Sisters in Crime officially started in 1987, so it’s been around for 35 years! We even had a members-only online celebration this past Saturday organized by the fabulous President Stephanie Gayle and amazing Executive Director Julie Hennrikus. It was filled with great panels, inspiring videos, and a fun social hour. Even from the beginning, the organization strove to be inclusive and not exclusive; it welcomed not only crime writers, but all crime fiction fans. The mission statement in … [Read more...]
Expressing My Voice
August 1, 2022 Leave a Comment
I was taught to listen. This meant obeying my parents. It meant paying attention to teachers. Often, I translated this rule as to not talk, to never talk. I once held an inner competition to not speak for a whole day (yes, I won). I’d held back so long I had a difficult time even knowing what my own voice was, figuratively speaking. In high school, I started trying to find out. I wrote lots of poetry (some poems even got published). I did drama (even got some speaking lines). Writing has … [Read more...]
New Office, New Look
December 7, 2015 5 Comments
"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...]
Do Online Friends Make Good Real-Life Friends?
September 22, 2014 8 Comments
"The social scene can be fun today." Writing used to be a lonely profession. With the advent of modern technology, it's turned out to be more of a creative party. Boundary lines between online friends and in-person ones are getting blurred. In fact, I'm meeting more and more with virtual buddies in real places. I've gotten valuable critique partners from online classes. And years of connecting via the Web led me to a side trip last Christmas to meet up with Wordsmith Studio buddies. But … [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...]
The Art of Sampling
September 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
"An old horse knows the way." - Chinese proverb ~In the spring and autumn period (770-476BC), Duke Huan of Qi went to attack Guzhu. When winter settled in, the army lost their way, but Huan's minister Guan Zhong had a great plan: They would release their old horses and follow them back home.~ Experience matters, and that is why I'm relying on the collective wisdom of my online writers' community, Wordsmith Studio, today. This post will be based on their current creative prompt about … [Read more...]
Writers Tell All – Blog Hop
July 27, 2013 5 Comments
I have an extra post this week because I’m doing a blog hop called, “Writers Tell All.” Question 1: What are you working on? Releasing my debut novel, The 228 Legacy, on August 1st Polishing a cozy mystery featuring an Asian-American sleuth investigating a senior home Editing a previously shelved manuscript Question 2: How does your writing process work? I look around for inspiration in my daily life. When an image, a phrase, or a theme sticks, I’ll expand on it. I do a … [Read more...]
Should I Create a Newsletter?
July 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
The cunning hare has three burrows. August 1st, the release date for my forthcoming novel, is fast approaching. As I plan for its arrival, I'm contemplating setting up a mailing list. I've read that newsletters are informative and fun ways to keep readers up to speed on your work. As a bonus, some mail management sites, like MailChimp and Constant Contact, offer free services if the number of subscribers is under a certain amount. A newsletter sounded like a great idea until I found the … [Read more...]
