I’m a fan of the soft pretzel. Sure, I like crunchy pretzels to munch on for snacking, but I have the fondest memories of soft pretzels. I think it all stems from a school trip I took to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Using some spending money, I bought and devoured my very first soft pretzel—it was fabulous. I’m still hard-pressed to beat that initial savory taste. Growing up, I sometimes went to the local mall and browsed. The alluring scent from Auntie Anne’s would often follow me … [Read more...]
Hitting the SoCal Indie Bestseller List
July 15, 2022 2 Comments
I’ve blogged before about how tired I got during release week. Launching a new book (and a new series) requires dedication. I’m grateful to all the publications and bloggers and podcasters who gave me media coverage. I’m thankful to the great bookstagramming community, who’ve been sharing images of Death By Bubble Tea (including a few bubble tea selfies). Of course, I’m very appreciative of the readers who supported me. In fact, it’s the fans who clamored for my book and went out of their way … [Read more...]
ICYMI: NYT
July 11, 2022 2 Comments
This is what nobody tells you about release week: you get very tired. It’s exhausting riding the wave of needing to respond to every comment and tag. (Apologies to anyone I missed!) That plus guesting on blogs and doing multiple book events. In the meantime, you’re biting your fingernails, hoping that all of this work actually translates into sales—or more accurately, readers. Is someone out there really enjoying your work? But there are times when the unbelievable happens. I was floored … [Read more...]
At the Grocery Store
July 9, 2022 Leave a Comment
I like grocery shopping. Really, I do. I cherish it even more now than I did before. Having used grocery pick-up services back in 2020, I appreciate the chance to actually hold produce in my hands. Maybe food selecting is also enjoyable for me because it reminds me of past times with my mom. I’d tag along with her, pick fruit from the bin and maybe even weigh them on those nifty silver scales. If I was really good and well-behaved, I’d get a treat from the bakery (usually a roll). Or Tic … [Read more...]
Happy Book Birthday to Me!
July 5, 2022 Leave a Comment
That's right. It's time for me to do a happy dance because DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA has been released into the world! Synopsis: Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue.When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, … [Read more...]
The Great Unboxing
June 29, 2022 2 Comments
This festivity happens (hopefully) once a year—or maybe more if you’re lucky. It’s the celebration known as The Great Unboxing. Authors finally get to hold their literary lovelies in their hands, right before it reaches the rest of the public. Almost every writer I know does an unboxing video on this occasion. Check out my Instagram reel for the unboxing of Death by Bubble Tea (out July 5). There are a few things that I’ve learned along the way about receiving and unboxing author copies. … [Read more...]
Who Wants Cookies?
June 14, 2022 Leave a Comment
I’ve always been fond of cookies. Maybe because they were a rare treat we got from the local bakery only once in a while. We didn’t actually bake any cookies growing up. Our oven was used mostly for roasts. Somehow, though, we did have a cookie cookbook in our household. I can’t remember how young I was, but I was still too small to “touch the oven” when I had my first baking adventure. I decided to microwave the cookie batter (not sure if you’d call it that since the dough was mostly flour … [Read more...]
Boba Tea and Mystery
May 10, 2022 2 Comments
I recently enjoyed an author event with the perfect title: Afternoon (Boba) Tea & Mystery. The rhyming factor is great, and what’s better than some refreshing bubble tea in the afternoon? Special thanks goes out to the Northern California chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America for co-sponsoring the event. This was an offsite activity that coincided with the Bay Area Book Festival. Here is a signed copy I got of Kelly Yang’s Yes We Will: I had a fun time … [Read more...]
It’s Conference Time!
March 29, 2022 2 Comments
When is a conference not a conference? <drum roll> When it happens in March 2020. The last time I went to a writing conference was in 2020 for Left Coast Crime in San Diego. It was surreal experiencing the shutdown of the entire event. Notices were quickly taped to doors and windows. People scrambled for their phones to rearrange transportation and find lodging. I resigned myself to canceling my hotel reservation (hoping for a refund) and traveling the two hours back to Los … [Read more...]
To Swag or Not to Swag?
March 15, 2022 2 Comments
It’s conference season time! As an author, a lot my time is spent in solitary creation. There comes a few points every year where I actually get to go out and meet folks, including readers. This happens at book festivals, and to a smaller extent, at bookstores. Fan conventions, though, are a different beast entirely. These gatherings invite readers to mingle with their favorite authors. They’ve been on pause (or virtual) for the last few years, so I’m excited to see them up and running … [Read more...]
