In today's highly competitive publishing world, I've long since learned to appreciate and rejoice in each and every little progress along the way, to keep myself motivated and moving forward, one small step at a time. It also gives me great pleasure to share the good news as they happen with my … [Read more...]
More Great News
This afternoon (Tue Dec 12) Amazon has named my new book Rain Falling on Tamarind Trees the #1 New Release in Vietnam Travel Guides (paperback edition). This came on the heel of the book last Sunday (Dec 10) hitting #1 on amazon.fr (France) among Books in English and Foreign Languages on … [Read more...]
My Travelogue of Vietnam
As mentioned in an earlier post, in late 2016 I had a chance to go back and visit Việt-Nam, my ancestral homeland. It was my first trip back in over four decades, and it touched me deeply. And so, upon my return to America, I immediately set aside all other projects to start recapturing the memories … [Read more...]
A Must Write
What in the world is a "must write," you ask. I can best explain what it is by mentioning its counterpart, which you're probably familiar with since it's often found in readers' reviews of their favorite books---a "must read." Let me elaborate. A must write is something that I as a writer feel … [Read more...]
Why I (Continue to) Write
It's said that we've all got a book in us. I was fortunate enough, living in the age of self-publishing, to find that out for myself. In my case, it took me six years of hard labor---labor of love, as it's called---to research, write, and publish my first book, Once upon a Mulberry Field, a … [Read more...]
Sweet Images
Warm greetings! The last few months have been busy for me, but it has been a good kind of busy (except for the tax returns, of course). I was invited to speak about my book at various venues and gladly accepted all those invitations, thus spending a lot of time on the road rather than at the … [Read more...]
Home, Sweet Home
Maya Angelou once said: "You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right." Most people, no matter where we came from or where life has taken us, remain attached to memories of our early years -- the times, places, people, events, as well as the loves and … [Read more...]
Veterans Day 2015
This year, in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day, I've had the privilege and pleasure of being involved in several meaningful and fun events. In early October I was invited by the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Veterans Club to attend its 2015 Community Ball, which was to pay tribute to Vietnam … [Read more...]
A Special Trip
Last week I had the honor of attending the 2015 Community Ball hosted by the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Veterans Club in North Lake Tahoe to pay tribute to the Vietnam War veterans. My gracious host, Colonel Steve Price, USAF Retired, had been present at the Cathedral City Rotary Club during my … [Read more...]
The Colors of Summer
As mentioned in an earlier post, the summers of my youth in Saigon were painted in brilliant red and orange from luxurious blooms on poinciana trees all over the city. But here, in sun-drenched Southern California, summer ushers in a different color---the purple-blue freshness of jacaranda blooms. … [Read more...]