It’s been a long time coming, but my second book is finally done and we have an official announcement! Hooray!!
For those kind and long-suffering readers and friends who’ve been on this journey with me, you’ll know that a few years ago I started saying things like “Oh ya, this book is almost done!” and stopping for mini-chocolate breaks. I was feeling optimistic because the plot included some of my favorite subjects: ghost stories, dead twins, Chinese dancehalls from the 1930s. And tigers. Lots and lots of tigers.
Many absorbing hours were spent in the National Archives of Singapore reading old newspapers on microfiche and trying to figure what the bounty was on man-eating tigers, and what kind of parties people were going to. In the meantime, my book got longer and longer and I started to feel very worried…
Apparently 100K words is a pretty good length for a novel. I’d hit 200K and was starting to panic. How was I going to shoehorn in all those plot twists? It was only thanks to the intervention of my wonderful agent Jenny Bent that this novel was wrestled into submission form. It was hard to leave many subplots and minor ghostly tales on the cutting room floor, but I think the end result is much, much better.
THE NIGHT TIGER sold at auction between 6 publishers to Flatiron Books (US/World) and as a pre-empt to Quercus (UK). It actually sold last summer, but the announcement was delayed until all the edits were in. I’ve been beyond thrilled to be working with my amazing editors – Amy Einhorn and Caroline Bleeke at Flatiron, and Cassie Browne at Quercus.
So, what’s this book about? I wrote a brief author’s note for my publisher’s advance reader copies, and would love to share it with you:
As a child in Malaysia, I was fascinated by the black and white colonial bungalows left behind by the British, many of which lie now in ruins. With their high ceilings and gracious windows, they spoke of a life that has vanished—a sort of Downton Abbey of the tropics with its shadowed interplay between servants and masters.
THE NIGHT TIGER came out of the secrets I imagined hidden in those houses together with many of my favorite obsessions: Chinese dancehall girls; twins; men who turn into tigers; a train that takes you to the world of the dead. And of course, a good mystery!
It took me four years to write this book because I’m a slow writer, but I loved being immersed in 1930s Malaya, a time and place that echoed with quick feet in the airy tiled hallways of hospitals, and the clink of glasses at dinner parties (I enjoyed researching the food a little too much). Where a houseboy could literally be a child of eleven, and belief in ghosts and lucky numbers could determine a marriage—or a murder.
Thanks for coming with me on this long journey. I’ll have more updates coming up soon! xoxo 🙂
Yangsze Choo 
38 responses to “THE NIGHT TIGER – a chocolate-fueled update!”
Cannot wait to pre-order this next book
Thanks so much! 🙂
Congratulations! Looking forward to reading it!
Thank you!! It’s been a long journey 😉
So exciting–congrats and can’t wait to read it!! 🙂
Thanks so much!! 🙂
Your latest book looks wonderful! I can’t wait to read it or maybe even listen to it.
Thank you! I’ll be narrating the audiobook – I’m very excited! 🙂
Oh, how wonderfully fantastic to know that you are narrating the Night 🐅! I absolutely enjoyed reading and listening to the Ghost Bride! Placed my pre-order on Amazon for both formats and can’t wait for it’s release. Hope you’ll do your new book tour in the San Francisco south bay area as I am a fan of your writing.
Wow! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it and if I do any readings in the SF area, I’ll be sure to post on this blog 🙂
Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy! Hoorayyyyy!
Haha!! Thanks so much! 😉
Congrats! I look forward to reading “The Night Tiger.”
Thank you, that’s very kind of you! 🙂
I can’t wait to read this!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Awesome, so excited for you!
Thanks so much! xoxo
This sounds amazing, looking forward to reading it! Congratulations!
Thank you!! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I’m positive I will. 🙂
Hi Yangsze,
I am totally beside myself of the wonderful news of your new book!
I actually could pre-order your new book on Amazon now. And Amazon also has an audio version of it as well!
Did you read for the audio version? (I love your British accent and have been re-listening to the Ghost Bride over and over and over countless times!) Please tell me that it was you who read the Night 🐅.
Your admiring reader,
Ann
Hi Ann,
Thanks so much for your kind words! Yes, I did read The Ghost Bride (here’s a behind-the-scenes blog post about it) and am super excited that I’ll be doing the audiobook for The Night Tiger as well! Will definitely keep you all posted, especially if I get to eat lots of cookies again 🙂
Yes, please do different voices for different characters in your new book! I know it’s a lot more work and difficult to imitate different vocal sounds, but it definitely bring the story alive! Thanks!
Hurrah! Congratulations!!! Sounds amazing, I can’t wait to get it in my hot little hands!
Thanks so much! xoxo
I’m so excited to read this, thank you for the updates! Congratulations on completing this novel and I can’t wait to get a copy in my hands soon. 🙂
Thank you, I really appreciate it!! 🙂
wow excited to see congrats and hope to get my hands on a copy! i’ve never forgotten The Ghost Bride and recommended it to many friends :))) Is this new book out in Asia yet?? can you get it to Books Kinokuniya Singapore haha 🙂
That’s so kind of you – thanks so much! The book should come out February 2019 and yes, I think should be available at Kinokuniya Singapore (one of my favourite bookstores too!) 😉
I thought of you just last week and wondered why I hadn’t heard from you for soooooo long, and here you are! And a new book! I will be pre-ordering!
Aww, that’s very kind of you!! Yes, it’s been a long time writing but it’s finally done – woo hoo!! (cue happy dog impression!)
I cannot wait!!!!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Hi, fellow Malaysian here. I absolutely loved ghost bride and am very much looking forward to your new book! Hopefully you do a tour in your home country! Xoxo
Hi Krystal, so wonderful to hear from a fellow Malaysian! Thanks for the kind thoughts – I’d love to do a tour in Malaysia too! 😉
I really enjoyed the audio book narrated by you. I became so immersed in the story to the point that when I listened to it in the night, I had to literally pause, breathe deep and say ‘Hey, maybe better to continue in the day time lah cos no way I can sleep with so much suspense’ haha. It was great to see in my mind the old Malaya that you superbly painted with your words.
Looking forward to catching up on your other book The Ghost Bride next.
Thank you so much for listening to the audiobook! I’m so delighted that you enjoyed it (and as a fellow reader, have also stayed up way too late with books at night!). Happy holidays, and hope you enjoy The Ghost Bride too 😊