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Lots of things to talk about today! (I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a tiring thing, but I suppose it can be both.) For instance, my latest review for Mochi Magazine is out about “Deli Boys.” Seriously, if you haven’t watched it on Hulu yet, what are you waiting for? It’s probably the best thing I’ve watched year-to-date. So funny, so clever, so uniquely Asian American without being overtly Asian American.
Also, mark your calendars! I’ll be at another local author pop-up in San Francisco on Saturday, June 7. I will have all three of my books for sale, some candy, and can personalize autographs, too. I would love to meet my readers in person, and meet new folks as well. We’ll be at the Sports Basement on 610 Old Mason Street from 1 to 4 pm.
As with last week, you will find the following in today’s newsletter (feel free to skip to those parts):
- Personal note
- What brought me joy this week!
- What challenged me
- What else?
- Support and love our community
- Tell me more
Personal note
I’ll be seeing j-hope from BTS in less than a week!! I always get so excited for concerts, but also, I get really anxious. I worry about timing, taking public transportation, safety, whether or not to buy merch, WHEN TO PEE, AND IF I NEED TO WEAR AN ADULT DIAPER (don’t judge me—my pelvic floor has not been the same since 2009).
On top of that, when I travel for concerts, I worry about the burden my traveling puts on my family, and then I have to deal with the logistics of travel (never my favorite). If I’m going somewhere where I also happen to know a lot of people, I also worry about how lowkey I can slip in and out of town without a bunch of friends sliding into my DMs—both teasingly and semi-seriously—about not hanging out.
Friends, it’s not that I don’t want to see you. It’s that I’m there to see j-hope and I might have only one day where I’m not in concert-mode. I know the concert doesn’t start until later in the day, but the entire day, I’ll be anxious about missing it. So, yes, I could probably meet you. But I’ll also be internally freaking out that we’ll hang out so long (because I love you, miss you, and you’re fun) that I miss soundcheck.
Speaking of j-hope, here is my reaction video to his latest single “Mona Lisa.”
What brought me joy
I was really productive last week! My favorite part was FINALLY finishing an article I’ve been trying to write for almost a YEAR. Like, how shameful is that?? But I don’t care—I’m just so pleased to finish writing something that had built up so huge in my mind that I couldn’t finish it until I was fully medicated.
Also, medication truly brings me joy.
Beyond the emotional regulation, I can just DO things. Even things that are annoying and bring me no short term gratification whatsoever! Like, did you know you could just…do something without a looming deadline to put pressure on you? Did you know you can actually work ahead on something and not wait until the last fucking second?
MIND BLOWING.
What challenged me
One of my biggest challenges is the inability to ask for help—and even when I do ask for help, I don’t quite know what I need help with. At the urging of some friends late last year, I hired a personal assistant, and though they’ve been helpful, I know for sure I’m not using their services to the best of my abilities.
These last few weeks have been me trying to figure out truly what I need help with, how to prepare my assistant to take these tasks over, and how to make sure I set them up for success because I tend to be a just-in-time kind of person. This means a lot of logistics and putting things on hold, or holding things back, so that I can build enough of a buffer to not overwhelm them and to be fair to them.
Do you have a personal assistant or an assistant at work? How do you manage their tasks? How do you decide what to delegate and how to prepare them for those tasks? How do you evaluate their work? And what do you consider success?
What else
I finally finished “Onyx Storm” and wow.
What in the lazy storytelling, cheating, poorly paced and plotted, unclear dialog, cliché-ridden nonsense was THAT. I’m so annoyed I wasted my limited free time on that swindle.
I don’t think I will read the next two books. I can fully look up their plots on Wikipedia like I do with horror movies/shows so I don’t have to subject myself to mental distress.
Anyhow, onto books I love—including my own! Pre-sales are up for my new cozy fantasy novella, “Love As Soft As a Distant Star”! You can order the print version of the book on May 6, and I’ll make sure to remind you to buy it then.
Here’s the logline: Remi Nomura married Isaiah Won out of duty as fellow Witches’ Council members. She never expected to love him—especially since he’s in love with someone else.
Remi falls in love with the last person she should: her husband Isaiah. But after her secret shatters the delicate balance of her decade-long marriage, she must decide if hiding her heart is worth the cost.
Isaiah never expected to fall in love, content to follow in his parents’ footsteps and lead Tranquil Valley with his wife Remi. But when he finally does, Remi ruins everything. Now, Isaiah must reconsider everything he thought he knew about love.
If that sounds right up your alley, please check it out. <3
If buying a book is not financially feasible right now, you can also fill out this interest form for an Advanced Reader Copy! Honest reviews on Storygraph, Goodreads, or Amazon are one of the biggest ways you can help authors—especially independent ones like me. Reviews are so important, and whether you get the ARC or buy the book, your reviews are so appreciated.
Support and love our community
As many of you know, I started off in the Mommy Blogging world. I mostly wrote about teaching my kids Chinese as well as wrote personal essays about motherhood. Through blogging and what later became influencers, I met the fantastic and talented Elisha Beach of The Mom Forum. We’ve occasionally met up to co-write and welp, her new book “Balance Is Bullsh*t: The Truth about Motherhood and Self-Care” is open for pre-orders and will be out November 11.
According to her official bio, she is the birth mom of three, adoptive mom of one, and a stepmom of four step “adults.” She might be one of the few people I know personally who has more children than even I do. (^o^)
Anyhow, Elisha is a Certified Strategic Planner and uses her real-life experience to help everyday moms “build a realistic self-care practice.” You may have seen her when her photo of breastfeeding her toddler while she was on the toilet went viral.
View this post on Instagram
Her relatable takes—despite being married to actor Michael Beach—is what makes her so appealing and lovely. She is compassionate, funny, and truly kind. I’m so grateful to know her and have her in my life, and I hope you enjoy getting to know her, too.
Without women like Elisha, I don’t know that I could have made it through these last fifteen years of motherhood. I’m sure I would have muddled through somehow, but it’s been so much better because of people like her.
If your timeline could use more laughter and realness, follow Elisha on Instagram or sign up for her newsletter.
Do you know someone you think I will love? Reply to this email and send me their info! I’m always down to highlight fellow members of my community and share folks who bring people joy and are doing the good work.
Tell me more
Thanks once again for reading. I truly appreciate you. I know it’s labor to read my newsletter—even if you enjoy it. There are so many ways you could be spending your time and I am grateful you spend some of it with me. I would love to hear about what is going on with you.
May you have a week full of chaotic joy!
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