"A game-changer for readers of all ages, regardless of whether you play chess!"
Carissa Yip
2x US Women’s Chess Champion & Women’s Grandmaster
MAY THE BEST PLAYER WIN
Legally Blonde meets Silicon Valley
in this new
addictive novel
VALLEY VERIFIED
When a fashion writer dives headfirst into the cutthroat Silicon Valley tech world, her future threatens to unravel in this addictive novel by Kyla Zhao.
"Full of high society hijinks, high-stakes, and the joy of finding oneself"
Ali Hazelwood
New York Times Bestselling Author
THE FRAUD SQUAD
A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore's high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process-including herself-in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.
For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine-and she'd do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.
Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she'll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore's elite families-and Samantha's one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.
To Samantha's surprise, Timothy and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore's socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she's determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore's poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed-especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt-forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.
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HI, I'M KYLA
Born and raised in Singapore, I graduated in 2021 from Stanford University with an MA in Communications (Media Studies) and BA in Psychology. During the day, I work at a tech company in Silicon Valley, California.
At night, I write novels about challenging gender stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated spaces. My books have been featured by media outlets such as NBC, CBS, Good Morning America, Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, South China Morning Post and more. I've been named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, a Tatler Leader of Tomorrow, and awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the California State Assembly for my contributions to Asian media representation.
Besides novel-writing, I have an extensive magazine editorial portfolio. Previously, I was a fashion and lifestyle writer at Vogue Singapore. I've also written for the Singapore editions of Harper's Bazaar and Tatler, covered the Asian Television Awards, and interviewed personalities such as singer Nathan Sykes.
Above all else, I hope to champion Asian representation in my works and write fun, vibrant, joyful stories where characters of color can be the stars.
