📚Kyla’s Musings: 3 behind-the-scenes facts about my 3rd book
MAY THE BEST PLAYER WIN is finally out! After 4 years!!
Hi friends,
May the Best Player Win is out at last!
I started writing this in 2020, and it’s almost surreal that it’s finally a tangible book on bookstore and library shelves. This book took twice as long to write as my first two novels, and for good reason. It’s inspired by a personal decision I made in my teens, and I wrote it as the story I wish I had when I was younger. Then, I spent years rewriting and polishing it, before this story finally felt ready to be shared with others.
Elevator pitch
Like a family-friendly version of The Queen’s Gambit, this book stars a chess prodigy who must confront gender stereotypes and the pressure to succeed - all while struggling with not just her performance, but also her love for the game.
Can boys read it?
Boys should read it! Girls should speak up when wronged, but we shouldn’t be put in situations where we have to do so. It’s important for everyone to be aware of the explicit and implicit gender biases we might hold.
Also, the pressure to succeed is a very relatable issue for just about anyone, in any activity. May the Best Player Win is a story about not letting other people’s opinions nor your own doubts hold you back.
Can I read it if I know nothing about chess?
Definitely! While chess fans will get a kick out of the easter eggs sprinkled throughout the book, no chess knowledge is needed to enjoy the story.
In fact, the current US Women’s Chess Champion, Carissa Yip, called the book: “A game-changer for readers of all ages, regardless of whether you play chess!”
Where can I get it?
May the Best Player Win is available as a print book, eBook, and audiobook.😊
If you want to support an amazing indie bookstore, you can get my book here.
It’s also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and many other retailers.
Other ways to support the book
Request it for your public library
Request it for your/your kid’s school library
Post about it online or tell a friend about the book - word of mouth is super helpful for authors!
If you want to share any thoughts after reading, I can be reached on Instagram (@kylajzhao) or via email
If you’d like me to do an author talk for your organization/school/club/company, you can contact me at: kyla[at]kylazhao[dot]com
3 random facts that no one asked for
In honor of the release of my 3rd book, here are 3 behind-the-scenes facts:
The title is a pun on my protagonist’s name, May Li. And I named her May because… that was almost my name. I was born in May and my parents were greatly tempted to name me after my birth month. I’m glad they didn’t - not because I dislike the name (clearly not since I gave it to my main character), but because I just don’t think I’m a May, if that makes sense.
For the longest time, there was a mistake on my book cover - the chessboard was set up in a way that isn’t possible by the laws of chess. And despite scrutinizing every detail of the cover design for weeks, I never noticed the error! Thankfully, my friend (who’s far less experienced in chess than I am heh) caught it before it went to print. Phew…
This book brought me back in contact with my first-ever chess coach, whom I’ve not seen since I was 12. Over a decade later, when my book deal for May the Best Player Win was announced in a national newspaper, he messaged me on Twitter to congratulate me. And he did so without realizing I used to be his student! He just thought it was cool that someone was writing a chess novel.
Before I sign off, I want to say a big, BIG thank you to every single person who has supported me in my publication journey - for this book, and also before that. You guys are why I can continue publishing books, and I can’t express just how grateful I am.
To every person who believed in May’s story and championed this book, you have no idea how happy that makes me or how much your support means.
I’m honestly impressed I wrote so much for this newsletter - I was up till 2am presenting this book at the International Chess Olympiad’s education conference, and then I had my book launch event nine hours later!
Speaking of which, I had so much fun at my book launch :D I crashed the moment I got home, but I think that’s just a sign of how amped up I was during the event itself - which I’ll share more about in my next newsletter.😏
And that’s all from me for now!
Take care, friends,
Kyla
Congrats on your third book, Kyla! I'll definitely let my friends with younger kids know about this one. It looks great!