Welcome to Season 5, Episode 36! Our guest this episode is the New York Times bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen. She's probably best known for the book Loveboat, Taipei and its two companion novels Loveboat Reunion and Loveboat Forever, as well as Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies. Her latest work is The Vale which will be released on September 16th. 

The Vale is Illustrated by Yuna Cheong and Brandon Wu, and it's published by our favorite publisher Third State Books. It's a coming-of-age story that is both science fiction and fantasy in a way. Bran, the main protagonist is the son of two inventors and has helped them develop an immersive VR world called the Vale. There's a little action, romance, magic, technology, and mystery; and the themes include family, belonging, persistence, love, and friendship… in other words, there's something for every reader young and old. There's also a short film prequel being created called THE VALE–ORIGINS starring the award-winning actress, singer, and stage performer Lea Salonga. We highly recommend getting the Vale, and if you pre-order it and submit the receipt, you can even get some free stickers. 

We learned a lot about Abigail in our conversation beyond her education and journey to writing. Other than novels, she's a producer, director, and woman-in-tech leader specializing in artificial intelligence… and she's a mother of two. She writes and speaks about tech, AI ethics, women's leadership and transforming culture.

In our conversation, we also discuss:

• How The Vale got published
• Ways she included technology that's truly believable
• What it was like to create an illustrated novel
• The power of teacher guides and thoughtful questions
• What to expect from her debut directorial short film The Vale Origins
• And much more.

To learn more about Abigail Hing Wen, you can visit her website abigailhingwen.com, follow her instagram @abigailhingwen, go to her Linktree for even more links, and of course, purchase The Vale! And don't forget, if you pre-order through Barnes & Noble or an independent bookseller, you can get some free stickers. And if you're in New York, stop by Chinatown Ice Cream Factory before September 21 for a free trial size of any flavor, but we recommend The Vale inspired Elfberry Blue.

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