📚Kyla’s Musings: Come meet me + special guests!
I can't believe I get to chat with some of my idols while celebrating VALLEY VERIFIED :')
Hi friend!
I’m trying to process the fact that we are only THREE DAYS out from the worldwide release of Valley Verified! I still remember the day when I wrote the first word… now it’s a book that will be in bookshelves around the world and I’m just all in my feels right now :’)
Last Goodreads giveaway
Only 2 days left to enter this giveaway and win one of 5 print copies. This is the final Goodreads giveaway so don’t hesitate!
Signed & personalized copies
You can still buy a signed and personalized copy of Valley Verified! Make your personalization request as weird as possible. No, really, shock me. 😉
Come meet me + special guests! 😊
My absolute favorite part from my experience with The Fraud Squad was meeting readers. Hands-down, my favorite part. And during the difficult moments of writing and promoting Valley Verified, it was those memories that kept me going. Now, I’m really excited to make new memories with you guys for Valley Verified! I’ve got a bunch of events planned for January and I would love to see you (and your loved ones) there!
Linden Tree Books | January 20 (Saturday)
So, so excited for my first event at my local indie bookstore! Fun fact: this bookstore is owned by the founders of LinkedIn—the perfect fit for my novel set at a Silicon Valley startup. Not only will I be signing books, I’ll also be in conversation with one of the co-owners, who happens to be a female tech executive at Discord. I’m looking forward to our discussion about what it’s like being a woman in a male-dominated industry and how that’s one of the inspirations for Valley Verified.
The Ripped Bodice | January 25 (Thursday)
And then, I’ll be in LA at a bookstore I’ve been dying to visit for the longest time: The Ripped Bodice! So many of my favorite authors have hosted events there and I’m thrilled I finally get to do that too. :D And I’ll be chatting with Elissa Sussman, who wrote one of my favorite 2023 reads: Funny You Should Ask.
Annabelle’s Book Club | January 27 (Saturday)
I always describe my book as Legally Blonde—except in this case, Elle Woods is tackling the startup world. And guess what: I get to be in conversation with the screenwriter who helped bring Legally Blonde to the big screen!! Karen McCullah has also worked on other iconic films like She’s the Man and Ella Enchanged… I’ll try not to be too starstruck. And I’m incredibly excited to return to Annabelle’s Book Club, where I also did an event for The Fraud Squad one year ago. It’s the most charming bookstore and its owner, Annabelle, is just wonderful.
Book Passage | January 28 (Sunday)
And after a whirlwind two days in LA, I’m flying to San Francisco to do an event at Book Passage! I had the honor of launching The Fraud Squad there last year and it’s so awesome to return for my second book. Especially since Valley Verified is set in the San Francisco Bay Area. The best part is: I’ll be chatting with Lillian Zhang, a Gen Z finance and career influencer who works at one of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley. So I know she can relate to the unique challenges faced by my main character, Zoe, as she tackles the startup world.
I also have a few private events lined up, and more public events scheduled for after January! If you work at a bookstore/library/school/company and would like to invite me to give a talk, please email me at kyla@kylazhao.com. 😊 I would love to meet more readers in person or virtually!
Oh and if you’d like to help me with a little something on social media for Valley Verified’s release day, email me too! I’m so excited to have you involved with my big day. 🎉
The next time you hear from me, Valley Verified will be out in the world… I’m feeling so many emotions right now that I think I could burst. Might also be due to all the cookies I’m stress-eating.
Wish me luck, friends.
All my love,
Kyla
YOU GET TO TALK TO THE WRITER OF SHE'S THE MAN *melting emoji* Have the best time at your events, Kyla!