It’s a collaboration with Jessica Love, who’s an incredible artist. I’m very excited about a new book that’s coming out in January, called I Love You Because I Love You. Both book deals were unagented (so have hope if you don’t have an agent!) Though I had some interest from various editors, it took me two to three years to secure a publisher for my first two books. Was your initial road to publication long and winding, short and sweet, or something in between?ĭefinitely something in between. Wishes is a distillation of of our experiences and I have to thank Victo Ngai, the talented and brilliant illustrator behind Wishes, for bringing it to life! We stayed in a refugee camp there until we eventually found asylum and a new home in the United States. Our journey from Việt Nam was incredibly difficult and dangerous and after several weeks at sea, we made it to Hong Kong. We fled our home in the middle of the night to escape political persecution and oppression, and we left many beloved family members and friends. It’s a story based on my family’s experience as refugees when I was a baby. Wishes is my seventh book but it’s the one that compelled me to write.

I wanted to tell new stories and I wanted to tell them differently.Ĭongrats on your recent picture book, Wishes! Tell us about the story and what inspired you. I started writing short stories but soon turned to picture book writing because I wanted to expand the world of picture books.

About twelve years ago, I decided I wanted to pursue fiction writing. I’m a former software engineer who’s always loved literature. Tell us about yourself and how you came to write for children.

In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van