Kat Lieu's Blog, page 3
January 7, 2013
Maid for Me, Too
Kat Lieu’s long-awaited e-book, MAID FOR ME, TOO is here!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AXFEJSQ
Two years ago, Jaiden Daniels met spunky, spitfire Mina Lin, and fell for her. Hard. Son of a billionaire, Jaiden could have anything or anyone he wanted. And yet he couldn’t have Mina’s heart.
After Mina rejected him, Jaiden thought that she would eventually be nothing but a whisper of a memory to him. Oh how wrong he was.
Two years later, Jaiden attends prestigious Kingston University as a medical student and dates a gorgeous and intelligent girl named Ivy Blackwood. One day, he bumps into Mina again on campus and pretends he doesn’t know her. Has he lost his memory? Or is he playing a game and seeking revenge against her for breaking his heart?
Mina discovers that she always had feelings for Jaiden. A series of sweet events draw Mina into Jaiden’s arms. Does he still love her? Or is he toying with her heart?
And what about his girlfriend Ivy? Lurking in the shadows is someone more dangerous than a jealous girlfriend. Mina has a secret admirer, a shadowy and terrifying creep who would do anything to have her, including taking Jaiden’s life.
Will true love prevail this time around for Mina and Jaiden or will it all be too late for our star-crossed lovers? Find out in this exciting conclusion to the Maid for Me series, Maid for Me, Too!
This book is intended for older teens. There are some scary situations and sexual innuendos. It is appropriate for readers ages 13 and up.
Young Adult Contemporary: YA Romantic Comedy, Action, Suspense, Thriller
July 30, 2012
15 East, NYC Review: Photos of their Tasting Menu
15 East 15th Street New York, NY 10003
(212) 647-0015
For my husband’s birthday, I decided to surprise him and take him to 15 East, an upscale sushi restaurant by Union Square in NYC. If you’re willing to splurge (but not splurge-splurge like you would at Masa), you’ll be in for quite a treat, a delectable and fun culinary adventure.
We decided not to sit at the sushi bar, even though every other reviewer will tell you to do so. My husband and I like to sit at a table, where we stuff our faces in front of each other and not in front of the sushi master.
The hostess led us to a corner table at the front of the house. We looked through their extensive wine list and menu and decided to have a glass of white wine and a glass of bellini.
We then ordered the tasting menu for one person and shared it. Each of our plates from the tasting menu came separated into two. That was nice of the chef and servers. We also ordered the Cherry Wood Smoked Duck Entree, an order of Uni Flight, and an order of Home-Made Tofu with Ginger Soy.
The entire experience lasted a little under three hours. First, we received a yummy cube of tofu with a dab of wasabi to cleanse our palates and prepare us for the feast to come.
Then came the first dish, an appetizer with four components: A shot with a quail egg and seafood, a baby turnip (so fresh and delicate), a slow-poached octopus (massaged over 500 times) and a small dish of cooked fish.
Then came a delicious bowl of hand-made cold soba noodles with caviar and uni.
That was one of my favorite dishes of the night. Then came the fresh and light tofu with a bowl of soy sauce. We were told to put freshly sliced ginger into the soy sauce. I’ve never tasted tofu creamier or softer than this one.
After the tofu, we were back to items from our tasting menu: Sashimi! Fresh and delicious. No frozen taste, no bad after taste. Once you have sashimi from 15 East, you probably will become a sashimi snob. Notice the live shrimp head. Don’t eat it. It’ll come back as a surprise later.
Here’s our Uni Flight, three small plates of creamy, buttery and fresh Uni. No soy sauce or wasabi needed here.
As promised, the shrimp head returns, deep-fried, crunchy, seasoned and completely edible.
Here is our Smoked Duck entree. At this point, we realized we’ve over-ordered. This was good, though I did like the Duck Breast I had at Matsuri more.
The double entrees: filled conch shell and corn fritter. The entree portions of the tasting menu were a bit scant in my honest opinion, though scrumptious and memorable.
Here’s the last dish: Sushi! No complaints here. Fresh, delicious, and creative. Under the leaf is a pleasant morsel of surprise.
The waitress surprised Jake with a cake and happy birthday.
And we ended the night with complimentary truffles. Chocolate, sushi, wine, duck: the ways to my man’s heart. An expensive but highly enjoyable and memorable night. I would definitely return to 15 East.
Kat’s Review: 4/5
Photos copyright Nummyz.com
Taken by Jake with a Sony RX100
June 20, 2012
Indie Author’s Woes: Impersonation (Valuable Tips for Self-published Authors)
I google myself a lot. Early on in my career, I’ve learned that if there are people who like you, there are people who dislike you. Some may even hate your guts. Googling myself helps me uncover things that are potentially detrimental to my career. Case and point: earlier this week, I discovered that someone was posing as me on twitter. (The account has been permanently suspended.) This person had twelve followers and was posting updates along the lines of: “Download Maid for Me (my novel) here for free…” and “Justin Bieber rules my life…”
Other updates were flattering. I can tell this person was a fan of mine. The account’s profile picture was my author picture. The account claimed it was my official twitter account. And people believed it.
As an indie author, one who is also self-published, there are many woes I face. I am my own agent, PR person, accountant, and biggest fan. I am my own worst critic and protector. As flattering as having an impersonator was, it was also scary and potentially detrimental to my reputation and career. I realized how easy it was for people to steal your identity online. Indie authors must be vigilant. They must not be discouraged. There are a lot of hurdles we have to overcome. Nasty reviewers online. Cyber bullies. Poor sales. Haters. And now impersonators.
I’d like to share some tips with my fellow self-published authors out there.
Google yourself at least once a day. Be extensive in your search. Don’t just look through the first few pages of results. Look through at least 15 pages of results.
Take action immediately if something goes wrong. For instance, if you find out someone is impersonating you on twitter or other social networking sites, contact the site ASAP.
Copyright your work.
Ignore trolls but report reviewers if they abuse the terms of service on websites where they are reviewing your book. For instance, if they are making false claims against you and abusing you on Amazon, report the reviewer. False claims can negatively affect your reputation as an author, and decrease sales. False claims also fall under the realm of libel, and in some countries, libel is a crime punishable by law.
Commend yourself on a job well done. This road you’ve taken is tough, but the rewards are boundless, as long as you don’t give up.
Good luck and happy writing!
xoxoxo
Kat Lieu
December 11, 2011
Cyber-bullying, flaming, and trolling authors face online
BUY MY BOOK: Maid for Me, Here
I’d like to discuss cyber-bullying. Though I am not an incredibly famous self-published author, I have enjoyed some success with my Amazon publications over the last two years. As an author, I love reading reader reviews, especially ones that provide constructive criticism. I’m not going to lie. Nothing strokes my ego more than reviews along the lines of “Kat, you’re my idol,” “Kat writes the bestest evr omg,” and “Maid for Me is sooo awesome!” Who doesn’t love dedicated fans?
Not everyone is a lover, however. With my publication readily available to the world, I have left myself open to haters. “You write like a stupid second grader,” “You obviously faked your good reviews,” “You suck donkey-balls,” and “You are to blame for childhood illiteracy.”
I’m not making this up. Though negative and bullying reviews sting, I’ve tried to ignore them. Protected by the First Amendment in America and the anonymity of the web, people openly attack others without a second thought. Flaming and trolling against an author is easy especially when sites like Amazon have lax guidelines for reviews. Besides, published authors aren’t people. They should be perfect like robots. Just like celebrities, authors shouldn’t have feelings and should be able to take any heat that burns their way.
Usually, I would agree the customer is always right. But not in this case when authors face inappropriate cyber bullying. Authors are humans too!
Earlier this December, I noticed a defamatory review on Maid for Me’s Amazon page. (See the “amended review” here: http://tinyurl.com/6no8pdd.) The reviewer openly accused me of faking all the good reviews on my ebook. Unable to understand how anyone would support or like my publication, she concluded I either had all my friends review the book or created forty-plus fake accounts to fake my reviews.
After my supporters told her off, she had her defamatory review removed, replacing it with an amended review. Her current review blames authors like me for promoting childhood illiteracy. Right… Review my book please. Don’t preach to me what you don’t practice.
I openly welcome reviewers to offer constructive criticism. I will even overlook rude comments stating I suck as a writer. But when someone falsely accuses me of something as serious as faking reviews, I will not tolerate that. When cyber bullying becomes defamatory and libelous, it crosses a serious line. Defamation is considered a crime in most civil law jurisdictions, especially Great Britain and Israel. Even when not considered a crime, defamatory reviews could potentially tarnish an author’s reputation.
Readers and reviewers, I encourage you to avoid crossing the line. Before posting a review, consider the following:
o Is your review about the book’s content or about the author?
o Did you make a farfetched and/or false claim about the author out of spite?
o Is your review helpful or hateful?
Authors often write with their hearts. We expose our souls in our writings. We’re happy when we have fans. Sad when we have haters. Angry when we’re defamed.
We are not perfect. Self-published authors usually do not have the luxury of assistance from a team of experienced editors. Still, we do our best. We work extra hard because we’re usually a team of one. When we’re victims of cyber bullying, sometimes we’re patient and silent. But it doesn’t mean we’re not hurting.
We don’t expect everyone to love our work. At the same time, we don’t need to be victims of cyber bullies. Hopefully this post resonates with other authors and reviewers. Spread love, not hate.
September 18, 2011
Spoiled Nation, Rotting Americans
Joel Stein writes in The Awesome Column of TIME magazine, “One week earlier, Cassandra’s (his wife) grandmother, with whom she was very close, had died. She did not cry. The Wagon Wheel rejection, however, led to the Fountain of Cassandra.” Joel refers to the rejection of his two year old from a prestigious pre-school.
Though his column (which cracks me up usually) did not shock me, it makes me believe we’re becoming a spoiled-rotten, lost-cause nation. The petty things that upset us versus the life-events that no longer fazes us, shows me how spoiled our society has become. Joel starts his article with, “I always thought having money would mean not waiting in line. I assumed we would use our money to spend our time doing things we love, like accusing our housecleaners of stealing stuff.” Spoiled much?
The things people cry over feel so ridiculous. Maybe I shouldn’t question why Joel’s wife didn’t shed a tear after her grandmother had died, but to cry over not being able to fork out thousands of dollars a semester for her nose-picking two-year old to go to pre-school (an experience he would never remember or truly gain anything significant from)– COME ON.
Americans seriously need to re-prioritize. Our current generations are already spoiled. In the future, we can look forward to generations of whiny, annoying, and uselessly rotten folks who laugh at funerals and cry when they chip their fingernails.
BUY MY BOOK: Maid for Me
April 10, 2011
Simple Tips to Help Keep the Breasts Healthy and possibly prevent breast cancer.
Women have significantly higher risks of developing breast cancer than men. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 200,000 females developed breast cancer in 2010 in the US, as compared to 1970 males. A little less than 40,000 females died whereas only 390 men died.
Most of the men who develop breast cancer usually have larger breasts than other men.
Breast cancer develops when cancerous cells lump together in the breast, blocking lymphatic flow and can possibly form in the lymph nodes as well.
My theory is that because there is so little daily lymphatic fluid (drainage of toxins that may build up in the large breast tissues), cancer cells have a higher chance of lumping together and forming in the breast (mainly in the ducts and lobules). What exacerbates this may be the wearing of constrictive bras that further limit breast tissue movement, which can hinder lymphatic flow.
A remedy for this situation is to not wear bras when sleeping and when in the house (if the female is comfortable with not wearing a bra at home).
To improve lymphatic flow in the breast, females should be encouraged to touch their breasts more often, especially in the shower, to massage their breasts in circular motions.
Another great massage is to stimulate both the armpits, rubbing the area with lotion in circular motions 7-10 times daily, to facilitate lymphatic flow for the lymph nodes inside the armpits.
Adding to this, is massaging the hip junctions, right by the sides of the groin, also in circular motion to stimulate inguinal lymph nodes.
“Risk factors for breast cancer include older age, certain inherited genetic alterations, hormone therapy, having radiation therapy to the chest, drinking alcohol, and being obese. It may be possible to decrease the risk of breast cancer by getting exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. More information is available through the links on this page.”– The National Cancer Institute.
Please spread the word! Don’t be afraid to touch your own breasts, please!
March 16, 2011
Thank you Lady Gaga
I was excited to hear about Lady Gaga selling bracelets to support Japan after the recent disasters: the earthquakes, tsunamis, and impending nuclear meltdowns.
The mega star Lady Gaga is selling the bracelets for five dollars. All proceeds will go to Japan’s relief efforts. In addition, the buyer can opt to donate additional money.
It’s a pretty-looking bracelet. So far, in a day or so, her fans have raised over a quarter of a million dollars. I suggest Lady Gaga to tweet about donating to the American Red Cross to her millions of followers. 8 million fans who give a dollar each will amount to eight millions dollars added to the relief efforts.
Still, it’s great how influential people can make helping others fashionable and trendy. Shame on the other influential celebrities who are doing nada so far to help!
January 27, 2011
Eat like a Caveman and lose weight (fat).
BUY MY BOOK!
Some foods will make you fat. This, of course, doesn’t apply when you’re one of those people who wouldn’t get fat from eating poorly everyday. Like that stick-thin man you know who eats more than a whale. Or that model-thin woman who eats five times more than her fatter, jelly (jealous) friend. However, for the rest of us, we’ll get fat when we eat certain foods.
Foods that have white sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches. Examples: Cookies, cake, ice cream, soda, processed fruit juices, muffins, bagels, pasta, rice, crackers, etc…
These foods are made up of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates when ingested trigger the body to produce insulin, which in turn triggers the production of fat cells. These fat cells metabolize calories. When the fat cells are used up to expend the calories, the body doesn’t gain weight (or specifically gain fat).
Foods filled with carbohydrates make a person feel full slower than foods complete with fats or proteins. When this is the case, the person has to eat more to feel full. Eating more carbohydrates leads to more insulin in the body and in the end, more fat cells. Overeating carbs will lead to the retention of fat cells in the body. When fat cells get fat, they can become fatter and fatter.
Hence, to put it simply, when you eat a lot of carbohydrates, you can become fat. *unless you’re lucky*
Now, if you eat like a caveman, you can lose fat. You eat proteins and some fats. You feel fuller faster and you’re eating all the right foods. You’re expending all the calories you consume and your fat cells aren’t getting fatter.
Readjusting one’s diet does not mean she should starve herself. She just has to eat the right foods and eat better.
Find out more about weight loss myths, secrets and how to eat like a caveman to lose fat weight in my ebook!
(image :http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/caveman%20invented%20leftovers_37804)
January 12, 2011
Chinese Mothers Are Superior, But not Hitlers
In the early eighties, my parents came to New York City, driving from Montreal, all the way to Brooklyn by reading a map, passing through Harlem and of course, getting lost along the way until they finally reached their destination: a small rented apartment infested with mice and roaches. I was in the car, a squealing chubby infant, the apple of my mother’s eyes. Her very first child was a beautiful baby with a head full of thick black hair. Everything seemed surreal to my mother. She looked forward to a new, wonderful life ahead of her in oh-so-wonderful America.
America’s roads aren’t gold-paved, my mother realized as her American Dream shattered like a thrown cheap vase. For years, my parents struggled to make a living. My father had recently graduated from college and he earned a little more than $30,000 a year pre-taxation. My mother helped him, toiling through the day as a seamstress an illegal Chinatown factory, then bringing bags filled with cloth back home to sew some more into the midnight hours.
My mother, was naturally cranky. She had to work, take care of me, do the chores at home (catching the mice, etc…) Growing up, I’ve been scolded and barely praised. I wasn’t allowed to go to sleep-overs, speak to boys unless academically necessary (or date until I turned 18, which is great because I never had to deal with teenage pregnancy or worry about STDs), or even hang out with the other kids in our neighborhood (we lived in the ghetto. The “western” girl who lived two houses away from us never graduated college and became a teenage mama). I remember I could recite the entire multiplication table by the age of five in Cantonese. (Nine times nine is 81. Six times five is 30). It’s true, Chinese kids are math whizzes (though I totally failed pre-cal and calculus, so I’m never that stereotypically Chinese after all.)
Truth in Amy Chua’s words: My mother had always been strict to my sister and me. We were expected to bring home good grades (90 and above), we were expected to excel in most subjects, and we weren’t lauded when we won awards or contests (in the fifth grade, I was the Spelling Bee and Story telling champion.) Wanting more praise, I always tried harder and harder in school.
But our mother wasn’t a Hitler-mom like Amy Chua, the exaggerating, hymning tiger. And I’m sure not all Chinese Mothers are like her. For one, my mother loved attending the school plays I was in, even though I was always a pumpkin or a background tree.
My mother allowed us to watch television (television was like a Robo-Nanny. It kept my hyper baby sister quiet and hypnotized in her playpen. It nurtured my creativity. Besides, watching TV was my mother’s only source of relaxation back then.) Thank god she allowed us to use computers, we’d be tech-unsavvy otherwise. My mother never threatened us or spied on us. Of course we would get punished for bad behavior, but we were never interrogated or insulted. (though tonight, my mother just called me a piece of shit, jokingly. She cutely says Sheeet instead of shit.)
My sister and I weren’t privileged enough to attend piano or violin lessons; however, both of us loved to draw and my mother encouraged us to be artistic.
Amy Chua writes, “By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.” True, but too much repression leads to uprisings and resentment. Amy Chua is successful, as are her daughters. I would like to hear her daughters’ thoughts and side of the story. Are they really confident and happy? Do they resent their mother?
And what about Chinese fathers? Are they superior? Usually, they are quieter, like mine. Sometimes, it’s like I’m talking to a wall when I have a “conversation” with my father… but that’s for another discussion. Anyway, congratulations on your bestseller Amy Chua. It’s great to have a prominent Asian-American voice out there. The Asian-American community, of course especially the Chinese, resent you for exaggerating the Hitler-ways of Chinese mothers. And for basically saying Chinese-American children aren’t naturally gifted, they are prisoners of their mothers’ tailored boot-camps, who through constant practice and drilling, develop great skills. (Chinese Americans are a funny bunch. They dislike successful, outspoken Chinese Americans who uglify the Chinese culture for recognition.)
Chinese Mothers are superior in that they cook very well. That’s a truth. My mother is superior. She is the gardener who provides the soil, sun, nutrients and water. She allowed our flowers to bloom naturally, with a little gentle pruning and plucking here and there, but never an uprooting or thunderstorms and pesticides as described by Amy Chua.
