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Y’all. Y’ALL.
I’ve only seen clips of the j-hope concerts at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (I still haven’t watched the Seoul ones because I’ve just been so slammed for time), and truly, I’m so excited for his Oakland and Los Angeles stops. Folks might be surprised, but I always find concerts so stressful. I go anyway because there’s an energy that cannot be replicated when your faves are performing live the music you love. Even if there isn’t flashy choreography or staging (which j-hope’s concert most certainly have), it’s such a communal experience! It gets your adrenaline pumping!
Also, I get ideas for my Her Multiverse series, and I go because I write entertainment articles—though I’m not sure if I’ve ever written a concert review. However, I’ll be writing two for j-hope! So, look forward to that next month. Speaking of reviews, if you get a chance to watch “The Accidental Getaway Driver” starring Dustin Nguyen in theaters, go! Here’s my feature with the director Sing J. Lee for Mochi Magazine. (And also, if you want to read my feature with Dustin from 2018, here is is.)
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
Am I unhinged for listening to podcasts at 3.1x and watching videos on 1.5x to 2x if available? I’m so salty Prime and Disney+/Hulu don’t have these options and that I have to watch in real time.
To be fair, I have to ramp up the podcasts to 3.1x, but once I’m there, it’s so much more tolerable. Quite frankly, people talk too slowly in general, and it drives me batty to listen to folks talk at 1x. I suppose that should have been an early signal that I have ADHD, but well, I just attributed it to the fact that I read 90 pages an hour and hated how a 90 minute movie would take me 90 actual minutes.
Please keep in mind that often, I have to screen an entire season of a show before I interview talent and write a review. If the show has eight 1-hour episodes, that’s a minimum 8-hour investment before I’ve even done research, prepared for an interview, and then parlayed that into a review or feature. Did I mention that I have five children and also am writing my third novel? Any time I can shave off of media consumption, I do it.
Of course, I never speed up official BTS content. I’m not a psychopath.
What brought me joy
This is going to sound SOOOOO self-centered, but if you’ve been with me a while, it shouldn’t surprise you. I spent the weekend recording some promo clips about my novel “Weightless” (affiliate link) with my Brazn Azn co-host Stella. I always love talking about myself, my work, and craft, so it was super fun for me. Plus, Stella asked such specific questions, I felt so known and loved.
Truly friends, I’m so grateful for Stella. If you like the questions we ask on Brazn Azn, it’s 100% her. She’s the reason the podcast has any semblance of intelligence. I’m just there for vibes.
Incidentally, last week’s podcast was an interview with actor Ezra Justin Lee about his latest short film “Pastor’s Kid” that just screened at the Disorient Film Festival. You can still stream online from the west coast and Hawaii through Sunday 3/23, so please check it out! It will also be be screening at the Oscar-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival, so if you miss the first screening, you can stream Atlanta ones.
Lastly, I’m so pleased that I finally wrote around 3,000 words for Chapter 9 of Book 3 in the Her Multiverse series. Once again, thanks to Stella for the breakthrough and the plot sounding board. I try to level up every novel, and I think this latest book is the best yet.
What challenged me
I do not know how I dealt with toddler four times before Kitsune (2). Was it just that I had no choice because I was always pregnant or with a newborn, or is it that my mind blanked it out entirely? Either way, this baby is just a chaos goblin who hates sleep, clothing, and diapers, and loves me more than anyone else. (Which is great because the only ages my children love me most is before they hit about 4 to 5, and then they belong to Not Yoongi. But it’s also not great because OMG I AM JUST HER CHAIR/BODY PILLOW/EVERYTHING.)
Anyhow, as always, she’s a challenge. Thank goodness she’s doughy and her butt is super squishy so I don’t mind her naked body sitting on me nonstop. (But truly only when medicated—and even then.)
Mostly, I’ve been tired because I haven’t been sleeping enough thanks to Kitsune waking up and being READY FOR THE DAY at 4:30 am or earlier. Like, yes, she’s very cute when she wakes up smiling with a cloud of messy curls, but she would also be that adorable if she woke up two hours later than that.
What else
I’m still slogging through “Onyx Storm” and I’m debating whether or not I should just read a lengthy summary full of spoilers somewhere because UGH I’m so bored. Part of the problem is that it’s getting harder and harder for me to care about characters who are so young. And yes, I consider early to mid-twenties young.
The irony of my own characters starting off in that age range is not lost on me. My excuse is that most of the story is them in their thirties, and even then, I find the characters really young. I would write more characters in their forties or later, but at least for the books set in the K-pop industry, sadly, there are few 40-year-old K-pop stars. (No, JYP does not count. IYKYK.)
The most important thing is that pre-sales are up for my new cozy fantasy novella! If you’re holding out for the print version of “Love As Soft As a Distant Star,” I totally understand and I’ll remind you on May 6 to buy it then!
If you love fantasy but aren’t in the mood for a long, epic tale, then you might love my book. It’s set in a world where magic is real, marriage is a job, consummation rituals are mandatory, and love is with whom they least expect: their spouse! LASADS explores how marriages slowly drift apart, how to live with sadness and longing, and the value of soft, quiet, and gentle love.
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
With so much negativity on our socials (truly, somehow my Bluesky algorithm is all doom and gloom and it really depresses me), it’s a joy when you run across accounts that delight and support.
Today, I’m going to share about Amiyrah Martin, a Columbus, OH creator I’ve known for years. She is an OG blogger whose goal is to help us find joy in the everyday. Her feed is full of so much helpful content—whether you’re looking for life hacks, recipes, homeschooling or parenting advice, Disney content, books, entertainment—you name it, she does it. She’s a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, stunningly beautiful, and just immensely kind.
Fun fact: she took a huge risk on me in 2019 when she invited me to an entertainment writing retreat and I had far less experience and confidence. Even though I had far fewer followers than many of the creators she invited, she championed me to the entertainment companies like Disney to have me included.
That retreat changed my life. I got to attend the “Frozen 2” world premier, walk the red carpet, and mingle with celebrities. (If you’re curious, you can read about it here.)
It’s thanks to the generosity and belief of genuine people like Amiyrah that I am able to do what I do today as a writer and entertainment editor. I learned so much about how to behave, how to conduct interviews, and how to deal with the entertainment industry that weekend, and I am forever grateful.
If your timeline could use more joy, follow Amiyrah on Instagram or Threads.
I’m always searching for quality people to follow on my socials. I’m not interested in toxic positivity or incessant doom and gloom. I want real, authentic people doing their best and bringing love and joy in the world like Amiryah. So, if you know folks who I should be checking out, please reply to this email and let me know!
Tell me more
Every week, I think I have nothing to say, and every week, here we are: at the end. I feel like all I did was go on and on. Thank you for holding space for me! Please, let me return the favor. Did you catch a hilarious video? Read a really good book? See something truly ridiculous? Please share with me. I have FOMO and I want it in my greedy, grabby hands.
May you have a week full of chaotic joy!
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