Hi there! I’m so pleased to interview Ana Huang, the wonderful new adult/contemporary romance author of the If Love Duet. I recently read both books in the duet and loved them! The stories are richly developed and wonderfully romantic, and the settings are fantastic. I was thrilled when she agreed to an interview!
Getting to Know Ana Huang:
Q: What led you to write in the New Adult/Contemporary Romance genre?
Ana Huang: I love reading New Adult and contemporary romance so it was a natural shift to writing it as well. I’m also in my late twenties, so the NA age group is aligned with my own experiences.
Q: Of all the places you traveled, which is your most favorite or memorable?
AH: This is such a hard question! All the places I’ve traveled have been memorable in their own way, but if I had to choose, I’ll go with Hong Kong. It was the first international city I ever visited (a family trip when I was six years old) and I still remember the view of the skyline and all the lights from the plane. It was unforgettable. Plus, I love the dim sum in Hong Kong!
Meet Ana Huang
Ana Huang is an Amazon best-selling author of Young Adult, New Adult, and contemporary romance. Her books often feature strong heroines, sexy heroes, and Asian American characters.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Ana started writing stories at age five to improve her English skills (thanks to her mom’s encouragement). She picked up her first romance novel at age twelve by happy accident and never looked back.
Besides reading and writing, Ana loves traveling and learning about new cultures. She majored in international relations and her travels often inspire her story settings. For example, her novel If We Ever Meet Again was inspired by her own study abroad adventures in China.
Ana lives in New York, where she prefers cafe-hopping, exploring the city’s hidden gems, and binge-watching Netflix with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s over taking advantage of the city’s nightlife. She doesn’t drink coffee (!) but absolutely lives for matcha and chai lattes.
About the Series:
Q: Can you tell readers a bit more about the If Love Duet?
AH: The If Love duet is a steamy, interracial New Adult romance that follows the love story of Blake and Farrah. Book one, If We Ever Meet Again, shows how they meet and fall in love while studying abroad in Shanghai—until a shocking revelation tears them apart.
Book two, If the Sun Never Sets, takes place five years later. A lot has happened since they’d parted ways, but they’ve never forgotten each other. Blake vows to get Farrah back, but he struggles with the demons of his past and Farrah has to overcome her trust issues given what happened last time with Blake. And that’s all I can say!
Q: What kind of research did you complete to bring the duet to fruition?
AH: I actually studied abroad in Shanghai myself in college so didn’t have to do a lot of research in that regard. For book two, I had to do research on the interior design process—what the timeline is, what the relationship between a freelancer and client looks like, and so forth.
Q: Do you have a favorite line, scene, or character from the series?
AH: A few of my favorite quotes:
“Farrah had always equated the stars with love, which seemed as nebulous and out of reach as the diamonds in the sky. But as she stood there next to Blake, beneath the infinite skies of a foreign land, the stars felt a little closer.”
If We Ever Meet Again
If the Sun Never Sets
“If the sun never sets, the stars will never shine.”
You can see where I got the title for book two from! I also love Blake’s grovel scenes in If the Sun Never Sets. I’m a sucker for a good grovel.
Q: There are so many wonderful messages in this duet like believing in love and facing one’s problems. I also like that the stories highlight the bonds of friendship. What messages do you hope to convey in your writing?
AH: You definitely hit the nail on the head when it comes to the messages of love and friendship. I love the found family trope in fiction and usually write stories that feature close friend groups, especially those with strong, supportive female friendships. There’s also the broader message that people who are meant to find each other will find each other, and that every decision we make—even if we don’t know it at the time—brings us closer to where we’re meant to be.
Wrap-Up:
Q: Can you tell us anything about your upcoming books?
AH: Right now I’m working on book three of the If Love series. The first two books follow Blake and Farrah, and the rest of the series will be interconnected standalones featuring their friends. That’s all I can share at the moment!
Q: Where can readers learn more about you and your writings (i.e., website, Twitter, Facebook page, Goodreads, etc.)?
AH: You can find me online at http://www.anahuang.com, on Instagram as @authoranahuang, and on Goodreads. I also started a private Facebook group called Ana’s Star Squad where AH readers can discuss my books, Netflix, book boyfriends…anything, really, as long as it’s fun and positive!
Thanks again, Ana, for the wonderful interview! I can’t wait to find out more about Blake and Farrah’s friends!
Great questions and interesting answers! I haven’t read the book but love that quote from If The Sun Never Sets ❤️
Thanks so much! I really enjoyed this series. It’s such a good contemporary romance!
That quote also caught my heart 😍 nice interview! It made me want to know more about this story.
Thanks so much! I love those lines too!