After inheriting a grieving fox spirit, a Chinese American boy must learn to embrace his heritage to solve the mystery of his brother’s death in Jesse Q Sutanto’s magical, action-packed middle grade fantasy, Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Jesse again, this time about her latest release Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit, along with writing and book recommendations!
Hi, Jesse! We last spoke in April 2021. How has the 12 months been for you?
Magical! I’m not exaggerating when I say my life has changed in the past twelve months. I’m writing full-time and I love it, I can’t believe I get to do my childhood dream for a living.
Your latest novel, Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Angry kid x wily fox = trouble!
What can readers expect?
A lot of magic and a ton of humor. Theo is a shy boy who is grieving the death of his brother, and he has to team up with Kai, a sassy fox spirit, and they both hate each other but have to work together to solve the mystery of Theo’s brother’s death. So there is a lot of drama and shenanigans.
Where did the inspiration for Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit come from?
I’ve always wanted to write a story with a fox spirit, because in Chinese culture, fox spirits are often depicted as these conniving female spirits who are there to mislead men. I wanted to have a fox spirit who is wily, but good-hearted. I knew I could have a lot of fun with her, and I really did! Kai remains one of my favorite characters to write.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Okay, so first of all, writing fantasy is hard, man! Oh my god, I am just so impressed by SFF writers, like how do they juggle worldbuilding + magical systems + plot??
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Kai the fox spirit was my favorite character to write, because her sense of humor is so sharp and unapologetic. I felt like I could really unleash a lot of playfulness with her and I had the most fun writing her!
You had two incredible books publish last year and another two this year with Theo Tan making three (so far)! What keeps you motivated when it comes to writing?
Probably the fact that I’m not very good at anything else. I’ve been pretty mediocre at everything else in life, and then I realized that I am really, really good at turning my ideas into novels very quickly, so it’s like…for the first time in my life, I’ve finally found something I seem to be doing well at, and the feeling is honestly exhilarating, so that motivates me to keep going.
This is your first published foray into middle grade genre. Was there anything in particular drawing you towards this being your next genre to tackle?
Actually, Theo Tan was written before Dial A for Aunties! So I was more comfortable venturing into middle-grade because I was reading a lot of YA and MG at the time. I was immediately pulled in by the amount of humor that MG requires, and I think it ended up being a great stepping stone towards writing a comedic book like Dial A.
With more to come for Theo Tan, can you give readers a tease as to what comes next?
Well, Theo and Kai are in for an incredible adventure next. It will take place in Diyu (Chinese hell) and will feature a ton of action and, of course, since Kai is involved, will involve a lot of shenanigans.
Judging by your Goodreads, there’s no slowing down! Can you tell us a bit about your next releases?
I have four books coming out this year, which seems like a dream! The next book to come out after Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit is a YA romcom titled Well, That Was Unexpected. I’m so excited about it because it’s the first ever book I have coming out that’s set in Indonesia, and I can’t wait to take my readers on a trip to Jakarta and Bali!
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
The Depths, by Nicole Lesperance. Gorgeous writing, beautiful setting, and a creepy romance…what more can you ask for?
The Noh Family, by Grace Shim. The most delicious family drama set in South Korea!
Mindwalker, by Kate Dylan. It’s the best adrenaline rush, a book with an incredibly important message hidden within a high-octane story.
