Writing is a lonely and demanding craft, as made abundantly clear in countless sayings attributed to writers of all stripes, from famous authors who have attained great success to aspiring unknowns toiling in anonymity. Here's a tiny sample of such gems that have struck a chord with me as I'm … [Read more...]
This Friday (Feb 12) is the First Day of Tết, the traditional Vietnamese New Year's based on the lunar calendar. According to the ancient Chinese/Vietnamese zodiac, this is the Year of the Ox (or Bull/Buffalo), coming in succession to the Year of the Rat. A rat, in popular tradition, symbolizes … [Read more...]
We can probably all agree that 2020 was one of, if not the worst year in recent memory. And so it was with grateful relief that I embraced the few good news that dropped in my mailbox just before year's end, news that I'm excited to share with you now. First of, Best Indie Book Award … [Read more...]
Hurrah!! After an (unexplainable) 3-month holdup at ACX-Amazon, the audiobook for my new collection of short stories, In the Shadow of Green Bamboos, has finally been released to retail on the Amazon and Audible websites. The principal narrator of In the Shadow of Green Bamboos is Leyna Nguyen, … [Read more...]
It's been a wild fun ride for the past four months, and after some long delays at Amazon-ACX / Audible due to the pandemic, the audiobook for Once upon a Mulberry Field is finally here! Yes. For real. And it sounds like a million bucks, well worth the wait---thanks to Treg Monty, my narrator and … [Read more...]
B'gosh, the Big Day is here! At long last. As promised, my new book, In the Shadow of Green Bamboos, is being released into bookstores today. Not without a little hiccup, mind you, but then again this whole year 2020 has been one giant hiccup itself, so I'm just elated to have crossed the … [Read more...]
With everything that has been happening, this year has been flying by at a frightening pace. Luckily for me, however, there's a bit of a silver lining. I've been keeping my nose to the grindstone for some time now, and I finally have some very exciting news to share with you. Two weeks from … [Read more...]
It's hard to believe it has been 6 months since most of us first hunkered into lockdown. Half a year already, like a blink of an eye---but an eternity at the same time. I hope all of you and your loved ones have been staying safe and healthy, and that you've discovered interesting new ways to work … [Read more...]
TIME's Person of the Century, Albert Einstein, once said, "The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library." I couldn't agree more. As a book lover, libraries--both public and academic--have always been among my favorite places. And as a writer, nothing gives me … [Read more...]
As readers, we have all experienced that mixed feeling of happy fulfillment and wishful regret when we get to the last paragraph of a great book. Wishing that the wonderful story didn't have to end there and that we could hang out a little longer with our favorite characters. Some of … [Read more...]