We chat with co-authors Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee about Breath of the Dragon, which follows a young warrior who dreams of proving his worth in the elite Guardian Tournament, fighting not only for himself but the fate of everything he loves.
Hi, Shannon and Fonda! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourselves?
Shannon: I wear a lot of hats, and I wear them all lovingly and joyously. I run a non-profit public charity called the Bruce Lee Foundation which support youth wellness of body, mind and spirit; I operate a licensing company; I am a producer of television and film; I am a speaker; from time to time I have been known to act; I have studied martial arts and am a classically trained singer and Breath of the Dragon is my 2nd published book after my non-fiction debut Be Water, My Friend about the life and teachings of my father Bruce Lee.
Fonda: Breath of the Dragon is my tenth published book. I’m best known as the author of the epic fantasy series the Green Bone Saga, starting with Jade City, which won the World Fantasy Award, has been translated into fourteen languages, and optioned for TV development. I’ve also written several young adult science fiction novels, two novellas, and several short stories. I have black belts in karate and kung fu, and I used to work in corporate strategy before becoming a fantasy writer. My family and I recently relocated from the Pacific Northwest to the Boston area. Oh, and I’m always on the search for tasty new places to eat.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Shannon: I discovered my love of writing in 7th grade. I had a wonderful, challenging and particular teacher by the name of Mr Waters who had us write creatively once a week. He also had us keep a dictionary on our desks so that we could look up any word we didn’t know, and he had us pick a book to read aloud to the rest of the class throughout the year. He helped develop my love of pretending and imagining into a concrete practice, and I started journaling around that age as well. In college, I took a creative writing course as part of a contemplation on what to major in, but my experience was the opposite and I found my soul feeling crushed by academia, and I decided I wasn’t good at writing and gave it up. After much intense self work and exploration (and almost 25 years later), I found my voice and my passion once again. And now I know that no one else’s approval is needed for me to express myself.
Fonda: I was a voracious reader and writer from an early age. Fantasy and science fiction were my favorite genres because of the sense of imaginativeness and sheer adventure I found in those stories. I wrote my first fantasy novel on lined paper during my 45-minute bus rides to and from school when I was in fifth grade. For many years, I wrote fiction for my own enjoyment, with the vague idea that one day I’d like to try to get published, but it wasn’t until my early thirties that I really started to take my own creative aspirations seriously and write with the goal of publication. My debut novel, Zeroboxer, came out in 2015 and I haven’t looked back since.
Breath of the Dragon is out January 7th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Shannon: Fight to make yourself whole!
Fonda: Not your usual kungfu epic!
What can readers expect?
Shannon: They can expect a fast paced, awesome action epic intertwined with relationship twists and turns that lead you through a landscape marked by Dragon and besieged by humanity’s foibles of ego and pride. There are friendships and rivalries, pain and revelation, that lead to unexpected and surprising results as the story unfolds.
Fonda: First, I hope and expect that they’ll be entertained by the fast-paced story, compelling characters, and kickass martial arts scenes. In addition to that, though, they’ll find Bruce Lee’s creative inspiration and his philosophy of unity, adaptability, and self-actualization all woven throughout the story. Although it’s technically a young adult novel, it’s just as enjoyable for adults.
Where did the inspiration for Breath of the Dragon come from?
Shannon: I have been sitting with some of my father’s story ideas that he created for himself as vehicles in film and television. They are all different yet they all carry similar themes, and I began to wonder if it might be possible to weave these characters, themes, locations and philosophies into one narrative in one world. So I started to play with doing just that, and created a thirty or so page treatment of the journey I felt could bring these all together. Never having written a fiction book on my own (yet) and wanting the book to have life sooner than my procrastination might allow, I went looking for someone to co-author this with me and found the perfection of Fonda Lee, who, of course, evolved what I started so deftly and skillfully!
Fonda: Bruce Lee is such an iconic figure for me personally—as an Asian American, a martial artist, and a storyteller. So the inspiration really came from him and from Shannon’s idea to introduce his enduring ethos into a new fantasy world entirely of our own making.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Shannon: I really loved when the twin brother got added. He was not originally a part of the story. This was Fonda’s idea and though he is not explored much in book 1, he was a really beautiful idea that helped spur the character of Jun along. Beyond that, my favourite characters are Ren and Yin Yue. This trio of relationships is really the true heart of the story.
Fonda: I really enjoy the relationship between our protagonist, Jun, and his rival, Yin Yue. I love the way they butt up against each other at the start with their posturing teenage egos and then how that evolves through the necessity of working together and eventually deepens into real friendship.
Can you tell us about your process when it came to writing?
Shannon: Because Fonda wrote the first draft, I really loved the brainstorming and outlining process as well as the review and revising process because that is where I got to be more involved and in the creative process of it. It was really fun to imagine and sculpt together and I love to review, edit, question and refine, and Fonda was so great to work with – very open and so skilled.
Fonda: I’m not a fast drafter, so usually, I tend to work at a slow but steady pace and then bake in time to set aside the manuscript for a while so that I can come back to it with fresh eyes. In the case of a collaborative project like Breath of the Dragon, though, there was more upfront work involved in brainstorming and outlining so that we were on the same page with regards to the story, and also more back and forth during the revision process. So the stages of the process were a bit different but also really refreshing because we always had another person’s brain and set of eyes to rely on.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Fonda: The biggest challenge for me these past couple of years has been time management. I have two teenage children, and as my writing career has gotten more demanding with travel, speaking, teaching, etc. on top of multiple book projects, it’s become increasingly difficult not just to juggle everything on my plate, but to get into the creative flow when it comes to the practice of writing. I definitely wouldn’t say I’ve overcome the challenge yet! I’m constantly trying to find ways to balance it all and carve out time for deep work.
Shannon: I echo Fonda. Time management is always an issue. I have so many things going on it can be challenging to carve out time. But I have to say that Fonda is being modest because she is a beast when it comes to writing (and I mean that in the most complimentary way!) She is fast and thorough and tracks everything so well. It was an absolute pleasure to get to watch her in action!
What’s next for you both?
Fonda: Mark of the Warrior, the second book of the Breathmarked duology! I’m also working on an adult science fiction novel, The Last Contract of Isako, which is about an aging swordswoman on an isolated colony planet who’s sent on one last job to uncover a corporate conspiracy.
Shannon: Yes Book 2 of the Breathmarked series is already in the works. I’ve also just started a new non-fiction book that I’m very excited about. I am starting to teach seminars a little bit, which is exciting and I’m very excited for some film and tv projects that I have in development and hope to pitch this year, in particular an animated series I originated. I’m also excited to grow our youth programming for our charity and impact for young people’s lives.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
Fonda: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones sounds like it’ll be an incredible historical horror novel. On the fantasy side, I’m really looking forward to A Drop of Corruption, the sequel to Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup. Also Grave Empire by Richard Swan and Bury Our Bones In the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab.
Shannon: This question is harder for me because I feel like I don’t really have my finger on the pulse of what’s coming out. I am looking forward to reading James by Percival Everett. I know it is out already and won the National Book Award last year but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Otherwise I have a few trusted friends whose referrals I am always open to!
