There have been so many deleted scenes from my debut, THE TIGER MOM’S TALE, which comes out in just 5 short weeks. I wrote the first draft of this book in 2015, and then completely re-wrote it in 2018. It is the story of a biracial personal trainer, Lexa, living in NYC, and having to confront her Taiwanese heritage which she’s mostly ignored, when her estranged Taiwanese father passes away…
If you’re thinking of writing a novel and wondering where to start your story, a good rule of thumb is: Start as close to the end as possible. There are many reasons for this, among them that your story should be focused and not meander, readers have short attention spans, and 1000 page sprawling Tolstoyian dramas are unlikely to become bestsellers. But often, we don’t know where the end is….
I had a really hard time choosing a major in college. I went from Business Administration to Retailing, to Fashion, and finally landed in Art History – a perfect place for people like me who love art, but lack all artistic ability. Art History was a really fun major, and I enjoyed my classes tremendously. We’d scrutinize paintings, paying attention to style, technique, and symbolism, and listen to stories our…
When I started writing my first book in 2015, I didn’t know a single person who wrote. I also didn’t tell anyone I was writing a book because I didn’t consider myself a writer. I’d never taken a single writing class (except what was needed for school) and I was clueless on the whole process of writing and publishing books. So I made the ultimate rookie mistake. I whipped out…
You want the fantasy author to talk worldbuilding?? Welp, you all are in for it now! I could probably write a short book on the nuts and bolts of my worldbuilding process… don’t worry. I won’t do that here. Instead I’d like to focus on the all the things that inspired the world of The Frozen Crown. I knew from page one, that I wanted The Frozen Crown to feel…
Last but not least, we present the fifth of our 2021 Debs, Ehsaneh Sadr. She’s having a busy week: She starts here AND her book, A DOOR BETWEEN US, is out on Tuesday. No biggie. Welcome, Ehsaneh! Ehsaneh is a novelist and activist with a PhD in International Relations. She has worked, in various capacities, on campaigns related to biking advocacy, Palestinian human rights, lifting sanctions on Iran, access…
Okay, wow. This post (my last!) marks a full-circle moment for me. I first learned about today’s guest, Amy Poeppel, right here on this very site. A member of the Deb Class of 2017, Amy’s wry and real posts led me to her novel, SMALL ADMISSIONS. That laugh-out-loud story spurred me along in my writing journey and made me feel like there might be a place for my own humorous…
It is my pleasure to introduce Elizabeth Gonzalez James, who will be taking on the the role of News Flash Organizer and Topic Whisperer which I have managed for the past Debutante season. Elizabeth is the author of the forthcoming MONA AT SEA, a sharp and witty debut launching in the Summer of 2021 that asks, When we find what gives our life meaning, will we be ready for it?…
As my last act as a Deb of the Ball, I am delighted to introduce to you your new Tech Deb, Lyn Liao Butler! Lyn’s debut, The Tiger Mom’s Tale, will be published by Berkley/Penguin in July of 2021. Lyn was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. In her past and present lives, she has been: a concert pianist, a professional ballet and modern dancer,…
It’s my great pleasure to present the woman behind next year’s tweets, our new Social Media Maven, Denny S. Bryce. To be honest with you, I felt like I already knew Denny when I read her Deb Ball application. She’s very active and well-respected in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, of which I’m a member (and you should be, too, if you write women’s fiction or crossover romance or suspense)….
