Chantie Lu speaks like a softly, winding river, throughout our conversation it was easy to find calm in her voice as she spoke to us about her author journey.
“It feels surreal,” she says about her upcoming book launch, The Game of Obsession, on Galatea. “I was so busy. Between work, life, and editing, I didn’t get to feel it all at once. It’s been coming in waves.”
Finding the story she wanted to read
After finishing her first novel, The Naughty Spaceholder, Chantie felt restless. She was reading darker romance but wanted something with balance, edgy without being bleak, tense but still playful. So she wrote toward that gap: “I wanted to write something fun but not too dark and not too college-y,” as she puts it. The result is a story that flirts with the shadowy edges without dwelling in them and laced with hidden meanings for readers to uncover. (If you managed to spot them, you should let Chantie know as she’s curious to see who can discover them all!)
Obsession over happily-ever-after
At the center of the book is a relationship that refuses to settle into protagonists who are “too couple-ish.” Chantie isn’t chasing perfection; she’s exploring fixation, how easy it is to fall for a persona instead of the person. The female lead Emily, is drawn to the male lead Damion, but it’s the idea of him that pulls her in. That tension, between who someone is and who we project them to be, runs through every chapter. This is one of the hidden meanings for readers to uncover.
There’s also a quiet study of manipulation: small choices in tone, timing, and suggestion that become tools in the wrong hands. Drawing on life in Jamaica, and the clarity she finds in Korean dramas, where characters’ flaws show in their relationships, Chantie leaned on a familiar saying: “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.” That line shapes the book’s voice and its slow-burn suspense.
Built piece by piece
Chantie’s process is ordinary in the best way. She writes when the window opens; if it doesn’t, she reads or edits. She doesn’t force creativity, but she knows that sitting down often sparks momentum. One push can turn into a chapter or two. On Inkitt, that rhythm: draft, share, listen, adjust, became her engine. The community feedback kept her honest and kept the story moving, as an avid beta-reader Chantie understands how important seeking feedback is to building a story.
The move from Inkitt to Galatea didn’t arrive like fireworks. It was a series of small confirmations until, suddenly, it was true. She laughs about where she is now: “I’m at the ‘Oh my gosh, it’s published!’ stage.”
What she tells other writers
Chantie resists romantic myths about overnight success. When thinking about her author journey going from posting on Inkitt to landing a Galatea contract–Her advice is straightforward: start small and keep going. “Do one small thing, then another,” she says. “The pieces add up.” Consistency, not speed, is the point. Listen to readers, take what helps, and keep building. Chantie’s process is refreshingly straightforward: write when the window opens; if not, read or edit. She doesn’t force creativity, but sitting down often sparks momentum where one push can become a chapter.
Owning the moment
In the end, Chantie’s win is steady and hard-earned: a story born on Inkitt, shaped by readers, and launched on Galatea. Not because of a single big break, but because Chantie kept showing up. The result is simple and rare: a book that exists because persistence did.
She wrote in at her pace: draft, share, revise, repeat until momentum became a milestone. Asked if she’s proud, she keeps it humble: “Getting the work out there,” she says. “Letting people see it, and in a way, see me. That’s just really special.”
Read Chantie’s book on Galatea and check out her Inkitt Profile
Chantie Lu’s author photo
