Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 7

Book Review: Secret Identity

5 stars

Genre: Mystery/ Noir elements

Secret Identity by Alex Segura

Such a good book. The beginning really immerses you in gritty, historic NYC as well as the comic book industry. Take time to soak up the noir atmosphere of Carmen’s world.

I loved how Carmen was such a complex character, and her reminiscences only made the story stronger. Of special delight were the comic book panels (if only they’d been in color!) to really reflect the Lynx character.

A wonderful book that weaves in history, Cuban culture, the comics world, and a dazzling mystery. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Find more of my book ratings and reviews here.

Malice Domestic Experience

This past weekend, I attended the Malice Domestic convention in Bethesda, MD. It’s definitely my-cup-of-tea-conference since it focuses on traditional mysteries.

First challenge: mastering the Metro. I had to attempt to read a map and do a transfer to get to the hotel. (Let me add here that the Metro employees are very helpful.) Success! It did take a while, but I made it to the conference.

Admittedly, it felt overwhelming being with a large crowd of readers, authors, and publishing professionals. My introverted side kicks in quickly. That first night, I just rested.

The following days were filled with meeting others and also fangirling over authors. (Surprise! A few readers came up to me and complimented my work! Hooray!)

Speaking of being a fangirl, I was super happy to see the amazing Walter Mosley. He, of course, has a wonderful career and has been extra supportive of younger authors and instrumental in co-creating Crime Writers of Color (a group I participate in).

Although I prepared for a cold climate, the weather was gorgeous. The days were bright and beautiful. Blossoms ran rampant. I didn’t get a lot of time to meander outdoors, but here’s a picture from the hotel patio:

It was fun attending panels and gleaning wisdom from those who’ve been published for many years. I even got to sit at the dais for an event as well.

Plus, I put on my Vice President hat for Sisters in Crime and urged people to join an international community of encouraging members who respect and advance crime writing fiction.

Sadly, I was mostly inside the hotel for the conference, so I didn’t get to see the surrounding area. However, on the last day, my friend gave me a quick scenic tour by car. I definitely have to come back to really soak in the history!

Where have you gone recently?

Wordless Wednesday: Malice Domestic 2022

(Not) Drinking from Cacti & Other Fun Road Trip Facts

Whee! We recently drove from California to New Mexico for the Left Coast Crime conference. I love gathering random factoids on road trips.

At a pit stop in Phoenix, we stopped by the Desert Botanical Garden. Thank goodness it wasn’t too hot. (The temp would go up to high 80s later on.) I was wowed by all sorts of cacti (but please don’t give me a pop quiz on them). Unfortunately, I was also sad to discover that you can’t really drink water out of a barrel cactus. It’s more like a glue or sap that you can’t digest. Guess I’m sticking to keeping loads of water on me in the desert!

I also got to check out the beautiful palo verde, the state tree of Arizona. Palo verde means “green stick,” and the tree is given that name because of the color of the bark. It’s this bark that is filled with chlorophyll and can perform photosynthesis.

Once in New Mexico, I got to try a few different kinds of snacks and beverages. One interesting drink I had was the piñon cola. After I got it out of my head that it was supposed to be a piña colada, I really enjoyed it. The pine nut flavor makes it distinctive and enjoyable.

I was too lazy to get up for a sunrise hot air balloon ride, but I did go to a local museum about them. Happily, I discovered that the first passengers of a hot air balloon ride were a duck, a sheep, and a rooster. I also saw an art-o-mat machine; it’s a vending machine where you can pay for original cigarette pack-sized artwork.

Speaking of unique machines, I even spotted a working pay phone on this road trip:     

Hope you enjoyed all the travel trivia!

It’s Conference Time!

When is a conference not a conference?

When it happens in March 2020.

The last time I went to a writing conference was in 2020 for Left Coast Crime in San Diego. It was surreal experiencing the shutdown of the entire event. Notices were quickly taped to doors and windows. People scrambled for their phones to rearrange transportation and find lodging. I resigned myself to canceling my hotel reservation (hoping for a refund) and traveling the two hours back to Los Angeles.

Since 2020, I’ve been to a few conferences—all virtual. What’s hard about online events is adjusting to the technology. For example, it’s tough to gauge audience reaction when I can’t see faces. This is especially true when I’m trying to land a joke. I’m also not that adept at simultaneously talking and following the chat stream. (In fact, I’m usually not good at doing two things at once. Rubbing my belly and patting my head don’t go well together.)

On the bright side, I like the convenience of virtual. There’s no need to travel; it’s almost like being able to teleport to a far-flung location. Speaking of locations, I love how online events provide the opportunity for additional attendees. With ease of access, a lower cost barrier, and plenty of space, more people can attend virtual gatherings.

That doesn’t mean I don’t miss live conventions. I’m actually returning to Left Coast Crime for 2022, which takes place in Albuquerque. (I’ve never been there, so I can’t wait to explore the area.) Attending in person will require toting stuff…and not just personal belongings. I’ll be bringing in swag, treats for readers. I’ve signed up to meet approximately 140 new friends at an author speed dating event. For two hours, authors will get to hop from table to table and speak (for a few minutes) to readers. You can bet that I had a stuffing party to put together that many treat bags!  

I’m pretty sure that I’ll be buying books at Left Coast Crime. I can’t say no to wonderful fiction. Besides, it’s all about supporting other authors, right? The organizers probably do expect me to buy a lot since they usually give out huge book bags during registration. I’ve even known fellow authors who must go to the post office (or mail room, if the conference offers one) to ship books home.

It’ll be interesting eating with people again. I mean, large swaths of people in a banquet room. Left Coast Crime does have an awards night (and I’m up for a Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel).

I’m excited for the packed schedule. I want to jump around to different panels, soaking in information. I want to chat with others in the hallways for fun. I’m yearning to meet people I’ve only interacted with online and to reconnect to those I haven’t seen in years.

Left Coast Crime, here I come! (Note: Since I’ll be at the conference, I won’t be blogging next week.)

Do you have any live events coming up?

Book Review: The Tokyo Zodiac Murders

5 stars

Genre: Impossible Crime/Locked-Room Mystery

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders

Intricately deceiving. The letter that sets up the stage is hard to decipher, but the puzzle aspects continue at a rapid pace for the rest of the novel.

I think if I had a better grasp of Japanese history and geography, it would have been even more fascinating. Shimada did an amazing job of creating a puzzler of a story. There were so many moving parts. My only minor issue is that there’s a lot of dialogue, and I kind of enjoyed the scenes with more description of the characters and locations.

A stumper and a shocker of a brilliant locked-room murder mystery.

Find more of my book ratings and reviews here.

To Swag or Not to Swag?

It’s conference season time! As an author, a lot my time is spent in solitary creation. There comes a few points every year where I actually get to go out and meet folks, including readers. This happens at book festivals, and to a smaller extent, at bookstores.

Fan conventions, though, are a different beast entirely. These gatherings invite readers to mingle with their favorite authors. They’ve been on pause (or virtual) for the last few years, so I’m excited to see them up and running again.

In fact, I’m scheduled to go to not one but three (!) this year. As a mystery writer (mainly), I’m planning on showing up at:

Left Coast Crime
This convention moves around but is held in the western part of the States. I’m excited to attend this year since Mimi Lee Cracks the Code has been nominated for a 2022 Lefty Award for Best Humorous Novel.

Malice Domestic
This event occurs on the East Coast in Bethesda and is geared toward traditional mysteries.Bouchercon
By far the largest of the conventions, Bouchercon pulls in a lot of fans and big-name authors.

I don’t have my full schedule yet for the various gatherings, but I’ll be on some panels at Left Coast Crime and am participating in speed dating there. At this event, authors will get a chance to circulate among tables filled with readers and speak about their books (for two minutes). Which brings me to the question of swag.

I personally am a hoarder of bookmarks. It’s funny because half of the time I just slip in a random receipt to mark my page. Still, I love them.

Other swag goodies I’ve gotten from other authors are customized magnets, sticky notes, and pens. Once I even received a stuffed toy for the purchase of a children’s book.

Do these bonus items actually sway a reader in favor of a book? I don’t know. I myself have my fair share of marketing items that I’ve purchased over the years. These include a magnifier card (Seniors Sleuth), robot magnets (Robot Revenge), and dragonfly charms (Dragonfly Dreams).

Through experience, I’ve realized that lightweight swag (that’s easy to carry or to mail out for giveaways) work better for me in the long run. For my upcoming conventions, I’ll be giving out leftover swag and new bookmarks. Should I opt for more?

Let me know: Does swag sway you to buy a book?

A Blooming Kind of Hope

Spring happens to be my favorite season of the year. There’s something cheerful about new, emerging blossoms that brings me joy. Maybe the feeling I get can be defined as hope.

This year, I noticed neighborhood trees bearing cherry blossoms early. They were showing off their floral finery a week or two ago. In synchronicity, I splurged on daffodils in anticipation of spring.

But something strange happened recently. The petals curled in on themselves and hid their splendor. Honestly, I’m still not sure what happened. (Note: I do not have a green thumb–that skill definitely skipped a generation.)

However, it feels a bit representative of my life right now. What I mean is that the global news and stimuli coming at me has been kind of stressful. I’m trying my best to balance obligations and give to worthy causes and help others around me, but I’m feeling behind and drained on everything.

I usually enjoy checking things off my to-do lists, but it’s been slow-going. Instead of speeding up, though, I decided to do the opposite. I’m deliberately trying to stop and smell the flowers daffodils during this time. I’m hoping that this intentional pause will give me a needed break and that I’ll hopefully come out blooming soon.

How have you been feeling/doing?

Foodie Friday: Stretchy Ice Cream

Stretchy ice cream: dense, creamy, and pliable frozen dessert

Who knew stretchy ice cream was a thing? Well, I didn’t. Not until one family member had to do a project about ice cream versus gelato versus… (Whether this was an actual research project or something they made up has yet to be revealed.)

Anyway, stretchy ice cream does stretch, but it’s not super elastic. If you’re thinking rubber bands, you’d be wrong. There is a kind of give to the ice cream, though, and it’s quite fun to watch/scoop.

The official name of the ice cream is booza, and it’s found in the Eastern Mediterranean region. It’s quite common and has been a traditional frozen delight for a long time.

However, it’s newer to the United States because the stretchy factor for the ice cream comes from two rare ingredients: salep, which is a flour made from orchid root; and mastic, which is a resin found from a certain tree type in Greece.

Beyond the fun physical characteristic of the dessert, booza is actually very similar to typical American ice cream. It’s got a super smooth texture and a biting cold to it. The flavors also show up in intense ways.

I went to a specialty ice cream shop and got these unique flavors:  Saffron Pistachio, as well as Pink Rose. I’ve never had saffron beyond paella, so it was interesting to eat this in a sweet instead of savory dish. I kind of like the extra spice to the ice cream, but it can feel too flavorful. My favorite of the two was the Pink Rose, which is a blend of rosewater and California cactus pear. It’s floral but not overpoweringly so, and it’s got an addictive sweetness to it. Also, the pink is so pretty!  

Saffron and Rose has two SoCal locations if you want to try out their frozen treats.

Have you ever eaten stretchy ice cream and/or what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Bookstore Fail

My most recent trip to the bookstore was a bit of a bust. The fun thing about being a published author is the chance to hop into a bookshop and see your books on the shelf.

Usually, my MO is to browse the online catalog (if there’s one) to make sure my books are actually carried in the store. This time, I winged it. I was already running errands and would be in the area anyway.

I went up to the info desk and asked if they had any of my books in the store. Nope. A little zing of disappointment reverberated down my spine. Well, they had them in their catalog in case they wanted to order a few copies, but no actual physical books were available. Whoops. (Remind me to follow standard operating procedure next time and double-check the inventory before arriving at a bookstore.)

On the bright side, I got to browse the shelves. I was happy to see my fellow authors’ works on display. The Mountains Sing by Nguy?n Phan Qu? Mai is literary fiction, and its book cover is so beautiful. The epic story within explores one family and their triumphs and sorrows across decades of turbulent history in Vietnam:

In the store, I was elated to find that they actually had a whole section devoted to cozy mysteries. (These books are typically thrown into the general mystery section.)

Of course, I had to take snaps of novels from my fellow Berkley publishing imprint sisters:  

Killer Content got enviable top shelf status right next to the section sign. It pays to have a last name at the beginning of the alphabet. The story revolves around a fish-out-of-water protagonist who moves from the Bayou to Brooklyn. But she gets more than she bargained for when she witnesses the murder of a YouTube star.

Body and Soul Food is the first in a new series featuring fraternal twins who run a bookstore and soul food café. The siblings, who’ve recently reunited, must solve a seemingly impossible crime.

There’s been plenty of buzz for Arsenic and Adobo. (Check out that handwritten sign underneath the book!) It’s the first cozy starring a Filipina main character. The story is a rom-com turned nastily upside down when the protagonist’s ex (an unsavory food critic) drops dead. (Don’t forget to check out the recipes at the back of the book!)

I don’t know if I would categorize Dial A for Aunties narrowly in the cozy mystery genre. It’s got a streak of women’s fiction in it, especially with the sparkling romance within the pages. Suspend your disbelief during this funny romp when a dead body is accidentally brought to a lavish wedding.

Somehow I feel like I’m meeting up with and cheering on my writing pals when I spot their books in the wild. Though I didn’t get to sign my own novels, it was still exciting. (And yes, I did get lured to do some retail therapy before I left the store.)