Ana Huang, THE STRIKER
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[0:42]Anna Fong is the author of The Striker, God of the Games, Book One. Anna is a number one, New York Times.
[0:49]Number one, USA Today, Sunday Times, Wall Street Journal, and number one Amazon Best Selling Author.
[0:56]Best known for her twisted series, she writes new adult and contemporary romance with deliciously alpha heroes, strong heroines,
[1:03]and plenty of steam, angst, and swoon. Her books have been translated in over two dozen languages and featured in outlets, such as Good Morning America, NPR, People, and Cosmopolitan, a self-professed travel enthusiast.
[1:17]She loves incorporating beautiful destinations into her stories, and will never say no to a good child latte.
[1:22]Welcome, Anna. Thank you so much for coming on Moms. Don't have time to read books.
[1:26]Discuss your latest books, Drager, and all your other amazing work. Your, like, a powerhouse. Amazing. Congratulations.
[1:35]Thank you so much. And thank you for having me on. I'm so excited to be here.
[1:39]So I told your public assistant. I was emailing. I was driving by Union Square the other night in New York City.
[1:45]And there was this crowd around the crowd. I was like, what could this possibly be for?
[1:49]I haven't seen a line like this in so long. So I went on the Barnes and Noble website and I was like, oh my gosh, it's Anna. I can't believe it.
[1:57]Tell me about this very unique event that you did at Barnes and Noble.
[2:01]Yeah. Oh, it was a minute release party for the striker last Monday. The book came out on Tuesday. And it was amazing. It was actually my first ever midnight release.
[2:11]And so I think there were around 800 people there. And so there were games, activities, crafts, giveaways.
[2:18]There were also a Q&A session. So we split it up into three Q&A.
[2:22]So we didn't have like 800 people all from like the top floor at the same time.
[2:26]Which would have been a fire hazard. But, you know, we kind of chatted about the book, my future plans.
[2:31]And then when it came to midnight, we counted down to midnight and everyone got their books.
[2:35]And it was kind of a very surreal moment and definitely a career highlight.
[2:40]I bet.
[2:41]When your crowd is a fire hazard, you know you've made it.
[2:46]But that in my fire.
[2:49]Yeah, exactly, exactly.
[2:51]Well, your book is great. I love the way you write. I love your characters.
[2:56]I learn more about my, I mean, my daughter plays soccer, but, you know, this is like a whole other,
[3:01]whole other level, you know, adoption, brotherhood, sisterhood, rivalry, ballet.
[3:08]I mean, you have like so many different things all percolating and written in such an accessible, like warm,
[3:15]lateable way that you feel like you're immediately like lost in the story.
[3:20]And sort of somehow rooting for everybody all at the same time, even though that doesn't make any sense.
[3:25]Tell listeners a little bit more about the bug, the backstory of it.
[3:29]More you wrote it and all that.
[3:31]Yeah, so the striker is actually my first sports romance.
[3:35]And, you know, people always ask me, why did you choose soccer?
[3:39]And I was like, well, it's because soccer is really the only sport I like watching.
[3:42]So any other sport would not work for me.
[3:45]But it is a followed after Donovan.
[3:48]So he is kind of this star footballer as they call it in London.
[3:52]Who I guess transferred to a new team that happens to be the same team his rival is on.
[3:57]And when the rivalry caused them a championship, he's forced to do like off season training to bond.
[4:02]What they didn't know at the beginning was that the rival, their new trainer is actually his rival sister.
[4:08]And so, of course, as the summer progresses romance and drama ensues.
[4:13]And it's a lot of fun.
[4:16]I love his whole, like, how is this woman rejecting me, right?
[4:21]She he first.
[4:22]You know, like me.
[4:24]You know, it would be like, I don't even know the biggest deal person in the world.
[4:27]I don't know.
[4:28]Her style.
[4:29]So I don't know somebody.
[4:30]Just being like, wait, I can't pick up a girl in a bar.
[4:33]Like what is going on?
[4:34]So he was flabbergasted.
[4:36]Yeah.
[4:37]Oh, my gosh.
[4:38]So funny.
[4:39]Where did this idea come from?
[4:40]Yeah.
[4:41]So all of my books are kind of connected in the same universe.
[4:44]So Ashir actually showed up as a side character in one of my previous books.
[4:47]That was published in I would say January 2022.
[4:50]And he kind of just popped up on his own.
[4:52]Like I had him plan to write him as a side character.
[4:54]But he showed up at one of the main characters weddings.
[4:57]And I was like, Oh, you know, like a hot professional athlete.
[5:00]I could probably prove something with this in the future.
[5:02]You know, but I let him sit on the sidelines for a bit percolate a bit until I was ready to kind of delve into the sports romance side of things.
[5:09]And then last year, I was like, you know, I think now is the time.
[5:13]I think it's his time to shine.
[5:15]And especially with the world cup coming around.
[5:18]And I have been watching, you know, some soccer games at the time.
[5:21]And I was like, I think I'm just in the mood to write this book.
[5:23]And I did.
[5:24]Oh, my gosh.
[5:25]Well, that's as simple as that.
[5:27]Take me back. Like, where do you grow up? When did you start writing?
[5:32]How did you break into this industry? Like, what's about?
[5:35]Oh, man, it's I'll give you a condensed version.
[5:38]So I started writing actually when I was very young as a way to kind of improve my English because I grew up in an immigrant household.
[5:47]And we didn't speak English at home.
[5:48]So when I went to school, I had to take English as a second language classes.
[5:51]And my mom to kind of speed me along a little bit.
[5:54]She was like, hey, why don't you write me a short story in English every day?
[5:58]And I did. And I kind of kicked off my love for writing.
[6:02]Wait, can we pause there for a second?
[6:04]If I said that to my kids, they'd be like, no.
[6:07]Like, you were just like, oh, yeah, I'm just going to write a short story every single day.
[6:12]And that just like was how it went.
[6:14]I guess I just, I was naturally inclined to like it.
[6:17]I guess in my mind, I was like, oh, she really likes my stories.
[6:20]And granted, I don't know of the stories.
[6:22]I wrote back them were actually like very good.
[6:24]I was like five years old.
[6:26]But you know, I wrote her a little thing.
[6:28]And she kept them.
[6:29]And she also very much nurtured that side of me.
[6:31]Like she would take me to the library every weekend.
[6:33]She really nurtured my love of books.
[6:35]But it was so funny because I think I was maybe eight or nine.
[6:39]And I told her I was because it's like, mom, I think I want to be an author when I grow up.
[6:43]And she kind of looked at me.
[6:44]And she was like, oh, she's like, I love that as a hobby.
[6:49]Maybe something a little bit more financially stable.
[6:52]And I think especially because at that time, it's kind of that like, you know, our cultural mindset.
[6:58]It's like you have to have like a more stable job.
[7:00]And like the doctor or field or whatever.
[7:02]And endeavors are not a stable, right?
[7:04]So I kind of took that.
[7:05]And I said he's something else in college, international relations.
[7:08]And for a long time after I graduate a college, I actually did not write or read for leisure for a very long time.
[7:14]Because life just got so busy.
[7:17]And then 2020 came around.
[7:19]And I was in my house.
[7:20]And I needed creative outlet.
[7:21]And I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands.
[7:23]And I started writing again.
[7:24]And at that time, the publishing landscape had shifted a lot.
[7:27]You know, there was a rise in indie publishing, a rise in romance.
[7:31]And I published, you know, I published my debut series in 2020.
[7:35]And then I published Twisted Love, which was my breakout in 2021.
[7:39]And it just kind of took off from there.
[7:42]Oh my gosh.
[7:43]How fast do you write?
[7:45]I write.
[7:47]So it's interesting.
[7:48]Because I think compared to most traditionally published authors that come out of the gate, traditionally published.
[7:54]I write pretty fast.
[7:55]Because I published on average about two books a year.
[7:58]Or indie authors.
[8:00]I am actually pretty slow.
[8:01]Because they published faster than that.
[8:03]You know, some published every like three to four months.
[8:06]And I can't write like that.
[8:09]But I think the way my brain works is that if you give me a timeframe, whether it's like six weeks or six months, I will just fill in.
[8:17]Like, I will get it's done in whatever that timeframe is, you know, stuff.
[8:22]Yeah.
[8:23]I like to believe on the same way.
[8:25]And yet it's not happening that easily.
[8:28]Like,
[8:30]I don't know how different processes.
[8:32]I know, I know, I know, I know.
[8:33]But then you end up with all this work, which is amazing.
[8:36]What makes a good story?
[8:38]Like, what do you think are the ingredients?
[8:40]Like, when you're even thinking about an outline or an overview or whatever before you jump into a story.
[8:46]Like, what does it have to have?
[8:47]What do you think?
[8:48]Yeah.
[8:49]So I think because I write romance.
[8:51]And I think it is a very character focused genre.
[8:55]And so before I start every story, I always start with the characters.
[8:59]I have to figure out specifically, you know, for both leads.
[9:02]What is their emotional boot?
[9:04]Like, what is keeping them from being open to love at the beginning of the story and how did I overcome that by the edge, right?
[9:11]Because it's about character growth.
[9:13]Like, you can't have two people falling in love, but they remain static throughout the entire story.
[9:18]Because then it's like, okay, well, where's the journey here, right?
[9:21]Where's the story?
[9:22]And so once I figure out those emotional wounds and where the personal arcs are, then I actually build the plot around that.
[9:28]Because I think the conflict and the things that push their story forward have to be things that challenge their misbeliefs at the beginning and force them to grow, right?
[9:39]And so I kind of shape it from the inside out.
[9:42]And I think, you know, the character development is a really important one.
[9:45]You have to figure out why do they actually like each other?
[9:48]Why, why are these two people specifically a good match with each other?
[9:53]How do they make each other a better person?
[9:55]How do they grow?
[9:56]And of course it is romance.
[9:58]So we need like the tension.
[10:00]we need the chemistry, we need the banter,
[10:02]and all of those things.
[10:03]But yeah, it's a lot of layers.
[10:06]Writing romance like this,
[10:08]how does it affect your own relationships?
[10:12]Yeah, well, I have, I'm believe it.
[10:14]I have probably unrealistic standards.
[10:16]But like, what do you mean, you're not gonna fly?
[10:19]I mean, it prepares for breakfast one morning.
[10:21]But no, I think it has actually been very helpful
[10:25]because it allows me to kind of realize the things
[10:29]that I value in relationships.
[10:31]And granted, not that I am the same
[10:33]as all of the heroines in my stories, right?
[10:36]But the way that they work through their conflicts
[10:38]and what is holding them back from love in the beginning,
[10:41]it really helped me figure out like,
[10:43]okay, this is what is important to me in real life.
[10:46]And the things that I can and cannot have in a relationship.
[10:51]And it also pushes me to kind of stand up for myself
[10:54]a little bit more actually because once I write that
[10:57]into a book, I'm like, you know,
[10:59]there's no reason why I can't do this in real life.
[11:01]You know, like, they're so strong.
[11:02]Like, all of these characters are so strong.
[11:05]And it kind of inspires me to do the same
[11:07]in my own personal relationships.
[11:09]It's like you're writing your own pep talk.
[11:11]Yeah, exactly.
[11:12]I'm like, my own pep talk, my own manifestation,
[11:15]my very interests.
[11:18]So what do you think is holding you back from love?
[11:21]What is your wound?
[11:22]Oh man, that's what my mom would like to know.
[11:26]I think for me, I have always been sort of a very,
[11:34]like independent in the things that I do.
[11:36]I really like the freedom to do what I want when I want.
[11:39]And so for me, I think it's a little bit hard
[11:42]because to think of, oh, you know,
[11:44]when you get into a serious relationship like that,
[11:46]like suddenly I have to, you know, like,
[11:49]I can't just go off the next day and be like,
[11:52]oh, I want to spend a weekend in London.
[11:53]Like I actually have another person there
[11:55]that I need to take into account.
[11:57]And it's just, that's not necessarily a bad thing,
[12:00]but I think it's just a different way of living
[12:03]and kind of a different way of thinking about things
[12:05]that I am still sort of like processing.
[12:09]I would say.
[12:10]Okay.
[12:11]All right.
[12:12]Well, we don't have to really go into all the nitty-gritty
[12:14]of all your tax journey.
[12:16]I'm like totally prying anyway.
[12:17]So I apologize.
[12:20]So what are some of the wounds and characters
[12:23]that you are excited to write?
[12:25]You haven't written yet.
[12:26]Oh, you know, I am excited to.
[12:30]So I've never written kind of a single parent romance before.
[12:33]And I'm excited to kind of delve into that
[12:36]because those stories are so interesting
[12:38]because there is, there is the main couple,
[12:40]but then there's sort of like a third character
[12:42]who's so important, right?
[12:43]Which is like the child or the children.
[12:45]And that really changes the dynamic of the story.
[12:47]And I think it'll present kind of a new challenge
[12:50]for me to figure out how to weave that story together,
[12:54]especially because I don't have children.
[12:56]So I'm kind of like, it would be a whole new area
[12:58]for me to explore.
[12:59]So I'm excited about that.
[13:00]Well, if you would like some research, come on over.
[13:03]I'm happy to share any anecdotes or whatever I have for kids.
[13:07]So yeah, but those stories are really fun.
[13:10]And also the element of unpredictability
[13:12]that kids bring into every story.
[13:14]They're so funny too because sometimes kids will just tell you
[13:17]like they have unfiltered thoughts.
[13:19]And I think they're just like hilarious.
[13:22]So what are some of the things you like to do
[13:25]when you're not writing?
[13:27]Yeah, I'm a big traveler.
[13:29]So I love traveling.
[13:31]I used to kind of do travel photography for a little bit,
[13:35]which I've since swapped for writing,
[13:37]but I would love to kind of delve back into that.
[13:40]And this is going to sound so nerdy.
[13:42]No, it's not.
[13:43]No, it's not.
[13:44]I love crossword.
[13:46]And I love crossword puzzles.
[13:48]I love puzzles of any kind, actually.
[13:50]And I think for me, when I need to de-stress or decompress,
[13:54]it's a good way for me to have something fun that is engaging,
[13:58]but also it doesn't take too much mental energy
[14:01]if I'm doing like a jigsaw puzzle or something like that.
[14:04]So I really love that.
[14:07]That's fun.
[14:07]I like Scrabble a lot.
[14:08]Do you play Scrabble?
[14:09]Oh my gosh, yes.
[14:10]I do love Scrabble word puzzles, word games.
[14:14]Those are my kind of.
[14:17]Oh my gosh.
[14:18]I'm supposed to like, an author Scrabble fest, right?
[14:22]That would be because it would be like,
[14:25]everybody would be starting on such a higher level.
[14:28]All these words, man.
[14:29]So we could have like a whole like competition
[14:31]and like a scrabble off or some, I don't know.
[14:35]And that'd be fun.
[14:36]Oh, much fun.
[14:37]I love a good boy gay night, you know.
[14:39]Yeah, me too.
[14:40]I've never actually hosted one.
[14:42]Okay, well, this is now on my list of events.
[14:45]And you'll have to come and we'll have to play.
[14:47]And how about when you read like,
[14:49]what are some of the things that you've read lately
[14:51]or that you've loved or that you wish you could write
[14:55]or wish you hadn't written or whatever.
[14:57]Right.
[14:58]And it's so it's interesting because I write romance,
[15:01]but I have, when I'm writing romance,
[15:03]I actually have to read other genres
[15:05]just to kind of take my mind out of that space.
[15:07]I'm like a little too into it.
[15:08]So I have really been on a sci-fi kick recently.
[15:12]So and I know I am so late to the game
[15:14]in terms of this book,
[15:15]but I recently read Project Hail Mary by Andy Ware,
[15:19]which I loved.
[15:20]It was so much fun.
[15:21]And I also read The Illuminate Files by Amy Coffin.
[15:25]I'm Jay Kristoff.
[15:25]That's more of like a young adult series.
[15:28]Lots of action, a little bit of romance.
[15:30]So it's right up my alley.
[15:32]And I've loved both of those.
[15:34]And currently, I am reading Remarkably Bright Creatures
[15:37]by Shelby Mappelt.
[15:38]And it's been a lot of fun as well.
[15:40]I love Octopus.
[15:41]And I'm like, I don't think it ever
[15:42]like really eat calamari again after this book,
[15:46]but it's okay.
[15:47]Yeah.
[15:49]Oh my gosh.
[15:50]Will you meet your fans all the time?
[15:52]I mean, 800 people just in one night and one store.
[15:54]I mean, that's crazy.
[15:55]Have you ever had an interaction with a fan
[15:58]that has made you cry?
[16:00]Oh my gosh.
[16:01]I wouldn't say cry necessarily,
[16:04]but I have gotten emotional a few times
[16:07]because for me, reading was such an escape going up
[16:12]and it has gotten me through a lot of hard times.
[16:14]And that's one of the reasons why I love writing
[16:17]and putting my work out there is hoping
[16:18]that they will touch at least one person the same way.
[16:21]And so when people come up to me at signings
[16:25]or even when they send me emails and they say,
[16:27]you know, your books have gotten me
[16:29]through like some of the toughest times of my life.
[16:31]Or, you know, I feel seen in your books
[16:35]because of the cultural representation
[16:38]or other types of representation.
[16:40]And I've never seen people that, you know,
[16:42]looks like me in romance books before.
[16:44]And that I think hits a very special spot.
[16:48]And so I don't mean because that really is like one
[16:51]of the main reasons why I love writing.
[16:53]And so, but I try to like read those notes
[16:56]when I'm alone at home.
[16:57]So I'm not like sobbing it in public.
[17:01]Oh my gosh.
[17:02]I love it.
[17:04]Okay. So what is the next book coming out?
[17:07]Yeah. So the next book coming out
[17:09]is actually King of N.B.,
[17:10]which is coming out in March 25.
[17:13]And that is actually a different series
[17:14]than my striker series.
[17:16]So King of N.B. is part of my Kings of Sin series,
[17:19]which are billionaire romances that are themed
[17:21]around the seven deadly sins.
[17:23]And so it follows book in Ayana.
[17:26]And it's a little bit of an interesting one
[17:28]because in this book, she is actually,
[17:31]she starts off being engaged to his old college roommate.
[17:35]And he doesn't know that that is actually an engagement
[17:37]of convenience.
[17:39]So they don't actually have feelings for each other,
[17:40]but he is like in love with her, right?
[17:42]So there is so much drama and so much like tension
[17:45]and pining and I am kind of in love with them.
[17:49]But I'm kind of in love with them.
[17:50]Yeah, amazing.
[17:51]And tell me all the news for the film world,
[17:54]the adaptation blah, blah, blah.
[17:57]Oh, I don't know what I can share at this time,
[18:02]but you know, I would love to see my books on screen
[18:07]one day and hopefully it will come sometime soon.
[18:11]Okay.
[18:12]That was quite the teaser.
[18:14]I liked that.
[18:15]That was great.
[18:17]Amazing.
[18:18]Well, Anna, thank you.
[18:20]I am literally in my head being like,
[18:21]I'm going to write to Scrabble after this.
[18:24]I'm going to pitch an idea of us doing like a Scrabble off
[18:28]or something and get a sponsorship.
[18:30]Don't you think we could do a whole thing?
[18:31]Wouldn't it be fun?
[18:32]I don't agree.
[18:33]It's going to be so much fun.
[18:34]Yeah, okay.
[18:35]I'm on a mission now.
[18:36]Thank you for that.
[18:37]I never know where these ideas come from.
[18:39]But I don't know.
[18:40]Yeah, why not?
[18:41]It's a good story.
[18:42]Yeah, I'm like, how did you put the idea of this night?
[18:44]Well, well, I mean, to be honest,
[18:47]every good idea I have in my life
[18:49]and everything that has happened in my life
[18:50]is because of this podcast.
[18:51]So there you go.
[18:52]So thank you for being a part of it.
[18:55]Thank you for coming on.
[18:56]Congratulations on the striker.
[18:58]And thank you for the fun I had reading it
[19:01]and all the entertainment and all that.
[19:04]So congrats.
[19:05]Thank you so much for having me on.
[19:07]This was so much fun since my pleasure.
[19:09]Okay, bye-bye.
[19:13]Thanks for listening to momstone have time to read books.
[19:15]If you love it, please leave a review and follow us
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