A Little Bit of Magic and Humor – An interview with Julie Leong

By Gemma L.

I wrote The Teller of Small Fortunes to distract myself, but also to be the sort of story I wanted to be reading at the time, something warm and hopeful and comforting.

Gemma: I understand that this book was written during a difficult time in your life. What does The Teller of Small Fortunes mean to you?

Julie: I wrote The Teller of Small Fortunes when it felt like everything was falling apart. In 2022, the world was still locked down against COVID, but more personally, my father was gravely ill. His cancer had recurred after unsuccessful chemo-radiation therapy, and his doctors told us that he likely only had a few months to live. I quit my job to help care for him, but I felt helpless and adrift. 

It was during this dark period that I threw myself into reading, and shortly thereafter, into writing. I wrote The Teller of Small Fortunes to distract myself, but also to be the sort of story I wanted to be reading at the time, something warm and hopeful and comforting.

Back then, it would have been beyond my wildest dreams to think that it would become an actual published book–one that might find its way into the hands of thousands of other readers, who might find their own comfort in Tao’s story. 

Incredibly, my father defied his prognosis, and is now stable and in full remission. The Teller of Small Fortunes is dedicated to him. The fact that he’s still here–to be able to hold my book in his hands and read it–is the greatest gift.

Found family is one of my absolute favorite story tropes, and I knew from the start that I wanted it to be at the heart of Teller.

Gemma: While reading Tao’s story it felt like you had special emphasis on themes of loneliness and also found family. Can you talk about the importance of these themes in the book?

Julie: I think loneliness is just such a universal experience that I find it a powerful thing to write about. At some point or another, everyone feels alone, whether they’re an introvert or extrovert, whether they live in the outskirts or in the middle of a big city, whether they’re in the corner at a party, or sitting at home alone. The craving for human connection is so deeply ingrained in us that those feelings are something I believe everyone can relate to and understand. Found family is one of my absolute favorite story tropes, and I knew from the start that I wanted it to be at the heart of Teller.

Gemma: I also like how Tao discovered that love can be found in many places, not just from family or romance. Can you talk about how you developed this aspect of the story?

Julie: I love a good romance arc as much as the next reader, but I very intentionally did not want Tao’s story to be centered around romance. I think of her as being ace/aro-spec [asexual and aromantic], and I wanted to show that love is something that comes in many forms, not necessarily always romantic. Our relationships with our family and close friends can be just as important and fulfilling, and one doesn’t need a romantic relationship to be a whole, complete person, or to tell a meaningful story.

Gemma: I was fascinated with how the main character can tell small fortunes but is scared of meddling with fate. I’m curious about your thoughts on having free will vs. being ruled by fate.

It’s a fun question, isn’t it? I think where I’ve landed is similar to the conclusion Kina ultimately comes to in the story, which is that it doesn’t really matter. We shouldn’t embrace the futility of determinism or fate as an excuse not to make good choices or care about things, but we also need to accept that many things aren’t within our control–so we ought to just do the best we can, and choose kindness and happiness whenever we can.

“There’s no such thing as greater good—there’s just good, and the more of it we can do, the better.”

– Tao

Gemma: How does your own viewpoint about the future influence Tao’s path?

I think Tao’s journey sort of mirrors the above realization, in that she begins the book terrified of using her greater powers because of her (justified) fear that in doing so, she might cause great harm. She doesn’t know whether things happen because she sees them, or if they’re predetermined, and doesn’t want to take the risk of the former. 

But by the end, she overcomes that fear, realizing that some things are more important than the question of cause and blame, and comes to espouse a philosophy of doing what we can, regardless of what fate might have in store. She says: “There’s no such thing as greater good—there’s just good, and the more of it we can do, the better.” 

Gemma: Besides Tao, we meet her traveling companions in a variety of people: a thief, an ex-mercenary, a baker, even a cat! What roles do these different people bring to the story and how did you create them?

Julie: I knew from the start that I wanted Tao to build a found family around her, and the other characters came into being quite organically along the way. 

I conceived of Mash and Silt first; I’ve always been a fan of games like Dungeons & Dragons, Skyrim, etc., and so I wanted to play with the stereotypes of the big, tough, sword-wielding adventurers and turn them on their head a little bit. Hence Mash being both a hardened warrior but also secretly a (bad) poet, and Silt being a charming thief who grapples with self-loathing and feelings of emptiness. Kina came about because nothing is cozier to me than baked goods, and Fidelitus the cat originated because I felt like the crew needed an animal companion to keep them on their toes! (And cats are so inherently chaotic that they make for fun, unpredictable additions.)

Gemma: While reading the story, there were some times when I felt like I recognized various aspects of the culture you described. But the world in the book is not the same as our own, it just has some features that feel familiar. Can you talk about how you created this world and also your inspirations?

Julie: Absolutely. Eshtera is based on the prototypical Western European medieval fantasy world that is so familiar to any fantasy reader, and that’s very much intentional; I wanted the story to feel nostalgic and almost old-fashioned in that way. Plus, I love a good tavern scene!

But what I haven’t seen much of in fantasy is portraying that kind of world from the point of view of an immigrant to it, which Tao is. Tao is originally from Shinara, which is pretty transparently based on China, and that’s because I wanted to be able to incorporate elements of my own cultural background into her character, and contrast it against the unfamiliar and unwelcoming Western world that Tao was forced to grow up in. 

I also just liked the political tension that these worlds created: two great powers separated by an ocean, with an uneasy relationship between economic self-interest and nationalistic aggression. 

Gemma: Reading some of the reviews for your book, I noticed that people from many different backgrounds all praised your book. It seems like there is a wide audience for this story. But when you wrote it, was there any particular audience you had in mind?

I hope that readers of all kinds can find something to enjoy in The Teller of Small Fortunes! But if I had to pinpoint a specific audience I really hope that it’ll reach, it’s immigrants and the children of immigrants, like me.  

Things like lingering on small moments of companionship around a campfire, describing in detail the taste and scents of a warm scone, and the addition of humor.

Gemma: Other authors who have read The Teller of Small Fortunes have described it as charming, soothing, and heartwarming. Can you talk more about the comforting quality of the book?

Julie: I definitely wanted The Teller of Small Fortunes to be cozy, and cozy is all about how a book makes you feel. Some of that comes from the bigger things–the found family, the lack of gory violence or dark and disturbing scenes, the happy endings–but part of that is also built up by small details that add to the story’s ambience. Things like lingering on small moments of companionship around a campfire, describing in detail the taste and scents of a warm scone, and the addition of humor. They all contribute to making a story feel welcoming and comforting, and I hope I’ve managed to create those feelings for readers.

Gemma: If I were to guess what you hoped readers would get out of this read, I would say: a nice, cozy read and a refreshing escape from the world. Does that sound right? Was there anything else you wanted the audience to take away?

Julie: A cozy escape sounds perfectly right! But I also hope that readers appreciate the way that Teller grapples with some heavier themes as well, such as xenophobia and loneliness. My favorite books are the ones that balance warmth and fun with emotion and thought-provoking topics, and I hope I’ve managed to strike that balance in this book. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped feeling it quite so keenly, though I do still notice it at times. Even in San Francisco, where over a third of the population is also Asian, I’ve had slurs shouted at me in public, or witnessed racially motivated attacks on the streets.

But the advice I’d give to other diaspora kids who feel caught between cultures is to surround yourself with friends and loved ones who make you feel less alone, and if you see someone being made to feel othered–whether because of their race, their sexuality, their appearance, or anything else–go talk to that person. Stand with them, sit with them in the cafeteria, do whatever you can do to make them feel welcome, too.

Julie: Tao definitely isn’t entirely a self-insert, but I can’t pretend parts of her experiences aren’t based on my own. For example, there’s a scene in the book where Tao meets a shopkeeper from Shinara, and at first she’s delighted to meet someone who looks like her–but that delight turns into shame and other complicated feelings when she’s unable to communicate with him in her mother tongue. She’s lost much of her first language because she was forced to learn Eshteran instead, and she feels guilty for not being able to speak Shinn anymore, but also angry that she should have to feel guilt about an achievement that was so hard-fought. 

Similarly, when I was very young, I met my grandparents in Malaysia and was unable to communicate with them at all. Now that I’m older and my grandparents have passed away, I have a great deal of regret that I didn’t have the opportunity to speak with them and get to know them better.

Also, during the years that I lived in China, I often found myself embarrassed by my clunky Chinese. I have a distinct memory of a stranger in Beijing saying something to me in Chinese that I didn’t understand, and when she realized that I didn’t, she turned away in disgust, calling me a xiangjiao – a banana. Yellow on the outside, but white on the inside. That I understood clearly. 

Gemma: I see that you previously worked as a banker and now at a startup. That’s quite a different title than fantasy author! What has your writing journey been like?

Julie: You’re not wrong! Being an investment banker was quite possibly the least cozy profession I could have chosen. But I actually really enjoy getting to have these two very different sides of my life; my career requires me to be deeply analytical, while my writing serves as an outlet for my creative energies.  

That said, I wouldn’t even have become an author if I hadn’t taken a break from the corporate world entirely. It was only when my dad was seriously ill and hospitalized that I took a step back from my career and quit my tech job. I suddenly found myself with more free time than I’d ever had as an adult (much of it spent in hospital waiting rooms), and without that time, I’m not sure I’d ever have tried to write a book at all, let alone learned how publishing works, queried literary agents, and go on submission to publishers. 

In that sense, I’m very grateful to have been able to take that time to spend with my family and pursue my creative interests; I know it’s not a privilege that everyone has.

Gemma: You also mentioned in your author note that fantasy novels are your favorite form of escapism. How were you able to create your own version of fantasy into this world you created?

Julie: I really enjoyed getting to play with some of the more familiar aspects of traditional fantasy in a new and hopefully fresh way. Coming up with little details of the world–like cats being inherently magical creatures, and trolls being philosophical instead of just dumb brutes–was so much fun. 

I think of escapism as giving yourself an outlet that helps you see mundane, day-to-day life in a different light. A little bit of magic and humor can go a long way.

Gemma: I’m curious about what escapism means to you. Is it something essential that you recommend to everyone?

Escapism doesn’t need to mean sticking your head in the sand and ignoring reality. Instead, I think of escapism as giving yourself an outlet that helps you see mundane, day-to-day life in a different light. A little bit of magic and humor can go a long way.

Gemma: I hope that you continue on this writing journey! Can we expect more books from you in the future? If so, are there any stories you’d like to tell?

Julie: Definitely! Now that I’ve started writing, I don’t think I’ll ever stop. Luckily, my publishers have signed on for two books, and my second book is due to come out next fall. I can’t share the title or cover yet, but I can tell you that it will be a sapphic cozy fantasy set in the same world as The Teller of Small Fortunes, but featuring a different set of main characters. 

Beyond that, I also have some work-in-progress books that delve more deeply into Chinese and Asian mythology, since I’d love to explore some of the fantastical creatures and legends that are less well-known here in the West. But all of my stories share the same core of blending coziness and warmth with some bittersweet themes like loneliness and regret.

Gemma: If I were to tell your small fortune, I am sensing that your book is going to be loved by a lot of people. Thanks for this lovely read and I wish you much success in your future works!

Julie: Thank you so much! I hope you’re right. It’s been such a pleasure answering these questions!