The germ of this idea began when a reader asked if I had written any Canadian heroes. I knew my next book would be set in Asia and that made me start thinking about our huge population of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver.
At first, I thought Jun Li would be Canadian, but we also have a huge number of foreign students of all ages who come to study in Canada and I liked the idea of him having come over quite young. He was homesick and accosted by culture shock and never really enjoyed his time in Canada. This made for a nice contrast with Ivy who is a second generation Chinese Canadian who regards Vancouver as home.
The larger conflict is, of course, the fact she gets pregnant after he told her he had a vasectomy. What I loved most about this idea was the flip of an unplanned pregnancy. Ivy is definitely reeling from the shock, but so is Jun Li. He really feels ambushed by the news and by his sudden paternal instincts which he absolutely never expected to experience.
From there, they’re strangers trying to get through the first weeks of marriage and a very serious pregnancy complication, taking their time realizing they are actually perfect for one another. I hope you enjoy their journey to HEA!
