Susan Lee compares writing her second novel, “The Name Drop,” to being in high school. “Sophomore year in high school sucks. You’re not a freshman anymore, so you can’t claim ignorance or newness,” responded Lee. “But you don’t have it all figured out like you might by your junior or senior years. It’s a year of greater expectations without all the tools to meet them. A year of flailing. A year you survive until you get to be an upperclassman.
“That’s what writing the sophomore novel was like. Higher expectations. I didn’t feel like I was suddenly a much stronger writer because I was published. The timeline was tighter. And imposter syndrome kicked in. So, a book written by flailing. And yet — the payoff when I turned it in and finished was so satisfying.”
“The Name Drop” is a Young Adult novel that involves two main characters with the same name, identity swap shenanigans, romance and a summer internship at a multinational conglomerate in New York City.
Lee’s first book was “Seoulmates,” and she’s a 2019 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner. She grew up in San Diego and still lives here with her three Chihuahuas.
Q: Please describe your plot and two main characters for “The Name Drop.”
A: “The Name Drop” is about two teens from totally different backgrounds who get caught up in a case of mistaken identity due to a shared Korean name. Jessica Lee comes from a middle-class family living in Cerritos (California) heading off for an internship at a Korean tech company in New York. Elijah Ri lives in Korea and is the “chaebol,” or richest, son and heir to the company throne of that same tech company. He’s meant to spend the summer in New York as an executive trainee. When they realize the mistake, they decide to take advantage of the opportunity and trade places — Jessica being the executive trainee in a chance of a lifetime and Elijah is a lowly intern with a summer of zero expectations ahead of him.
Q: How did you come up with the title?
A: The book was originally called “Say My Name, Say My Name” — great song, terrible book title! When my publisher asked me to change it, I called on author friends in a group chat to help me brainstorm. The mind meld came up with “The Name Drop.”
Q: What’s the main message in this story, and what was a highlight in writing this book?
A: The main message I wanted to convey is that we often put too much pressure on young people today to have it all ‘figured out’ at 18 . Pick a school, a major of study, have sights on a future career. At 18 I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but oh, look at that, I hated science. My life is an example of pivoting — whether it’s for a new career path, moving to a new city, or starting a new ion. I didn’t start writing until I was in my 40s!
Lastly, and maybe what is always first in the stories I want to tell, there’s romance! I love a good opposites attract, you’re greater than I expected, my family will never accept you, but I love you story!
Q: What type of careers have you had and why did you leave corporate America? How has being a writer allowed you to reinvent yourself?
A: I’ve done a lot. I’ve been a network engineer, a director of programming at a tech school, a bartender, a corporate trainer, worked retail and eventually landed in human resources. It was a career where I could help people, and as a woman of color, I was often the only voice at the table that could speak to a different perspective.
I think my time in corporate America gaslighted me. I realized I wasn’t able to impact the type of change I wanted to. Years of being ‘tokenized’ at the highest levels actually left me with some professional and personal trauma I’d never really dealt with.
Because of this bitter taste in my mouth, I resisted writing this book. I wasn’t ready to write anything about the corporate world. This was the story my agent and publisher really wanted, so I went with it. It was therapeutic in a way.
Q: What are you working on next?
A: I’m currently working on a yet-to-be-announced third YA novel, and I’m having a blast! This one is so much fun! I can’t wait to share more about it soon.
“The Name Drop” by Susan Lee (Inkyard Press, 2023; 304 pages)
Susan Lee at Meet Cute Romance Bookshop
When: 4 p.m. Sept. 17
Where: 4048 30th St., San Diego
Tickets: Sold out
Phone: (619) 228-9548
Online: meetcutebookshop.com
Davidson is a freelance writer.
