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Archive for the ‘News’ Category

My Interview with Veteran Ed Ruckle

Posted in Books, News, tagged , , on February 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to be interviewed by veteran Ed Ruckle, who has graciously and generously taken on this project of bringing awareness to the tragedy of children of Vietnam War veterans who suffer from illnesses, thanks to their parents’ exposure to Agent Orange.

Ed told me that he feels that since he’s been blessed with good health all his life, he should help out the next generation, who battles from debilitating illnesses, with no help with medical expenses whatsoever or acknowledgement of culpability from the US government. I applaud and respect Ed for his continuing efforts. And as it turns out, Ed is also a dual Canadian/American like me, who also lived in California for some time! We found out we have a lot in common. His cousin also owns the popular Lebanese chain, Nuba, in Vancouver!

I will also be doing a podcast about my memoir, What Doesn’t Kill Us, with Ed, as well as talk about my forthcoming memoir, 17 Days. More about that soon!

For now, check out this interview. I hope you find it interesting and informative.

If you’re interested after watching my video, take a look at Ed’s channel and check out the interviews with other children of vets: Lori, Melissa, and Josh. ❤️

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Step Zero: The Fool

Posted in Events, News, Rants d'Être, The Write Stuff on July 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Time and time again, I’ve heard from many people about how they view the path of a writer or artist as a risky one. They feel there’s something mystical and unattainable about it in terms of embarking on such a journey. I agree with the mystical part; I’ve almost believed in the attainable part as well. But if you feel it in your bones, if it nags at you and follows you around wherever your feet take you, at some point, you must answer the call. You might not know what you’ll be stepping into—I think most people fear slipping in a pile of shit—but you go for it. I’ve heard the call since I was five years old. Now that I’m 36, I’ve decided to answer it, big-time.

Hopefully, it’s not a pile of shit that I’m walking into. Hopefully, it’s a field full of beautiful flowers and lush forest growth. I’m sure it’ll actually be somewhere in between. After all, you can’t have the lush growth without a little shit.

So this is where I am now. I’ve got representation for my first book, What Doesn’t Kill Me. I know how fortunate I am. . .I know how hard it is to get an agent, and I’ve lucked out by landing the best. My agent has a lot of faith in my book and me. Still, I have fear. Then I remember my middle name, Liên. It’s Vietnamese for “lotus blossom,” which is known to grow in mud. So shit, or mud, is good. And I’ll tell you what: there’s a lot of shit in my book. A lot of funny shit, sad shit, and shit that makes you go “hmm…” I can promise you that. Shit—lots and lots of shit.

Next step for my book: to sell the shit. Right now, I’m hauling ass on creating this website (under the guidance of my most fantastic husband, Anton) and polishing my manuscript. I’ll let you know who the über-smart and forward-thinking buyer of my book is as soon as I find out!

In the meantime, take a look at some excerpts from my book under the “Featured” tab. While you do that, I’ll step off the cliff into the great unknown, like the Fool in Tarot, and I’ll enjoy the fall and flight the whole damn time. Cheers!

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