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...]
Swag Team
September 21, 2015 3 Comments
"People are waiting for cues from you." Tired of waiting for news from me? Well, here's my latest writing update: My upcoming novel, DRAGONFLY DREAMS, is moving along speedily with my publisher. It's scheduled to be released November/December 2015 by Booktrope. If you like historical YA mixed with paranormal elements, this is the book for you. It's got: Culture Death Family drama Good versus evil Spirits Want more than just to buy the book? Glad you asked. You can also … [Read more...]
Getting the Word Out
May 18, 2015 4 Comments
"Someone is speaking well of you." It really does take a community to launch a book. Here are my partners in crime for my cozy mystery, Seniors Sleuth (which recently won Runner-Up at the 2015 Beach Book Festival): Team Jen. These devoted folks were beta readers and cover voters. A huge thanks to them for polishing my work, posting up reviews, and spreading the word! Also, special shout-outs go to Joy Weese Moll, Julia Tomiak, and Carol Early Cooney for blogging about my … [Read more...]
Pen Names and Pseudonyms
April 6, 2015 15 Comments
"Versatility is one of your outstanding traits." One of my UCLA writing professors told me that it's wise to be established in one genre before branching out. Like the rebel I am, I've decided to publish a cozy book (confession: my previous book was categorized as multicultural women's fiction). My solution? Use a pen name. Pseudonyms help readers to easily figure out what genre they're buying. For example, J.K. Rowling first published her mysteries under the name of Robert Galbraith. … [Read more...]
Booktrope Acceptance
March 16, 2015 13 Comments
“An important business venture may soon develop for you.” It looks like this year will be very busy for me! I recently got a manuscript (it's YA with intergenerational drama, like The 228 Legacy—but with paranormal elements) accepted by Booktrope. Booktrope is a company looking to revolutionize the book industry by using team publishing. Here’s an overview of how the system works: First readers look through all submitted materials and serve as gatekeepers (if selected, the author can … [Read more...]
Molting like a Cicada (or Self-Publishing)
January 12, 2015 10 Comments
"Courage is the hallmark of a warrior." I remember visiting Taiwan and hearing a repetitive whirring from the tree above me. It was the song of a cicada. Cicadas are known as "tree crickets" and live on branches. While their cousin crickets on the ground produce music by rubbing their wings, cicadas actually have built-in noisemakers (tymbals) that can be manipulated by using their muscles. In Chinese culture, cicadas are a symbol of immortality (because of their long lifespan) and rebirth … [Read more...]
Standing versus Sitting
December 15, 2014 8 Comments
"Cut through organizational impediments and get some real work done." I've been hearing about studies that show the detriment of prolonged sitting. These awful side effects include chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic likened sitting to smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle has even been linked to early death. So what's the alternative? Some people use giant stability balls to maintain their posture while sitting at a desk. Others opt for … [Read more...]
Does Better English Equal More Pay?
November 17, 2014 4 Comments
Grammarly (the world’s leading automated grammar checker) recently conducted a study with over 400 freelancers to figure out how English skills affect income. Analyzing data from Elance, Grammarly found that there is a correlation between writing skills and hireability. In simpler terms, better writers tend to make more. Read the Huffington Post article and study the infographic below for further details: Of course, causation cannot be established, but it makes sense that better … [Read more...]
Why Do I Write?
November 10, 2014 12 Comments
“You are never selfish with your advice or your help.” Last week, I wrote about NaNoWriMo. Apparently, Webucator, the national training company, had the same idea. They had two of their instructors, who are published authors, share about their writing journeys. For this whole November novel-writing month, Webucator is inviting authors to share about their experiences. Here’s my perspective: What were your goals when you started writing? I wrote my first story in elementary school. My … [Read more...]
