C.L. Hoang's Blog, page 5

A Special Trip

Last month I had the honor of attending the 2015 Community Ball hosted by the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Veterans Club in North Lake Tahoe to pay tribute to the Vietnam War veterans. My gracious host, Colonel Steve Price, USAF Retired, had been present at the Cathedral City Rotary Club during my book talk there back in January, and he had extended an invitation to me afterwards, which I was happy to accept and had been looking forward to ever since.

It was my first time at such an event, and this one turned out a large crowd of about 120 people at the Incline Village Golf Course Club House where it was held. Veterans from most services showed up in their full-dress uniforms accompanied by their lovely wives, and were seated at tables grouped by service stations formerly located throughout Southeast Asia. I took in all the ceremonies, the Presentation of Colors, the patriotic and emotional tributes, the Service Songs and Hymns that got the crowd clapping and stomping. But most of all, I was deeply touched by the spirit of pride and comradery still so palpable between this Band of Brothers after all the years, something I had marveled about in my book but never had a chance to witness firsthand. For that, and for their service to our country, I'm grateful to Colonel Price and the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Veterans Club.

Steve also arranged for me to talk at the Incline Village Rotary Club and the local library, which I really enjoyed doing. Many summers ago I used to go camping and hiking around Lake Tahoe, but it had been a while, so it was wonderful to find myself back in this beautiful setting once again. This special trip certainly added to my fond memories of the locale, and it was well worth the long drive and the temporary adjustment to altitude (ah, what a difference a few years made!). Just before leaving, I sat at the very bench shown in the picture and made a wish to return some day.

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

Readers' Favorite Book Award

I'm thrilled to share the good news with you: Once upon a Mulberry Field has just won the Bronze Medal for Cultural Fiction in the Readers' Favorite 2015 International Book Award.

In their own words, "Readers' Favorite is the fastest growing book review and award contest site on the Internet. We have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, and have received the Best Websites for Authors and Honoring Excellence awards from the Association of Independent Authors.

"We are also very proud to be fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating). The BBB is very cautious when it comes to book award contests, as all authors should be, and as a result we are one of the very few book award contests to receive BBB accreditation.

"We receive thousands of entries from all over the world. . . We receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants like Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America)."

This year's contest was their largest ever.

To view the complete Readers' Favorite 2015 International Book Award results and to read the 5-star review of Once upon a Mulberry Field, go to:
http://bit.ly/1R5Y1mg

As always, any recognition the book receives is a great honor that means the most when shared with my friends and supporters, because after all the book was written for you and your reading enjoyment. So once again, thank you all so much for your support and your belief in me.

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

Sun, Surf, Cars & Girls

To me, one of the really fun things about writing is the research part of it. Recently, for my next book, I've had to do research on some aspects of life in America in the 1960's, specifically about the Beach Boys in their early singing years, and I've come across some fun trivia I'd like to share with you.

We're all familiar with their timeless "California Sound," but let's find out how well you really know this popular boys' band, shall we? For instance, did you know that:

* When the band was formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, co-founder Al Jardine tried to push the band toward folk music but was overruled in favor of rock 'n' roll.
* The band was initially managed by the Wilsons' father, Murry, who was relieved of his managerial duties in 1964 due to creative conflict with his son Brian. Reflecting later on this, Brian Wilson said, "We love the family thing, y'know: three brothers, a cousin, and a friend is a beautiful way to have a group --- but the extra generation can become a hang-up."
* They landed their first paying gig (for which they earned $300) on New Year's Eve 1962, at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance in Long Beach headlined by Ike & Tina Turner.
* As a song writer, Brian Wilson scored his first number-one hit with Surf City, which he had written for the duo Jan and Dean. It was the first surf song to top the charts (Jul 1963), but it was not sung by the Beach Boys.
* The band chose to promote its album Surfin' U.S.A. (Mar 1963) with a series of concerts in dance halls, at state fairs and amusement parks throughout the landlocked Midwest. These concerts were met with such enthusiasm from fans that the band would return to the heartland time and again.
* For all the band's success, Brian Wilson wasn't too keen on touring, withdrawing completely from it in 1965 to devote himself to songwriting and music production. Glenn Campbell stepped in as his replacement for a short while, until his own career took off.
* God Only Knows (1966) is Paul McCartney's all-time favorite. and according to him, "the greatest song ever written."
* And so on, and so forth.

You get the idea. In my research I stumbled across countless trivia nuggets like the ones above that allowed me not only a more intimate look at "America's Band," but also a better understanding of the popular culture, and life, from a half-century ago. This discovery journey is half of the fun of writing. The other half is to attempt my very best to capture and project some of that onto paper.

Wouldn't It Be Nice if I succeeded?

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

Amazon Top Rated

There couldn't have been better news to wake up to on a weekend!

This morning Once upon a Mulberry Field hit the #1 spot on Amazon's Top-Rated in Asian American Literature list. I am just so thrilled, stoked, psyched---and any other adjectives you want to throw in!

Once again, I want to send a heartfelt thank you to all my readers and supporters who have taken the time to leave wonderful encouraging reviews on my Amazon book page. I can't tell you just how much I appreciate your help and support in spreading the message. You really make it all worthwhile. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Also I'd like to thank Colleen M. Story for the very nice interview she just posted on her Writing and Wellness website. Below is the link to it:

http://bit.ly/1IoUjmk

Have a wonderful weekend, you all. I know I will.

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

The Colors of Summer

As mentioned in an earlier post, the summers of my youth in Saigon were painted in brilliant red and orange from luxurious blooms on poinciana trees all over the city. But here, in sun-drenched Southern California, summer ushers in a different color---the purple-blue freshness of jacaranda blooms. My first summer after moving here, when I looked up and saw those beautiful blue clusters lining the city streets everywhere, I couldn't believe my eyes. Ever since then, this lovely shade has become the color of summer for me.

Even after all these years, my fascination with the jacaranda blue has never waned. Whenever I spot a beautiful tree outlined against the summer sky, it's impossible for me to resist snapping a few pictures. The photo above was taken just before the 4th of July weekend on a small street close to where I live, and I thought I would share it with you---as my summer gift to you, and as a token of my appreciation. For you see,  I'm very excited to also share with you some recent good news about Once upon a Mulberry Field, which you're all responsible for making happen.

Thanks to kind reviews from readers such as you, who cared enough to take the time and effort to post your comments on Amazon, the book has recently reached #2 on Amazon's Top-Rated in Asian American Literature: http://amzn.to/1OnfXZk

This is beyond my expectations, and I can't thank you enough for all your encouragement and support.

Also, in May, I was notified that Once upon a Mulberry Field had received an Honorable Mention for General Fiction in the 2015 Eric Hoffer Literary Award. This is an international award that "honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers." I am honored to have been part of it. http://bit.ly/1d4fEFG

Lastly, even though the book did not win an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award this year, I did get back this following comment from one of the judges: "#1 Wonderful story. No dry eyes when I put this book down." That alone was prize enough for me.

So, once again, I thank you for making all this possible with your kind support and encouragement. I hope to have more good news to share with you in the future. In the meantime, have yourselves a wonderful, glorious summer!

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

Book Talks

Over the past year, I have gone around and given presentations to introduce my book Once upon a Mulberry Field to the reading public, and to share some of the memories and stories that had inspired me to write it. Many friends and supporters have asked me what the responses from such live audiences were like, so I'm glad to share that experience with all of you today.

First of all, like many of you, I'm not a born public speaker, and I usually become more reserved in a large group setting. Worse, when I get nervous, as while standing in front of a crowd of strangers (even a crowd of two), my words tend to run together, causing me to trip and falter, or they would escape me altogether, resulting in an embarrassing tongue-tied situation. So it was no surprise that my first few times venturing out on the speaking circuit were nerve-racking experiences, from which I emerged drained and hugely relieved. But I'm glad to report that there's some truth to the saying "Practice makes perfect," as things do get better with repetition, even if slowly.

What really helped me conquer my nerves, however, was the early realization that most people are kind and accepting. If they've made the decision to show up at my talks, it's because they are genuinely interested in hearing what I have to share. They didn't come for a professional, rehearsed sales pitch. They came ready to connect on a personal level, to hear the story behind the story: What motivated me to write? Was the material fact-based or pure fiction? What was my own experience like, growing up in the war?

I've been very fortunate to have been invited to speak at a number of different venues: book clubs, libraries, travel club, church group, rotary club, a writers' group, even a spa-resort. Sometimes as part of the general discussion about the book after the group had selected and read it, and sometimes to introduce the book for the very first time. No matter what the circumstances, the reaction was the same: the more I opened up to people, the more they responded in kind. The most rewarding, and humbling, part of my presentations was at the end, when people came up to shake my hand and to tell me what the book or my talk had meant to them, both in terms of understanding and, for some, healing. And when such heartfelt sentiments actually came from a veteran or a veteran's family, I can't even begin to express how I felt in that moment.

So now you'll probably understand when I say that these face-to-face interactions with readers, outside of the writing itself, are my favorite part of the whole publishing journey. They're not great sales venues by any stretch, but they help reaffirm in my mind time and again the reason why I write in the first place. In a very human, tangible way, they remind me what true success can really be.

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

A look back

Many thanks to John Wilkens at the San Diego Union-Tribune for his recent article on my book Once upon a Mulberry Field on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

The picture in the article was taken by SDUT photographer Howard Lipin at my April 18 book discussion at the Poway Branch of the San Diego County Library.

Here's the link to the SDUT article:
http://bit.ly/1EePvKH

Also check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

40 Years After

Forty years ago, on the last day of April 1975, as the free world stood by and watched in disbelief, Saigon succumbed to the communist North Vietnamese, marking the end of the Vietnam War. Every year since, when April comes around, millions of people who had lived through those tumultuous times---veterans who had fought during the war and South Vietnamese families who had left their homeland in the aftermath---remember the somber occasion.

People are all different, and they commemorate such a momentous event in their lives differently. Some like to gather in public places and show solidarity; others choose to remember quietly in private, while yet others would rather forget altogether. And then sometimes one doesn't really get a choice. Like myself, even without trying, I remember---like it was yesterday.

I wasn't in Saigon during those chaotic days, having just left home barely six months before to come here to go to college. But I still recall staying glued to the tube, watching in horror the incredible events unfold on the small screen and huddling with my compatriots on campus for mutual support. It was all happening right around spring break, and while other students were rushing through their final exams and heading for sunny Florida beaches, my fellow Vietnamese students and I were out on the campus greens trying to raise money for war refugees back at home. None of us had the slightest idea what the future had in store for our people and our families in Vietnam.

Every April, without dwelling on those sad memories, I still remember. In the nooks and crannies of my mind, the images remain vivid. Someone recently suggested that I watch the documentary "Last Days in Vietnam." It was very well done, even nominated for some big awards, I was told. So I did. About two minutes into it, I had to stop. The emotions were just overwhelming, and surprisingly fresh still. Even 40 years after.

I guess it was the same pent-up emotions that had driven me to write my book and publish it, to tell the stories of people on both sides of the ocean whose lives had been touched and forever changed by the war. It was my way of bearing witness to this chapter in history to which I still belong. And so, to commemorate the event this April I thought I would do something different: I will share those stories in person---with book clubs, libraries and other organizations, or with anybody who might be inclined to listen. Like most of you, I am a reluctant public speaker at best. But if that's what it takes to get the stories heard, so be it.

So there, I've started it right here. Thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts with you. By the way, the black-and-white picture shown above was from Life Magazine, of downtown Saigon circa 1961. A world long since vanished under the Mulberry Sea.

Check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

A walk in the park

The first day of Spring. On the heels of Saint Patrick's Day.

Can you believe it? Doesn't it seem like we just got through Christmas and New Year's, then Valentine's Day, and for me, Tết most recently? I know, I know. Time just seems to fly for us lucky ones who live out here in Southern California and are blessed with great weather all year around. But for the folks living back east or in the Midwest, spring has probably taken a very long route to arrive this year. Hopefully, it's here at last for most people to enjoy.

I love this time of year, which always brings a palpable sense of rejuvenation, of anticipation---and hope, forever young. As busy as I like to pretend I am, I do try to escape from the office and the house and go out for walks, preferably in the parks if I can, otherwise just on the streets among the trees in bloom and under a sunny blue sky. And if I remember to tote a camera with me, I will stop and take pictures of everything along the way: budding leaves, young flowers, clouds in the sky, sunlight on the grass etc. Alas, thanks to my camera skills, or lack thereof, out of hundreds of megabytes of photos taken, only a mere handful can stand to be shared.

The picture shown above of a pear tree in bloom was snapped on one such walk through a small city park. I'll be honest with you. It was taken several weeks ago, since spring has a way of arriving pretty early in Southern California. And then, as I decided to sit down on a park bench and take in the serene surroundings, something popped into my field of vision. I knew right then I had to snap a picture of it and share it with you.



Now, mind you, I'm no runner myself, but the poem just spoke so beautifully to me that I had to capture it on camera so I could read it again later---and share it with my friends.

And as I'm writing this, somebody special comes to mind, a young friend who recently had to endure open-heart surgery and brain surgery within the same week. Andrew, this poem is for you, my man. My thoughts and prayers are with you. May you sail through recovery with flying colors and be back running at full-speed real soon.

Happy springtime, everyone!

Check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang

A Valentine's Day Message

It was exactly a year ago on Valentine's Day that my book Once upon a Mulberry Field was published.

I remember it like yesterday. It was early February and everything was set to go, except for one small but important detail: an official publication date for record-keeping purpose. It had to be something that I could easily remember when called upon. So what's an easier date to remember in February than---Valentine's Day, right?

To me, it also seemed quite befitting because even though Mulberry Field is set against the tumultuous backdrop of the sixties and the Vietnam War, it is first and foremost a love story. And not just the romantic kind of love, but something larger. The love that people have for their homelands; a celebration of the human spirit in its varied and wonderful manifestations; and a tribute to my heritage and to all the people whose lives had been touched, changed, or untimely shortened by the war. It may sound like a cliche, but Mulberry Field is truly my labor of love.

In previous posts I already shared with you some milestones during this first year, so I won't bore you again by repeating them here. Suffice it to say that it has been a wild and crazy ride, a journey that has left me feeling both humbled and enriched. And I have you, my friends and supporters, to thank for it.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Weekend!

Check out my Amazon book page at:
http://amzn.to/1ydeuP7


C.L. Hoang