Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Sylvia Walker (The Vacation Shift)!
Meet the Author: Lily Chu
Lily Chu is the critically acclaimed author of eight books, and The Vacation Shift is her first young adult book. Her romances have been released in audio as Audible Originals, performed by Phillipa Soo, and translation rights have been sold in nine languages. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her family and far too many (yet not enough) books. Follow her on Instagram @lilychuauthor, or sign up for her newsletter at www.lilychuauthor.com for news and updates.
About the Book: The Vacation Shift
Gilmore Girls meets a reverse Parent Trap in this swoony and hilarious YA rom-com from popular adult romance author Lily Chu, following a teen who, while on a group tour to Japan, teams up with a fellow traveler to keep their parents from falling in love with each other.
Ivy Yu is cursed. Her parents separated six months ago, and she’s fallen into a fog. To help, her mother books an impulsive trip to Japan (cool) on a bus tour (very uncool). Ivy should be grateful, but this summer is her last chance to get her situationship, Connor, to fall in love with her.
When they arrive in Tokyo, it’s even worse than she imagined. Ivy and her Mom are the youngest of a group of seniors. Make that two of the youngest: there’s brooding Matteo, with his single dad, Keith.
Then Ivy discovers her mother and Keith are getting close, and her crush back home is hooking up with someone else. Desperate for some semblance of control and a distraction from the heaviness she can’t seem to shake off, she makes a deal with Matteo to keep their parents apart. Luckily, he agrees—and their devious plans begin.
Dodging nosy old ladies on the bus ride through Japan, their strange partnership begins to blossom into something unexpected and exciting—but can their romantic spark survive the journey?
~Author Chat~
YABC: What inspired you to write this book?
I absolutely love books about travel, and a family trip to Japan a few years ago was the real inspiration for Ivy’s journey. I made her itinerary almost the same as ours, and it was lovely to be able to relive those memories by writing about Ivy’s trip. The idea of a group bus tour was inspired by vacations my parents took me on as a kid, and the interesting mix of people you would meet.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I’m most proud of the scene with Ivy and her mother at the end. I don’t want to give spoilers, but it shows how they’ve both grown and changed, and sets the stage for Ivy’s next challenge (which I also don’t want to spoil).
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
There have been so many lessons, but for me, the most important thing I’ve learned is that because something works for another writer, it might not work for me. I’ve tried so many different tricks because someone has sworn that getting up at five in the morning, or lighting a candle, or using a particular book as a guide is the way to success. Writing works different for all of us, and it took me some time to figure out what works best for me (it’s not getting up before dawn).
YABC: What are your favorite themes or tropes?
Rivals to lovers is always fun, and that’s how Matteo and Ivy started in my first drafts. It wasn’t until they grew more as characters that we realized they worked better starting as friends. I also love forced proximity, which I have in The Vacation Shift. It doesn’t get much closer than being on the same tour bus for two weeks!
YABC: Do you have a playlist you listened to while writing?
I’m easily distracted so I don’t always listen to music when I’m writing. However, for The Vacation Shift, I did listen to Lofi Girl on YouTube. There’s a playlist for any mood.
YABC: Do you have an unusual office supply that helps you in your writing routine?
Most of my writing is done on my laptop, but when I get stuck I pull out a pen and paper. I only have one pen. It’s refillable and I bought it as a present when I left my job to be a full-time writer. It’s a luck pen and decorated with horseshoes and other lucky symbols. I’m also picky about paper and notebooks. I like lined paper, but the lines can’t be too dark. Or the paper too smooth.
YABC: How do you cope with criticism from editors or the public?
After you send in the draft of your book, your editor will read it over and send you an editorial letter that tells you what is good about the book, and then a lot about what needs to be improved. Usually, I get the letter, skim it with one eye shut and then put it away for a day to absorb it. The best way to cope is to remember that you both want the book to be the best that it can. Once I get some distance, I find the edits work to the benefit of the story, or create a discussion that in turn strengthens the story, and its plot and characters. So this is criticism that I can take action on and make changes.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I have a busy 2026! By the end of the year, I’ll have five releases out. I’m also working on the edits for my next romance, working on a fiction book under the pen name L.C. Chu, and researching a fantasy.
The releases are:
- Just Kiss Already, an Audible Original romance, narrated by Phillipa Soo and Simu Liu
- The Library of Flowers, women’s fiction under L.C. Chu
- The Vacation Shift, young adult romance
- Rich Girl Summer, romance under Lily Chu
- And a Christmas novella with Audible!
Title: The Vacation Shift
Author: Lily Chu
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Release Date: June 23, 2026
