As a kid, our field trip to the Capitol was to…Sacramento. I always envied those kids on the East Coast who got to visit DC. And even though I’ve been to Malice Domestic a few times, the closest I got to the National Mall was watching it stream by a window. This past President’s Day weekend, though, we traveled to Washington, D.C. to cheer on … Continue reading Whirlwind DC Weekend
Once Upon A Teacher Once upon a time there was a sixth grader named Jennifer who adored her teacher, Mrs. Okada. In class, Jennifer would learn all sorts of things, but her favorite subject was English. She got introduced to and crafted sonnets, haikus, and tankas. Fun bonus: Mrs. Okada, throughout the year, would invite small groups of students into her home, where they got … Continue reading Once Upon A Teacher
Star-Crossed Egg Tarts came out this past Tuesday! This is book two in the Magical Fortune Cookie series. My main character, Felicity Jin, is off to cater a wedding, bringing the dessert. It’s too bad that a dead body gets found under the cake table. But I’m not here today to talk about what’s under a cake table, but rather what’s on top of it. … Continue reading Let’s Talk about Cake
Last weekend, I got to experience an emotional high when I visited St. Louis for Cozy Con 2024. The Novel Neighbor and St. Louis County Library hosted a fabulous event. Held at the Clark Family Branch, we authors even got to sneak in through a secret door to go onstage. And there was beautiful attendance, with exactly my kind of people. I recognized a few … Continue reading Top of the World
Yep, I was fortunate enough to visit Stockholm at the end of August. What I love about going to a new place is exploring the local culture and geography. When you go to a different city or country, it opens up doors for observation and inspiration. And isn’t that what authors do—observe and get inspired to write? Wonders First off, there were so many things … Continue reading When in Sweden…
One item on my writer’s bucket list is a police ride along. (That, and the citizens academy. I could never fit it around my kids’ schedules.) I finally found the opportunity to do the ride along through a local silent auction. You better believe I was watching my bid and making sure I won. Here’s a recap of my day with the cops: Police station … Continue reading A Writer’s Bucket List
Welcome to “Chicks Celebration,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share what we’re currently celebrating (book release, new idea, recent read)… 1. Which Chick is celebrating? Jen 2. The reason for the celebration? The launch of the anthology, Writing the Cozy Mystery: Authors’ Perspectives on Their Craft. It released on August 5th. 3. What have you been doing to celebrate? A bunch of … Continue reading Chicks Celebration: Launch of Writing the Cozy Mystery anthology
There’s this recurring dream I have where I’m taking a timed test. Did I mention that it’s a stress dream for me? For someone who’s a total nerd (confession: I was part of my high school’s Academic Decathlon team), you’d think I would enjoy exams. But I always felt the heavy weight of expectations. This was why I had to push myself to contribute to … Continue reading Pushing Myself
I was meeting a fellow writer friend for lunch, someone I’d only previously interacted with online. When she showed up, she said, “You look exactly like your author photo!,” and she meant it as a compliment. This led me to wonder: How accurate should author photos be? I mean, I have friends who hate having their pictures taken. I know people who opt for … Continue reading Authentic Author Photos
I think I first heard about goat yoga from fellow writer, Sarah M. Chen. Then AJ Devlin put it in his book. And Paula Charles/Janna Rollins has a goat yoga studio in her new series. So, of course, I jumped at the chance to try it…at a party. For her birthday, my friend decided to corral some goats. Yes, the goats will come to you … Continue reading Goat For It!
After Left Coast Crime, I experienced a little moment of panic at SeaTac airport. Where was my e-reader? I mean, I did spot a Little Free Library at the airport. Should I circle back? Good news is that I eventually found my tablet nestled in a side pocket of my luggage. Not that I had to worry. I did also have books packed away inside … Continue reading Bookless in Seattle
For the last three weekends, I’ve been busy with bookish or writing-related activities. It seems like I haven’t had a “real weekend” in forever. While my hubby mistakenly believed the other day was Pi Day, I honestly thought, “What day is it even?” Case in point: When I went into the grocery store recently, I saw a Cheerios box with the word “Mom” on it; … Continue reading Realizations
Chicks on the Case 