Interview with Liwen Ho part 2

Today I’m continuing my interview with Liwen Ho! (Part 1 of the interview is here.)

Liwen’s bio:

Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).

In her pre-author life, she received a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children (AKA munchkins).

Camy here: Liwen is one of the twelve authors participating with me in the Christian Contemporary Romance anthology, Save the Date, which releases September 15.

And now, here’s me and Liwen again!

Your new book One Vow for September will be coming out as part of the Save the Date anthology. Tell us about it.

My novella is a rom com featuring an alpha male and a girl next door type of heroine. They’re coworkers at a women’s magazine where Tristan, being the only male of their department, is a “star”. He’s a bit jaded about love after having been dumped at the altar, but he volunteers to help September do research for an article she needs to write. The fun part of the story centers around the adventures they get into posing as a married couple for said research. I had a lot of fun developing their characters and making them come to life and fall in love.

That sounds like such a great story premise! Are there any symbols or themes in One Vow for September that you want to emphasize, point out, or elaborate on?

Since both of the lead characters are Chinese, I did include some things in the story to highlight the Chinese culture. One thing is the symbolism behind the number nine, which is considered a lucky number because it means “everlasting” in Chinese. If you read the story, you’ll find out why September was given that particular name (and it’s not because that was her birth month). I also address the theme of second chances and trusting in God, especially with Tristan’s storyline where he needed to let go of his past relationship and the fears surrounding it in order to move on.

That’s so neat! I totally didn’t know that about the number nine! (I’m Japanese while my husband is 3rd generation Chinese.)

What do you hope people will take away from this book?

I hope readers will enjoy some good laughs, but also recognize the power of God’s redemption to change our hearts and turn our lives around.

I love redemption books! I find I tend to write that theme quite a lot.

What are your characters' weirdest habits?

September has a slight problem with static electricity, so she carries around a dryer sheet to destatic herself. (I got the idea from a girlfriend who used to do this in college!)

That’s so cute!!!

Do you prefer coffee or tea and why?

Tea all the way!! I love tea—hot or iced, depending on the weather. If iced, I prefer boba tea.

I love boba!!!! Fortunately, we have a really good boba place near our house, but not near enough to walk or bike, which is good for the size of my butt!

You know (or maybe you don't know) how much I LOVE FOOD. One of my favorite restaurants is this Vietnamese sandwich shop that makes a pork and pate sandwich with cilantro on fresh-baked baguettes (dreamy sigh). What's your favorite ethnic food to eat and why?

Yum! That sounds SO good, especially the fresh-baked baguettes. For me, I love sushi. (Which, by the way, is why your Sushi series caught my eye!) My hubby actually worked as a waiter in a sushi restaurant for a few years before we met, so he’s the one who took me to my first sushi place when we were dating. I just love the fresh fish and the different kinds of sushi rolls, including reading their unique names. I also love the tea sushi restaurants serve.

How cool! We should go eat sushi together sometime!

If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Anywhere with a beach, preferably with an ocean warm enough to swim and snorkel in. I love Kauai; I went there on my honeymoon and we’ve taken our kids there as well. I’d love to visit Fiji and stay in an overwater bungalow.

Ooh, an underwater bungalow sounds so neat!

What's your favorite karaoke song and why?

I love “Stop” by the Spice Girls. It’s just a fun song to sing with my girlfriends when we karaoke. The video is cute and the little dance the group does is fun, too.

I remember that song! That’s such a fun song!

If your husband suddenly turned into a piece of furniture, what would he be and why?

This question is hilarious! Does the fridge count? He’s always snacking! I guess that’s more of an appliance though. LOL

LOL My husband is always snacking too!

What childhood books were your favorites?

I loved the Anne of Green Gable series. My best friend and I read them together. I also enjoyed the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High and some mysteries as well.

I loved Anne of Green Gables, too!

You're off the hotseat! Any parting words?

Thank you so much for this fun interview, Camy!

Camy here: Thanks so much Liwen!

Next week, I’ll post an excerpt of Liwen’s book, One Vow for September, which is one of the twelve stories (along with mine) in the Christian Contemporary Romance anthology, Save the Date, which releases September 15! Preorder now to get 12 novellas for only 99 cents!