This past Saturday, Long Beach held its first-ever FAB (Festival of AAPI Books) Long Beach event! I happily and heartily participated in it. Thank you, Long Beach Public Library and Bel Canto Books!!
May has a special place in my heart because this month (AANHPI Heritage Month) is when I first discovered I could be a mystery writer. I stumbled onto Dale Furutani’s samurai series at the library because of a special book display and realized that an Asian American could be a strong protagonist in a mystery story.
FAB Long Beach also happened at a library: the Billie Jean King Main Library. I knew I was in a special place even before I walked in because…check out this amazing artwork at the corner of the street intersection in front of the library:
The half day was filled with activity. This included cultural performances, like taiko drumming:
I was scheduled for the afternoon panel about AAPI Heroines & Heroes. Moderated by Naomi Hirahara, fellow author guests included Elle Cruz, Emery Lee, and Stephan Lee. We were able to chat about our protagonists and how we got into the writing business.
I got high praise from my kiddo at the end of the panel!
What really touched me was being able to celebrate stories that need to be highlighted. Here’s the fabulous AAPI book display on the main floor of the library!
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