Skip to main content

What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Post a Comment

Secret confession

Captain's Log, Stardate 01.22.2008

I am a teeny bopper at heart.

I confess it. I’m coming clean.

I love N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys. They were cute. And they sang well. And their songs just melt my heart. I have to admit I partially liked the Chinese Back Dormitory Boys because they were singing one of my favorite songs, “As Long As You Love Me” and “I Want It That Way.” (Well, and plus they were darn funny.)

I love the movies, too! Captain Caffeine is annoyed because I TiVo’d The Princess Diaries one AND two. I just saw The Lizzie McGuire Movie and loved the whole “fall in love with a rock star and perform on stage” fantasy.

And now that I’m doing research for a young adult novel series I’m working on, I get to indulge all my secret vices.

What about you? Any favorite bands/songs/movies you secretly love? The songs you’ve hidden in a special folder on your iPod so your kids/friends/spouse can’t find them? The movies you watch late at night after everyone’s gone to bed so you can indulge without an audience?
Labels:

Comments

Ausjenny said…
I enjoyed the Lizzie McGuire movie too.
on the bus up we had another of Hillary Duff's movies where she goes to a music place in summer it was fun.
I have to say i often watch the kids shows like Lizzie McGuire, etc.
not sure about music. but I have been known to hire or watch the teen movies
Tue Jan 22, 03:08:00 AM 2008
ReviewsbyHeidi said…
Camy~
You crack me up! I just posted a similar confession (disguised as a review for a tween/teen book on my blog yesterday!)
Because I live with two girls~ ages 14 and 7~ I find myself drawn into that world. So, at least, I have an excuse! LOL
We LOVE the movies you mentioned. And, I could give you a list of several more you may want to TiVo.
Heidi @
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ReviewsbyHeidi
Tue Jan 22, 03:56:00 AM 2008
Anonymous said…
Sometimes when the music on KLOVE is too boring, I tune the radio to AirOne. I like Brandon Heath's music, Relient K, and others people in my age bracket (45) might not appreciate.

And yes, I like both Princess Diaries movies, plus What a Girl Wants, and Enchanted.
Tue Jan 22, 07:18:00 AM 2008
Deborah said…
how funny!!! just yesterday I was on youtube and watching BSB, Nsync and Spice Girls!!!
Tue Jan 22, 07:35:00 AM 2008
Kaye Dacus said…
I picked up a 3-disc set yesterday, The MONKEES Greatest Hits. Does that count? I got addicted to the show the summer before my senior year of high school when it was on Nikelodeon every day.
Tue Jan 22, 08:45:00 AM 2008
Anonymous said…
I love all those crazy teeny-bopper movies. I just sit and watch them over and over again!
Tue Jan 22, 05:51:00 PM 2008
Delia said…
I loved the Lizzie McGuire movies and the show. I'm also a big Miley Cyrus fan. I watch her show all the time with the kiddos and I have been known to sing along to her songs.
Tue Jan 22, 09:00:00 PM 2008
Brenda said…
I can't say I have any secret vices. My husband knows better than to make fun of me about anything. ;) I am intrigued to hear about a young adult series. That sounds exciting.
Tue Jan 22, 09:43:00 PM 2008
T. Forkner said…
Menudo. Remember Ricky Martin before he was Ricky Martin? :)
Wed Jan 23, 10:38:00 AM 2008
Kara Isaac said…
I love 13 Going On 30 (which may have a different name in the States). Jennifer Garner stars in it about a 13 year old girl who wakes up to find herself 30.

I must have seen it at least 8 times and jsut writing this makes me want to see it again!
Wed Jan 23, 08:13:00 PM 2008
Anonymous said…
I like Nsync and Spice Girls too! I also watch all the teeny bopper movies including Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies.(embarassing) God bless us all! :)
Thu Jan 24, 04:19:00 AM 2008
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures...
10 comments
Read more

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th...
18 comments
Read more

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And...
21 comments
Read more

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...
39 comments
Read more

Grace Livingston Hill romances free to read online

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci...
2 comments
Read more

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter
4 comments
Read more

A List of my Free Blog Reads

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Romantic Suspense: Necessary Proof (Sonoma series #4.1, novella) Click here to buy the FREE ebook on all retailers Alex Villa became a Christian in prison, and because of his efforts to help stop a gang producing meth in Sonoma, he has been set up for the death of a cop. Can computer expert Jane Lawton find the evidence that will prove his innocence before the gang eliminates them both? Fantasy short stories: Pixies in a Garden in Kyoto There were pixies in the garden. Since she was in Kyoto, she was certain they were not called pixies, but she didn't know what they would be called in Japanese, and they certainly looked like what she imagined pixies would look like. The King’s Daughter The trees in the King's garden were full of colored pixie lights. The...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...
64 comments
Read more

I’m a Book of the Year winner!

Captain's Log, Stardate 09.22.2008 I won first place in the Debut Author category of the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year awards! Here are all the winners! Debut Author Sushi for One? (Camy Tang) Zondervan, editor Sue Brower Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll) In Between (Jenny B. Jones) Contemporary Novella Finally Home in Missouri Memories anthology (Deborah Raney) Barbour Publishing, editor Susan Downs Moonlight & Mistletoe in A Big Apple Christmas anthology (Carrie Turansky) Remaking of Moe McKenna in Race to the Altar anthology (Gloria Clover) Historical Novella Love Notes in Love Letters Anthology (Mary Davis) Barbour Publishing, editor Rebecca Germany Beyond the Memories in Missouri Memories anthology (DiAnn Mills) The Spinster & The Tycoon in The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology (Vickie McDonough) Lits Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh) Multnomah Books, editor Julee Schwarzb...
31 comments
Read more