It's that time of year again when we welcome Tết, the traditional Vietnamese New Year based on the lunar calendar. In 2022, it happens to fall on February 1st. Here's hoping this is the year we finally will be riding out the Covid-19 scourge. And so I wish all of you and your families a … [Read more...]
Another year's end is approaching at neck-breaking pace. Instead of sunscreen we put on before heading out the door, it's sweater weather all over again, even in Southern California. Fortunately, some great news have just come along to warm my days, and I'm thrilled to share them with you … [Read more...]
Taking a walk the other day, I noticed that the Jacaranda trees in our neighborhood were in full bloom. Profuse panicles of violet-blue flowers that brightened the heart and the sidewalks and further enhanced the cloudless blue overhead. This colorful spectacle screamed summer to me, even … [Read more...]
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...]