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...]
Stories — In Spoken Word
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...]
Headphones on? Sit back. Enjoy!
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...]
The Book is Out: In the Shadow of Green Bamboos
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...]
New Book Release
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...]
Book Lists and Libraries
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...]
Old Friends
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...]
The Amazing Life of Books
Recently I was thrilled and honored to discover that my books, the historical novel Once upon a Mulberry Field and the Vietnam travelogue Rain Falling on Tamarind Trees, have been included in the collections of the libraries at my alma maters, Ohio University and UC Berkeley. It gives me … [Read more...]
A Special To-Read List
Just a quick announcement to share some exciting news: I am thrilled and honored that the Washington DC Public Library has recently held a book discussion of my travelogue, Rain Falling on Tamarind Trees, and has recommended it as one of 5 books to read about Vietnam … [Read more...]
Writers/Authors In The Movies
Recently, without setting out to look for them, I stumbled upon a handful of movies about writers which I found totally fascinating as well as relatable on many levels. You've probably seen one or more of the movies already, but just in case, I'm sharing my short list below. The first movie is an … [Read more...]