The Hot Ghost Boyfriend Rules with Katie Jung
September 22, 2026
Featured Guests:
Katie Jung
Katie Jung writes romance about the messy parts of being human, and what it means to define our own “happily ever afters.”
When she's not daydreaming about her characters, you can find Katie walking the golf course near her house (often listening to an audiobook), having solo dance parties in her car, or chasing after her kids with a cup of coffee that's most likely gone cold. She lives in Syracuse, New York with her husband and three children, and YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT is her debut novel.
Katie Jung joins us to talk about her debut romance, You're the One That I Haunt, and the surprisingly hard rules of writing a love interest who can't be touched. We dig into how Trip became a ghost in the first place, the logic she had to build so the "rules" of a paranormal romance actually hold up (turns out you don't need to explain everything, sometimes a ghost is just an octopus), and why every bit of magic in a story needs to earn its place in the plot. Katie also walks us through her whirlwind path to publication, from a mentorship program to an agent to a two book deal in under a year, and gives us the details on her launch week, including a haunted wine bar and a joint event with fellow author Mackenzie Reed.
In This Episode
How Trip became a ghost, and why Katie almost changed her mind more than once
Building consistent rules for a paranormal romance without overexplaining the magic (the "static electricity, not a chill" fix)
Why every magical element needs to serve the character arc, not just solve a plot problem
Jenna's trick of personifying a magic system as its own character to find its "why"
The Smooch Pit mentorship program, her mentor Audrey Goldberg Rueff, and the agent showcase that led to her offer
Her timeline from agent signing in March to book deal in June to publication in September, all inside one year
What's next: book two is a new contemporary romance with a magical element, same vibe, and yes, this time they can touch
Launch week plans, including her haunted-wine-bar release party and a joint event with Mackenzie Reed
About the book:
YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT
A debut speculative romcom for fans of MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING and THE DEAD ROMANTICS, in which a woman must team up with a distractingly handsome ghost to save her childhood crush (and love of her life) from a generational curse.
Libby Lakoski has two major problems. First, she’s secretly in love with her best friend, Carter Coldwell, and second, he’s marrying someone else. For fifteen years, Carter’s affluent life on the Upper East Side has been the definition of “home” for Libby, a stark contrast to her shoebox apartment and absent mother. Carter’s the only person who has ever made Libby feel chosen, and she’s not ready to give up on him. Sure, his fiancée is a British diamond heiress, but Carter and Libby have years of history filled with runs in Central Park and late-night pizza. Not to mention, she’s the only one who knows his family is cursed.
But then a third problem presents itself—or, himself. Trip Coldwell is Carter’s handsome, smart, flirtatious cousin who also happens to be a ghost. Trip’s “unfinished business” is to break the Coldwell curse, but the solution hinges on Carter getting married. Unfortunately, Libby is the only living person who can see him, and her objective is the exact opposite.
Appealing to Libby’s unrequited crush, Trip enlists her help to break the curse before Carter is affected. As they follow a trail of clues across New York City, Libby learns more about Trip and the complicated dynamics of the Coldwell family. She finds herself questioning just how much Carter reciprocated her friendship, feeling perplexed by a growing attraction to Trip, and worse, fantasizing about actually touching him. With the countdown to the wedding in full swing, Libby must choose between breaking the curse and holding tight to her best friend forever.
Where to find Katie:
You're the One That I Haunt — launch event in Syracuse, NY
Joint event with Mackenzie Reed (I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell) at The Ripped Bodice, Sept 24
Instagram: @katiejungwrites
Book Break: Maybe, Maybe Not by Elizabeth Gillman
It's taken decades, but Annie Reeves has learned to coexist with her OCD. Travel's still out of the question, but her moss-draped historic Florida town holds everyone she loves, including her fearless best friend Kat and the boutique she's managed for years. When Kat dies unexpectedly, Annie learns Kat wanted her ashes scattered far and wide, with Kat's wayward brother Evans by her side. To honor that wish, Annie has to face everything that triggers her and decide whether to let her heart lead the way.
Available 9.26.26 https://books2read.com/b/bPqqlR
