So today I’m not going to ramble about braised short ribs or the perfect steak. My other hobby besides eating is writing mystery fiction. I’ve had a couple short stories published and will have two more stories published early next year. Currently, I’m working on my first novel and that’s where this post comes in.

Travis Richardson tagged me last week to participate in “The Next Big Thing” author blog event. Travis’s novella Lost in Clover just came out in both print and e-format.

Basically, the idea is that the author who is tagged answers the questions below about their current book or project. Then they tag other up and coming writers who will then answer the same questions the following Wednesday. And so on and so on…

So here we go:

What is the working title of your book (or current project?)

I have no working title. I’ve never been able to come up with a title until I’m finished. Maybe it’s because what I intend to write and what I end up with are two totally different things.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It’s a book about a nineteen-year-old young woman who struggles with her identity as a half-Asian, half-Caucasian (Amerasian) so basically it’s about my own life. Growing up in Orange County, I wanted to be like everyone else but having a Chinese father and Caucasian mother made that difficult. I struggled to figure out who I was and acted out a lot, especially in my teens, so I wanted to write about a young woman with similar issues. Of course, the criminal elements in the book are greatly exaggerated, but that’s what’s so fun about writing.

What genre does your book fall under?

Young adult suspense thriller.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

For Mei, I would choose Summer Glau who was in the television series “Firefly” and “The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

I don’t think Summer has any Asian ancestry at all but she looks part-Asian to me. Maybe there would be protests for casting a non-Asian in a half-Asian role, but it would be great publicity, right?

For Mei’s dad, I would choose Tony Leung. He’s very elegant and powerful at the same time.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When a young Amerasian woman’s life is disrupted by dangerous men from her past, she is forced to search for the estranged father she was warned to stay away from.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I hope I can get an agent once it’s finished.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I’m still writing it! It’s been over a year and it’s a little over halfway done. I’m very slow and get easily distracted with writing short stories.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I like to think of it as a young adult version of Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela Choi mixed with Randa Abdel-Fattah’s Ten Things I Hate About Me and Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss. My literary idol is Gillian Flynn and if I could write a Sharp Objects-like YA novel, my life would be complete.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My dad inspired me to write this book, although he may take that the wrong way if he ever reads it. I grew up with an absent dad. He flew back and forth between Taiwan and Southern California for business so I rarely saw him. I imagined he had a whole different exotic life over in Taiwan despite his insistence he worked in academia.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Mei is not your conventional hero and she’s not very sympathetic initially. She’s selfish, promiscuous, cynical, and isolated. I wanted to write a book that teens and young women would be able to identify with, especially issues concerning sex, drugs, and cultural identity. Despite Mei’s flaws, she’s a fighter and I hope readers will be able to see that.

Well that’s it for me. I am now tagging these talented writers: Michael Harris, Kathy Kingston, and Madeline St. John who will answer the same questions next Wednesday 12/26, a day after Christmas treat! Have fun you guys!