape room

  • I won, of course.

• Sell a short story

  • More on this below, but I recently sold another sci-fi short to Uncanny Magazine!

• Read 50 books

  • I’ve read 55 books this year so far, not counting a few beta reads and copious amounts of fan fiction. Maybe this seems like a lot to you, or maybe this seems like very little for an author. A few years ago, I probably never would have shared this number online out of fear of judgment. But I’m trying to care less about how I’m perceived online.

    I love reading and know it’s incredibly helpful for both my career and my mind, but the truth is that a lot of things simply got in the way this year. Plus, as a full time author, reading is part of my work responsibilities and my ADHD brain responds accordingly. I read books not just for fun but for market research. When I’m sent early copies of books to review, I do my best to read them and write promotional blurbs to support the authors, which removes a certain element of choice from my reading list. I end up loving many of these books, but the fact remains that it becomes an obligation with a deadline rather than pure fun the way it was when I was a kid.

Some of my unfinished BINGO squares are a bit personal, so I don’t want to share them all, but here are a few that I still have a chance of crossing off before the end of the year:

• Celebrate a BTS member’s birthday

  • As a freelancer, I don’t tend to take federal holidays off unless it makes sense to do so with my deadlines. But I know time off is good for the brain, so I want to take a day off and maybe eat a cupcake or something to celebrate a BTS member’s birthday, which to me is more exciting than, say, Arbor Day. Luckily, there are two BTS birthdays left this year! Jin on December 4th and V on December 30th.

• Play cello

  • For those of you who might not know, I started playing the cello when I was 5 and continued through college. I didn’t bring my cello when I moved to Korea because that would have been logistically complicated, but I still want to continue playing before I lose my muscle memory entirely. If I take my cello out once this year, I’ll consider it a win.

I just turned in my “first” draft of my next adult horror. I say “first” because it’s the first complete draft that my editor will see, but it’s already gone through several rounds of revisions.

I already had a pretty reasonable draft of this ready to go a few months ago, but this last pass of “line edits” ended up being more intensive than I expected, and ate up most of my month. I ended up adding a whole serial killer subplot.

I’ve also done some edits on a short story that will be published in Uncanny Magazine soon! For those of you who don’t know, I’ve published two short sci-fi stories with Uncanny before (free to read here and here) in the style of Love Death & Robots. In other words, I love writing about dangerous AI and what it shows us about our humanity. This new story is called “This Story Does Not Exist” and is about an AI “woman” named Ayako who is tasked with writing a fantasy novel for her creator.

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends is officially published!

My silly, adorable timeline book is finally out in the world! I’m truly so proud of this book and how it shows my range as an author. You can grab a copy here!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is on The New York Times’ list of 100 Notable Books of 2025!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is also a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Award in the horror category!

I know I’m not going to beat Stephen King lol. But I love using the Goodreads Choice Awards nominee list to get a sense of what books are popular in each genre, and usually end up adding a bunch of books from that list to my TBR, so I’m thrilled that readers might find my book this way as well!

December 9th: I’ll be reading a spooky short story at a Christmas Ghost Stories event run by Brookline Booksmith!

This will most likely be “Lady Jawbone” from the Aardvark anthology One Bad Night. I love working with Brookline Booksmith, and a spooky Christmas event is right up my alley. Come join me, Kayla Cottingham, and Nicky Gonzalez!

December 11th: I’ll be at Side Quest Books to chat with their book club about I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends!

Come join if you’re near Somerville! Side Quest Books is such a lovely hidden gem in the Boston area. I can’t wait to chat about how HARD it was to write a book with TIME LOOPS!

I’ve donated a signed Fairyloot edition of The Scarlet Alchemist to Fae Crate’s food bank fundraiser!

The fact that people go hungry in this country is unconscionable. Check out Fae Crate’s raffle to raise money for local food banks! Lots of other authors have donated some incredible prizes!

And lastly, I’ve finally shared the UK cover of my next horror novel, Japanese Gothic!

I absolutely love how the US and UK take such different approaches with my horror covers. I love how stark and sinister this one is. Which one is your favorite?

Preorder Links:

Japanese Gothic (US) (4/21/26)

Japanese Gothic (UK) (30/04/2026)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

My favorite book that I read this month is Decomposition Book by Sara van Os. It’s about a woman who finds a corpse in the woods and decides to befriend it as it rots rather than call the police. The concept is as bananas as it sounds, but van Os pulls it off so beautifully. To me, this is really the epitome of what horror is supposed to be: gorgeously disgusting, but also rips your heart out. The book isn’t out yet, but you should definitely preorder or add it on Goodreads if this sounds up your alley.

What I’m Watching:

Season 2 of A Man on the Inside. I’m watching this to balance out all the darkness in everything else I’m consuming. The show is about a retired professor who takes a job as an undercover agent to infiltrate a nursing home (season 1) and then a university (season 2). It’s made by the creator of The Good Place and stars Ted Danson. It’s just as ridiculous and fun as you’d imagine.

Pluribus. I’m still not sure how I feel about this one. The main character is an author who’s one of only eleven people in the world who retain their independence when the Earth is suddenly taken over by a benevolent hive mind. This is an interesting experiment in just how unlikeable you can make a character before they seem irredeemable to the reader. I have a lot of patience for badass women in fiction, but the MC in this show is walking a very fine line.

That’s all from me this month! I hope you all stay safe and warm as we head into the holiday season!

All my best,

Kylie

Reflections on one year of running

This time one year ago, I bought some new running tights, downloaded the Zombie Run Couch-to-5k app, and went out for a run for the first time since college.

I imagined future Kylie as a Capital-A Athlete, able to go for easy 10-mile runs on the weekends, sprint up hills, outpace runaway trains, etc. Okay, maybe not the last one.

By some metrics, I’ve definitely improved—a year ago, I was overjoyed to run a 5k without stopping, and since then I’ve run a half marathon and lived to tell the tale.

But I’m still not particularly fast, or good at keeping my heart rate in the “easy run” zone that everyone talks about, or keen to wake up on a Sunday and run instead of sleep.

My training simply hasn’t been as consistent as I would have liked. I blame that on the fact that there were a lot of things that Kylie from October of 2024 didn’t see coming.

Like my back injury (ongoing), or my cardiac issues (resolved!), or how much time I’d spend visiting my family and helping my friends, or all the wonderful places I’d travel, or the nights I’d spend frantically finishing my next novel, or my unfortunately life-dominating obsession with Baldur’s Gate 3 (I never said all of my excuses were good ones, okay?)

I won’t lie, it’s frustrating to have devoted so much time, sweat, Liquid IV, and hours spent blow-drying my post-run hair to this sport, only to remain an arguably very mediocre runner. I’m not dashing out 7-minute miles the way I did in high school. I don’t think I ever will again.

But the coach of my training program (trackclubbabe on Instagram) luckily takes a more realistic approach to running. She’s a marathon runner but also a real estate agent, a toddler mom, and grieving the loss of her father. She talks openly about how her marathon times have suffered over the years because running is simply not always the most important thing in her life, nor does she think it should be.

She says that each workout you do is like a coin in the fitness piggy bank—no single workout in and of itself is actually going to improve your running all that much, but over time, the piggy bank is going to fill up. My favorite mantra of hers is: “if the effort was right, the workout was a success.” In other words, what you consider an “easy” or “hard” pace can vary a lot depending on how much you slept the night before, what you ate for breakfast, how stressed you are, etc. Bodies are such fickle instruments and don’t respond well to being forced past their limits.

In truth, I love having one area of my life where all that matters is my effort, not my results. Obviously in my real job, the results matter the most—I don’t get paid for trying my hardest, I get paid for the product I deliver. But it’s nice to have this one part of my life where I get to be kind to myself and do what I need that day, even if it’s not impressive to other people—I don’t run for them, I run for me.

Now that the leaves are changing and the world is cool and beautiful, I’m reminded why I started running this time last year in the first place—because it fills my heart with so much joy.

Other highlights of this month included:

Making a pie and accidentally summoning a demon (again)

The big pie is named Fascist Frank. We then joyfully stabbed him and ate slices of fascism. This is now one of my favorite fall traditions.

Joining a farm share and becoming inundated with unidentifiable vegetables

This is only a fraction of the vegetables I received in a single week (it’s a double share, due to administrative error). I signed up with the hope that this would make me more excited about eating vegetables, and it’s definitely worked. I feel very connected to my food and excited to eat it in a way I wasn’t before. I found myself fermenting ginger leaves, baking kale chips, and making pumpkin puree from scratch in my mad rush to use these all up before they go bad.

The only downside is the stress of knowing your vegetables are losing their quality when you’re too busy to deal with them. This batch came the day before my friend’s wedding, when I knew I wouldn’t be able to cook anything for two days. So on top of wedding stress, I kept internally panicking about rotting pumpkins. I’ve (hopefully) fixed this by switching to getting a share every other week instead of weekly.

…and I was a bridesmaid for the first time!

Look at my friend Winny. Isn’t she gorgeous??

I’ve known Winny (and the other two friends in this photo) since high school. I’d never been a bridesmaid before, so I truly had no idea what to expect. I was surprised at how emotional the whole experience was.

I am, above all, thrilled to see my friend find happiness. Winny’s partner is incredibly kind and I have no doubt that he’ll be there to support her for the rest of her life. I desperately want this kind of partnership for all the people I love.

But I couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional when I thought back to where our friendship started—in Spanish class, about 15 years ago. I remember Winny trying to teach me the “ng” sound in Cantonese, which I practiced by roaring (“NGAAAAAHHH!”) until she was satisfied. I got teary thinking about how grateful I am that life brought us together and that we’ve remained good friends over the years.

Something about seeing Winny in a wedding dress felt like such a stark reminder of the passage of time. As a teenager, it never really crossed my mind that one day I’d be buttoning up her wedding dress. That kind of moment felt a world away back then.

I realized—in a way I’d never stopped to consider until that moment—that we’re growing up together. We’re reaching milestones by each other’s sides.

Maybe one day we’ll hold each other’s children. Maybe we’ll commiserate over menopause together. Maybe we’ll retire together and go lie on a beach somewhere and I’ll try to learn Cantonese again so I can shout NGAAAAHH at Winny and laugh over cocktails.

I thought about everything that happened in between the moment Winny and I met and the moment I took her bridal bouquet when she stood on the altar at her wedding. I felt nostalgic—a bit saddened by the thought of how quickly and quietly time slips away from us—but also so grateful that this is where we’ve all landed.

John and Hank Green talked about this bittersweet feeling in their podcast this week, where they described nostalgia as a type of grief:

John: “[nostalgia is] a feeling that this precious moment is slipping away and will inevitably slip away. And that’s true—it will slip away. It will be replaced by something that will be also valuable and also interesting and rich and fulfilling in its own way.”

Hank: “But not just replaced—also layered on. It’s not gone. You’re building on top of that. You’re a lasagna… nobody wants a lasagna that has one layer.”

As always, the Green brothers state it more eloquently (and hilariously) than I ever could. All the time that has passed isn’t gone but rather hidden beneath layers of cheese.

A day in the life of a full time writer who is no longer on deadline:

Last month, I think I typed out a paragraph that amounted to “HELP ME I’M ON DEADLINE.” I’m not sure, it’s kind of a blur. I am not (sort of) off deadline, so my days are filled with a lot of administrative tasks that I’ve been putting off. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to lately:

Morning (7am-11:30am)

• I make peanut butter oatmeal for breakfast and nearly destroy my pan in the process. I take it to my desk, along with my pot of sticky rice tea, and check my to-do list in Sunsama (my favorite productivity app—not sponsored but you should definitely try it)

• My typical morning warm-up (even when on deadline) is to clear the junk from my inbox, scan newspaper headlines for any breaking news, then review and/or add to my idea notebook. Some people can roll out of bed and start creative work right away, but I need to ease into my day by clearing out some mental clutter first.

• I type up a blurb (a promotional quote) for an early copy of a book I finished reading last night, then send it to my agent to pass on to the book’s editor.

• I continue my read-through of my next adult horror novel. This one has been sold but not yet announced. I finished a second draft of it about a month ago, then set it aside to work on developmental edits for my next YA fantasy. Now that the YA book has been turned in, it’s time to get back into horror mode… But I need to remind myself what actually happened in this story before I do another round of revisions. I spend about two hours reading the draft and making notes about things I’d like to change. It isn’t due until December and the draft is pretty solid (albeit a bit too short) so I’m not too worried about making the deadline.

• I fill out my TikTok planning table. Now that I’m off deadline, I really need to get to work on promo for I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends. I’m really too millennial for this, but the only way out is through.

• Lastly, before lunch, I clear my inbox. Today, I’m corresponding with someone who’s invited me to a book festival next year. I have to fill out their info form and send back the W9. I also email a librarian about an upcoming visit, respond to an author who had questions about my agent (this is a very normal ask), and then thank my UK editor for the Bat Eater sales update (it was good news! The book is selling well!).

Afternoon (11:30-5)

• I change and go for a quick run. Today I’m doing a speed training session, which involves a lot of sprints to the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack. I visualize my arch enemy while running to “Takedown”

• I stretch out, have a quick lunch, then shower. While combing out my hair, I answer a call from my friend who’s having a medical procedure done and is high out of their mind on Benadryl. I tell them jokes which they don’t seem amused by.

• I take my metric ton of frozen chopped ginger out of the freezer (thank you, farm share) and use it to make some chai that I bought in NYC.

• I also open the jar of ginger leaves I was fermenting for tea (I got whole ginger stalks and tried not to waste anything) but they smell like sour milk, which means I did something wrong. I toss the whole batch. Ah well, I tried.

• I open my laptop again and find an email from a reporter who wants a quote in the next few hours for her article about horror, so I scramble to put together something coherent.

• I go back to my desk and sign a bunch of tip-ins (these are the title pages that get bound into the final printed copies of a book—sending me these individual sheets to sign is much cheaper than sending all the finished books to me). I can’t say what this is for, but I can say that I am happily working my way through a rainbow pack of sharpies. I spend about 45 minutes doing this, which is the most I can do without totally destroying my wrist.

• I have super early dinners (like 4:30-5:30) because I get hungry around that time anyway and would rather eat a meal than pregame my dinner with snacks. I use up the last of my farm share leeks and parsley to bake half a dozen cheddar and leek tarts. I spend way too long doing dishes and sweeping herbs off the floor.

Evening (5-9)

• My friend is staying over tomorrow, so I spend the next few hours washing bed linens, vacuuming rugs, tidying up, taking my underwear off the drying rack, etc. I listen to Dear Hank and John while re-making my bed.

• I intended to get some reading done after this, but could only conjure the mental energy to play video games for an hour before bed.

I want to be clear that I have worked “normal” jobs and am well aware that this is an easy day compared to what a lot of people do. I don’t think this is harder than anyone else’s job. I just find that people are interested in what I do all day besides writing, so I like to share a glimpse every now and then.

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline ends comes out November 18th!! As always, please consider preordering—all preorders from Porter Square Books will be signed (and personalized, if you want! Just specify in the order comments).

• I’ll be at the Fables & Flames Romantasy Gala in Minneapolis, November 21-23!

Preorder Links:

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (11/18/25)

Japanese Gothic (4/21/26)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

Thrall by Rebecca Mahoney—a modern Dracula retelling focused on Lucy in a college campus. I know vampire stories have been done to death, but this one was very fresh and poignant.

I’m also reading a lot of nonfiction books for research, but sadly I can’t tell you about any of them without giving away what I’m writing. Hopefully one day I can share!!

What I’m Watching:

The Bear. I’m late to the party on this (what else is new?) but I’m watching it largely because one of the characters in my next horror novel is a line cook and I’ve heard that The Bear is one of the more accurate portrayals of working in a kitchen. If this is true, I can tell you it’s a good thing I never tried to work at a restaurant because the overlapping chaos would have destroyed me.

That’s all from me this month! Happy Halloween, everyone!

All my best,

Kylie

Spoiler alert: I’m fine.

Maybe I’d get more subscribers if I left that conclusion until later in the newsletter, but there are limits to how clickbait-y I’m willing to be. I’m sharing this medical saga mostly because it ate up so much of my month and I have little else to write about, and if I have to suffer through the expense and inconvenience I feel like I at least deserve to milk it for Content.

“I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but you need to go the the ER.”

That’s what my PCP said to me after I’d come in for a minor issue unrelated to my heart. They’d done an EKG repeatedly and determined that my results were abnormal enough that I needed a lot more tests run.

“But I feel fine,” I said.

“If you’re not having symptoms, you can drive yourself,” the doctor said. “Otherwise, we can call an ambulance.”

“NO NO I CAN DEFINITELY DRIVE,” I said, picturing all the dramatics of an ambulance coming to pick up me when I looked and felt perfectly fine.

I hadn’t been to the ER since I was a kid, and felt kind of ridiculous sitting in the waiting room feeling completely normal, trying to get some work done on my laptop.

My attempts to convince the ER staff that I was totally fine and could definitely go home failed spectacularly as soon as they put a needle in my arm.

I’m normally fine with needles—shots and blood draws typically don’t phase me. I’ve only gotten woozy from needles a handful of times, and all of them were when the needle was left in me for IV access. Naturally, this is what they do at the ER.

One moment, I was walking over to radiology, the next I was slumped forward in a chair, half-conscious, while a bunch of people moved around me and plopped me into a stretcher, very concerned since I was there for a heart issue.

“It’s just because of the needle!” I tried to argue, once the blood returned to my brain. Shockingly, they did not just take my word for it. (Fast forward a few weeks and my cardiologist agrees it was also probably just because of the needle, but no one will ever really know.)

After eight hours, a bunch of tests, and trying unsuccessfully to type with one of those fingertip pulse oximeters on, I was finally allowed to leave. The doctor was profusely apologetic for the wait, to which I said: “It’s fine, I figured you were helping people having emergencies.”

You would have thought I’d given him a million dollars from the way he reacted.

“You are very compassionate and I thank you for that,” he said. Which made me wonder how awful are people normally to this poor guy?? As annoying as the whole day was, I figured that some people were having their severed limbs reattached right next door. Considering the fact that I could walk out with all the limbs I walked in with, I had a pretty good day in the grand scheme of things.

I don’t want to get super specific about my health online because people tend to feel compelled to give advice, but here’s the short version:

My heart is behaving like a little weirdo sometimes, but this is most likely not going to be a serious problem, or even necessarily one that requires treatment. I’m still doing some tests, but I’m finally (after a whole saga of trying and failing to get a cardiologist appointment) allowed to do things like run and drink caffeine. Most importantly, I feel fine. Despite how annoying, expensive, and inconvenient this whole saga has been, I know I’m incredibly lucky to have access to good healthcare and I know it’s better to be annoyed than actually ill.

I’m now happily running outside for my favorite season in New England, just as the leaves are changing and the weather is cooling down. I’m unfortunately a bit deconditioned at this point—even aside from when I wasn’t allowed to run, I’d taken time off for travel and recurring back pain (thank you 30-year-old body). I had plans to be in tip top shape by this Thanksgiving and absolutely dominate the Boston Half Marathon this year, but things obviously haven’t gone according to plan.

But I know that running is a long game, and that there are more important things in life. For now, I’m just trying to enjoy my runs and appreciate that I get to do them at all.

Right before this all happened, I did manage to go to a My Chemical Romance concert!

This is probably not that surprising to anyone, but I was an emo kid.

I first watched an MCR music video in fifth grade (20 years ago!!) and was devastated when they broke up before I ever got to see them in concert. So when I saw they were coming to Boston, I grabbed my friend Kaleigh and got tickets ASAP.

It was incredible.

Aside from just being a spectacularly fun show (MCR really prioritizes putting on a whole theatrical production), I couldn’t stop thinking of how cool middle school Kylie would think this is. The fact that I’m here, seeing MCR in person, and bought the tickets with money I made from writing fantasy and horror books. The fact that this is my JOB now. Young emo Kylie would definitely have worried a lot less (and probably been a lot less emo) if she’d known that this was where I’d end up.

Also, MCR is still such a good band. Their songs really held up well over time, and yes I remembered 100% of the lyrics.

I’m deep into revisions on my next YA book, which still hasn’t been announced, but we’re looking at an early 2027 release date!

This particular revision required me to essentially scoop out the middle of the book like I was hollowing out a Jack-o-lantern and rearrange all the seeds. I had to make a whole new outline and then pull in parts from the old version, interspersed with new scenes that I fast-drafted. The good news is the book is now even more absurd, much to my delight. The bad news is that, thanks to my Heart Adventure, I’m running a bit behind.

In a surprise to absolutely no one, it’s incredibly hard to get work done when all you can do is lie on the floor all day (thank you, back pain) without your regular coffee, and your head is full of anxious thoughts about maybe having a heart attack at any moment (I now know this is not going to happen, so don’t worry).

But everything is now coming together, and I’m happy with how this book is shaping up. I’m also excited to move on to new projects and will truly celebrate when I turn in this revision because let me tell you, I am stressed.

Not because I feel like I can’t complete this revision in a reasonable time frame, or because I think the book isn’t good, or anything like that. But as a freelance writer I often feel like I’m in a race against myself to put out new books, to be ahead of schedule, to have a perfectly polished book ready and waiting by the time I turn in the final draft of the previous one.

I’m also very behind on blurb requests.

For those of you who don’t know, the quotes on the back of a book where other authors praise the book you’re holding are called “blurbs.” I’ve agreed to read and potentially blurb a lot of books as of late because I always do my best to support other authors, but I’ve fallen quite behind. The taller the stack of books grows, the less I want to touch it due to overwhelm.

But I’m working through it one page at a time, and tell myself that some progress is better than none. More than anything, I never want to come across as an author who thinks she’s too good to help others out, or who will only give blurbs for her friends.

• I’m moderating T. Kingfisher’s launch event for What Stalks the Deep at Brookline Booksmith this Friday, October 3rd! Tickets are already sold out—apologies, as this was a very last-minute event.

• I’ll also be at the Fables & Flames Romantasy Gala in Minneapolis, November 21-23!

Preorder Links:

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (11/18/25)

Japanese Gothic (4/21/26)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

All three books in T. Kingfisher’s Sworn Soldier series! I read What Moves the Dead several years ago and really enjoyed re-reading it as well as continuing with the series. The third book (What Stalks the Deep) has some scenes in Boston, much to my delight.

I also read Horror as Racism in H.P. Lovecraft: White Fragility in the Weird Tales by John L. Steadman alongside a collection of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories. As a horror author, I felt obligated to be more familiar with H.P. Lovecraft’s work so I could speak more eloquently about why it’s considered offensive today. I had my post-its and highlighters ready, keen to search for subtle signs of racism in the stories… I didn’t have to look far. In the first story of the collection, the MC’s black cat is literally named the N Word. Suffice it to say I found the nonfiction book that broke down Lovecraft’s lifelong insecurities which he projected onto BIPOC far more interesting than Lovecraft’s actual stories.

What I’m watching:

Alice in Borderland Season 3. My 2027 YA book is inspired by this series in small ways, so I’m excited to see where season 3 goes.

Wednesday season 2. This is still a fun brain-off show for me. I may be an Isaac Night stan for life.

That’s all from me this month! Happy Fall, everyone!

All my best,

Kylie

I’m writing this from the 20th story of an apartment building in New York, a cup of green tea to my right and a PopTart to my left. My friend Joan is on her laptop in the kitchen, I’m in a fluffy white beanbag chair, and we’re 800 miles and 10 years from when we first met in college.

Some things haven’t changed—Joan is half dead from a med school exam and I’m writing about demons and eating processed sugar.

August has been a month packed full of travel. I feel like I’ve barely unpacked my suitcase when I’m packing it up again. I’m a house cat who thrives in comfort and consistency, so this has been an exhausting month for me. But luckily, travel means adventures, and adventures mean stories, and I have plenty of stories to share with you about the waning days of summer.

The Actual Middle of Nowhere

My mom’s family lives in Maine. Their cabin is so far north and so far from the city that the GPS can’t actually lead you there because all it registers is trees. It’s the kind of place where everyone has a gun (or ten), where loon calls wake you up at night, and the water is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom.

I can appreciate nature objectively.

But bugs and I don’t get along. I don’t like dirt, or sweat, or bug spray, or itchy plants, or spiders above my bed. I would sooner eat a mouthful of sand than willingly go camping.

But I love my family, and their cabin had AC and wifi, so there wasn’t much to complain about.

My cousin Kyle, who is the same age as me, took me for a ride in a side-by-side. For those of you who have never experienced this (as I hadn’t until recently), this is an off-road vehicle meant for traversing bumpy unpaved roads. Imagine driving over a pothole. Now imagine driving over 15 potholes of various depths within a span of 3 seconds. That’s pretty much what it’s like to ride in a side-by-side.

It was awesome.

I mean, I did not love the part where Kyle drove through a muddy puddle and it splashed over my face and mouth. But the rest of it was exhilarating, and something I never would have gotten to experience if I’d never left Boston.

Seattle Worldcon

The next week, I flew out to Seattle for Worldcon.

This is a science fiction and fantasy convention that takes place in a different city every year, where nerds unite to celebrate fantasy and fandom. This year, I was able to go as a panelist! People actually showed up to see me yap about horror, the YA market, and even read an excerpt of Japanese Gothic.

I also went for a run by the waterfront with Katie and Yume. Some people say running while traveling is crazy. To that, I say: I agree, but they peer pressured me.

Get you friends who push you to be better, work harder, and run faster.

I also had possibly the best meal of my life: pork belly, garlic rice, eggs, and ube pancakes.

I will forever be chasing the high of this meal. Purple pancakes are my Moby Dick and I am Captain Ahab.

Don’t even mention the green tea cafe where me and my friends went at least twice a day the whole week to try out all their different matcha desserts and drinks.

I met so many interesting, inspiring, and kind people in the book community. There’s something so special about being united in your nerdiness and niche interests (don’t even get me started on how popular the panel about trains was), and celebrating those interests among people who understand.

Surprise! You’re Going to New York

Anyone who knows me knows that I go to New York semi-regularly. I seek out excuses to go visit my friends and eat all the glorious food the city has to offer, then return with a bag full of 30 bagels. This is not an exaggeration.

This was somewhat of a last-minute trip, but it’s warmed my soul (and my stomach). I got to have incredible pork belly pad thai (I’m noticing a recurring theme in my favorite meals), hold an oracle cat, and have deep conversations about inequalities in medicine with Joan (which is always a treat, because she’s so brilliant).

Going to New York always reminds me just how lucky I am to have such amazing friends. I love them more than I could ever put into words.

I love getting to write in cafes with them, splitting pineapple buns with humungous slabs of butter, traveling ridiculous distances to chase our dessert cravings, trying out sticky rice tea together, slurping up our Korean takeout stews at a tiny kitchen table, throwing surprise parties for each other, running through the park together, bending down to hug them because they’re all so short (sorry but it’s true).

I love the way they encourage me when I worry my book will flop. I love how they take care of me when I dramatically get sick in public and have to lie down under a table. I love how they send me cat pictures whenever I ask and sometimes even before I ask. I love how they give me candy corn even though they definitely judge me for eating it. I love how they buy me hotdogs without ketchup because they know I hate condiments. I love how they roast me for drinking Dunkin matcha. I love that when I’m with them, I feel seen and understood and appreciated. I love that they love me and have also made me a better person, author, athlete, and friend.

I spent half of this month working on a new project. This one hasn’t sold yet, so I’m keeping it close to my heart at the moment, but I can tell you that I watched Inception twice on the flight to Seattle as research/inspiration for this project. The person next to me probably thought I was completely unhinged when I kept rewatching the last half hour of the movie and crying again each time. In short, this book is about the lives we could have had and how we contend with the hand we’re dealt.

Toward the end of the month, I resumed work on my next YA project. This one has sold but hasn’t been announced yet, so I can tell you only slightly more about it: it has Spirited Away vibes but with a love interest who is really bad at being human (think Harry from Resident Alien). It’s very unserious, but also (like all my books) with a dark emotional core. It’s about income inequality, and questioning what—if anything— we owe our extended family.

• There’s currently a giveaway on Goodreads for I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends!

• I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

• I’ll also be at the Fables & Flames Romantasy Gala in Minneapolis, November 21-23!

Preorder Links:

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (11/18/25)

Japanese Gothic (4/21/26)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

My favorite read this month is City of Others by Jared Poon. Think Asian ghost hunting fantasy with hilarious workplace drama.

What I’m watching:

I’m slowly making my way through Squid Game and my heart is broken all over again.

What I’m playing:

More Baldur’s Gate 3. This is just my life now—subservience to a pale vampire elf.

That’s all from me this month! Happy September to you all!

All my best,

Kylie

On the first weekend in July, I found myself in Vermont, looking out at rolling green hills and endless blue skies from a porch in a quiet town. This is basically Narnia to a city girl like me. Even though I’m definitely an indoor cat and not really made for mountains, it’s hard to argue with how beautiful the views in Vermont are, or how great the maple syrup there is, or how lovely it is to be surrounded by such genuinely nice people.

I was there for my friend’s bachelorette party trip, along with her fiance and a dozen of her lovely friends. We spent the long weekend hiking, playing card games, and cooking for each other. I slept in a loft, which was thrilling once I got someone to remove the spider next to my bed. A bit of Kylie lore: I love lofts because the ceiling is lower and I have whatever the opposite of claustrophobia is. I am a den animal who wants to sleep in tiny spaces. Put me in my coffin, Louis.

On the fourth of July, I watched fireworks from a hot tub while contorting myself over the edge so I could eat my s’more without getting crumbs in the water. My patriotism is at a record low, but my lack of enthusiasm for the holiday was balanced by the reminder that there are so many good people out there who just want to help each other, and that the world is still so, so beautiful.

I also found BAT EATER in a bookstore in Vermont! I love seeing my books out in the wild.

This month, I also went with my parents and second cousin to see the Van Gogh exhibit at the MFA. I love Van Gogh’s paintings—they remind me of when I was a kid and had orchestra rehearsals in a room with two giant Van Gogh prints hanging on the walls, which I would stare at while the conductor was talking. This particular exhibit featured several paintings of a wonderfully chubby baby.

“That baby is kind of ugly,” my mom whispered to me, conspiratorially. “You were cuter,” my dad agreed.

I really love art museums because I’m such a visual person and can imagine the paintings coming to life—in landscape paintings, for instance, I see the grass blowing, the clouds rolling across the sky, the waves lapping onto the shore. Paintings feel a bit like windows into another world for me.

Overall, July has been a surprisingly busy month, but in all the best ways.

I celebrated a dear friend’s birthday, had catch-up phone calls with two friends who I haven’t seen in years, played a new video game with other friends, and happily planned a different friend’s bridal shower.

I sometimes wonder how, as an introvert, I’ve managed to find and keep so many truly wonderful friends around me. I honestly believe a lot of it is just luck—for instance, my best friend is someone I met in my kindergarten class. What are the odds that someone you’re randomly thrown into a classroom with at age 5 would be someone who you actually like as an adult? I have other friends from elementary and middle school that are still in my life too. Like, who would have thought that one day I would be a bridesmaid in Winnie the Pooh’s wedding?

Other than that, I’ve spent July quietly working away on my next horror novel, playing probably (definitely) too many video games, swimming among ducks and lily pads, and eating s’mores that I roast over my gas stove while trying not to scorch my silverware.

Running has been a challenge this month due to the heat waves. I’ve managed to run a few times in weather that would have made Winter Kylie want to curl up and die, but they definitely weren’t my most impressive workouts. I ended up feeling like a sun-dried raisin by the time they finished.

I can’t wait for fall weather and my one-year running anniversary! Fall is beautiful in New England, and wanting to be outside and experience it is what made me pick up running last year. I’m so ready to admire beautiful foliage instead of trying to rub gnats out of my eyes and mopping up sweat with my shirt.

I’ve finished a first draft of a horror novel! I can tell you nothing about it!

For me, a “first draft” is the draft I feel that I could share with beta readers without dying of shame. It’s one step up from my zero draft (which promises nothing except that you can follow the plot from beginning to end without any gaps) and my second draft (which is polished enough that I would show my editor). I’m going to let it marinate for at least a week so I can go back to it with fresh eyes and do another round of revisions.

I’ve also just finished up pass pages for Japanese Gothic! Which means I’ve now seen the book in its final typeset form and am cleaning up minor grammar issues. The good news is that I still like this weird little book a lot, even though this is the stage of editing that I like the least.

I’ve also been tinkering with a new project, and am reminded once more how humbling it is to start a new book. My process is dictated by whether or not my writing “feels right” at any stage, which is immensely frustrating when it feels off but I can’t figure out why. Maybe this book isn’t meant to be, or maybe I’m just hungry and need a break.

Hello from the depths of revision hell.

I spent much of this month scene/line editing to bring my zero draft of my next horror book up to a respectable first draft. I find this part of the process fulfilling but also exhausting in a way that drafting isn’t (for me, at least).

This is because, when writing my zero draft, my mantra is “it doesn’t need to be good, it just needs to exist.” Anything to get words down on the page. All problems are for future Kylie, not present Kylie. I am a very efficient drafter for this reason, and best of all, I can draft when I’m tired or sick or my brain is just generally not firing on all cylinders because the writing doesn’t need to sound good yet.

But for my first draft, I’m left to sweep up the mess that past Kylie left behind. I want to feel that my scenes have enough beats, that they’re paced correctly, that I’ve conveyed the right emotions at the right time, that the book is starting to actually resemble a complete, satisfying story. This means, unfortunately, that my brain does actually have to be on. On, as in firing-on-all-cylinders, tank-is-full, ready-to-race, 100% brain power ON.

Some people are good at pushing through fatigue to get their revisions done, but my brain is more of a 500m sprinter than a marathoner.

In other words, I am good at doing intense, focused, short periods of high quality work… and then my brain completely taps out for the day. At least, in terms of work that requires a lot of thought. I can still answer emails and whatnot, but if I try to go back to my revisions, my brain turns into applesauce.

My friends say that I’m good at giving myself breaks, but the reality is that my brain decides for me.

I know from experience that if I keep pushing, I get diminishing returns. It’s better for me to call it quits when my brain tells me to and spend 30 minutes fixing a problem the next morning, rather than spend 3 hours tiredly trying to solve the same problem. I’ve actually found that doing work when I’m tired can end up creating MORE work for future Kylie because of the steep decline in quality which I then have to mop up afterwards. I could end up writing myself into rabbit holes that I than have to fill the next morning when I realize they weren’t working.

In other words, I’m trying to focus more on high quality rather than high quantity work.

These things are of course not mutually exclusive. Are there writers who can spend 8 hours a day cranking out gorgeous prose? Probably. But I am not that person and I never will be. This is the brain I’ve got, and I’m doing my best to work with it rather than against it.

I’m also aware that this is a very privileged position to be in—I can make my own schedule to work around my best brain time because writing is my full time job and I don’t have kids. There are authors who have to work when they’re tired because it’s the only time they have outside of a day job, or when their baby is sleeping. Anyone who does this has my respect and admiration.

But if you do have any flexibility in your schedule, I think it’s worth thinking a bit about how your brain works best, and trying to accommodate it rather than force yourself to grind all the time.

I’ll be at Worldcon in Seattle this year! I’m on two panels and doing a short reading of Japanese Gothic, so please feel free to say hi if you’re around!

I’ll also be at the Fables & Flames Romantasy Gala in Minneapolis, November 21-23! It’s strange to me that I can call myself a romantasy author now, thanks to IFYWTTE!

Preorder Links:

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (11/18/25)

Japanese Gothic (4/21/26)

Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments): Porter Square Books

What I’m Reading:

My favorite book this month was The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami. I’m a huge Murakami fan, despite not having read much Murakami in recent years. His work is so different from anything I’ve ever written or plan to write (dreamy, non-western story structure, at times meandering but in a way that I enjoy), that I sometimes find it hard to justify picking up his books when I have so many other books that I’ve agreed to blurb, or know that I should read for market or genre research.

But, as part of my Accidental Creative journey (mentioned in previous newsletters) I’m making time for creative input that I enjoy, even if it’s not directly related to my work. I’m very interested in Japanese literature and non-western story structures, even though I know it would be difficult to implement those structures when I have to cater to an American audience. But reading it brought me joy, and maybe it will subconsciously help my creative process in some way.

What I’m watching:

Interview with the Vampire (the series)

I know it’s the third newsletter I’ve talked about this series, but I have finally finally finished and… this might be one of my favorite shows ever.

I retract everything I said about Lestat in the last newsletter. He is my vampire daddy again. Never has a season finale hit me so hard as this one. This show is truly a masterclass in writing complex characters, unreliable narrators, and satisfying, surprising character arcs.

Kpop Demon Hunters

I know everyone has seen this already, but it needs to be said: I loved it. I actually wasn’t keen on watching it at first, based on the clips I’d seen. It didn’t seem like my style of humor.

And while I was right on that front—the humor wasn’t really up my alley—the more earnest parts of it were so, so beautiful.

What I’m playing:

Baldur’s Gate 3

Again, I’m super late. But this game has actually taken over my life. I think the popularity of this game speaks to the power of writing characters with rich backstories. It’s a gorgeous and fun game, but the storylines for all of the characters are so compelling, which I think is the game’s greatest strength.

Human Fall Flat

This is an extremely silly platformer game—imagine you were the Pillsbury Dough Boy with no bones trying to climb out of a canyon and that’s basically it. Still, I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.

That’s all for me this month!

I honestly can’t wait to send you my next newsletter because it will be the end of August, which means fall! Pumpkin iced coffee will probably be in stores by then, which is a cause for celebration for me every year.

I hope you all stay cool and enjoy the sunlight!

All my best,

Kylie

I am Okinawan. This means I’m descended from people indigenous to a humid subtropical climate, the hottest island in what is now considered Japan. It’s the same on my Chinese side—my grandfather was from southern China, which is also a humid subtropical climate.

Yet, somehow, despite centuries of adaptation and resilience, you have… me.

A snowman.

(Pale white, melts rapidly in the heat, turns into a puddle of muddy water when exposed to direct sunlight, etc.)

I am a New Englander through and through. Blizzard? I’m ready. 40 degrees? T-shirt weather. Driving through the snow? Easy. I’m the OG Elsa.

But heat?? Don’t mind while I cower in my room with AC until the sun sets. Nothing makes me feel more like a spoiled American princess than the way I depend on AC once it’s over 70 degrees. I hope you’re reading this from somewhere cool and shady with a glass of something cold beside you, and that you’re weathering the heat better than I am.

This month, I turned 30.

This is the part where you probably expect me to say something profound (or at least reflective) about the end of my 20s. But the truth is, I’ve felt 30 years old spiritually for quite a long time now. So, in a way, this just feels like becoming truer to who I really am. In other words, I feel deeply tired of silly things that won’t matter 10 years from now, completely devoid of patience for people who drain me, and jaded as to how dark the world can be yet still deeply aware that hope is the only response that will serve us.

I won’t lie and say I’ve transcended all worries about getting older.

The one thing I truly feel that I’ve lost is the sense of wonder and possibility that I had in my early 20s. I remember first setting foot in Korea after graduating college and feeling like I had all the time in the world to figure my life out, that my future was an infinitely branching tree of possibilities, and all those potential futures thrilled me.

I know that 30 is still very young, but I no longer feel like my time is limitless. My time with my parents (who are healthy—don’t worry!—but are, as we all are, getting older) is limited. The window in which I can decide whether or not I want to have children will not stay open forever. And though I am generally physically healthy and able to lead an active life, I know that the relative ease with which I can move isn’t going to last forever.

But I also see now, in a way I don’t think I could when I was in my early 20s, that 30 is actually so young. At 30, you can completely remake your life if you want to (I don’t want to—I’m pretty happy with how things turn out, but I could always pack up and become the world’s worst circus performer if I wanted to). So I suppose I’m moving with a tad bit more urgency toward my goals than I was before, but there are worse things than an extra helping of motivation.

I celebrated my 30th birthday by sleeping over at the Lizzie Borden House with some of my friends. If you don’t know what that is, bear with me for a sec…

Lizzie Borden was an (alleged) axe murderer who lived in Fall River, MA in the late 1800s. She was accused of murdering her father and step mother with an axe in their home, but was later acquitted. The house where they all lived is now widely regarded as being haunted… and has been turned into a bed & breakfast where you can stay the night.

So of course, me being… the way I am… I used the excuse of my 30th birthday to force all my friends to visit it with me.

(I did not really force them—I made it clear that there were no hard feelings if anyone was too scared and wanted to opt out)

First, we drove out to Providence to enjoy afternoon tea (I’m a sucker for tiny cakes and a good English Breakfast tea).

Next, we drove the rest of the way to Fall River, where I had rented out the entire Lizzie Borden house for our group.

The house is decorated in the style of the late 1800s, and to my surprise, also included desecrated mannequins placed where the murder victims were found. Imagine my shock when I rounded the bed in my room and saw a bloody corpse on the floor.

After paying our respects at the Borden family grave nearby, we ordered food, played board games, and ate truly obscene amounts of cookies as the sun set (okay, maybe it was just me eating all the cookies). By nightfall, we turned off the lights and played a game of hide & seek.

I bet you’re dying (haha) to know if we saw anything spooky.

No.

At least, none of us will admit to it. Even though I’m a horror writer, I don’t believe I’ll ever see a ghost. I believe it’s possible that other people may have seen them (you would have to be pretty closed-minded to say that something couldn’t be true simply because you yourself have never experienced it), but I also firmly believe that if there are ghosts, they know I would enjoy it too much if they revealed themselves to me, so they won’t bother to give me what I want.

I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t indulge me either.

Good news (if you like my horror novels, otherwise TERRIBLE NEWS and my condolences): I have more horror in the pipeline!

I can’t say anything about it yet, but please know that Japanese Gothic (my 2026 horror novel) is not the last spooky book you’ll see from me.

I spent most of this month fast-drafting that new book, which I’d sold on proposal. This meant I had a very polished first six chapters, and then nothing but an outline for the rest.

Remember when I said writing a dual POV book (Japanese Gothic) was the hardest challenge for me yet?

Well this new book has 3 POVs. Do I regret this? A bit. But I also think this book could be fantastic if I get it right, so I’m working hard to really polish this one to a diamond shine.

Last month, I wrote about Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry. This is my report on how implementing some of the changes in this book has influenced my creativity over the month of June.

Unnecessary Creation

As I said before, I chose calligraphy as my “unnecessary creation” hobby, ie an activity to help me train my brain to be creative and get into a flow state. I adore the quiet focus, the small improvements I see over time as my letters become cleaner and prettier. I enjoy the repetition, and the dedication to honing a skill just for me and no one else, the time spent solely dedicated to nourishing my creative mind.

In a skit by Shawna The Mom, a grandfather tells his daughter-in-law to be patient during her painting class and remarks that “how you do one thing is how you do everything.” I think about this now while I’m practicing calligraphy, or running, or even cleaning up around the house. The care with which I execute these tasks carries over into other areas of my life.

Thoughtful Input

I’ve enjoyed strategically planning out my reading queue to have a balance of books that will directly benefit my writing, books that will inspire me simply because they interest me, and “vegetable” books (books that are good for me albeit a bit dry). I’ve been keeping a notebook where I jot down ideas and catch stray thoughts about all the media I consume.

Thanks to this notebook, I’ve already captured a few story ideas, and even an article idea—by accident, I happened to start reading The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones right after Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice and would love to write about how these books are in conversation with each other (they are both about interviews with vampires, but in very different ways).

My next horror novel, Japanese Gothic, now has a cover!!

This is the US cover. The US hardback releases April 21, 2026, and you can preorder it here! Reminder that I will sign and personalize all preorders from Porter Square Books—just request a signature and personalization in the order comments!

Other Links:

Preorder I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (11/18/25)

What I’m Reading:

My favorite book that I read this month was Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale. It’s a time travel book, but rather than trying to save the world, the MC is just trying to stop her boyfriend from dumping her. The voice is so captivating (I’m a sucker for voicy books).

What I’m watching:

Interview with the Vampire. I’m still watching this one. But remember how last month I called Lestat my vampire daddy? Suffice it to say I hadn’t finished the first season yet. I’ve also started the Murderbot series, which I love, and have bumped the books up my TBR as a result.

That’s all for me this month! I hope you all survive the heat and make it through to the dark days of fall. The cold is coming for you all. It won’t be long now…

All my best,

Kylie

May was Half Marathon Month for me. The upcoming race dominated both my dreams and waking hours and informed every aspect of my life, from my bagel intake (higher than usual, which is a high bar to clear) to my sleep schedule (I tried to sleep a lot more, but I’m an insomniac so that was a frustrating exercise in futility).

But before that, I flew out to LA for YallWest!

As a snowman, I was looking forward to beautiful sunny LA weather… and was met with a whole weekend of chilly rain, for which I did not bring appropriate clothing—or even an umbrella. I saw some interesting panels, squeezed in an 11 mile run around the Rose Bowl, and played a lot of Settlers of Catan with my college friends, who also have very cute dogs.

I did also meet some lovely readers while out in the rain at YallWest! One of them found me hunched over a basket of poutine which I was devouring with my friends. I was trying to hide under the shelter of the food truck roof but also shrink myself down so I wouldn’t block people’s view of the menu, so I looked a bit like a cave troll picking apart its kill.

Book festivals are fun and weird for me because I do sometimes get recognized, which means I need to make sure I’m not picking my nose or spilling food on myself or other embarrassing things that shatter my carefully-cultivated Instagram illusion of having my shit together. Like last year at WorldCon when my friend Yume and I were both recognized while enthusiastically doing a scavenger hunt that we didn’t realize was designed for children. If you see me in person, don’t ever hesitate to say hi if you want to! But please forgive me if I come off as much more awkward than I do online.

But anyway, back to the half marathon, because I am now one of those annoying runners who never shuts up about it.

Reflections on running the Brooklyn Half Marathon:

Running a race has forced me to become attuned to my body’s needs and to be kind to myself in ways I never imagined.

In the weeks leading up to the race, I knew how important it was to make sure my muscles were fresh. I approached my workouts with a level of gentleness that I never have before. I felt happy as I fueled myself with bagels and other carbs, and hydrated more diligently than I have in my entire life. So much of training for a race involves pushing through discomfort, so it suddenly felt luxurious to treat my body so lovingly.

I took the train to New York and had one final pasta meal with my fellow racing ducks, then got ready for the race.

Things… did not go quite as planned.

The temperature was about 70 degrees with 93% humidity. While this sounds fine or maybe even pleasant if you’re going for a leisurely walk, running makes the weather feel about 20 degrees hotter than it really is. In 93% humidity at this temp, the air is so wet that your sweat doesn’t evaporate, so sweating doesn’t cool you down.

My fellow ducks were pessimistic about what this would mean for our race prospects, but I was still feeling fresh and excited. I had a game plan, and was ready to go.

Oh, also our team name is the Flying Ducks and our shirts say “quack quack bitch”

To make a long story short, the heat got to me.

I know from my training program that the first 6 miles should feel easy and comfortable. Half marathons are all about pacing yourself, after all. You can’t run your hardest for 13.1 miles (at least, I certainly can’t). I knew within 4 miles that this race wasn’t going to be the easy breezy jog that I’d hoped for. By mile 3, there was nothing easy or comfortable about the race, even though I was running only slightly faster than my easy practice runs. Only two weeks ago, Katie and I had jogged 11 miles even faster than this, and I’d felt like I could have kept running easily. Now, only a few miles into the race, there was no way I could accurately apply the word “easy” to anything that was happening.

It was the heat. Just like Yume and Katie predicted.

I’d started running in October last year and had yet to run through any truly hot or humid weather. Half of my training was done in the winter in Boston when my contacts nearly froze out of my eyeballs.

So I made a decision: I walked.

I decided in that moment that I couldn’t risk getting heat stroke this early in the race. I was disappointed, but I told myself: you know what’s worse than finishing with a slower time than you wanted? Passing out on the side of the road and not finishing at all.

My fears were not unfounded.

As the miles wore on and we got to Ocean Park Boulevard, a long and seemingly endless stretch of unshaded road, more and more runners started dropping. Many fainted or threw up on the side of the road.

My pace got even slower and I got even more frustrated with myself every time I stopped to walk just to get my heart rate down. At every water station, I stopped to pour a cup of Gatorade in my mouth and a cup of water over my head. I was angry that I was so far away from my target pace, which had seemed in reach just a few miles ago. The 2:15 pace team passed me by (which was my original goal). I tried to keep up with them for a bit, but knew I couldn’t sustain that pace for another 5 miles, so I gave up and watched them go on.

But what choice did I have? I thought of the movie Cool Runnings where (spoilers) the bobsled team’s sled breaks down a short distance from the finish line, so they carry it the rest of the way. I decided I would finish the race even if I had to crawl.

Thankfully, no crawling was necessary. I found a group running a pace that felt sustainable for me—a whole minute slower than my usual “easy” run pace, but it was a pace I felt I could keep without stopping. I creepily followed behind them until the last mile, when I felt good enough to pass them.

I wish I could say that crossing the finish line was a glorious moment, but in truth, as soon as I stopped running, I felt like I’d been steamrolled and could think of little other than drinking more Gatorade so I didn’t vomit all over the boardwalk.

“It’s over, that’s what matters,” said a kind stranger, after seeing the shell-shocked look on my face.

Though running a half-marathon might seem like a bit of a masochistic choice, taking care of my body post-race actually felt like one of the greatest acts of self love I’ve ever practiced.

I cared for my body like I would care for a dying houseplant. I drank copious amounts of water and electrolytes and ate lots of carbs even though I still felt a bit queasy post-race. I knew that my body battery was at zero and needed nourishment or I would feel even worse. I went out walking again after a shower even though I wished I could spend the rest of the day in bed because I knew that the walk would help my muscles heal. More than any one particular act of care, the mentality of “your body has done something very difficult, and now you must be gentle and loving with yourself in order to heal” was so liberating.

Grind culture is so pervasive these days, so it felt almost rebellious to just be gentle with myself for the next week or so.

At the end of the day, the race wasn’t the victory I’d hoped for, but I also didn’t collapse from heat stroke on the side of the road. All things considered, it could have been worse. And it means I’m practically guaranteed to set a PR when I run the Boston Half in November.

Yes, you heard that right—I’ll try again.

I worked too hard to let THAT be the only half marathon I ever run. I can do better. I will do better. Just wait and see.

I’m currently finishing up copyedits for JAPANESE GOTHIC, which also has a gorgeous cover that I hope to be able to share soon. After this round of edits, I’ll be able to see the typeset pages as they’ll appear in the final book, which is always an exciting moment! This book has lived inside my head for so long, and it’s finally making its way out into the world. More on this book below!

I’m also back to work drafting my next adult horror! I can’t say anything about yet, but it is disgusting and angry and I’m so thrilled that I get to finish writing it.

Lastly, I’m finishing up a short story for a project I can’t talk about (sorry, I know the secrecy is so annoying).

This month, I read Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry and… I think it might have changed my life?

The premise of the book is that you can learn to structure your life in such a way that you can generate brilliant ideas on demand… but you have to keep in mind that creativity is not a limitless resource just because you can’t see it disappear the same way that paper gets used up in a copy machine.

The book discusses how to structure your work and personal life (spoiler: these are the same thing) in such a way that you’re nurturing your creativity. It helps you strategize how to be mindful of your creative input (the media you consume) such that it feeds your creative output.

I know that not everyone has as much flexibility with their schedule as I do, and that there are limits to how most people can restructure their days. Still, just as many parts of this book weren’t applicable to my specific situation (there is a lot of discussion about creative projects in the workplace which tend to be more of a team effort than what I do), I think this is a good “take what you need, leave what you don’t” book. I found it incredibly useful.

The part I find most exciting is the chapter on “unnecessary creation.” That is, making time for a hobby you do with your hands just because you enjoy it. I’ve always known this was good for one’s mental health, but like so many things, it’s never been a priority. However, this book does a good job explaining why this practice can actually make your work more efficient and effective. I’m not having a lot of fun brainstorming what kind of creative projects I can now justify doing. Calligraphy? Sticker art? Making tiny dioramas? I’m thrilled to add this to my schedule.

Remember that samurai horror book with the placeholder title JAPANESE GOTHIC? Well…. that’s no longer the placeholder title. It’s the real title!

I half-jokingly called the book JAPANESE GOTHIC when I started writing it because it was set in Japan and had a haunted house, but now the title has stuck, and I honestly think it fits very well.

The description is finally out on retailer sites, though preorders aren’t up yet. But if you’re curious, here’s a bit more info:

I can also say that I officially have more horror in the pipeline! So keep an eye out for that.

And of course, a reminder that my next book comes out THIS YEAR:

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (11/18/25)

This is my cute YA time travel romantasy with lots of cheesecake!

What I’m Reading:

My favorite read of this month was ITCH! by Gemma Amor. I’ve also been reading a lot of Junji Ito graphic novels and finished NO LONGER HUMAN, which is Junji Ito’s adaptation of the Japanese post-war classic by Osamu Dazai. The images are haunting because Junji Ito is an amazing artist, though I’m now interested in reading the novel to get deeper inside the main character’s head.

What I’m watching:

Interview with the Vampire (the new series) is my current obsession. Blonde, French vampire daddy? Say less.

That’s it for me this month! As we transition into summer, I hope you all find lots of shady trees to sit and read under, lots of refreshing iced coffee, and plenty of sunscreen.

All my best,

Kylie

Yesterday was a very special day… the birthday of my fifth book child! Everyone wish Cora a happy birthday because she’s now out in the US! You can find her at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Indie bookstores

I feel so grateful to be able to share my fifth novel with the world. I’m even more grateful for the positive reviews and kind reception that this book has already gotten leading up to release week. Any book about racism is going to be polarizing, so I was braced for a lot of backlash. But I’m so touched that many people seem to understand the heart of this book and appreciate its message.

I’m also delighted to see my name in the horror section of a bookstore. As many of you know, horror is what made me love reading as a kid. I remember browsing the shelves of the adult horror section at arguably too young of an age. The idea that I could be the next story that another person picks up is always such a privilege to me.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled monthly programming, aka Kylie Waxes Poetic about the Changing Seasons and Gets Existential:

The happiest day in Boston every year is Marathon Monday.

This year, Marathon Monday was April 21st. Most people have the day off of work or school, and half the city shuts down and turns blue and yellow, collectively cheering on the 30k+ runners. The Boston Marathon is considered one of the toughest as it’s unusually hilly, including an infamously steep hill nicknamed Heartbreak Hill at mile 20. Bostonians are normally rude, so this collective showing of support is touching… Or maybe we just derive joy from watching other people suffer for 26 miles.

I have never run a marathon, nor do I think I ever will. Training for a half marathon already seems to eat up a huge portion of my week and I can’t imagine doubling the training load. But this is all a long-winded simile to say that reaching the end of April feels to me like collapsing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

You might think this is melodramatic, but I did actually run across the real Boston Marathon finish line this month…. after running the Boston 5k.

Despite training to run much longer distances, I think 5ks are always going to be hard because you’re meant to run them as fast as you can, and if you have anything left in the tank when you’re done, you didn’t run hard enough. So as cool as I thought it would be to run a race where I got to cross the actual Boston Marathon finish line, all I could feel at the time was the jaws of death closing around me. My internal monologue as soon as I could see the finish was something like:

You are not going to stop this close to the finish line, Kylie.

I know you wanted to push it the last mile but at this point I will settle for just not stopping.

That lady in front of me has to be at least twenty years older than me. How is she so fast??

There are three lines here and then the big archway overhead… WHICH ONE IS THE REAL FINISH LINE???

Oh, everyone around me has stopped running. I guess that means I’m done. Someone give me a donut, fast.

I then blearily stumbled through tables where volunteers handed me snacks, then sat on the sidewalk eating a 4 pack of Hawaiian rolls. This is how I feel both physically and mentally now that I’m at the end of April: sweaty, tired, and in desperate need of carbs.

I spent the first half of the month on double deadline (line edits for JAPANESE GOTHIC and first draft for NEXT UNTITLED YA BOOK). Once those were both turned in, I filled my days with BAT EATER interviews and podcasts, appointments I’d been putting off, half marathon training, and catching up on reading. I may have also accidentally checked out 10 books from the library in a temporary fit of insanity. So, despite not having any official deadlines for most of this month, I still feel like I’ve been gently steamrolled.

It’s a somewhat satisfying feeling (if saying that doesn’t make me sound like a masochist). What I mean is that, as a freelancer, I know it’s much better to be busy than bored because I don’t get paid for being bored. I’m lucky to have editors giving me feedback on my books. I’m lucky to have podcasters sliding into my DM’s asking to interview me. I’m lucky that people want me on their panels. I’m lucky that I have good news to make Canva graphics about. I remember being a debut author and feeling like I was invisible and unproven in this industry, so to have multiple events every week is truly a blessing.

Next up, I’m running the Brooklyn Half Marathon in a couple of weeks. I’m sure my workload will pick up again soon, but I’m hoping to have at least a few days enjoying the sunshine and flowers before retreating to my writing cave again.

It’s either feast or famine for me. That is, I’m always either on double deadline or have nothing on my plate and am scrambling to find work so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time and actively losing money by the second because my self worth is unhealthily tied to my productivity.

As I said earlier in this newsletter, I’ve just turned in line edits for JAPANESE GOTHIC as well as the first draft of my next YA fantasy. My efforts now are focused on a couple things to tide me over until the next deadline:

• a short story for a secret project

• planning my next adult book

• reading as much as I possibly can.

  • This includes a lot of YA fantasy (I alternate reading YA and adult books each month, and April was a YA month), literary/speculative crossover books for book club, books about Okinawa (for my own personal research) and a lot of Junji Ito comics for fun.

How beta reading / critique partners work

I was lucky enough to have the help of several amazing authors/beta readers who read BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG for me and offered their feedback before it went on submission. Thank you forever to Yume Kitasei, Van Hoang, Karen Jialu Bao, and Chelsea Catherine for making my book so much better!

In honor of them, I’d like to write about what beta readers are, and how they work in publishing.

What are beta readers?

Beta readers are people who read a (usually) complete draft of a novel and provide critical feedback to help you revise it. This work is usually unpaid because of the expectation that you will return the favor for them at some point. I usually ask beta readers to give feedback on books before I try to sell them to editors. Sometimes I have specific concerns about my book that I ask them to address, and other times I just ask for their general impressions of the book and if there’s anything they found boring, confusing, or problematic.

What qualifies someone to be a beta reader?

Ideally, beta readers will also be writers who are familiar with story beats and structures so they can easily articulate why they think something is or isn’t working in your story. It helps if you also like their writing, though some people are incredible at giving feedback even if their writing isn’t your cup of tea.

Where do you find beta readers?

Three of my beta readers have the same literary agent as me, so our agent connected us. One of my beta readers is an author friend I met through Twitter. If you have an online presence, many people in the writing community are happy to beta read because they also want someone to beta read their work!

How do you choose which beta readers to ask for feedback?

I’m at a point where I’m lucky enough to have many people I can ask to beta read my work, so I try to be strategic about who I ask, since I never want to ask too much of any single person. I usually ask Yume, Van, or both to read all of my books, since we’re all good friends and I am very familiar with (and love!) their writing, so I trust their feedback. For this particular book, it was also very helpful that Yume is from NYC, since this book takes place there.

Jialu is another friend whose writing I love, and she also went to college in NYC and could help fact-check the setting for me.

Chelsea is a fellow horror author, whose book I had recently beta-read. It was important to me to have someone who was familiar with the horror genre read this book, as it’s not really a favorite for the other three beta readers.

How many beta readers do you ask to read your book?

I personally think 2-4 is sufficient. It’s enough to get a sense of patterns or common complaints—if more than one person has the same criticism, it’s usually a good idea to address it. But it’s also not so many that I need to wait around ages for feedback or start to get the feeling that there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Usually, by the third or fourth beta reader’s feedback, I start to develop pretty strong feelings about what feedback I agree with and what feedback I don’t agree with, and my revision plan starts to solidify in my mind, making me less receptive to further opinions.

• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng was reviewed in the New York Times!! It’s rare for this to happen, so this is a huge honor for me.

• I’ll be at YallWest! Not as an author, just walking around supporting my author friends and eating snacks! I’ll have some bookplates on me and am happy to give them out or sign anything you have if you see me around!

What I’m Reading:

My favorite book this month was A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee. After I read and loved A Study in Drowning, I’ve been so into dark academia, fashionably late.

What I’m watching:

Severance. Again, I definitely missed the boat on this one. But I finished season 2 and am praying to every being out there that there will be a season 3. Also, the most recent season of Black Mirror.

That’s all for me this month! I hope everyone has a lovely start to their spring, ideally with no bats.

All my best,

Kylie

It’s officially spring, and my brain feels a bit like pudding.

In the run-up to Bat Eater’s US release, I’ve found myself doing a lot more interviews and promotion than usual, though I’ve shoehorned in time to attend other people’s book events, play too many video games, and amp up my half marathon training. This has been a work-hard-play-hard month for me, and now that I’m looking back on it, I’m amazed at just how full of friends, joy, and quietly beautiful moments it was. Here are a few of the highlights:

• I made a grapefruit pound cake with this recipe, which was divine. I made one loaf for my family and one for my friends, and both were gone very quickly.

• I attended a launch event for Ava Reid’s new book, A Fable for the End of the World, which she discussed with C.L. Herman. I read two of Ava Reid’s books this year (Juniper and Thorn, and A Study in Drowning) and really enjoyed them, so I’m so excited for her new dystopian book!

• I learned how to play virtual hide and seek with my friends

• I attended the launch event for John Green’s new nonfiction book, Everything is Tuberculosis, and sat in the fourth row. I so deeply admire both John Green’s writing and his commitment to helping others, and seeing him talk in person only confirmed how much I want to be like him when I’m older. He’s a very humble guy, so I’m sure he would be horrified to hear me say this, but he truly is such an intelligent and empathetic person. Absolutely worth all the hype.

• I planned and successfully pulled off a small surprise party for one of my friends! Admire the matcha cake Yume and I made below. I LOVE surprise parties and used to plan them regularly when I was in college. One of my favorite college memories is the Pokemon, Go! themed party my friends and I planned during our senior year. All of us dressed as Pokemon and hid around campus. The birthday girl had to follow clues to find us and throw pokeballs at us.

All in all, it was a truly special month. Maybe I’m just saying that because it’s easy to feel optimistic now that the sun stays out past dinnertime. But I try my best to be grateful for moments both big and small, and to romanticize my own life and enjoy it as much as I can.

I’m hard at work on my next YA fantasy, which I just signed the contract for. This is another standalone, much like I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends. There’s a big and constantly bickering family, a huge inheritance at stake, and a prince who eats mayonnaise with his hands. It is somehow even sillier than I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (which is my most lighthearted book to date) and I’m delighted that I get to write it.

I’ve always said that my personality is 1/2 Geralt of Rivia (perpetually Done With This Shit and ready to fight anyone who gets in my way) and 1/2 Miss Frizzle (just an agent of fun chaos, unapologetic joy, and ugly dresses), and I’m thrilled that my work is starting to diverge into these two paths that somehow feel equally Me.

“So, do you just write all day?”

It’s a question I get a lot as a full time writer. While I wish that were the case, I do have a lot of other responsibilities, so I thought I’d share a bit of what kind of admin work authors have to do.

I have worked “real” jobs before, so I’m not trying to say that any of this is uniquely challenging or more difficult than anyone else’s job—it’s not. I just thought some people would find this interesting.

Here’s a peek into the admin I did last Monday morning:

• Finished typing up my answers to an interview for a book blog, then sent them back to my publicist

• Skimmed the contract for my next YA book. I read it in detail last week, and so did my agent and agency lawyer. This was the final copy approved by all parties and ready for my signature. I gave it a quick once-over and then signed it.

• Emailed someone confirming logistics for a podcast that I’m recording on Thursday

• Looked over and approved the full dust jacket for I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends (it’s so gorgeous)

• Scripted and then recorded 2 short videos for booksellers and librarians, which my publisher requested. This required doing hair and makeup (a rarity for me these days), cleaning off a corner of my office, setting up my lights, and practicing reading my script in front of the camera, so about an hour total

• Prepped for a podcast interview by jotting down answers to questions that often come up (what is your book about, tell us about yourself, what are you working on, what are you reading now). Moved my lights, tested Zoom, set up my camera, mic, and headphones. I’ve done enough interviews at this point that I’m usually not terribly stressed about them, especially if it’s not live (which this wasn’t).

• Recorded said podcast interview

• Signed and packaged up one of my author copies of Bat Eater to send to my agent, who likes to get a signed copy of all the books we sell together (Bat Eater is number five!) while making a mental note that I need to take aesthetic photos of said author copies for Instagram. This wasn’t urgent, but I hate clutter and I want to get my author copies out of the boxes on my floor ASAP.

• Emailed/DM’d 5 authors requesting blurbs for I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends

• Drafted this section of my newsletter to send out at the end of the week

It was a particularly admin-heavy week, since I’d been traveling since Friday and my inbox was a bit clogged up. Some days I have no emails at all and can happily focus on other things. But now, leading up to the release of Bat Eater in the US, there's a bit more on my plate than usual.

• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a LibraryReads pick! As a former librarian myself, this is such an honor!

• Reminder that if you preorder Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng from Porter Square Books, it will come with a print of the original cover. I will also sign and personalize all preorders if you request it in the order comments!

• Double reminder that the Bat Eater launch event with Paul Tremblay is on April 29th at Porter Square Books! You can RSVP here!

What I’m Reading:

If you want to cry, I recommend A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang. Conversely, if you want to be horrified (in a fun way), I really enjoyed rekt by Alex Gonzalez.

I started watching A Man on the Inside, which is about Michael from The Good Place (not his character, but the actor) working as an undercover agent at a retirement home, which is as hilarious as you’d expect. I’ve also started watching Severance and… wow. I have never been so glad to not work in the corporate world.

That’s it for me this month! Next month is Bat Eater’s US release, so I’m sure I’ll look back at all the promo I was whining about this month and think “wow, that was nothing compared to what I’m doing now!”

I hope all of you have the chance to get out and enjoy the spring weather!

All my best,

Kylie

Boston is a sheet of ice.

As much as I like to say I’m a snowman and thrive in cool temperatures, I am also a runner, and I have grown to resent the constant sheet of black ice over every sidewalk, the snowbanks making their way into the street, the freezing wind that makes it even harder to keep my balance while walking gingerly across the ice. It’s almost March, and snow has lost its charm even for people like me with a high tolerance for winter.

Speaking of running: half marathon training has begun in earnest. I’ve been working on my aerobic base and continuing strength training up until now, but I’ve started my 12-week plan which will carry me through to May. This involves a bit more speed training than what I’m doing (does the word Fartlek give anyone else high school sport flashbacks?). I am also way more careful to eat tons of carbs in order to not feel like I have been run over backwards with a steamroller post-run.

While January was a bit slow to start (a time when I found myself spending more time at the gym and devouring more books due to less work on my plate), this has not been the case for February. I’ve found myself drafting a new YA book, doing dev edits on an adult book, pass pages for another YA book, and of course all the joy and admin that comes with launching Bat Eater in two months! While I know all of it is doable, I do find so many competing deadlines a bit overwhelming at times. I’m in constant fight against my executive dysfunction to get everything done.

For that reason, I really don’t have many pictures to share from this month. I’ve mostly just kept my head down and worked.

But I’m trying to maintain some semblance of balance in my life! Against my will, I have become addicted to a multiplayer video game called Don’t Starve Together. It’s a Tim-Burton-esque dark whimsical survival game with monsters and danger everywhere but also crafting and gardening. Play at your own peril, because I have watched no less than three 90-minute guides in an effort to become better at it.

I’m currently wrapping up developmental (big picture) edits for JAPANESE GOTHIC (placeholder title for my samurai horror coming out in 2026). This is definitely the most structurally complex book I’ve written so far, but I’m so proud of how it’s shaping up! I’ve also started discussing cover concepts with my editor!

I’m also hard at work drafting my next YA book. Like I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends, this book sold on proposal, which means I didn’t write the whole book before my publisher agreed to purchase it. I’ve hammered out a zero draft (ie the fastest draft one can do, not fit for human eyes to read) and am working my way through refining the text, filling in the many gaps where I’ve written something to the effect of “INSERT EMOTIONAL REACTION HERE” since I couldn’t be bothered to slow down and write it while fast drafting.

And lastly, I’m also starting pass pages for I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends! This is the final typeset manuscript where I get to see the text laid out exactly as it will be printed and have one last chance to check for typos. I can tell you that there are lovely little butterflies in the book to mark scene breaks! This is because the book has a lot to do with the Butterfly Effect. The book truly is so pretty, inside and out.

The Books I’ll Never Write

Authors talk a lot about books we want to write someday, on the illusive occasion that we have more time in the future. But I think it’s also interesting to talk about what books we will never write. Of course, life is long and many things can change, and I’m doing a lot of things now that I never thought I would have done years ago (like writing a book that someone actually described as cute!!) but from where I’m standing now, there are certain books I just can’t see myself writing. Who knows, maybe I’ll look back on this list in five years, having written all of them. But for now, I have no plans to write:

Middle Grade

I think MG authors are incredibly talented, and I have no idea how they master MG voice so well. I simply wouldn’t know where to start. It’s not a genre I read very much of and I sadly don’t have the time to read enough MG books to be educated in the genre.

Another book about being biracial

But Kylie, you might be saying. Aren’t all your books about being biracial? I don’t really think so. All of my books so far have biracial main characters, and if those characters live in some version of the real world, their biracial identity impacts how they experience the world because race truly does impact everything. But only The Keeper of Night duology is actually about the experience of being biracial and learning to accept your identity. I really feel like I’ve said all I have to say on the biracial 101 experience. This isn’t to say I’ll never address other aspects of it, but there will never be a Ren Scarborough 2.0. Because as important as I think it was for me to discuss my experience as a biracial woman, it’s not what I want to talk about all the time. Sometimes biracial girls just want to go on fun adventures, ok?

Hardcore scifi

That is, sci fi that involves actual scientific explanations for anything. I could see myself writing Black-Mirror-esque sci fi, and have written a few sci-fi shorts about AI interacting with humans (in the style of Love, Death & Robots), which are published in Uncanny Magazine. But science has always been my weakest subject, so I can’t see myself taking the time to do a lot of scientific research to explain, for instance, how a spaceship works.

Non-speculative historical

I’ve written historical fantasy before, and don’t get me wrong, I did my best to make sure it was accurate. But at the end of the day, I knew that it would be silly for people to get too upset about any minor historical inaccuracy when there are literal zombies running around and the characters are shooting fire from their fingers. But I wouldn’t have that sort of buffer if I were writing a non-speculative historical novel. All the respect in the world to historical authors like June Hur who put so much energy into researching!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is coming out April 29^th, and you can celebrate with me on release day at Porter Square Books (Cambridge Edition!)

I am somehow lucky enough to get to chat with Paul Tremblay for this event, which absolutely blows my mind as I’m a huge fan of his work. RSVP here to join us! There will be cupcakes!

Reminder that I will also sign all preorders from Porter Square Books! You can preorder here, and if you would like a signature or personalization, please make a note of it in the order comments!

The same goes for I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends, my YA time travel romantasy, which now has a gorgeous cover!

Though it doesn’t come out until November, you can still preorder it here, and get signed copies from Porter Square Books. The Bat Eater to IFYWTTE transition is the funniest ever, as it’s my darkest book coming out the same year as my most lighthearted book.

I’m alternating months where I focus on reading mostly adult books vs YA books to make sure I get a good balance of both in my reading diet. February was a YA month, and my favorites included:

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (an adult book snuck into my reading this month because my library hold came through)

Shows:

Squid Game 2

Joko Anwar’s Nightmares and Daydreams

Mayfair Witches

That’s it for me this month! I wish all of you wonderful weather, good books, and open parking spaces.

All my best,

Kylie