This blog or hangout is both a continuation and archive of select features that I first originated on Facebook. Thanks for stopping by!  ...

(This is an abridged version of a speech I delivered at the Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference in July 2023.) I know that for both emerging and experienced writers, or any creative for that matter, imposter syndrome is a familiar companion. I recently was on a panel with a...

Ever since I traveled to Japan with my family and stayed at hotels and ryokans (inns), I have had a love for Japanese breakfast. Served on a tray or in a bento box, the Japanese breakfast usually includes broiled fish with grated daikon, rice, stewed vegetables, salad and sometimes...

This past week I was speaking to my friend about living with a sense of scarcity versus abundance. We were musing that we can be unduly affected by our elders who had gone through wartime and financial austerity. So at times we can be stingy, not only with others...

Fresh-baked scones, coffee and reviewing copyedits. Not a bad combination! Here’s the recipe I used. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/79470/simple-scones/ It’s a wonder that I had all the ingredients.  ...

I’ve been away from my blog yet I haven’t gone anywhere! People say that we have to journal our days in the pandemic, but have you find that it’s difficult to do so? I have different journals for each book I’m working on, a prayer/spiritual journal and a general...

I’m close to the finish line on my historical standalone. Through this whole process of writing it, I’ve come to appreciate the mystery genre even more. That plot is not anything to be ashamed of. That movement through a narrative can be beautiful. Embrace your strengths, whatever they are....

I just sat in publicist Dana Kaye (love her!) free one-hour Q&A on Crowdcast. I asked her what was the one thing she’s learned regarding marketing during this pandemic outbreak. She said that the clients who pivot tend to do better. I keep hearing about pivoting, but what is...

caption: Issei women, wearing bonnets and dresses, work in the flower fields. (Courtesy of the Mizufuka family. Please do not duplicate.) (Note: I will be periodically posting excerpts from the many history books I’ve written over the years. This is from A SCENT OF FLOWERS: The History of the Southern...

   I was a bit depressed this afternoon because it’s finally starting to sink in that this new way of life is not just a two-week or a month-long situation but something long-term. Everything we’ve experienced or known so far is now topsy-turvy. I’m a person who likes to...

I’ll be honest with you all. I’m decimated by this Great Pause and how it will affect writers and specifically writers of color. Just when it seemed like we were gaining traction in certain circles–the publishing world seemed to finally be listening to Latinx writers and their criticisms of...