MIA for Writing Conferences

Just an FYI that I'm traveling for the next couple of weeks, so there'll be no updates until early/mid-August. First stop is Napa Valley for the Napa Valley Writers' Conference. I'm psyched to be in Tayari Jones' fiction workshop and will be discussing one of the pieces from my linked story collection. It's been one of the hardest stories for me to tackle and I finally (read: finally) found the right way in which to tell this character's story, so we'll see if I'm on the right track. Some of us attendees have been connecting via Google Groups and I'm already indebted to their generosity and kindness regarding rides and such. And I'm super stoked about staying in a cottage during my stay in Napa. Pics will be taken!

After that I'm headed to New Mexico. First few days will be with a friend I met at the Postgraduate Writers' Conference three years ago (and you know how much I loved that conference) to see the sights of Albuquerque before she drops me off in Sante Fe for the Glen West Workshop. I'm also excited to be in a workshop with another author I admire, Sara Zarr. The workshop is YA focused and I'll be workshopping another story from the collection from a teenage boy's POV. So I'm intrigued to hear what others think, and to see Santa Fe.

Needless to say there'll be lots reading and artist immersion (and possibly drinking) over the next two weeks, well at least in Napa Valley. And then it's residency application season!

So far I've been blown away by the manuscripts I've been reading for both conferences and I cannot wait to meet my workshop groups.

When I get back I promise a nice summary of events and then a cookbook giveaway of Rasa Malaysia's Easy Chinese Recipes. (Thanks to the generosity of Tuttle Publishing.)

Have a great summer. Stay busy and creative! 

Tuttle Publishing at Book Expo: An Introduction to a Publisher Merging East & West Cultures

At Book Expo of America (BEA) I noted visiting the Tuttle Publishing booth. I had received an email about their having items available from their cookbooks. And as I love books (particularly cookbooks) I knew had to stop by. I follow Bee Yinn Low on Twitter and via Facebook and her book was recently released by Tuttle for making Chinese cuisine. Tuttle Publishing is a leading publisher of books on Asia while also including Europe, Australia, and the Middle East in the mix. Many of their titles center on providing information on Asian culture ranging from cuisine to language to architecture. At BEA Tuttle provided samples of some of the cuisines in their new cookbooks. Namely desserts from Sushi Secrets by Marisa Baggett and Paleo Indulgences by Tammy Credicott. A trend with many of Tuttle's cookbooks seems to be 'easy.' Allowing for a range of possibilities from the novice cook to the one who spends many hours in the kitchen perfecting recipes. What was most interesting to me was the possibility to make dishes that are exotic and seem difficult in my very own home and learning the step-by-step techniques that could quell my concerns of difficulty.

Samples from Sushi Secrets were delicious. One that stood out for me were the lemon mango bars, citrusy (but not too much), light, and sweet so that the fruit flavors melded well and the texture was that of a lemon bar but a bit more solid and less gooey. What struck me was that Marisa is someone who has specialized in sushi and made it her own with a southern twist which also makes it accessible to those within the United States. It's not just a 'fun time' treat that you may be afraid to try but a dish you can do with lots of variety in your own home and compile many different flavors (some classic, some fusion).

I have to say that I was floored by the pecan sandies from Tammy's  Paleo Indulgences book! These were sugary, crispy goodness that I could not get enough of. I was caught between not wanting to be the glutton that returned to the booth over and over for a taste and wanting more to be able to properly identify how delicious it was. As someone who's made gluten-free items these were not brittle to the touch and I was informed by one of the Tuttle reps that the treats were not only gluten-free, but soy free and made with natural ingredients rather than saturated items. So, needless to say I will be purchasing both of these books ASAP.

And speaking of purchases....

Tuttle Publishing is being quite generous to Book Expo attendees and customers in general by offering a 40% discount on your entire web purchase from now until mid-July. Enter code BEA2012 to get an automatic discount on books purchased through Tuttle's website.

And please stay tuned! In August I will be doing a review and giveaway of Bee Yinn Low's cookbook Easy Chinese Recipes. If you're also a fan of Bee's you know she has a knack for making great dishes look simple and has some great sponsored giveaways! Thanks to Susan Robertson & Rowan Muelling-Auer (Tuttle Publishing) for helping with the giveaway!