5 stars Genre: Humorous crime fiction My Sister, the Serial Killer Pros: Funny; dark humorPlenty of great Nigerian referencesWildly original Cons: Entertaining; had me flipping the pagesUnusual ending that didn’t quite meet my expectationsSome loose ends left dangling, particularly regarding the backstory This book totally blew me away. It feels like poetry jumping off the pages. First off, I loved the idea of the sister relationship as it involves murders. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Lychee Ice
August 16, 2019 Leave a Comment
Lychee ice: slushie drink made with lychee fruit I’m clinging onto the last days of summer and fighting off the heat with cool drinks like this. Lychee is one of my favorite fruits (although I do prefer the similar-tasting longan more). Supposedly, you shouldn’t eat too many lychees at a time. I grew up categorizing Chinese foods into warm, cool, and neutral. The lychee fruit is warming. When overeaten, it can cause negative side effects—like nosebleeds. I haven’t experienced that … [Read more...]
Joshua Tree
July 29, 2019 Leave a Comment
Who’s crazy enough to camp in a desert during the hot summer? Me, that’s who! In order to see the Perseid meteor shower (which occurs between July 17 and August 24), I ventured away from the city lights and into the desert. A quick getaway to nearby Joshua Tree National Park ended up being loads of fun. During the day, temperatures can soar above 100 degrees, so I opted to cool down inside the Palm Springs Art Museum (Palm Desert location). They had an exhibit on figures, and these were … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Ube Soft Serve
July 19, 2019 2 Comments
Ube soft serve: purple yam ice cream When it gets hot during the summer, I turn to cool things. And what's cooler than an amazingly bright purple ice cream? Yep, it's ube soft serve. Ube is a type of root vegetable (chock-full of vitamin C, thank you very much). As expected, it tastes earthy, much like sweet potato and taro. The brilliant thing (I couldn't resist) about ube is its lovely color! The hue just makes you smile. A lot of Filipino desserts will incorporate ube in their … [Read more...]
Revisions Cave
July 8, 2019 4 Comments
"Efficiency is doing better what is already being done." Yes, folks, the revisions cave is real! I've been in deep edits for my upcoming mystery novel the past couple of weeks because I received an editorial letter. In the author-editor-agent panel I attended at the California Crime Writers Conference, Leslie Karst mentioned that she's received an editor letter of eight to ten pages. Thankfully, my own spanned only two pages (single-spaced, though). Her advice was to make sure … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Jellyfish Salad
June 28, 2019 Leave a Comment
Jellyfish Salad: cold, marinated jellyfish appetizer The jellyfish (look for the white strands) is mixed in with shredded carrots and cucumbers. Jellyfish is often the centerpiece in a cold appetizer dish. Nestled next to sliced meats, you'll find long strands of milky white. Despite the similar appearance, jellyfish isn't noodle-soft. Instead, it has a slippery and chewy texture. On its own, jellyfish doesn't have any flavor. It takes on whatever sauce it's been marinated with; … [Read more...]
