"Don't let statistics do a number on you." For those of you who don't know, I've been writing for years at my kitchen table. Finally, I've upgraded to my own office (slash guest room)! Knowing that I have an Asian-themed decor, my dad gave me this artwork. Gorgeous, huh? The main character in it is: patience. Patience is key to a writer's life. It always takes longer than you anticipate to produce and write something, or to edit and publish a piece. Fun photo: After two books, I finally … [Read more...]
Multi-Author Promo
November 12, 2015 8 Comments
The other day I heard this phrase tossed around: Thanksvember. One of the things I’m really grateful for as a writer is the author community. In honor and celebration of that, I’m participating in a cross-genre promotion. It’ll last ten days from November 12-November 22. Fabulous storytellers from different genres pulled together for a Thanksgiving treat of discounted books. My own cozy mystery, SENIORS SLEUTH, will be discounted to only 99 cents at the following retailers: Amazon and … [Read more...]
Changing my Tagline
November 2, 2015 8 Comments
"The coming month shall bring winds of change in your life." Have you noticed a change on my website? For mobile users, it probably looks the same, but those checking it out on a computer may see something slightly different. What is it? My tagline. A tagline is a slogan that helps you remember something--in this case, a person. My old line read, Asian-American fiction with a geriatric twist. My new slogan is Multicultural fiction, Intergenerational drama. The old version really … [Read more...]
Double the Authors, Double the Fun
August 10, 2015 6 Comments
"Your magnetic personality will draw people to you." I recently did a co-author book signing at local mystery bookstore, Book Carnival. This was my first signing event that I shared with someone, and I had a fabulous time! It was great having another author by my side, particularly the magnificent Carole Sojka. And it was a pretty full house, what with bookstore regulars, along with friends and contacts from both of us gathering together. We decided to do a Q&A format, essentially … [Read more...]
Publishers Weekly Review
July 20, 2015 4 Comments
"You will be rewarded for your efforts." Publishers Weekly is a trade magazine for the book industry and was established in 1872. Nowadays, people trust the publication for its reviews. If you look at any big press novel, you'll find an editorial review from PW. For a small press, it's difficult to get a shot at this system. However, PW recently implemented BookLife. By registering your work on their site, indie and self-published authors get a chance to have their book reviewed (for free, … [Read more...]
You’re Invited to a Party!
June 29, 2015 6 Comments
What's the fun part about launching a book? A party. Here are some highlights from the launch of my debut novel, The 228 Legacy: Cupcakes Fun raffle Kids' crafts Reader testimonials Yummy snacks What's not to love? I even got to connect with online buddies (thanks, Linda!) and reconnect with old high school friends (thanks, Paul!). So here's your official invite for my next party in honor of Seniors Sleuth. So Cal folks, come join the fun! Book … [Read more...]
NaNoWriMo
November 3, 2014 10 Comments
"You love challenge." Not really. Nerd alert: I was part of my high school's Academic Decathlon team. On the practice test, I did really well on the Language & Literature portion, but during the real deal at regionals? I kept second-guessing my answers and ended up scoring pretty low. I can't handle timed pressure. This is why I would be a bad contestant on any number of reality TV shows. For writers, there's the current NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge. Kudos to those … [Read more...]
Mystery Writing Tips (ALAAC 2014 part 3)
July 21, 2014 8 Comments
"When the rabbits are dead, the hounds that tracked them will be cooked." --Chinese proverb A new crime every time--that's the vital essence of a thriving mystery series. At the ALA conference in June, I saw a panel of women mystery authors. The group consisted of Hannah Dennison (MURDER AT HONEYCHURCH HALL, "Downton Abbey meets Midsomer Murders"), Kelli Stanley (CITY OF SECRETS, "a noir tale of high order"), Rachel Howzell Hall (LAND OF SHADOWS, "hard-hitting tale of a modern, complex Los … [Read more...]
Author Celebrity Sightings (ALAAC 2014 part 2)
July 14, 2014 10 Comments
"Spilt water cannot be retrieved." --Chinese proverb Words spilled out as writers can't be retrieved. Words said as admirers can't be taken back either, which I found out while blubbering to my favorite authors at the ALA conference. (Okay, so I wasn't crying, but I still wasn't suave.) Here are my celebrity shots: Jean Kwok One of my favorite Asian American writers, we share a Hong Kong connection (my mom's from there). Jean was the first well-known author (think NYT bestseller) to … [Read more...]
Solace through Swag (ALAAC 2014 part 1)
July 7, 2014 6 Comments
"If the horse dies, then you have to walk." --Chinese proverb You ride pretty high until the horse falters and you fall off. What else can you do then but walk? I went to the American Library Association Annual Conference (ALAAC) at the end of June to listen to the award announcements for Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year. The bad news: I didn't place in the top four slots in the multicultural category. The good news: I'm still a bonafide finalist! Another silver lining is that I got a … [Read more...]
