Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 2

Off to Ashland!

Hey, all! I’m excited to go to the inaugural Ashland Mystery Fest, organized by Ellie Alexander, this weekend! Find me here:

Ashland Mystery Festival
October 20-22; Ashland, OR
Friday, October 20, 5pm-7pm Kickoff Reception; Ashland Springs Hotel
Friday, October 20, 7:30pm-9:30pm Mystery Dinner; Ashland Springs Hotel
Saturday, October 21, 11:20am-12:10pm “How To Tail A Suspect”; Ashland Public Library
Saturday, October 21, 12:40pm-1:30pm “Lock Picking, Secret Codes, and Poisons”; Ashland Public Library
Saturday, October 21, 4:00pm-5:00pm Author Pop-Up at Matcha Boba Tea

Uncorrected Manuscripts

Jubilant about receiving my uncorrected bound manuscripts, I posted the “unboxing” or “unenveloping” video on social media. Then I had a friend ask: “Why would you want an uncorrected copy?” Good question. Guess I’m so entrenched in the publishing world I forgot I had to explain the process.

First off, bound manuscripts aren’t pretty. They’re not like true advance reader copies with the cover art and a marketing plan on the back. Exhibit A:

Yep, they’re plain. Simple. But they have all the words in place after rounds of developmental edits (which address overall story structure). They’re the product that lands in between structural edits and nitty gritty copy edits.

The uncorrected manuscript is put in a book format because…well, probably mostly because publishing is such a slow process. Having a papy copy gives early access to key players, including blurbers. These individuals are star authors who I or my editor approach to provide an early read of my book. Then they can write a glowing blurb or testimonial (pretty please).

Although some folks prefer an electronic version, a large number of people opt for printed editions. It’s also nice for the author to get a physical copy showing the fruit of their labor. So that’s why my bound manuscript will sit proudly alongside a few of my other published books–because it deserves to be there.

Happy reading and writing to you all out there!

Off to Bouchercon 2023

Hey all,

I’m off to sunny San Diego for the Bouchercon convention! Here’s my rough schedule of events:

~Thursday, August 31, 2:00pm Pacific
Anthony Best Humorous panel
~Thursday, August 31, 9:00pm Pacific
Once Upon A Crime
~Friday, September 1, 11:00am Pacific
Cozy Author Spotlight
~Friday, September 1, 7:00pm Pacific
Underrepresented Voices reception
~Saturday, September 2, 2:20pm Pacific
Cozy is not a Four-Letter Word panel

I’ll also be at events for Sisters in Crime (SinC) and volunteering at the SinC table.

Hurricane Blonde reading

It’s been a minute since I’ve gone to a book reading—as an attendee. I’ve done multiple events in the past and am scheduled for a few upcoming activities. I almost always do these events in conversation with a partner or in a group. Kudos to the brave soul who goes solo, like Halley Sutton.

I first met Halley through the 2020 Debuts group. We authors bonded over books coming out—and the pandemic. That really threw a wrench in all planned gatherings. I was lucky that I got to do one launch event (with the fabulous Deanna Raybourn) before everything got cancelled. Halley, though, has done all virtual events—until yesterday.

I’m glad I was there to attend her first live event. Moreover, I got to support a local indie bookstore: pages in Manhattan Beach. Special congrats to Halley on the release of her second book, The Hurricane Blonde. It’s a dive into the underbelly of Hollywood—and I’m here for it!

I came to Los Angeles for grad school, and I wondered how TV and film had shaped my understanding of the region. I’ve yet to do a stars tour, but I have hiked to the Hollywood sign, been to a studio taping, and enjoyed events at the Hollywood Bowl. Can’t wait to dive into this Hollywood noir novel!

Of Newsletters and Blogs

You readers are dear to me, but time is also important. In fact, I’m taking a break from some intense developmental edits to bring you this message.

NEWSLETTER
I’ll still be keeping this blog but focusing more on my monthly newsletters. Sign up here:

https://jenniferjchow.com/newsletter

*Side note: Since MailChimp has upped the pricing of their services, I’m currently trying out Flodesk. Let me know what you think of it! If you enjoy the new format, you can also do a trial run and receive 50% off your first year through my affiliate link: https://flodesk.com/c/2CHVCS

BLOGS
I’ll be regularly posting at Chicks on the Case (www.chicksonthecase.com). And for my personal blog here, I’ll still do exciting announcements like…

ANNOUNCEMENT
I’ve got a new Magical Fortune Cookie series happening! It’ll release in February 2024:

Happy July, everyone!

It’s My Book Birthday!

Happy book birthday to me! HOT POT MURDER is out today!

I’ve already gotten a few lovely reviews I’d like to share:

“Great characters and a delightful mystery filled with luscious descriptions of food.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The second installment of Chow’s cozy mystery series set at a California market, Hot Pot Murder is as charming and delightful as the first…Spending time with these characters is a treat, but—full warning—this book will make you hungry.”—Parade

ABOUT THE BOOK

Trouble is brewing for cousins Yale and Celine Yee after a hot pot dinner gets overheated and ends in murder in this second novel of the L.A. Night Market series by Jennifer J. Chow.

Yale and Celine Yee’s food stall business is going so well that they’ve been invited to join an exclusive dinner with the local restaurant owners association. The members gather together for a relaxing hot pot feast…until Jeffery Vue, president of the group, receives a literal shock to his system and dies. 

Everyone at the meal is a suspect, but the authorities are homing in on family friend Ai Ho, owner of the restaurant where Jeffery was killed—and Yale’s dad is a close second on their list. Yale and Celine step up to the plate and investigate the dinner attendees: the association’s ambitious VP, a familiar frenemy, a ramen king, a snacks shopkeeper, and a second-generation restaurateur. It’s up to the detecting duo to figure out what really happened before their friends and family have to close their businesses for good.

BUY LINK

Anatomy of a Successful Library

I’ve been to a few interesting library spaces before. These included buildings with cute aquariums and puppet show theaters for kids.

The other day, I got invited to do an authors lunch (along with Dr. David Unger) at the Huntington Beach Public Library. This was at their central library; I really loved spending time there, and I appreciated how they created a successful library space.

Firstly, they offered a great physical environment. There’s actually a drop-off zone right next to the entrance, to make things easier for those who might have mobility issues. Inside, I also noticed that there were both elevators and ramps for access.

Moreover, it’s a beautiful space. There’s a gushing tiered fountain in the center of the library that is both an art statement and a peaceful central presence. In one corner, I found a reproduction of a terra cotta warrior. (The entire Terracotta Army, discovered in Xi’an, China was a type of funerary art.) On a different wall, they had a lovely mural with soaring birds, snow-dusted mountains, and a sleek waterway.

The second sign of success I noticed was related to the programming. Not only were they running an Authors Lunch, but there were flyers pinned to the bulletin board that advertised a number of upcoming activities. They also had multiple meeting rooms, a theater, study rooms, and even a kids-only Makerspace section to get the creative juices flowing.

The third indicator of success was the huge support given to the library. There were a number of patrons flowing in and out of the branch. They also get wonderful care from the Friends of Huntington Beach Library. Not only did they put on the lunch, but they also provide an ongoing used books sale as well as run an amazing gift shop. These volunteers work hard for the library, which is open seven days a week.

Anyway, I had a fun time there—and you can check out the greeting my fellow lunch-goers gave me on my IG reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/Csr1oYhNczG/

#supportyourlocallibrary

Anthony Award nomination

Hurrah! Good news!

DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA is a finalist for an Anthony Award in the Best Humorous category!

Check out the full list here:
https://bouchercon2023.com/the-anthony-awards/

The Second Time Around

I’ve wanted to go to Malice Domestic for a long time–THE convention for traditional mystery writers (and readers). But it also requires flying five hours to get there, along with a brutal time change.

I did go last year to check it out. And I admit that I was intimidated. Things I didn’t enjoy?

-Getting turned around on the Metro
-Trying to pack my schedule (and not resting or eating well)
-Feeling lost when others around me seemed to know each other already
-Being (briefly) mistaken for someone else

This year, I decided to take things easy. Well, easier. I already knew I’d have a lot to do as President of Sisters in Crime. We’d already planned on having a reception open to all our members, a special meeting for chapter leadership, and a lunch to celebrate the Dorothy Cannell Scholarship winner. Plus, SinC’s anthology, Promophobia, was up for an Agatha Award for best nonfiction (it won!).

Wearing my author hat, I also had other things to do. Death By Bubble Tea was up for an Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel…

A short story of mine was also in Malice Domestic’s newest anthology, Mystery Most Traditional. That all equaled to two panels and two signings.

I didn’t sweat it, though. I made sure to hydrate and eat and spend time really talking to authors and readers. This time around, what did I enjoy?

-Recognizing people at the conference
-Filling my tummy with good food while meeting up with others
-Giving myself breaks whenever I needed them
-Actively reaching out to people to chat

Next convention, though? I should definitely remember to take more photos! :)

Media Mentions & Event Updates

A quick note to catch you all up on some amazing mentions and great events in the near future!

On the media front:

Death By Bubble Tea has been recommended on Shepherd.com:
https://shepherd.com/book/death-by-bubble-teaThe Sassy Cat series is mentioned for its mystery vibe splashed with romance:
https://crimereads.com/mysteries-for-romance-fans/
https://bookriot.com/what-is-a-romcozy/

For events, I’m gearing up to head over to Malice Domestic in MD this week. It’ll be a full schedule, packed with exciting activities like:

Special thanks to Gabriel Valjan for the graphic!

April 28, 2023
Simply the Best: Our Agatha Best Contemporary Novel Nominees (4:00pm-4:50pm)
Malice Domestic Anthology signing (9:30pm-10:30pm)

April 29, 2023
Author signing (10:00am-10:30am)