When I Was Just a Kid...Camy Tang

Let's see, a little girl growing up in Hawaii, probably shy and backwards, really into anime characters and she wants to be either a physicist or a novelist. Well, we've come a long way, baby (you have to be old to get that one...)--you can be it all,play volleyball, write about it and turn from backwards and shy to loud and fun! (And I doubt that her little girl photo looks much different from this one.)

Yes, this is what happened with a shy little girl named Camy. And being a genius(don't let her throw you with that lame story about a fiery death of her physicist dream--she is a mad genius and has degrees and trappings to prove it,) she also knits(my favorite: toliet seat cover)and writes blogs, and probably can do almost anything, like run huge fiction contests and help other writers. Just thinking about Camy makes me tired. She kicks with wasabi! (And my boys think she is cool. Or whatever the terminology for she rocks is.But none of my boys can marry her because she's married to Captain Caffeine.)

Let's see what made Camy into one of my new favorite fiction authors--a sharp-witted and the self-professed Loud Asian Chick (love her new book): (By the way, I knew she was great from the first time I met her at an ACFW conference when she was just a gleam in her agent's eyeball:)

Childhood Ambition:
I always wanted to be a novelist, as soon as I knew what a "job" was.
Mom, thankfully, didn't dissuade me even though she knew it was a
longshot. Of course, I also wanted to be a physicist, which just goes
to show you how wild my ambitions were (the physicist dream died a
fiery death in my first college physics course where I met REAL
geeks).


Fondest Memory (then):

I wrote to Anne McCaffrey and she wrote back to me! From Ireland!

Proudest Moment:

Getting the call from my agent that I'd sold.Actually,it was an answering machine message which is still on the machine, plus my husband(AKA Captain Caffeine)recorded it onto an MP3 for me (yes, I'm that pathetic).






Biggest Challenge as a child or teen:

I was very shy as a child and very awkward socially.I was also extremely insecure in my personality and it wasn't until after college that I started realizing I can be who I want to be and not apologize for it.That's about the time I stopped being shy,too.


My First Job:

Assistant at the local library


Childhood indulgence:

Mom always bought me a book when we went to the mall.

Favorite Outfit as a child:

Shorts, T-shirt and zoris (flip-flops to you non-Hawaiian people)

Favorite Childhood Movie:

It's actually not a movie but a TV show--Star Blazers (Japanese anime show)

Favorite Childhood Book:

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Childhood hero:

Voltron (another Japanese anime show)






Anything else you'd like readers to know about you as a child:

I was shy, awkward and short. Luckily, now I'm just short.




You must check Camy out on her web site and read her blog to get to know the true Camy. (And she's a praying girl--check out Sundays on her blog.)You definitely want to hit her blog because she's always giving away books and all kinds of stuff like iPod Nanos. From her site: (Have you heard about my huge website contest? I'm giving away baskets of Christian fiction and an iPod Nano! Only my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers are eligible to enter, so join today !) (I joined. Haven't won but am always hopeful.)


Sushi for One? (Zondervan) September 2007




Only Uni (Zondervan) February 2008




I love Christian Chick Lit and Camy has her list here.

Other people talking about Camy this month!


She is also a Story Sensei and will help doctor your ailing manuscript if you are an aspiring novelist, like Camy as a little girl.

Eyeball View from the Kitchen

I snagged this photo (yes, I have no shame) from The Loud Asian Chick who will be in my Kid column tomorrow. Isn't it adorable? (And she--Camy-- is, too.)

Camy is one of my favorite bloggers, so check her out and stay tuned to find out what's cooking in the Chat 'n' Chew Cafe'. Tomorrow we get a "kick of wasabi!" (which happens to be the name of my friends' oldest daughter's dog! Wasabi. Funny.)

When I Was Just a Kid...Camy Tang

Sushi for One? (Zondervan) September 2007


See this post for interview!

Only Uni (Zondervan) February 2008

When I Was Just a Kid...Trish Perry

When I Was Just a Kid...

Trish Perry

Trish Perry grew up as a middle child in a family of five kids. She fantasized a lot about things, which contributed to Trish's knack for thinking up good stories today! Check out what Trish has to say about this:

Okay, my Psych degree will peek out from behind the curtain here. I was a middle child and was thus rather invisible. My opinions and my preferences were never solicited. So I spent a great deal of time fantasizing about how I wished things were; how I would like them to be in the future. Absolute breeding ground for a control freak and/or a novelist! I loved the escape provided by books and movies. I embraced other people’s stories and quite easily placed myself in the heroine’s role. Now that I’m pretending to be a grown up, that personal quality has proven to be a big help in imagining stories to share with readers. And I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to end one of my books unhappily; not unless I get to do a sequel and make it all better!

So, what kind of a childhood did Trish have to turn her into the fun author she is today?

Where did you grow up? California, Colorado, and Virginia


Childhood Ambition: I know I fantasized plenty about becoming a famous actress. Total fantasy. I never even tried out for a part in a school play, because I was so shy.


Fondest Memory (then): My family didn’t take many vacations, because my sister had serious health issues. But one summer we spent a week in a cabin in Yosemite National Park. I remember how sweet the water from the spring tasted. I remember driving through the Redwoods (and literally driving through one, which was carved out for cars to pass through). I remember my teenaged brother growling like a bear outside our cabin window and how embarrassed he was when people thought he was growling at total strangers.


Proudest Moment: Veteran’s Day four years ago. My son’s elementary school invited family members who were Vets to a ceremony in their honor. When my father (then 82, and also pictured with Trish and two siblings on the horse above when he and Trish were much younger) was introduced, and his World War II record of 85 flight missions was announced (25 missions was more common), every Veteran there stood and applauded, followed by the rest of the adults, then all of the children. My father stood at attention, among all of that applause, looking straight ahead, just as the soldier he was all those years ago. I couldn’t have been more proud. I still cry when I think of that day.


Biggest Challenge as a child or teen: Overcoming my shyness! I was so shy I ended up having to stay after elementary school to finish a test, because I was afraid to ask if I could use the pencil sharpener once the test started. I was even too shy to ask to be excused to use the restroom, and you can imagine how that played out! The memory of my shyness gives me such a heart for children who feel unworthy of attention. Unfortunately, the way I overcame my shyness was by dabbling (as a teen) in illicit substances which lowered my inhibitions. I think many teens veer into vices for that very reason.


My First Job: I worked in a Konditorei, which is a German pastry shop. Whoa, Nelly, was I in Heaven. Sacher Torte, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, Linzer Torte, ach! I ate three outrageous pastries every day and never gained a pound. Those were the days. Today? I just put on two pounds typing this paragraph.


Childhood indulgence: Despite my shyness at school, my sisters and I used to put on plays for the neighborhood. Can you believe the other kids actually came? My older brother would handle the music, sound effects, and lighting, while my sisters and I wrote and performed. I don’t remember what the plays were about, but they were mysteries and often involved horrible attempts at British accents. I cringe (laughing) at the memory. We were such nerds!


Favorite Outfit as a child: My younger sister and I were two years apart and fought with each other constantly. But we enjoyed trying to make people think we were twins, so my favorite outfit was often the same thing my sister was wearing (Mom often bought us matching outfits). Of course, when we were teens that all changed. By then I was buying my own clothes. My sister still often wore the same things I wore, but they actually were my clothes, which she would secretly steal from my closet. She liked to wear them when she was eating spaghetti or mud wrestling, apparently.


Favorite Childhood Movie: My mother took me to see an old rerun of a movie called “Prince Valiant,” with Robert Taylor (old time actor) in the title role. I was so young, but I still remember thinking he was the most romantic figure ever, and I loved the movie. I still remember the first time I saw Robert Taylor as a modern man, without the pageboy hairdo. Oh, the disappointment! He looked like he could be my dad!


Favorite Childhood Book: My Father’s Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett. I think it might have been the first book I checked out with my own library card, because the impression is so strong. I had such fond memories of the book that I bought it for my own kids, who weren’t quite as impressed with it as I was. Just thinking about it makes me want to go dig it out of the shelves for another look!


Childhood hero: I’d have to say my older brother had an enormous, positive effect upon me as a kid. He’s about seven years older than I am, and he’s brilliant and one of the wittiest men I know. When we were kids and he gave me encouragement, it stuck forever. I wish I had been under his wing more closely before he left for college—I think his influence would have been good for me.


As a Child I Never Expected as an Adult: I never expected I would love parenting as much as I do. I was one of five kids, and, as I said, my older sister’s health was so bad it was practically another person in the family. So my parents had their hands full and did the best they could to nurture all of us, but it often seemed as if parenting were a chore for them. Once I became a mom, though, I couldn’t believe how much I loved the job. I realized I had a chance to influence another person as I never could otherwise. My kids fulfill me by the way they’ve turned out; they bless me with assurance of a job well done.

To learn more about Trish Perry and see photos, her books and links go to:

http://www.trishperrybooks.com/


If you would like a personally autographed copy of a book by Trish Perry go to:
http://www.signedbytheauthor.com/1273.html



Trish's Shoutlife site: http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=12222

Books Trish has written!

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE (Harvest House 2007)
Trish Perry, author of the charming novel The Guy I’m Not Dating, follows up with a contemporary, humorous tale of how love and life unfold in surprising ways.

Rennie Young, heroine of Too Good to Be True, meets the gallant Truman Sayers after she faints in the boys’ department of the local super store. Despite this unromantic introduction, Tru Sayers, a handsome young labor–and–delivery nurse, seems like a gift from God. But a recent divorce and other life disappointments cause Ren to question whether she can trust her heart and God.

This clever novel encourages readers to lean on God’s leading and to be open to life after the hurt—even when it seems too good to be true.

Trish is also a 2007 Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest Finalist in the Long Contemporary category along with 2 other Christian authors!

Long Contemporary
The Guy I'm Not Dating-Trish Perry (Harvest House)
Allah's Fire-Gayle Roper (Multnomah)
Reclaiming Nick-Susan May Warren (Tyndale)


THE GUY I’M NOT DATING (Harvest House 2006)
“Yowza!” exclaims Kara Richardson when she sees the handsome proprietor of the new delicatessen in town, Gabe Paolino—who soon expresses mutual interest. This would be the start of a perfect love story, except for one thing—Kara has vowed to stop dating until she feels God’s leading.

But when humorous circumstances send Kara and Gabe on a road trip to Florida, hope springs anew. Even with Kara’s flirtatious coworker Tiffany—“a hyena in heels”—along for the ride, the uncouple begins a lively journey that could change their paths forever.

This memorable, charming story of love’s persistence captures the honor of waiting on God’s timing, and the adventure of finding the perfect guy to not date.

When I Was Just a Kid...Kristin Billerbeck

When I Was Just a Kid...Who Knew?

Kristin Billerbeck

Kristin Billerbeck can honestly say,"I remember the Bay Area before it was Silicon Valley. Before everyone drove Beamers and drank decaf soy lattes and bubble teas."

[Crystal editor says: Ok. I live in Indiana. What's a "bubble tea?" Sigh.]

Kristin, fourth generation California gal was born in Redwood City, and attended Sequoia High School, the same school her parents attended. Did you ever wonder just how that girl grew up to be THE Pioneer CBA Chick Lit author she is today (who actually was on "The Today Show"?)

She penned some romance novels as a young mom to four kids on the way to acquiring her Prada handbag, earning the Romantic Times' coveted Top Pick Inspirational, garnering 4.5 stars. She's won the Romance Writers of America Reader's Choice Faith Hope and Love Award for short contemporary. Her novellas have been on the CBA bestseller list numerous times. And her books keep piling up, many of them set in her beloved California.

As a college chick, she went to San Jose State University and majored in Advertising, then worked at the Fairmont Hotel in PR, a small ad agency as an account exec. THEN...she was thrust into the exciting world of shopping mall marketing.
But she says,"It's way more boring than it sounds, trust me. "

So, here we go on a ride through Kristin's childhood. How does a girl like that tick? You may find a few surprises--and find out, like I have, that Kristin's childhood formed her into an amazingly brilliant,sensitive person who has a great passion for justice and social issues--and for people--because she truly understands the deeper things of our life.

With the same wit and sharp analysis she has in her books, here's Kristin:

Childhood Ambition:
To not end up in jail. Actually, I wasn't a very ambitious child, I'm not sure I had an ambition. I think it was more about finding my Prince Charming than actually accomplishing anything. Wow, that's pathetic, isn't it? I wanted to meet Adam Ant, is that an ambition?

Fondest Memory (then):
My mom says I always remember the bad things, so this is a toughy. One time at my best friend's birthday party, we toilet papered a neighbor's yard. We did it up in full, I was the tree person. When we were all done at about 1 a.m., my friend's neighbor laughed and through the open window said, "You're cleaning that up in the morning." Oh my gosh, that was hysterical. We thought we were all that.

Proudest Moment (now):
When I went on the Today Show and survived it. I hate to be in the public eye, so accomplishing that was like attacking my biggest fear and coming out the victor. Even though, any professional would have said that was no victory. I was thrilled!

Biggest Challenge as a Child or Teen:
I was on my own a lot. My brother had open heart surgery a couple times, so I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's, lost in my imagination. I was lonely a lot, perhaps that's why I had the Prince Charming issues. LOL


My First Job:
I worked under the table at a pizza parlor and earned my first pair of Jordache jeans with green piping and a green sweater. I was thirteen. Then, I moved up to Togo's and after that, decided I never wanted to smell like my job again. I started working in offices after that and I was a brilliant typist, even in high school. : )

Childhood Indulgence:
Saturday morning old movies with Pepsi and Pickled peppers.
Cary Grant still makes me salivate in Pavlovian style for peppers.

Favorite Outfit as a Child:
A pair of red cotton capris with darling buttons at the cuff and a pink shirt that buttoned up at the elbow. I didn't know that pink and red didn't go together at the time.

Favorite Childhood Movie:
Tie: Apple Dumpling Gang, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory



Favorite Childhood Book:
Are You There God, It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume

Childhood Hero: Cher


Favorite Childhood Playthings: Barbies, specifically, the Barbie three story townhouse.


Favorite Childhood Pretending: I used to pretend I was a business woman. Hmmm. But I wasn't ambitious. Well, we'll let the shrink figure it out. LOL


Anything else you would like to include in your childhood memories to share with readers?
I have had the same best friend since I was four, there are any number of experiences we shared together. That relationship truly shaped me. : )

Kristin says, "Recently, I dreamed of being a great hairstylist and Split Ends was born. It's available now from Nelson Publishers."

On her shared blog, Girls Write Out,(also Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter and Diann Hunt are here) you can definitely see what Kristin thinks about--if you can keep up with her intelligent and humorous commentary. (Kristin is not afraid to speak her mind!) While she has written many books, and was the first one in the CBA to publish Christian Chick Lit (she's the founder of that genre!) she also has written many romances, novellas--and, see below for a nonfiction book that goes out of the ordinary because of her passion to tell a story--and tell it well.



Kristin's books:
Split Ends: Sometimes the End is Really the Beginning (Paperback - April 17, 2007)
What a Girl Wants(Mass Market Paperback - April 11, 2006)
With This Ring, I'm Confused (Ashley Stockingdale) (Paperback - May 31, 2005)
(Crystal Editor note: I keep this magnet on my fridge--to remind me of being out of control!)

She's Out of Control (Paperback - Jul 22, 2004)

She's All That (Spa Girls Paperback) - Oct 4, 2005)
Calm, Cool & Adjusted: a Spa Girls Novel (Spa Girls Collection) (Paperback - Oct 1, 2006)
A Girl's Best Friend (Spa Girls Collection) by Kristin Billerbeck ( April 1, 2006)
Mother's Wedding Dress(Paperback - Jul 2006)
San Francisco (4-in-1 Romance) by Kristin Billerbeck (Paperback - Feb 20, 2005)
Love Online (Heartsong Presents #581) by Kristin Billerbeck and Nancy Toback (Paperback - April 1, 2004) Blind Dates (Hardcover - 2003)

And coming out in September: The Trophy Wives Club: A Novel of Fakes, Faith, and a Love That Lasts Forever (Paperback - Sep 1, 2007)




And Kristin felt so strongly about the story of Carrie and David McDonnall, that she agreed to help Carrie write that story and venture into nonfiction. The amazing true story of bravery and grit, which happened in 2004, is described below:David McDonnall lived a thrill-seeker’s life as a missionary and water specialist in northern Sudan and Jordan. Carrie McDonnall found her love for the Arab people by working with Palestinian children in Israel. Together, they found love and a shared a mission that took them into the mysterious, embattled land of Iraq.

On March 15, 2004, Carrie and David prepared for a day of surveying refugee camps with fellow missionaries Larry and Jean Elliott and Karen Watson. The day ended in tragedy, with three American missionaries killed instantly in an insurgent ambush and two struggling for life. David’s love for his wife, and his sheer force of will to see her to safety in the face of his own death, gives us a glimpse into their shared faith and love for God and ministry.


"God is faithful to His nature. We can always lean on His Word and His Promises, because he is faithful to fulfill His promises. We shouldn’t doubt, because if He has said it – He will do it." - David McDonnall