September 29, 2008
Camy Tang guest blogs! (plus contest)
Today we’re having Camy Tang stop by and talk about her new book, Single Sashimi.
If you’ve never met Camy, you should. She’s hilarious, and totally fun to be around. I first met Camy when I stalked her at a convention a few years back. I just walked up to her in the middle of a conversation (sorry Camy and Rachel) and introduced myself, and she didn’t seem to hate me too much for it, so I’ve made it a point to stalk her whenever I get the chance now. She hasn’t called the cops yet! She’s also a fantastic writer with an awesome blog, and we’re thrilled to have her with us today.
This is the third book in the Sushi Series. How does it feel?
Like a third child, except she was hardest to push out and she ended up being the problem child. LOL That’s terrible coming from me, since I don’t even have children.
Of your three protagonists thus far, which one is the most like you and why?
Actually, I will admit that Venus is my “favorite child” of the cousins. She’s smart and aggressive and beautiful. And even though I ought to hate her, I love her. Go figure.
You are one of the only Christian authors focusing on Asian characters and the intersection of race and religion. How does your background affect what you write?
There’s no way my background couldn’t find its way into everything I write. I was completely immersed in the Asian American culture when growing up in Hawaii, and even in California, the Asian community is very strong here in the Bay Area.
And hopefully readers find the Asian American culture interesting to read about. The most common thing I hear is that people’s Irish or Norwegian or Italian families are exactly like the Sakai extended family, which just goes to show that meddling relatives abound in any culture.
What’s your writing process? Do you write an elaborate outline first and crank out pages on a schedule? Or do you get down a rough draft and edit, edit, edit until it shines? Something else?
The former. I am completely anal about it. It’s rather frightening. You might not want to be friends with me now that you know.
What are you working on now?
A new romantic suspense novel that will be coming out from Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line next year. It’s called Deadly Intent, and it’s set in a chichi day spa in Sonoma county. Yup, I had some strenuous research trips for this story, let me tell you…
After a long day, how do you restore your sanity?
I knit. And before you think I’m a total geek or weirdo, let me say, knitting is the only thing keeping me from biting my husband’s head off at the end of a day. There’s something soothing about the action, plus I’m now doing lace shawls, which are just way cool when they’re done, and I feel like a superstar wearing them.
What’s the absolute worst writing advice you’ve ever been given?
To write what you know.
It should be clarified—write what would be interesting, fascinating, and different for somebody else. Sometimes that’s writing what you know, because what you know would be really interesting, fascinating, and different for somebody else to read about.
But if what you know isn’t interesting, fascinating, or different for someone else to read about, then move outside your comfort zone and do research and write about something that would be interesting, fascinating, or different for somebody else to read about.
Thanks for having me here, Anne and May!
Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own…), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away ten boxes of books and 30 copies of her latest release, SINGLE SASHIMI.
BUT WAIT! THAT’S NOT ALL!
We have two copies of Single Sashimi to give away right here on our very own blog! (It’s really just two this time, alas.) All you have to do to win a copy is to leave a comment below telling us what’s the absolute worst writing advice YOU’VE ever been given. Or, um, if you don’t write, what’s the absolute worst dating advice you’ve ever been given? ? Or what did you have for breakfast? What color is your parachute? Why do bad things happen to good people? Who moved my cheese? Basically, if you leave a comment and it’s not about your dog’s butt, you’re entered to win. We’ll draw two names out of hat (or a Pyrex bowl) Saturday, so don’t forget to check back. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by, Camy!
my parachute is green!
>Like a third child, except she was hardest to push out and she ended up being the problem child.
JUST LIKE OUR BROTHER (but, you know, a boy).
(No need to consider this a contest entry, btw.)
Worst writing advice - follow your bliss…
Really?! REALLY!? My bliss has no idea what makes a good novel.
Nice to get to know Camy Tang. I’ll have to check out her books. Hey Camy!! Greetings from NC.
I finished The book of Jane over the weekend and loved it. So far it’s my favorite of yours. I just loved Coates. My new mantra for bad days will have to be “I am ‘Satan’s Plaything.’” Oh my gosh! That was so hilarious I about died laughing right there.
Bad advice: It’s hard to say. I have gotten a lot of good advice.
Thanks for the post!
The worst advice I have received was to submit my work to agents…..when it wasn’t ready!
But, since I joined up with ACFW, I’ve received so much MORE advice that is right on…..it’s all good. Moving forward and pressing on!
THANKS!
sheriboeyink[at]cox[dot]net
I’ll have to check out Camy’s books!
Worst writing advice (from a friend): “Oh, I don’t revise my poems. I just let them stand as they come out. They’re a moment in time, you know?”
Ugggh! They may be a moment in time, but what I couldn’t make him understand is that a lot of junk comes out when you write stream-of-consciousness and leave it there.
Congrats to Camy on the new book - and by the way, I LOVED The Miracle Girls.
I’m not really a writer, but I’ve still gotten weird writing advice, such as: “Write to persuade. The author must always have an opinion.” I don’t really know what that means.
Worst dating advice? Forgive me for not being G-rated, but the worst so far has been: “You just need to get laid. Everything else will be easier after that.” Um, yeah, ok . . .
I haven’t had breakfast, and I don’t know what color my parachute is.
Bad things happen to good people for reasons too long to list in one blog comment.
I don’t know who moved my cheese, but my mom does!
Will I be disqualified if I admit that when I read “if you leave a comment and it’s not about your dog’s butt”, I immediately thought about how the dog of my childhood, who still lives with my parents, recently had to have his tail removed?
Write for the money. No one has actually said that to me, but apparently that would be really bad advice.
Thanks to Camy for stopping by. Her books sound delightful. I like what she said about writing what you know. It’s definitely an outdated and too-narrow bit of advice. But I still think almost anything anyone “knows” can be written in a way that is both fascinating and helps other people relate - since, as she pointed out with the meddling relatives comment, most human experiences are very similar as far as how they affect us.
I’m probably the only male responding to this blog (I know it’s supposed to be “women’s fiction” but Camy’s writing is simply too good to ignore, no matter what genre she’s writing). Meeting Camy at the ACFW conference this year was a real treat. She was so patient and generous with her time.
Worst advice? From an agent: “Write whatever you want,” and then after I told him what I wanted to write, he immediately said, “No one will want to read that.” Thanks a lot!
Worst dating advice? Ask her out, she’d loved to go out with you. (She said no…)
Breakfast? Toast.
Parachute? Golden.
Bad things? Because evil bounces around and doesn’t care who it hits.
My cheese? Since I’m from Wisconsin (cheese capital of the world) this is considered a very personal question and not spoken of among polite people.
I hope I win. Camy’s a great writer!
My relatives don’t really dole out dating advice, but the phrase, “when are you going to get married?” often freely flies out of their mouths. Is that not the worst question ever when you’re chronically single? I would love to get a letter from God outlining my life on a nice, neat little time table, but alas - He’s more of a “lamp unto my feet, light onto my path” kind of guy.
If I don’t win, Camy’s books will be the next ones I check out after finishing Miracle girls!
I think the worst advice as far as dating or anything like that goes would by what one of my aunts told me when I was a junior studying at a Christian college. My aunt advised me to do the “bend and snap” from Legally Blonde if I saw a cute guy. This just after the guys in my residence hall had just asked the girls to be more modest! I haven’t gotten any really bad writing advice yet, but the best advice was “Show, don’t tell.”
I loved Camy’s first two books. Thankfully my relatives have not been nearly as bad as Grandma Sakai now that I’m our OSFC (ONLY Single Female Cousin).
These comments are cracking me up!
The worst dating advice my husband received from a friend was, “You should date my sister - she has big boobs.”
The worst writing advice I ever got was to lock myself in some quiet room and not come out till I was done writing whatever I decided I would write. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to poke my eyes out with a fork. I need external stimuli.
Ooops! PS. I’ve never ready Camy Tang! Thanks for this interview. Now I have another Christian author to check out. Maybe I’ll start stalking her too! Yay!
Oh! I’ve been wanting to read Camy’s books!
I haven’t been writing long enough to know the difference between good and bad advice.
I got married too early in life for anyone to bother giving me dating advice.
I was going to leave a comment about how funny my dog’s butt is when it wags along with her tail, but now I’m afraid that might disqualify me.
Oh and it was me. I stole your cheese. ‘Cause I just loooove me a good piece of stinky cheese.
Worst writing advice? “Why bother? It’s not like you’re ever going to get published.”
Not that I am, but no one ever seems to say “Why play the piano? It’s not like you’re ever going to play at Carnegie Hall” or “Why run? It’s not like you’re ever going to win the New York Marathon”.
Worst dating advice?
As long as he’s a Christian, God doesn’t care who you date.
You don’t even want to get me started
Worst writing advice ever: writing isn’t about you; it’s about your audience and $$$.
Oh and for breakfast, I believe it was toast and some yoghurt;)
The best book recommendation I ever received was to pick up a copy of “Emily Ever After” & I’m so happy I did!! It’s like a whole new world opened up for me through your literature & I can’t thank you enough!!
You two rock!!
Erin
breakfast - leftover pizza (heated in the microwave, has to be heated I wouldn’t willingly choose to eat it cold!)
one of my friends, the night we were celebrating her engagement, asked if i would be willing to go on a blind date. she then proceeded to describe to date in question as resembling george costanza, from “seinfeld,” then reading my expression said “no i mean he really is cute!”
it wasn’t so much bad dating advice as it was a bad attempt to set me up on a date, but it was still funny and terrible all at the same time.
Oh man. I’ve lost my wittiness. I can just say that I think the book sounds great and I promise I’ll read it if I get it???
Camy’s books and blog are great! Good interview.
I’m just finished listening to this song called “I Am One of Them” by Aly & AJ and it’s about missing children. It’s so sad, why do bad things happen to little kids? It’s hard to wrap my mind around it. That’s why I can’t wait TV shows like Without A Trace because just thinking about all those missing people breaks my heart.
I meant to say *watch* not *wait*.
I’m in a Master’s program and I have yet to receive any advice…good or bad. My professor’s usually just write “A, but needs more editing.” Any advice Anne or May?
worst advice: any two people committed to God and his church can make a marriage work–therefore any two such people can get married.
Thanks so much for the interview, guys! This was totally fun!
Camy