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.

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...Colleen Coble

When Colleen was just a kid, she wanted to be a Latin teacher. But if you think about it, it makes sense. She loves words. Period. Latin is the basis of much of our culture and words. Colleen conveys culture and words--in her own special way.

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles. So, if you think about it, long and hard, she went beyond her wildest dreams by writing her way into authorship.

Her over thirty novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best awards. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.

And her eyes light up when she talks about her publishers, her career, but especially the words--the writing. She is not a self-centered, selfish, holing-up-in-her-lair type, either. Oh, no. She is a whirlwind of relationships--from family to friends to readers to professionals to geocachers (that last one the result of research for her book,Abomination, which was recently released.)

She lends out helpful advice for writers in the American Christian Fiction Writers organization and has won Mentor of the Year two years running, 2004 and 2005 (This year's award will be announced in September at the national convention.)She loves working with new writers as her schedule allows.

Here's a recent list of the awards Colleen's own writing has garnered:
AWARDS:
2004 More Than Magic winner for Best Inspirational Romance
Without a Trace, Thomas Nelson
2004 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year Award
2005 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year Award
2006 National Readers' Choice Award - Inspirational
Distant Echoes, Thomas Nelson
2006 American Christian Fiction Writers Overall Book of the Year
Distant Echoes, Thomas Nelson
2006 American Christian Fiction Writers Suspense Book of the Year
Distant Echoes, Thomas Nelson
2006 American Christian Fiction Writers Short Contemporary Book of the Year
Shadow Bones, Steeple Hill Suspense



Let's find out what Colleen had to say about her childhood:

Childhood Ambition: To be a Latin teacher. LOL

Fondest Memory (then): Hula hooping down the steps along the hillside of my home

Proudest Moment: The day each of my children were born.
Biggest Challenge as a child or teen: Learning to talk to boys. LOL(Crystal Editor's Note: Not only did she get over that "talking to boys" thing--she has Dave to prove it--but she is not afraid to talk to anyone. I have stories...)


My First Job: I was an aide at a nursing home. It lasted all of one day. LOL Looking back, I often wish I'd stuck it out. The experience would have come in handy when I was caring for my grandpa during his colon cancer.

Childhood indulgence: Whoppers Malted Milk Bars

Favorite clothing as a child: Buster Brown shoes

Favorite Childhood Movie: The Miracle Worker

Favorite Childhood Book: Bambi's Children

Childhood hero: Paul McCartney


My Pet Hero: Lassie

As you can see, many things here influenced her writing today.
RITA finalist Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana and is generous about her discoveries and life. Recently, she found a way to alleviate the numerous occurences of her migraines, and logged her experience and sources on her web site. If you, too, experience migraines and are finding no relief, try checking what she has to say.

She is the author of Abomination, The Lonestar Sanctuary, The Rock Harbor Series, The Aloha Reef Series, and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. Visit her website to see descriptions and a multitude of recommendations for her friends' books--you'll never lack for something to read here.
To see a list of Colleen's books published by Thomas Nelson, go here.

Abomination

A serial killer mutilates his victims, leaving the bodies at various geocaching sites with obscure religious references. When the killer targets Eve Andreakos, a woman he holds responsible for his wife's death, she barely escapes with her life. Eve flees to Rock Harbor with 2 year old Keri. Eve has just begun to relax when she and her friend Bree stumble on a mutilated body at a geocaching site. Eve knows the killer has found her again. Events spiral out of control when her ex-husband shows up and her long lost sister appears. Before it's all over, Eve will need to reach inside and find the strength to fight back before the killer destroys everything she loves. To read an excerpt go to this Christian Book store site.

Lonestar Sanctuary

Allie Siders is a mom desperate to help her daughter, Betsy, speak again as they struggle to escape from a stalker looking for revenge. She has a specific sanctuary in mind—the peaceful Bluebird Ranch, in the blue-bonnet blanketed Texas hills. Betsy hasn’t spoken a word in months and Allie is determined to do everything in her power, including giving up her dream of winning the barrel racing championship, to find a safe haven for both of them and help Betsy heal.

You can only get Lonestar Sanctuary through the book club, Crossings.

Colleen herself is a voracious reader and believes firmly in writing books you would like to read. Colleen says,"Write what you read. This is a pet peeve of mine. I can’t begin to tell you how many manuscripts I’ve looked at for aspiring writers who are trying to write something they don’t like to read. It never works! There’s something about reading that helps you learn to write. You subconsciously pick up how to structure scenes and the tension and conflict necessary to write in your favorite genre. What works in suspense doesn’t work in chick lit."

Good advice to heed, if you are an aspiring writer!

To find out more about Colleen you can check out her blog that she writes with author friends, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter and Kristin Billerbeck.




Go to this site to see an online interview with Colleen Coble and Lori Wick being interviewed on the internet program "Deeper Living."