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WORK TITLE: Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.juliedao.com/
CITY:
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 405
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Surname rhymes with “cow”; born in NY.
EDUCATION:Studied medicine at university.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Has worked in science news and research. Speaker at schools and conferences.
AVOCATIONS:Travel.
AWARDS:Best Books for Teens selection, New York Public Library, 2017, and Best Fiction For Young Adults designation, American Library Association, 2019, both for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns.
WRITINGS
The books in the “Rise of the Empress” series are being adapted for a television series by Amazon MGM Studios.
SIDELIGHTS
A Vietnamese American writer, Julie C. Dao incorporates elements of East and Southeast Asian folktales in her critically acclaimed young-adult fantasy novels Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix. She also entertains middle-grade readers in novels such as Broken Wish and Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest. “Ever since I was young, I have loved reading folktales and mythology!,” she remarked in a Bookish interview with Kelly Gallucci. “It amazed me how many variations of a single story could be found all around the world, and confirmed my belief that the art of storytelling transcends cultures and borders.”
Dao’s books are noted for their strong, complex female protagonists who struggle to exert control over their own lives, a desire the author knows well. “I grew up in a very strict immigrant family with an extremely domineering father,” Dao recalled to Gallucci. “He made it clear that he would choose every aspect of my life for me, including where I went to school, what I studied, what age I would marry, where I would live, etc. I was, essentially, groomed to believe my parents were gods and knew me better than I knew myself. I was twenty-one, miserable, and in college when I finally broke the cycle and decided to choose for myself and fight for the life I wanted.”
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, the first work in Dao’s “Rise of the Empress” series, reimagines the origin story of the Evil Queen from the classic fairy tale “Snow White.” Forest of a Thousand Lanterns introduces Xifeng, an eighteen-year-old peasant raised by her abusive aunt Guma, a practitioner of dark magic who prophesies that the girl is destined for greatness. Accompanied by her lover, a village boy named Wei, Xifeng ventures to the Imperial City and schemes her way into the palace, becoming one of the ladies-in-waiting to Empress Lihua. To ascend to the throne, the ambitious Xifeng must embrace cruelty and treachery as virtues and sacrifice principles for power.
“My number one priority … was to create an antiheroine the reader would see only as the heroine,” Dao remarked in a Bustle conversation with Kerri Jarema. “No matter how dark Xifeng’s motivations and how far she spiraled downward, I wanted to try to help the reader along in understanding her and maybe even rooting for her because of her fundamental desires: to be free, to make her own choices, to raise up the people she cares about.”
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns was described as “a fascinating examination of destiny, responsibility, and how choices shape a person” by a Publishers Weekly critic. “Readers will appreciate the sweeping fantasy saga lifted from East Asian dynasties and endearing characters that are beautifully rendered,” a contributor in Kirkus Reviews noted, and Rebecca Kuss, writing in Booklist, predicted that Dao’s novel “will trap readers in a lush, dangerously dark, and often beautiful world from which they will want no escape.”
In Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, Dao retells “Snow White” from an entirely different perspective. Nearly eighteen years old, Princess Jade, the only surviving child of the late Empress Lihua and the true heir of the Dragon Clan, has spent the majority of her life in an isolated monastery. Summoned to the palace by her stepmother, Xifeng—now the ruthless Empress—Jade realizes that her father is gravely ill and that the people of Feng Lu are suffering. After learning of Xifeng’s plot to assassinate her, Jade allies with a group of rebels to collect a set of powerful artifacts that will end Xifeng’s rule and allow the princess to claim the throne that is rightfully hers.
“Battles, military strategy, and romance blend with stories within stories [in] this richly embroidered saga,” observed Booklist contributor Debbie Carton. In School Library Journal, Della Farrell similarly noted that Dao’s “emphasis on the importance of storytelling and of family, biological and chosen, will resonate deeply with readers.” A writer in Kirkus Reviews also praised the novel, deeming it “a grand adventure for fans of fairy tales, fables, and legends coupled with the vibrant history of Chinese dynasties.”
Dao continues the series in her 2019 novel, Song of the Crimson Flower. This stand-alone tale features the orphan Bao, apprenticed to a physician, who is desperate now that his love for Lan, daughter of a minister, has been rejected. It is eight years since the Empress Jade and Lord Koichi defeated the evil Empress Xifeng, but a terrifying disease and the trade in forbidden black spice has set the kingdom on the edge of war. Meanwhile, Bao seeks out a river witch who is actually his vengeful aunt, and she curses Bao, imprisoning him inside his flute. Lan now is sorry to have rejected Bao and she hopes to break the spell. Together they travel across the continent, meeting up at times with Commander Wei, Wren, Jade, and Koichi. Only love can break the spell, but Lan is unsure it will work. “Unfortunately, this companion title is weak in character development and engaging dialogue,” noted a critic in Kirkus Reviews, adding: “An ambitious premise that does not live up to previous entries in complexity and depth.” Writing in School Library Journal, Zoe McLaughlin had a higher assessment of Song of the Crimson Flower, noting: “Powered by quiet, satisfying prose and a sense of magic and wonder, this will appeal to lovers of fairy-tale retellings and new fantasy worlds. Standing apart from Dao’s other works, prior knowledge of the world is not necessary to enjoy this lovely tale.”
In an interview with Kate Oldfield in the online United by Pop, Dao commented on her inspiration for Song of the Crimson Flower: “I was inspired by a folktale my mother told me, which gave me the idea for a complex love story about two very different, flawed people who have to fall apart before they come together! The book is also a tribute to my family and my heritage. In the original Vietnamese folktale, there is a fisherman whose spirit is entrapped in a similar way. I wanted to use that as the basis for Bao’s curse, which links him to the object he loves most in the world. That was the original concept when I first started writing ‘Song’, and I’m happy to say it stayed through completion!” In an online Lit CelebrAsian interview, Dao commented on the importance of having Asian protagonists in books for young readers: “It means the world to me. … When I was a kid, I never thought I could be a heroine. The stories I wrote were about white kids because those were the only characters in the books I read. … I’m overjoyed that young Asian readers get to see themselves represented more often these days … though we still have a long way to go!”
With her 2020 novel, Broken Wish, Dao contributes the first book in a projected four-book series following one family over several generations and the curse that plagues it. (The other three novels are written by Dhonielle Clayton, Jennifer Cervantes, and L.L. McKinney.) In Broken Wish, the reader is introduced to sixteen-year-old Elva, who has visions and powers that she wants to hide from the world, fearful she will be branded a witch in her small village. However, when she has a vision of a terrifying future, she knows she must do everything in her power to prevent this from happening. Elva discovers a magic mirror belonging to the feared Witch of the North Woods, and now she begins to learn the true powers of her magic and knows she must find a way to right past wrongs of her own mother before time runs out. School Library Journal contributor Jeri Murphy termed Broken Wish a “Grimm’s fairy tale mashup that will draw in readers and hold their attention.” Murphy added, “The ending will leave readers eager for a sequel. It isn’t a hopeful read, … but this does not make the story any less intriguing. … A must have for fans of fractured fairy tales.” Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews contributor noted: “Allusions to classic fairy tales and the folklore research of the Grimm Brothers add a touch of familiarity to the fictional setting.” The contributor concluded: “A promising series opener with an unexpected ending that will leave readers wanting more.”
Dao begins a new middle-grade series with Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena. A pair of bickering Vietnamese American siblings, seventh-grader Clarence “Clip” Chu and his younger sister, Sadie, are excited about the opening of a new virtual-reality laser tag arcade. However, their competitive battles suddenly take a back seat when they encounter Tom, the son of the game’s developer, who has become trapped in the game’s virtual worlds and needs help battling virtual monsters and regaining his real life. A Kirkus Reviews contributor praised the book as “a heady mix of personal growth and high-speed gaming action,” while a Publishers Weekly critic noted, “The spitited narrative explores how Clip and Sadie relate to each other and their passions via virtual reality escapades.” The critic called the novel “a rousing adventure and heartwarming series opener.”
In the next series installment, Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest, Clip and Sadie earn tickets to Ireland to compete in elaborate reality TV game. Set in a medieval castle, the game requires the siblings to work together to overcome a dizzying array of challenges. “Perceptive takes on the potential of role-playing games for building character as well as for fun and excitement,” concluded a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
[OPEN NEW]
The series continued with Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase, as Clip and Sadie visit a haunted Halloween carnival called Spooky World. When Iggy invites Clip, Sadie, and friends to the carnival, they anticipate all sorts of fun, but then they are surprised when a ghost known as the Weeping Lady keeps appearing. They start investigating, which leads to various supernatural events and terrifying rides. A contributor in Kirkus Reviews enjoyed this installment, just as much for the interpersonal dynamics between siblings and friends as for the supernatural plot. They wrote, “Friends negotiate bumpy relationships against a backdrop of gentle chills and thrills.”
[CLOSE NEW]
In an interview on the MacKids School and Library website, Dao offered her advice to aspiring writers: “The only way to get better at writing is to keep doing it. If you want to get published, you need to sit down and finish something all the way through. Then you start the next project, and the next, and the next.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2017, Rebecca Kuss, review of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, p. 73; November 15, 2018, Debbie Carton, review of Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, p. 54.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November, 2017, Sarah Sahn, review of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, p. 112.
Christian Science Monitor, March 13, 2019, Katie Ward Beim-Esche, review of Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2017, review of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns; September 1, 2018, review of Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix; October 1, 2019, review of Song of the Crimson Flower; August 15, 2020, review of Broken Wish; March 14, 2023, review of Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena; April 1, 2023, review of Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest; August 1, 2024, review of Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase.
Publishers Weekly, August 21, 2017, review of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, p. 115.
School Library Journal, October, 2018, Della Farrell, review of Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, p. 76; 2019, Zoe McLaughlin, review of Song of the Crimson Flower, p. 85; 2020, Jeri Murphy, review of Broken Wish, p. 85; June 6, 2022, review of Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena, p. 53.
ONLINE
Bookish, https://www.bookish.com/ (October 10, 2017), Kelly Gallucci, “Julie C. Dao: Women I Write Should Never, Ever Be Underestimated” (author interview); (November 6, 2018), Kelly Gallucci, “Julie C. Dao on Destiny, Mythology, and Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix Authors” (author interview).
Bustle, https://www.bustle.com/ (October 12, 2017), Kerri Jarema, author profile.
Highlights Foundation, https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/ (April 19, 2024), author interview.
Julie C. Dao website, https://www.juliedao.com (November 4, 2025).
Lit CelebrAsian, https://litcelebrasian.wordpress.com/ (May 29, 2018), author interview.
MacKids School and Library website, https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/ (April 23, 2022), author interview.
Mary Sue blog, https://www.themarysue.com/ (December 18, 2017), “Q&A With Julie C. Dao, Author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns.”
Publishing Crawl, http://www.publishingcrawl.com/ (February 20, 2017), “Introducing Julie C. Dao.”
School Library Journal, https://www.slj.com/ (September 21, 2017), Pamela Thompson, review of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns.
SyFy Wire, https://www.syfy.com/ (October 10, 2017), Jeff Spry, author interview.
United by Pop, https://www.unitedbypop.com/ (November 10, 2019), Kate Oldfield, “Julie C. Dao Talks Dark Retellings And Upcoming Projects”;(December 21, 2019), Kate Oldfield, “Julie C. Dao Talks Folktales, Anxiety and Song Of The Crimson Flower.”
Writer’s Block Party, https://writersblockpartyblog.com/ (September 19, 2017), Akshaya Raman, “Author Spotlight: Julie C. Dao.”*
Julie C. Dao is the award-winning author of many books from Disney, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and more. Her novels have earned starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and her "Rise of the Empress" books are being made into a major television series at Amazon MGM Studios.
A proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in New England.
Pronunciation: JOOL-lee DOW
Pronouns: She/Her
Julie C Dao
Julie C. Dao fell in love with storytelling at age eight, when she discovered Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables, and the Choose Your Own Adventure books. She reluctantly studied medicine in college at her parents insistence, but came to realize that blood and needles were her Kryptonite (not so convenient for a doctor). By day, she worked in science news and research; by night, she wrote books about far-off lands and bold heroines unafraid to fight for their dreams. She considers writing to be her most useful skill, seeing as her other talents include: being the slowest eater on Earth, winning over other peoples cranky pets in true Disney princess fashion, and reciting Lord of the Rings movie quotes on command.
Her writing endeavors are well documented on her blog and have made her determined to help others with the same dream. When she's not making up stories, she's reminiscing about her travels in Paris, London, and Ireland, and dreaming about her next destination (hopefully Japan or New Zealand!). Julie lives, works, and writes in New England.
Awards: RNA (2025)
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Children's Fiction
New and upcoming books
September 2025
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So Blooms the Dawn
(Now Comes the Mist, book 2)
Series
Rise of the Empress
1. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (2017)
2. Kingdom of The Blazing Phoenix (2018)
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Team Chu
1. Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena (2022)
2. Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest (2023)
3. Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase (2024)
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Now Comes the Mist
1. Now Comes the Mist (2024)
2. So Blooms the Dawn (2025)
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Novels
Song of the Crimson Flower (2019)
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Series contributed to
Mirror
1. Broken Wish (2020)
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Julie C. Dao
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Julie C. Dao
Occupation Writer
Nationality American
Genre
Young adult fiction
Fantasy
Notable works
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix
Website
www.juliedao.com
Julie C. Dao is a Vietnamese-American fantasy author. She is best known for her debut novel, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, an East Asian-inspired retelling of the Evil Queen legend from Snow White, and its sequel Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix.
Early life and education
Dao was born and grew up in upstate New York, the oldest child of Vietnamese immigrants. She studied pre-med biology in college, but decided not to go into the field.[1]
Career
In 2016, Dao received a three-book deal from Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Books.[2]
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, the first novel in the Rise of the Empress duology, was published in 2017.[3] The young adult (YA) dark fairy tale retelling of Snow White explores the perspective of the Evil Queen and her dark path to the throne.[4] The book received two starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "fascinating examination of destiny, responsibility, and how choices shape a person",[5] and Booklist, which named Forest of a Thousand Lanterns in its lists of Top 10 Diverse Fiction for Older and Middle Readers[6] and Top 10 First Novels for Youth.[7] Rebecca Kuss, writing for Booklist, described Xifeng as an antiheroine whose "relentless pursuit of power is a welcome contrast to princesses of the past".[8] The New York Public Library recognized the book as one of its 2017 Best Books for Teens,[9] and it was named a Junior Library Guild Selection.
In 2018, Dao published the companion novel to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, titled Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix. The second book in the Rise of the Empress duology continues the story from the perspective of an exiled princess determined to take back her rightful throne.[10] The book received the honor of Junior Library Guild Selection and garnered a starred review from School Library Journal, which wrote that "the importance of storytelling and of family, biological and chosen, will resonate deeply with readers." Booklist called the characters "complex and intriguing; villains are admirably drawn so the reader sees their path,"[11] and Eric Smith of Paste also praised Dao's "beautiful writing and imaginative storytelling."[12]
In 2019, Dao published her third novel, Song of the Crimson Flower, set in the same world as the Rise of the Empress duology, about a nobleman's daughter who must make amends to the would-be lover she cruelly rejected by freeing him of a witch's curse. The book was named a 2019 Junior Guild Library Selection, as well as one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year.[13] Of the novel, Publishers Weekly said "Dao’s latest fuses beats of Cyrano de Bergerac with elements from her Rise of the Empress duology to create an East Asian–influenced tale of love, greed, politics, addiction, and found family,"[14] while School Library Journal predicted that "this will appeal to lovers of fairy-tale retellings and new fantasy worlds."[15]
In October 2020, Dao released Broken Wish, the first in a quartet in which each book is written by a different YA author for Disney Books. The series explores an intricate curse that ties characters together across time and continent. Dao's novel centers on Elva, a young woman in the village of Hanau, who hides her powers and visions from the world. Yet, when she accidentally witnesses a horrifying vision of the future, she decides she must do everything she can to prevent it.[16]
Beginning in 2022, Dao published her three-book action-adventure series for middle-grade readers, comprising Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena, Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest, and Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase.
In October 2024, Dao published her first adult novel, Now Comes the Mist, a retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula centered around Lucy Westenra, to be followed by the sequel, So Blooms the Dawn, in late 2025.
Bibliography
Rise of the Empress Series
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Philomel Books, 2017) ISBN 9781524738297
Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Philomel Books, 2018) ISBN 9781524738327
Song of the Crimson Flower (Philomel Books, 2019) ISBN 9781524738358
Team Chu Series
Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2022) ISBN 1250805457
Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2023) ISBN 0374388814
Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2024) ISBN 0374388857
The Mirror Series
Broken Wish (Disney Hyperion, 2020) ISBN 978-1368046381
Now Comes the Mist Series
Now Comes the Mist (Podium Entertainment, 2024) ISBN 1039457479
So Blooms the Dawn (Podium Entertainment, 2025) ISBN 1039457495
3 Questions With Julie C. Dao and Wendy Xu about Novels and Graphic Novels
Apr 19, 2024 | 3 Questions With, Asian American Voices, Novels
By: Julie C. DaoWendy Xu
3 Questions for Julie Dao and Wendy Xu
Julie C. Dao and Wendy Xu, hosts for our Working Retreat: Novels and Graphic Novels, joined Highlights Foundation Social Media Manager Cat Galeano on Instagram Live to talk about writing novels, making art, new projects and retreating in community with other creatives.
Watch the conversation below. (Please note: closed captions are being added to the video below. When they are finished, you can see them by hovering over the bottom of the video and choosing the “CC” icon.)
Full Transcript:
Cat:
Awesome! A big hello to our Highlights Foundation family. We’re so happy to have you here with us. For those that may not know me, I’m Cat Galeano, my pronouns are she/her. I’m the social media manager at the Highlights Foundation, joining you from Westchester, New York on the traditional lands of the Seewanoy people. Apart from all the fun things I get to do at the Highlights Foundation, I am also a writer and a reader myself, who’s very excited to welcome our friends and faculty Julie Dao and Wendy Xu, who will be hosting the Working Retreat for Novelists and Graphic Novelists on our beautiful Highlights Foundation campus next month, May 19th and through May 22nd, with special guest Sara Gómez Woolley.
But before we dive in, I, I want to remind our viewers that joining in on any Highlights Foundation sessions, to do so with no hate, no harm and no harassment of any kind.
And now let’s get started. So my first question, I’m going to start with Julie and then to Wendy. Julie, you’ll be talking about character arcs in your presentation. And for those that may not know, Julie, Wendy and Sarah will be giving a, a presentation each day. So just so everyone knows; and you’re going to be talking about character arcs in yours. I know so many of your stories are character-driven. What makes you want to bring this message to the people who are coming to the retreat now? And then I’m going to ask Wendy, of course, the same.
Julie:
Sure, I love character in books and movies and TV. Anything that I’m watching, anything that I’m consuming, I’m always thinking about the trajectory of the character and how they progress throughout the story because I’ve read a lot of books where the character just jumps out at me and I feel like I enjoy the story more when I trust the person who’s kind of holding my hand. Even if I don’t like them, those are the interesting characters, right? The ones that interest you, but you don’t necessarily agree or like them. So writing a character that feels real, that feels tangible, that feels like someone you can follow through a story. I think that’s really, really important for a writer to finesse. And it’s something I’m always working on myself. You know, I’ve, I’ve got nine books out or under contracts now, and it’s still a work in progress every time. It’s something so fun to put together like a puzzle. So that’s what I’m hoping to encourage our attendees to do as well.
Cat:
That’s so wonderful. Wendy, I’m not sure if your presentation title has been revealed. But if there’s anything you’d like to add about what you’ll be sharing on campus…
Wendy:
Yeah. So as a comics artist, and like a really, like, a connoisseur of all kinds of animated media, the best kind of comics and media in my opinion are the kind that treat the background as a character in and of itself. Whether that’s in the visual…it’s a lot of it’s in, to do with the visual storytelling. But also color and, you know, the writing of the story can also have an effect. But I, in my presentation, I’m going to talk about how we have to respect the background as not just a set of our stories, but as a, as like, a character in and of itself. And to encourage people to really think about the settings of their stories. There’s so much energy in places. And I think that’s like very often under-utilized. I’m definitely encouraging people to explore that as well.
Um, and also as an artist, it’s really important to do a lot of live studies. So during my time, I’m hoping to lead a lot of like live study drawings and you can do some fun exercises in ways that maybe people didn’t, haven’t thought about. We do a lot of traditional figure drawing right? But there’s some, lots of different ways to start the world. And some of my background is: I’m an amateur historian, not a historian, but I’m a fan of traditional East Asian painting and the philosophy behind that. And so I know when people think of live studies, a lot of times they think of Renaissance-era art. You know, da Vinci and like hyper-realism. But I think there’s lots of ways to study the environment and to study other people in our art. And so I want to bring a little bit more of like the philosophy that I’m interested in, into that.
Cat:
Thank you for sharing because you know what? If you think about it, like some of the best stories we read, you really think of the, the the setting as such an important element of the story. You think of the characters and and like of course the plot, but then you’re like: oh my God. That story took place in New York City, and like, oh my God. Like just the city, just like came through so vibrant in that story. And so I love that you’ll be talking about that and Julie like character. I mean, I was just having a conversation with a friend the other day because we went to go see a Broadway show. And it was like a very “va, va. voom” one. And then we had a conversation with…
Julie:
Which one?
Cat:
It was Back to the Future, which is very fun. But he asked me, like what my personal favorite show was and it was Once, which is a very character-driven show and it was not “va, va, voom” in the least, it was a very simple set and I’m like it’s because the characters spoke to me and I connected with them and I felt the reality of them and they were just there. So, like, uh, these topics sound so awesome. I’m so jelly of the people that will get to hear it and be on campus with you both. So, very, very excited to hear that. So my second question is, we know that one of the cool aspects of a working retreat is actually time to work on those projects while sharing community with other creative people. What types of projects are you bringing to work on? Or what stage of the processes that you’re on. Of course, only if you can say. Or tease, because you know some things you can’t say. And of course, what are you most looking forward to? Like, what kind of moments are you most looking forward to, while being there?
Julie:
Should I start?
Wendy:
Yeah, Julie, go ahead.
Julie:
OK. I have a book that I’m really excited about that’s coming up this fall. It’s my adult debut, so I’ve, I’ve up until now, I’ve only written for young adults and for middle grade readers. And this is going to be my first foray into the world of adult publishing. And it’s going to be a sexy dark adult retelling of Dracula, but with a BIPOC cast. So it’s from the perspective of one of Bram Stoker’s original characters, Lucy Westenra. She has Vietnamese heritage. Quincey Morris is a black American cowboy. Doctor Van Helsing is a Chinese Dutch physician who is a leading blood specialist. So I’m bringing a lot of BIPOC energy into this Victorian English story. And I’m so excited about it. So it’s coming out October 1st. So what I’m bringing to work on at the retreat is going to be the sequel. Because that’s going to come out a year after the first one. So I’m trying to put that down as quickly as possible. It’s in the drafting stage, so it’s very much a hot mess right now. I’m just, you know, typing everything that I can think of and I’ll like, I’ll fix it later. So that’s what I’m going to be working on at Highlights.
And something else that I’m interested in and really, really excited and looking forward to is just connecting with other writers because it’s–Wendy, as you know, and you too, Cat, because you’re both writers as well–it’s just very isolating to create in solitude most of the time. So getting to talk to other people and share experiences and just share, share some vibes. You know, I think, I think it’s going to be really, really fun and inspiring.
Cat:
Oh wow, that sounds–we have some comments saying, wow, huge Dracula fan!–so I’m just like that sounds so cool.
Julie:
Good. Thanks so much.
Wendy:
I’m really excited and I love Van Helsing. He is so crazy. Like in that he is bananas.
Julie:
He’s not as nuts in my book. Because I want him to be like, you know, I want him to be the voice of reason instead of just like off the walls like he is in the original story.
Wendy:
But I remember in, in Dracula the part where he was like: “oh no, she died” and then he turns to these men who are like, very obviously mourning her. He’s like: we have to cut off her head now.
Julie:
We got to do this like, we have no time to waste.
Wendy:
He’s like: we have to do it right now and they’re like, oh my God.
Julie:
And he makes her fiance do it. The man who was going to marry her the next day. Or was supposed to.
Wendy:
And then there’s the part where they’re breaking into, into one of the estates and he just pulls like a crowbar out of his backpack. And I’m like, why did you have that?
Cat:
The story is: we can’t wait till October 1st because this story is going to be the story of the spooky season. So I can’t wait for it. Wendy, what will you be working on?
Wendy:
I haven’t announced it publicly yet because I’ve been hoarding it to myself, but I am working on my third graphic novel with HarperCollins. It’s a YA fantasy based on Chinese mythology, it’s tentatively titled Year of the Fox. And it’s about fox spirits, who run a cafe with their very hapless human friend who is cursed. And it’s, it’s got all the things that I love, it’s got like it’s got hot boys. And it’s, it’s like, it’s cozy, but it’s also, I, it’s also about death and grieving because the fox spirits run a cafe in the interspace between here and the underworld.
Cat:
Oh, wow.
Julie:
That sounds like it’s gonna tear my heart into a thousand pieces. And I also need it to be a game on Nintendo Switch immediately.
Wendy:
I would love it to be a game, but there’s but there’s, yeah, there’s, so it’s about, there’s three main characters and two of them are fox spirits. One of them’s a human and the baddy, I’m really excited to be sketching because he’s just like, I don’t know if anyone here watches C-dramas, but he’s kind of like the sexy bad boy type and so he’s a butterfly demon.
Cat:
Wow.
Julie:
We like that.
Cat:
I love this.
Wendy:
But my, so I should have notes back by the end of the month for developmental edits and for like the green light to keep going. I’ve already drawn the first three chapters in pencil, so I’m gonna be busting my, my butt on the rest of those pencils and hopefully you’ll see it. I don’t know; graphic novel schedules are a bit wonky. Hopefully you’ll see it.
Cat:
Wow. I, again, I wish I was on campus so I could like peer over your shoulder to see what this looks like. My brain right now is just kind of like envisioning what it could be. So wow, that sounds so awesome. Thank you for sharing that with us. I think everyone in our comments is hyped. So, so, oh man, that sounds so exciting. Thank you both for sharing those projects. Wow, we have lots of good stuff to look forward to then. My third and final question is: what do you hope that people leave the retreat with, in their journey to inspire kids through story?
Julie:
Well, I’m hoping that people remember how amazing it is to be artists and to be able to create art. I think that being in publishing, for me especially, I’ve been struggling kind of mentally lately, with the business aspect. I mean, I’ve struggled all these years, this whole decade, of being a professional author, of dealing with the side of the business that I don’t like as much. Which is the sales, the reviews, you know the, the optics on social media. All the things that we can’t control. What I care about most is the art. That’s what brought me into this. My passion for writing. It’s something that keeps me going, so I hope that the attendees will come and just remember how amazing it is to write stories and to tell stories. And one of my exercises that I’m going to do is a writing prompt card game where I’ll just pull out a card and we’ll just write whatever the character, or the setting, the idea for 15 minutes and just see what comes out organically. So it’s just getting back to the fundamentals of being passionate about writing for me.
Wendy:
I agree with you. I agree with Julie. I think social media tends to make people insane. And also the sales, the schedules, all of these things and publishing… I don’t want…the business aspect of it, definitely. I feel you.
Cat:
It’s the least fun.
Wendy:
But I hope that, I hope that people come and they’re just really excited to make art. I’m always excited to make art. I teach art to teenagers. And they’re like, the the energy that they bring to my classes just always is so inspiring to me and so I hope to channel a little bit of that like teen passion. And it’s also, you know, making art has always been part of my core memories as a teenager. And whenever I’m struggling with the business aspects of it, I always think about those memories. So, yeah, I hope people come excited to make art and also like I’ve heard great things about the food at Highlights.
Julie:
The food is so good. Chef Amanda. I will eat anything that woman makes.
Cat:
Chef Amanda, and we have another, Chef Megan, too. So both of them are A plus, A plus.
Wendy:
Yeah. And this is my first retreat. So like, thank you, Julie, for inviting me. And thank you, Cat for setting this up.
Cat:
Yay, that is so wonderful to hear because I truthfully have been to campus many, many times and you know what? Even though I’ve been there, I think upwards more than 20 times at this point over the last couple of years, the magic for me is still real every time, so I’m so excited for you to experience your first, your first time and for Julie to come back and thank you so much with both of you for for hanging out with us for those couple of days and for inviting our fellow novelists and graphic novelists to, to spend time with you in-community and of course, if you’d like to spend time on our beautiful campus with Julie and Wendy, please make sure to sign up for our Working Retreat for Novelists and Graphic Novelists on May 19th to the 22nd with our special guest Sara Gómez Woolley. You can register on our website highlightsfoundation.org and lastly you can purchase Julie and Wendy’s books on our virtual book shop powered by bookshop.org. Just before we go, I want to ask you if you want to add anything else before I like fully wrap it up?
Julie:
I don’t think so. I’m just really excited to do this. I’m excited to return to Highlights. This is going to be my 4th time back and I, I knew that Wendy would be an amazing person to teach this with and to just lead the retreat together because we’re both, you know, very creative and very hard-working people and I love supporting other BIPOC creators. So I’m hoping that people come for a nurturing, relaxing, inspiring 3 days.
Cat:
Wonderful. Wendy, anything else?
Wendy:
No, that’s pretty much it. Julie, you summed it up. I will say, if you ask me for critique, I will be pushing. I am, like I will push you artistically.
Cat:
That’s great to share, actually. Thank you.
Wendy:
But yeah, I love talking about craft and I love to do this with other artists so I’m very excited.
Cat:
Yes, optional critiques. By the way, if you want to sign up with both faculty, I think. But yes, thank you so much to you both. Thank you, Julie. Thank you, Wendy. Thank you for hanging out with me here on Instagram and for those of you that are thinking about going, I think you should definitely sign up. We have payment plans. Trust us, we want you there. So call us, e-mail us. We wanna work with you to make sure that you can come and if not this year, then hopefully next year.
Wendy:
It’s a tax write-off, if you decide to come by the way.
Julie:
It’s true.
Cat:
That’s the biggest incentive, people. I’m going to remember that. Thank you, Wendy. Thank you, Julie. Have a great rest of your day.
Julie:
Thanks so much thanks, Wendy. Bye everyone, thanks for coming.
Dao, Julie C. TEAM CHU AND THE WILD GHOST CHASE Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's None) $19.99 9, 10 ISBN: 9780374388850
Is a Halloween-themed amusement park haunted by a real ghost? A squad of young sleuths takes on the case.
When their friends--brother and sister Iggy and Marta Morales--are invited to enter Tuba, their feline TikTok sensation, in the Spooky World Pet Gala fashion show, Vietnamese American siblings Clip and Sadie Chu are thrilled to tag along. But it turns out that the theme park is famed for more than the pet show: It's also the haunt of the ghostly Weeping Lady, who pops up all over, including in mirrors, leaving behind a trail of water. But who was she, and why isn't she moving on? The search for answers sends the group of friends scrambling all over sprawling Spooky World, including a few places that are off-limits to younger guests. The story's suspenseful moments come more from the inventively terrifying rides and other attractions than supernatural events, making this work appropriate for those seeking milder frights. Dao also explores conflicts and anxieties involving Sadie's efforts to hide her struggles in middle school (thanks to placement tests that landed her in too many advanced classes) and a friendship rift between Clip and his bestie over the quest to become soccer team captain. All fences are neatly mended in time for the story to wrap up on a buoyant note. Ngo's occasional illustrations add to the atmosphere.
Friends negotiate bumpy relationships against a backdrop of gentle chills and thrills.(Adventure. 8-12)
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"Dao, Julie C.: TEAM CHU AND THE WILD GHOST CHASE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802865143/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=327fe721. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.