Camy Tang's Blog, page 2

How My Regency Heroines Hide Knives in Their Corsets

Historical research behind the stealthy fashion of my lady spies

What would you do if you were a woman in 1811 and needed to carry a weapon, but had no pockets and couldn’t very well strap a dagger to your thigh? That was the challenge I faced while writing my Christian Regency Romantic Suspense series, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, where my heroines don’t just attend balls and sip tea—they also sneak around carriages, spy on dangerous men, and fight off attackers when necessary.

In Volume 7: Spinster and Volume 8: Traitor, two of my heroines—Lena and Phoebe—retrieve hidden knives from secret slits in their gowns. The sheaths are sewn directly onto their corsets. Naturally, you won’t find that kind of accessory in the pages of Ackermann’s Repository of Arts or La Belle Assemblée, the fashion magazines of the day. But I wanted my heroines to be both era-accurate and armed. So I dug into fashion history to find a creative (and plausible) solution.

The Idea Behind the Hidden Knife Sheath

In the fictional world of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Lena works for a covert organization known as the Ramparts. Back in 1803, she and the group’s costumer, Mrs. Price, devised a clever way to hide a knife—sewing a sheath into the corset itself and creating a discreet slit in the gown’s side seam to reach it.

This method was so effective that when Lena’s combat trainer, Mr. Armstrong, later trained other operatives (like Phoebe and Keriah), he taught them the same trick. That way, my lady spies are never unarmed, even when dressed in their finest.

Is This Historically Accurate?

Yes—and no. You won’t find corset-mounted knife sheaths in the history books, but the construction of Regency gowns makes the idea surprisingly feasible. I first learned about it in a hands-on workshop on Regency clothing construction, taught by a seamstress who had sewn her own period-accurate dresses.

She walked us through the structure of apron-front gowns, which were especially common during the Regency. These high-waisted empire dresses had full skirts that tied in back and opened on the front, which created slits on the sides.

The slits weren’t large enough to flash some skin, and a proper young lady wore a chemise, corset, and petticoat under her gown anyway.

The concept of slits in gowns is not new—during the Georgian era, before empire-waist gowns, women often had slits in their dresses to reach for pocket pouches on sashes tied around their waists under their clothing. But when Marie Antoinette made the Grecian long-waisted gowns popular, which made it difficult to hide pouches under the thin muslin skirts, reticule bags became popular instead of pocket pouches.

With this design in mind, it’s perfectly reasonable that a hidden slit—cleverly placed within the folds of the skirt—could allow access to a sheath sewn to the corset beneath.

Regency Fashion Plates for Reference

Here’s an 1804 fashion plate from Journal de Dames et de Modes, showing how full the skirts could be despite the slim silhouette:
(Explanation of Plate No. 8)

The hat, made of white satin and adorned with a tuft of flowers, is of an entirely new shape. Many fashionable ladies wear it as part of a demi-parure ensemble.

The gown, made of white muslin, is slightly heart-shaped in the front. The half-wide sleeves are ruched in slashed pleats, somewhat resembling the folds of the hat. A silk ribbon encircles the waist.

The table, in both its shape and ornamentation, is of a new style. It is a breakfast table.

And here’s another from Ackermann’s Repository, June 1811:
PLATE 36. PROMENADE COSTUME.

A round robe of plain jaconet muslin, with a border of needle-work at the feet. A Roman coat of violet shot sarsnet, with pointed cape; binding and tassels of jonquil silk. A Parisian cap of sarsnet, same as the pelisse, ornamented with a broad braid of jonquil silk, and a fancy flower placed towards the left side. A veil of fine white lace, thrown negligently over the head-dress, shading the throat, and falling on the shoulders. Half-boots of violet silk or French kid. Gloves of jonquil kid.

A round high walking dress of fine oblique corded muslin, with high arched collar, trimmed with a narrow full edging of muslin or plain net lace, and finished at the feet with narrow tucks. A Roman helmet of sea-green sarsnet, terminated with a Tuscan band of cut white velvet. A short winged veil, or under-cap of transparent net, caught up in the center of the forehead. A Grecian drapery scarf of sea-green sarsnet; parasol to correspond. Shoes of similar coloured kid. Blossom-coloured ridicule, and primrose or pale tan gloves.

As skirts gradually narrowed through the 1810s, the option for hiding weapons became trickier—but still possible with enough folds, petticoats, and corset stability.

Could a Corset Really Hold a Knife?

Surprisingly, yes. The corset I saw at the seminar (a real one, made with a substitute for whalebone) was solid enough to support the weight of a knife sheath placed under the arm or at the waist, which would be easily accessible without being visible.

A typical Regency undergarment setup included:

• A chemise or shift as a base layer

• A corset, structured and fitted

• A petticoat underskirt tied around the waist with ribbon straps over the shoulders to keep it in place under high-waisted gowns

This combination offered just enough coverage, movement, and concealment to make my fictional setup surprisingly realistic.

If you’re a fan of spy novels, historical detail, and plucky heroines who defy expectations, check out my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series. It’s Pride and Prejudice meets Mission: Impossible, full of Regency gowns, knife fights, hidden messages, and a touch of romance.

🗡️ Explore the series here

📚 Read an excerpt of Volume 1 online

What I Cut From The Spinster’s Christmas (and Why My Heroine Was About to Make a Huge Mistake)

Avoiding the “Too Stupid to Live” Heroine in Regency Romantic SuspensePlus: Read a Deleted Scene from The Spinster’s Christmas

If you’ve ever shouted at a movie screen because the heroine ran into the dark woods instead of toward safety, you’ve probably encountered what writers call a “Too Stupid to Live” (TSTL) heroine. As a reader and writer of Regency romantic suspense, I’ve always tried to avoid falling into that trap.

But sometimes, even the most logic-loving authors can make mistakes.

When I was about to release The Spinster’s Christmas , I hired a professional macro-editor to take a look at it. I wrote the book during a difficult season in my writing journey, and although I sensed something wasn’t working in the manuscript, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Turns out, it was a classic case of being too close to the story to see the problem.

My editor pointed out a scene near the climax where my heroine—normally level-headed—suddenly runs away from safety and into the dark woods, despite the fact that she knows the villain is after her.

That’s right. I accidentally wrote a Regency version of the cheerleader from a horror movie who runs upstairs when the killer’s chasing her. 🫣

Cue the head smack.

Thankfully, I revised the scene, and the heroine’s actions now make a lot more sense in the final version of The Spinster’s Christmas. But I thought it might be fun (and maybe a little cringe-inducing) to post the original, unedited scene here on my blog.

✨ Read the Deleted Scene

In this version, my heroine makes a very questionable choice—one I ultimately cut in the revised novella. But if you’re curious, you can read the original draft below and see how a small change can make a big difference in character logic and reader satisfaction.

***

January 2nd

It was still dark when Miranda woke and dressed. The governess on the other bed groaned and rolled over. "Miranda, it is too early."

"Go back to sleep," Miranda said. She wrapped Gerard's scarf around her neck, pausing to breathe in the scent of him.

Do not be so stupidly sentimental. She briskly threw her cloak around her shoulders, collected her portmanteau, and left the bedroom.

Cecil had given her funds for the coach last night, but she had marked where he stored the lock-box in his desk drawer. She snuck into the pitch-black library, and felt her way to the drawn curtains, pulling them back a crack. At the desk, she took the lock-box from the drawer and broke the lock with several blows from a paperweight.

She bit her lip as she extracted the money, not a large amount since quarter day had just passed. God would surely strike her down for stealing from her cousin, but since she didn't receive an allowance from Cecil, she only had a meager amount of her own, and she needed enough to survive in London for a short time. She only hoped it would be enough.

She had willingly drunk a potion of shame and desperation, and it made her irredeemable. Or perhaps her actions as a child had already done that.

Miranda struggled to unbolt the back door, and had just managed it when the first scullery maid wandered into the kitchen to stoke the fire. She stared at Miranda with eyes bleary from sleep.

Miranda slipped through the door and was gone.

She did not head toward the village and the posting inn there, but instead turned down the lane toward the next village over. There was a larger inn where the stagecoach to London would leave early this morning. She also remembered what Gerard had said about Harriet staying nearby so she could watch the house. If Miranda went to the next village over, she could avoid the possibility of being seen by Harriet.

Her breath clouded around her face as she walked. Her hands in their mittens were cold, but her heart felt colder.

Two and a half hours later, she trudged into the yard of the inn. Water had seeped into her shoes and wet her socks, turning her feet numb. However, soon she would be on the coach and speeding far away.

The inn was bustling, but the common room was sparsely populated. Miranda bespoke a cup of tea and sat in a small table in the corner next to a farmer's wife who had her three children with her.

"Going to London?" the woman asked cheerfully.

"Yes," Miranda said.

"Us, as well. But we'll have a wait of it. The coachman is having a wheel fixed or summat of the sort."

After drinking her tea, Miranda helped entertain the woman's children, who were becoming impatient at the delay. Finally the coachman entered the common room to call that all was ready, and the woman gathered her belongings and her children to bustle out.

Miranda had picked up her scarf and draped it around her neck when she happened to look up.

Directly into Harriet's eyes.

Harriet had descended the stairs of the inn, obviously having taken a room here. She froze on the last step, her dark eyes pinned to Miranda, her lips curled back in a snarl.

Miranda bolted.

She left her portmanteau and ran for her life, shoving her way past the farmer's wife out the front door.

"Here, what's up?" the woman said. Then less than a second later, "Oh, you too?"

Miranda darted out into the inn yard, frightening a pair of horses just drawn up by a stablehand. She raced around a post-chaise and toward the back of the inn. Chickens scattered before her in a flurry of wings and squawking. One flew directly into her face, and she swatted at it to get it out of her way. She skirted the pig-pen to dash headlong into the forest beyond.

Because she was already tired from her long walk, she could not outrun Harriet. But she could lose her in the woods.

Her cloak flapped behind her, and she reached back to grasp the cloth and hold it closer so it would not catch on any branches or bushes. She had lost her scarf, and the wind of her passing caught her bonnet, her ribbons pulling at her throat. She scrabbled at the ends and untied it, and it flew from her head. She would be colder, but she could see more clearly around her.

Behind her was the sound of thrashing through the underbrush. She darted around the trees along a twisting path, and slowly the thrashing grew fainter.

She had to find a way to hide. What could she do?

***

Why This Matters for Romantic Suspense Authors

As Christian romantic suspense authors, we owe it to our readers to write heroines who feel real—not perfect, but rational under pressure. Otherwise, we risk breaking the reader’s immersion (or worse, encouraging them to stop reading).

Still, this was a humbling reminder that every writer can miss the obvious—and that’s exactly why good editing is priceless.

📚 Read the final version of The Spinster’s Christmas free on my blog or my Patreon.

💌 Get more behind-the-scenes peeks like this one
Subscribe to my newsletter for bonus content, deleted scenes, and updates on upcoming Regency romantic suspense releases.

Bringing My Sushi Series to Amazon (Again)

When I first released the Sushi series, I had no idea how deeply readers would connect with Lex, Trish, Venus, and Jennifer—and with their wild, meddling aunties and one very stubborn grandma. The stories were a mix of my friends’ family chaos, my love of romantic comedy, and the joy (and frustration!) of navigating faith, friendships, and relationships as an Asian American Christian woman.

Now that the rights have returned to me, I’m thrilled to be republishing the series on Amazon so a new generation of readers—and longtime fans—can dive back into the drama, the laughter, and the unforgettable auntie antics.

Book 1, Sushi for One?, is available on Amazon now, and the rest of the series is up on preorder. Sushi for One? will go into Kindle Unlimited on May 19, 2025.

Each book follows a different cousin in the extended Sakai family as they wrestle with romance, expectations, and God’s timing (and sometimes, Grandma’s interference).

If you’re new to the series, here’s the best reading order:
1. Sushi for One? (Lex’s story)
2. Only Uni (Trish’s story)
3. Single Sashimi (Venus’s story)
4. Weddings and Wasabi (Jennifer’s story)
5. The Lone Rice Ball (Mimi’s story, but don’t be confused because this is also book 1 in my new Christian romantic suspense series, Mahina Security)

You can also find information on all the books on the series page here.

Whether you’re returning to the series or meeting the cousins for the first time, welcome to the family! I’m so glad to bring these stories back to Amazon—and I hope they make you laugh, swoon, and maybe even text your cousin a prayer request after reading.

Special Edition Paperbacks – Exclusive Kickstarter Update!

I’m thrilled to finally reveal the cover designs of the Special Edition paperbacks I created exclusively for my Kickstarter backers! These collectible Christian historical romance paperbacks feature dual-sided covers and beautifully designed interior pages that make each copy feel truly one-of-a-kind.

I wanted these books to be more than just a different cover—they’re meant to be an experience. That’s why my graphic designer and I worked hard to style every part of the interior to match the tone, theme, and beauty of the story inside.

📖 What Makes These Special Editions Unique?

Each Special Edition paperback includes:

• A dual-sided cover with exclusive art and back design
• Beautifully styled interior pages, unique to the edition, including color chapter headers and interior edge border design
• Digitally sprayed edges in color

These editions were produced as Kickstarter exclusives and won’t be available through regular retailers. I wanted to offer something special for the readers who supported this campaign, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out.

📸 Photo Gallery of the Finished Editions

Below, you can see photos of both sides of the covers, and I also included two pages that show the color chapter headers and the interior border design. I hope these give you a sense of the love and detail that went into each book!

💬 Share Your Thoughts

I hope this sneak peek into the Christian Regency romantic suspense Kickstarter editions gives you a glimpse of what’s possible with reader-supported publishing.

And late pledges are still open! That means if you missed the campaign, you can still grab one of these beautiful editions before they’re gone.

👉 Click here to visit the Kickstarter late pledge page

Thank you again to everyone who backed the campaign and made these gorgeous editions a reality!

Special Edition Hardcover Sneak Peek – Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 2: Berserker

A Beautiful Book—Inside and Out

I’m so excited to show you the Special Edition hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 2: Berserker! This edition was originally available through my Kickstarter, and thanks to the amazing support of readers like you, it’s nearly ready for print.

If you missed the Kickstarter, you can still make a late pledge to get these exclusive editions before they’re gone—more on that below!

🖋️ Dual-Sided Dust Jacket Design

My graphic designer recently finished the full dust jacket design, and I just had to share it! This wraparound artwork features both the front and back covers in a richly elegant design.

We’re waiting on the rest of the graphic design elements before ordering the proof copies (these are being printed in the UK!), but this jacket is almost final. 📖 Full-Color Interior Chapter Headers

The Special Edition hardcover interior is fully designed—and this is the part I had the most fun with! Each chapter begins with a two-page full-color spread that reflects the mood of the chapter and the character’s point of view. Each POV character is represented with their own signature color palette, making it easy and beautiful to follow the story.

Designing each image was so much fun! I loved trying to figure out what visual motif to use to tie into the chapter’s emotion, setting, or theme. 📚 How to Get the Special Edition (Before It’s Gone)

This Special Edition hardcover—along with Volume 1’s Special Edition and the upcoming Special Edition paperbacks—will not be available anywhere else outside of Kickstarter.

However, late pledges are still open! That means if you missed the campaign, you can still grab one of these beautiful editions before they’re gone.

👉 Click here to visit the Kickstarter late pledge page

Once late pledges close (planned for later this year), these editions won’t be reprinted in this format again.

Thank you again to everyone who backed the campaign! I can’t wait to show you the final printed books!

—Camy 💜

K-Drama Vibes + Family Secrets = Trouble | Year of the Dog Excerpt

Year of the Dog has less suspense than my other books. It’s a romantic comedy suspense more on par with The Lone Rice Ball and Single Sashimi. Here’s a snippet that I wrote:

***

Mari Mutou wouldn’t have rammed her SUV into the sleek, expensive-looking Audi if her brother-in-law hadn’t been cheating on her sister. Really, it wasn’t her fault.

And if she’d been running late, as she usually did, she wouldn’t have even noticed the fire-engine red Corvette parked on the edge of the real estate agency parking lot, much less the two people in it. She’d have sped past it on her way to meet her potential dog training client.

But for once in her life, she arrived early for her appointment with Jim Tong, who had asked her to meet him at his workplace during his lunch hour. Her SUV hustled into the lot, looking for a shady spot under a tree or, barring that, next to a new-ish luxury car, whose owner would be less likely to ding her new teal-green paint job.

She found a good spot all right. Good viewing spot for the couple smooching in the Corvette. She couldn’t see the face of the blonde woman, but she got an eyeful of the forty-ish man macking in the middle of the day in plain view of everyone. Really, some people had no shame about PDA …

Wait a minute. She knew that man.

That man was William. Her brother-in-law. Her sister’s husband of fifteen years.

What was he doing with that woman?!

Crunch! The truck jerked as if she’d run into something.

Oh, no. She had.

Her stomach clenched like a wrung-out rag. She was going to be sick.

She had hit a really nice car, from what she could see of its back end. Black racing-type. Expensive. And an extremely irate owner.

“What are you doing? Weren’t you even looking?” The man had barely any of the local pidgin accent in his crisp voice. He had Asian features (Japanese maybe? Or Korean? She wasn’t very good at being able to tell) but his short, softly waving hair was so dark a black it almost looked blue. Average height, but broad shoulders and a lithe, athletic grace as he walked—no, stomped toward her car. His hazelnut-colored eyes were irked and flashing, and a muscle pulsed in his strong jaw. In fact, he reminded her of a certain K-drama star ...

“Hello? Anybody home?”

“Huh?” She blinked, and visions of a painfully beautiful Korean movie star with his hair blowing in an artful wind dissolved into the angry real estate agent (she guessed—this was a real estate agency parking lot) who was making his immaculately tamed locks stick up at wild angles from pulling at it with long-fingered hands.

Oh, right. Fender-bender. Focus, Mari.

***

Year of the Dog releases in the anthology Danger in the Shadows on May 13, 2025. So you won’t have to wait very long to read it!

Preorder for 70% off

Mari Would Rather Face a Rottweiler Than This Conversation. (Year of the Dog Excerpt)

I finished Year of the Dog a couple of weeks ago and got it back from my editor and beta readers. It looks clean and will be released on May 13, 2025. (If you’re thinking of grabbing it, the preorder is still 70% off for a little while longer.)

In the meantime, here’s a short snippet:

***

“Are you all right?” Mari asked.

“I’m fine, now.” Lana gulped.

“The Rottweiler was only curious. I could tell he wasn’t going to attack, but I also didn’t want to take any chances.”

Lana took a deep breath. “Tell me this,” she said in a more normal voice. “How can you face a 75-pound Rottweiler without blinking an eye, but you’re too afraid to face your own sister?”

The words fell between them slow and measured, like huge water drops.

Mari glanced back at the Rottweiler, then pictured her sister. Her stomach clenched again just at the mental image. “You’re absolutely right.” Then she sighed. “But it’s not like I can erase years of bickering, misunderstanding, and criticism in a single moment. She’ll hate me.”

Lana’s eyebrows rose. “More than she does now?”

“Right now, she doesn’t hate me. I embarrass her and she takes it like a personal insult that I won’t quit dog training.”

“This has nothing to do with dogs. You just don’t like conflict with her.”

“She’s my sister. Shouldn’t sisters get along?”

“Think about it logically. If you tell her about William, wouldn’t she be more likely to be mad at him? Why would she be mad at you? And even if she were, why would that be anything different than how she normally treats you?”

“The truth is … the truth is …” What was the real truth? “If I tell her about William, Jenessa will be … vulnerable.”

Lana blinked at her.

“Don’t you see? Jenessa has always been strong and confident. She achieved whatever she wanted—a successful, wealthy husband, a huge home in Kaimuki, two perfect kids, community work that wins her accolades in the Honolulu newspapers. This news about William is going to open up a giant Pandora’s box of arguments and hurts and arguments—”

“You said that twice.”

“—a box, mind you, that I’ve been very happy has been kept closed since we were in our twenties. Since …”

Lana’s eyes darkened. “Since Marshall.”

His name still caused a twinge somewhere just under her breastbone. Heartbreak, self-loathing, and regret. “It’ll make her hate me even more.”

“But how would her ignorance be any better? Your relationship with her is already bad—but you would have done the right thing.”

The right thing. Whenever she did the right thing, she only made things worse.

Lana pointed at the disappearing Rottweiler. “Rotty.” She gestured with her other hand. “Jenessa.”

“I’d take the Rotty any day.”

Lana threw her hands out in frustration. “Mari, grow a backbone.”

***

Preorder for 70% off

What I'm writing in my Christian Romantic Suspense Novel YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished my last edits on Year of the Dog yesterday!
Here’s a snippet from the book:

***

Mari’s phone vibrated again. Before she answered, she cautioned Lana, “Taffy’s pulling too much. Don’t let him lead you—you’re the alpha dog. What is it, Brandy?”

“Brandy?” asked a chuckling male voice. “I’ve been called lots of things, but never Brandy.”

“Oops! Sorry, Uncle Herbie. I was just talking to my manager and thought she was calling me again.”

In the background, Auntie Viola started whooping with laughter. “She called you Brandy?”

“Anyway …” Uncle raised his voice to drown out his wife’s hooting. “I got a good opportunity for you, Mari.”

“Opportunity? What do you mean?” Maybe a new client? She had room in her Thursday night class, or she could squeeze in another private session in her week.

“D’you remember telling us about how lots of your Japanese clients were wishing you could kennel their dogs when they went back to Japan on trips?”

“My dog resort idea? Yeah, I remember.” More than just dog kenneling service, her own facility could serve as a training center so she wouldn’t have to rent that squalid room in that strip mall for her evening classes. It would also be a place she could offer grooming services and long-term rehabilitation training for more difficult dogs.

“Your Auntie Viola stumbled across a private elementary school that shut down, and they’re selling.”

Hmm. A school building would be “renovatable.” The individual classrooms would be perfect for either classes or kennels or grooming rooms. “But where? Most of my clients are on the North Shore—I’ve got to have a good location.” If she was too far away, her clients wouldn’t want to drive to her facility for classes, grooming, or private sessions.

“It’s in Waialua. It’s perfect.”

“But Uncle, I don’t have that kind of money in my bank account.” Granted, she had a decent chunk, since she’d bought her own home right out of college with the inheritance money she’d gotten from Grandma, and she’d saved most of her salary in the years since then. But enough to buy a school property?

“Auntie Vi says—”

The phone clicked. “Mari, I could sell your house in a heartbeat,” Auntie Vi chirped. “Your location in Haleiwa has become prime real estate in the last few years, no matter the way the economy is going. And thanks to the economy, that school is going cheap.”

“But Uncle, Auntie, that’s a lot of money. And where am I going to live?” But even as she asked the question, she knew—she could renovate the facility so she could live there. She’d probably have to, anyway, if she was going to kennel clients’ dogs.

“What do you mean?” Uncle Herbie asked. “You can live with your mom.”

Her spine did a reflexive jerk. Mom? No way. “She’s not going to want me back home. She only barely tolerates my dog training because it’s on the side, not full-time. If I start my own facility, she’ll go through the roof.”

“You have lots of options,” Auntie Vi said soothingly. “So, how about that school?”

“That means quitting my job.”

“You said yourself, you only work there to pay your bills,” said Auntie Vi. “And really, since you never spend your money, you’re probably building up an indecent amount in your portfolios—”

“Hey, hey,” Uncle Herbie said. “She’s technically still my client. Can’t talk about that.”

“Sorry, dear.”

“But I can help you with the money,” he said. “I have plenty of contacts at the bank. They can help you get a small business loan to get you off the ground after you buy the property.”

Wow. Quit her job, buy a business property. Expand her dog training side business to a full-time career.

And alienate her mother and her sister, who already hated the fact she worked with dogs at all.

“I don’t know, Uncle. That’s a big step. Let me think about it.”

“Don’t think too long,” Auntie Vi said. “That property won’t be on the market forever.”

Her own facility … but there was just too much risk. Too much fodder for Massive Family Drama.

***

Year of the Dog releases May 13 in the multi-author anthology, Danger in the Shadows.
Preorder Danger in the Shadows for 70% off

What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished my last edits on Year of the Dog yesterday!
Here’s a snippet from the book:

***

Mari’s phone vibrated again. Before she answered, she cautioned Lana, “Taffy’s pulling too much. Don’t let him lead you—you’re the alpha dog. What is it, Brandy?”

“Brandy?” asked a chuckling male voice. “I’ve been called lots of things, but never Brandy.”

“Oops! Sorry, Uncle Herbie. I was just talking to my manager and thought she was calling me again.”

In the background, Auntie Viola started whooping with laughter. “She called you Brandy?”

“Anyway …” Uncle raised his voice to drown out his wife’s hooting. “I got a good opportunity for you, Mari.”

“Opportunity? What do you mean?” Maybe a new client? She had room in her Thursday night class, or she could squeeze in another private session in her week.

“D’you remember telling us about how lots of your Japanese clients were wishing you could kennel their dogs when they went back to Japan on trips?”

“My dog resort idea? Yeah, I remember.” More than just dog kenneling service, her own facility could serve as a training center so she wouldn’t have to rent that squalid room in that strip mall for her evening classes. It would also be a place she could offer grooming services and long-term rehabilitation training for more difficult dogs.

“Your Auntie Viola stumbled across a private elementary school that shut down, and they’re selling.”

Hmm. A school building would be “renovatable.” The individual classrooms would be perfect for either classes or kennels or grooming rooms. “But where? Most of my clients are on the North Shore—I’ve got to have a good location.” If she was too far away, her clients wouldn’t want to drive to her facility for classes, grooming, or private sessions.

“It’s in Waialua. It’s perfect.”

“But Uncle, I don’t have that kind of money in my bank account.” Granted, she had a decent chunk, since she’d bought her own home right out of college with the inheritance money she’d gotten from Grandma, and she’d saved most of her salary in the years since then. But enough to buy a school property?

“Auntie Vi says—”

The phone clicked. “Mari, I could sell your house in a heartbeat,” Auntie Vi chirped. “Your location in Haleiwa has become prime real estate in the last few years, no matter the way the economy is going. And thanks to the economy, that school is going cheap.”

“But Uncle, Auntie, that’s a lot of money. And where am I going to live?” But even as she asked the question, she knew—she could renovate the facility so she could live there. She’d probably have to, anyway, if she was going to kennel clients’ dogs.

“What do you mean?” Uncle Herbie asked. “You can live with your mom.”

Her spine did a reflexive jerk. Mom? No way. “She’s not going to want me back home. She only barely tolerates my dog training because it’s on the side, not full-time. If I start my own facility, she’ll go through the roof.”

“You have lots of options,” Auntie Vi said soothingly. “So, how about that school?”

“That means quitting my job.”

“You said yourself, you only work there to pay your bills,” said Auntie Vi. “And really, since you never spend your money, you’re probably building up an indecent amount in your portfolios—”

“Hey, hey,” Uncle Herbie said. “She’s technically still my client. Can’t talk about that.”

“Sorry, dear.”

“But I can help you with the money,” he said. “I have plenty of contacts at the bank. They can help you get a small business loan to get you off the ground after you buy the property.”

Wow. Quit her job, buy a business property. Expand her dog training side business to a full-time career.

And alienate her mother and her sister, who already hated the fact she worked with dogs at all.

“I don’t know, Uncle. That’s a big step. Let me think about it.”

“Don’t think too long,” Auntie Vi said. “That property won’t be on the market forever.”

Her own facility … but there was just too much risk. Too much fodder for Massive Family Drama.

***

Year of the Dog releases May 13 in the multi-author anthology, Danger in the Shadows.
Preorder Danger in the Shadows for 70% off

🌺 Early Access (Before Amazon)! Clean Christian Asian American Romantic Comedy – Sushi Series

Sushi series now on saleThe entire Sushi Series is now available directly from me — early! 🎉

Four cousins—Lex the Jock, Trish the Flirt, Venus the Cactus, and Jennifer the Doormat—commiserate their single status. As the only Christians in their large extended family, they vow to fight the stigma of the infamous family title, Oldest Single Female Cousin. But they have very different ideas about not acting as desperate as they feel about their bleak love lives. Who knew God would have His own plans of true love for each of them?


For a limited time, I’m offering early access to all five books of the Sushi series exclusively through my website.

📖 Why purchase direct?
• Get the book weeks before it appears on Amazon.
• Receive a special gift for buying from my website (details below).
• Support me directly — this helps me keep writing more stories.
🛍 Claim your early access copies here!

What about Amazon?

For those who prefer Amazon, the books will be available for preorder starting next week at a special preorder sale price of $5.99, with their official releases happening monthly from July to November.

Either way, you’ll get the full books — but if you’d like early access + bonus, I’d love to have you buy from me directly.

✅ All 5 books
✅ Early access (before they’re available on Amazon)
✅ Exclusive bonuses for direct buyers

✨ Bonuses

I love giving readers little extras, so everyone who purchases a book directly from me will receive a special bonus for that book — just my way of saying thank you.

✅ Each book has its own unique bonus (annotated chapters, recipes, character Q&A, and more).
✅ Bundle buyers will also receive a Bonus Epilogue: “Grandma’s Tea Table”

Whether you grab just one book or the full series, I hope these small gifts make the story even more special.

Sushi for One bonus:
Lex's Prayer Journal: A heartfelt collection of Lex's private prayers and reflections as she navigates family pressure, faith struggles, and unexpected romance.

Only Uni bonus:
Finding Worth: A short 3-day devotional featuring scriptures and reflections inspired by Trish’s faith journey.

Single Sashimi bonus:
“Organized Chaos: Venus and Drake Talk Tech”: A bonus fictional podcast interview from the world of the Sushi Series

Weddings and Wasabi bonus:
Jenn's Kitchen Notes: A small cookbook PDF with Jenn’s comfort food favorites, plus a short devotional inspired by her story.

The Lone Rice Ball bonus:
Behind the Pages of The Lone Rice Ball: Annotated chapters 1-3 with Easter Eggs, behind-the-scenes tidbits, research facts, and author commentary

Sushi Series Box Set bonus:
“Grandma’s Tea Table”: A fun extra epilogue about Grandma and the aunties' ongoing meddling.

And yes — you’ll also get all 5 books right now without waiting for the books to release on Amazon.

🌸 Get early access + bonuses here