Hooray! It’s the official release day for Mimi Lee Cracks the Code! The third book in the Sassy Cat Mystery series has been on the following lists: Best Upcoming Cozy Mysteries for the Second Half of 2021 (Book Riot)All the Best Books Being Released in November (BuzzFeed)The 13 Best New Mystery and Thriller Books of November 2021 (POPSUGAR) ABOUT THE BOOK: When murder follows Mimi Lee to her romantic island getaway, she puts on her best sleuthing hat with her sassy cat in tow in … [Read more...]
The Magic of Indie Bookstores
November 15, 2021 2 Comments
I recently did a joint book signing with Ellen Byron at an indie bookstore, Mystery Ink. They have a new location which faces a main street in Huntington Beach. I hope a lot of customers spot the store and drop by. It’s a cozy space with great books for readers—and, of course, signed copies from local authors. Indie bookstores, I believe, are magical. The first bookshop I ever visited carried children’s books, and the owner was delightful. I was a kid on the hunt for something enticing … [Read more...]
Twofer Tuesday
November 9, 2021 Leave a Comment
I have two wonderful announcements to make today! #1 First off, the Midnight Hour anthology releases today! It got a starred review from Publishers Weekly and received this praise from Kirkus Reviews: "An excellent collection of stories told from many different viewpoints." BUY LINK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/673674/midnight-hour-by-abby-l-vandiver/ #2 This coziest of giveaways is happening through November 19 for books and a special limited-edition … [Read more...]
November 1 and NaNoWriMo
November 1, 2021 2 Comments
November 1. It’s that time of the year again when I chicken turkey out. Why’s that? Because November is NaNoWriMo. Have you heard of it? NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit that promotes creative writing, but its well-known program is a month-long event which inspires people to write a 50,000-word manuscript in November. Originally, this challenge started among friends in 1999 but has since expanded to hundreds of thousands of participants all … [Read more...]
Fall Into Promotion
October 26, 2021 Leave a Comment
It’s that time of the year again when I FALL into promotion. In the month of November, I have two releases coming out: MIDNIGHT HOUR anthology (November 9) and MIMI LEE CRACKS THE CODE (November 30). There will be a mix of virtual and in-person events. Here’s what I have so far in a neat graphic: More to come! All events are listed on this page: https://jenniferjchow.com/events/ Please drop by one of them and say hello! … [Read more...]
Third Time’s the Bubble Waffle Charm
October 22, 2021 Leave a Comment
The first time I saw a bubble waffle was in a Hong Kong-style café. My brother and I were eating together, gorging on delicious Chinese food and sipping addictive iced lemon tea. I noticed other patrons ordering a special dessert which looked kinda like a breakfast item. They were getting odd puffy-shaped waffles. Could those really be that different than the regular ol’ type? The second time around, I ate a bubble waffle. I think it was at a night market in Taiwan. When the delicious pastry … [Read more...]
Cover Reveal: Death By Bubble Tea
October 21, 2021 5 Comments
I'm so excited for my new cozy series, the L.A. Night Market Mysteries, coming out in Summer 2022! The first book drops on July 5, 2022, and it's called DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA. You can pre-order it now! I want to especially thank the creators behind this amazing book cover. Jane Liu did a fabulous job doing the main illustration and capturing the night market vibe and the two cousins at the heart of the story. Judith Murello Lagerman was involved in the art design of the cover. About … [Read more...]
Wednesday Roundup
October 13, 2021 Leave a Comment
It's time for some author and bookish news roundups. EXCITING NEWS: I'm serving on the national board of Sisters in Crime as Vice President. Please check out and join this international community for all who write and love crime fiction! Starred review for Midnight Hour, a crime fiction anthology I’m involved in FUN EVENTS: Tattered Cover Book Store virtual event; Tuesday, October 26, 2021 5pm MT/4pm PT; Virtual conversation with Kate Lansing … [Read more...]
Fun Facts About Mailings
October 4, 2021 2 Comments
One area of expertise that I didn’t realize I needed to bone up on as a writer was the mail system. I already had an appreciation for the United States Postal Service. As a kid, it was exciting to watch the red flag (we had a classic mailbox) go up and down as mail was delivered and received. I loved finding deliveries in the box of postcards, letters—really anything that people sent us. As an author, I dived into the topic of mailings when I needed to send out my novels. Books are often … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Kindest Lie
September 27, 2021 Leave a Comment
5 stars Genre: Contemporary fiction/women's fiction The Kindest Lie I really appreciated this book by Nancy Johnson, which is a story about motherhood, secrets, and more. It was fascinating to see the plot take shape through the dual perspectives of Ruth and Midnight. Having the different points of view really allows for a deeper take on things. I’m grateful for this entertaining journey of one woman’s discovery of her past—and herself. There are a lot of key points about race … [Read more...]
