The last month has been a whirlwind, so let me update you
What a month! For the past four weeks I've been criss-crossing the United States promoting my new novel, A Line in the Dark. I went to Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; Salisbury, MD; and Austin, TX. I spoke at the Twin Cities Book Festival, the Boston Book Festival, and the Texas Book Festival. I co-evented with brilliant authors E. K. Johnston and Kate Elliott. I lectured on LGBTQ YA and showed all my statistical slides! I met many wonderful readers, chatted up author friends, and survived several airports plus a couple of prop planes.
Here are a few pics:
author friends joining me at my book launch at porter square books in cambridge, ma, on oct. 17! Left to right: sara farizan, me, e.k. johnston (who co-evented with me), kristin cashore, and tui sutherland
author kate elliott and me at powell's in beaverton, oregon on oct. 20, 2017
books for sale at the texas book festival in austin on nov. 4, 2017
I am really tired now. But I'm very happy at the wonderful reception that A Line in the Dark has been receiving! I'm about to take a break from Twitter while I write my next novel, but before I go, I wanted to share a few things that happened over the last month.
A Line in the Dark Stuff
Here is an absolutely perfect review from Mandy Wan of Forever YA at Kirkus. This is the kind of review that makes writing the book worth it, and it's hilarious and adorable to boot! I'm seriously keeping this review for a pick-me-up when I need it, folks, it's that great. And also: no spoilers!
School Library Journal invited me and Stephanie Perkins (of Anna and the French Kiss fame, who has recently written a slasher novel, There's Someone Inside Your House) to interview each other about our new novels, which mark genre changes for both of us. We get into the writing trenches right here.
The Horn Book, which gave A Line in the Dark an extremely flattering review, asked me five questions about thrillers and writing.
Sneak Peek at My Next Novel
Last month, Harlequin Teen released the cover for All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages, edited by Saundra Mitchell. The anthology comes out Feb. 27, 2018, and I have a short story in it titled "New Year," alongside authors including Anna-Marie McLemore, Robin Talley, Kody Keplinger, and more. Isn't the cover gorgeous?
"New Year" takes place in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1955, and it's the basis for my next novel, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which I am currently writing! So you can get a sneak peek at the book when All Out is released. You can pre-order All Out from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or iBooks.
Twitter Hiatus
Speaking of my next novel, I'm taking a break from Twitter while I write it, although I'll pop back on to announce anything fun that might happen. Meanwhile, you can always follow me on instagram, where you can also see photos from my last month of travel and book events.
And if you'd like a monthly letter from me in your email in box, why not subscribe to Lo & Behold, my newsletter? I promise to keep you updated on my writing progress and any other book news. The next issue of Lo & Behold goes out on Tuesday.
Last but not least
I leave you with this photo from way back in September, when I had dinner with a group of women that apparently turned into a meeting of the YA Asian Mafia. We exist! More soon.
from a meeting of the ya asian mafia on sept. 23, 2017. Left to right: tara sim, stacey lee, julie dao, cindy pon, traci chee, and me.