International Friends

"Opportunity knocks on your door every day--answer it." Hi, international buddies! I'm talking to you readers from Australia, Canada, India, and the UK. Have I got a deal for you! I'm running an International BookBub deal starting today. For a limited time, you can buy the first novel in my Winston Wong series for only 99 cents (65 rupees in India) on Amazon, Apple, and Kobo. Seniors Sleuth is a CLUE Award Finalist book and currently has 56 reviews with a 4-star rating. It's even … [Read more...]

BookBub Revisited

"You will receive a compliment from a stranger." I wanted to revisit my BookBub campaign to dissect the outcome with a little more distance than right after the deal. Though BB didn't yield the quick results I expected, I do appreciate the experience. My book, Dragonfly Dreams, got a lot more readers because of the campaign. I feel like my young adult novel is an extreme type of book. People either love it or hate it. I now have two profiles on the BookBub site and have secured … [Read more...]

Bookbub Free Promo Results

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." I was so excited to get a Bookbub Featured Deal in this New Year! For those in the writing know, this selective book listing service is hard to get into. Authors may accrue a lot of rejections before getting picked. With the ability to reach hundreds or thousands (if not millions) of readers, Bookbub is an amazing opportunity. I ended up submitting my young adult novel, Dragonfly Dreams, and it got accepted for a free promo. Unfortunately, the … [Read more...]

#BookReview: When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi 5 stars Genre: YA contemporary romance Pros: Diverse main charactersInteresting cultural referencesCute flip of a theme Cons: Predictable love story I loved When Dimple Met Rishi! It features a cute romance. Not only do the two main characters fall in love, but you also start to adore them as a reader. I particularly liked how Menon flipped the theme of arranged marriages into something culturally positive. All the tidbits of the characters' … [Read more...]

Teen Vogue

"At this moment, someone is thinking good thoughts of you." Hi, all! It'll be a busy week for me since I'm prepping to host Thanksgiving :) Thus, this will be a super quick post. If you haven't already seen on my social media channels, Dragonfly Dreams was mentioned in a Teen Vogue article. It was picked as one of nine "Asian-Led Books that Deserve Their Own Movie Adaption." Squee! P.S. My book is listed in the #5 slot. If you don't want to click on the article, here's the full … [Read more...]

Cozy Launch & Comic Con

Wow, this weekend was a whirlwind! On Friday, I did Coffee & A Cozy. I enjoyed chatting about cover design, audiobook-making, and story creation. Here's the spread of treats: Fun time with friends!   I also participated in LA Comic Con on Saturday. Seeing people dressed up was one of the highlights. Look at the mighty crowd! Great statues on the convention floor... Costumes galore! Can you figure out who everyone is? (My fave is the first … [Read more...]

Robot Revenge Release

Hi Folks, Just letting you know that ROBOT REVENGE is officially out! Hurrah! Winston Wong is back on the case, but this time he's taking a close look at his local neighborhood. Paperback Kindle Other e-book retailers So happy book birthday to me! In the mood for any of the following cakes? Straw-buried cake   I-scream cake   Death by chocolate … [Read more...]

#BookReview: Binti: The Night Masquerade

"This is the year when ingenuity stands high on  the list." Let me start by summarizing: The Binti series is amazing! You should really go out and read it. I absolutely loved the first book, Binti. You can read my five-star review on Goodreads here. The conclusion to the series, Binti: The Night Masquerade, also didn't disappoint. Okorafor wraps everything up with ease. You want more details? Binti: The Night Masquerade 5 stars Genre: Science fiction Pros: A diverse … [Read more...]

Book Deal!!

Hey, readers. Here's some fabulous news. I have a book deal with Penguin Random House (Berkley imprint)!! Color me crazy excited. I started really focusing on my writing in 2008 . . . and here I am a decade later. I'm sure you have some questions for me, but I'll give you a cheat sheet first: What's this new book about? It'll be the start of a fun contemporary cozy mystery series. Yes, it will have a female (*woot*) Asian American protagonist. When will it be available? Probably the … [Read more...]

#BookReview: Every Soul a Star

“You will live a long, prosperous life.” Every Soul a Star  5 stars Pros: Science made interesting Different perspectives True teen voices Cons: May be too sweet for some I really enjoyed Every Soul a Star. Since I recently saw the solar eclipse, I had to check out this read. I love how Mass incorporated scientific facts in this book. Every Soul is a slow, thoughtful read. Some people might find fault with that (see my con above), but I found it refreshing. The voices … [Read more...]