Hi, I’m Jennifer J. Chow, and I’m excited to join the Writers Who Kill blog. I’ll be regularly blogging on the second Saturday of each month.
I
grew up on a steady diet of Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown. Even as a kid, I
was interested in writing stories. I remember borrowing my dad’s old typewriter
and banging away on the keys (and using a lot of correction tape) to create my
rough drafts. I even wrote a mystery short story in the sixth grade. I think it
was called, “The Case of the Missing Jewel,” and I got an “A+” on the
assignment.
As
I grew older, I put my desire to write on the back burner. My parents often
told me that writing wouldn’t pay the bills. Plus, I knew of exactly one Asian American
writer who’d “made it”—Amy Tan, and I knew I was no Amy Tan.
Interestingly
enough, I did try my hand at a contemporary novel with multiple perspectives. The
book was inspired by a tragic event, kept secret for decades in Taiwan history;
my first published novel, The 228 Legacy,
found a home at a small press. Although that novel did have secrets lurking
within its pages, I wouldn’t write a full-fledged mystery until later.
I
had toyed around with writing a full-length mystery for a while, but I wasn’t
certain I could pull off the tricky plotting. However, my mom and I had often read
Agatha Christie’s works together, and when my mom was unexpectedly diagnosed
with stage four cancer, I decided to take the writing leap. Due to the time
pressure and other factors, I ended up self-publishing Seniors
Sleuth, the first in my Winston Wong cozy series. (My mom wasn’t
able to read the finished product, but she did see a draft of the manuscript
before she passed away.)
I’m
currently writing a new series for Berkley/Penguin Random House. The Sassy Cat
mysteries feature a Los Angeles pet groomer, Mimi Lee. The first book in the
series, Mimi Lee Gets A Clue, released in March
2020, and the second one, Mimi Lee Reads Between the
Lines, comes out in November 2020.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/YTY/a-sassy-cat-mystery/
Please
connect with me online:
https://www.instagram.com/jenjchow/
https://www.facebook.com/JenJChow
Thanks for reading my introduction! I’d love it if you introduced
yourself in the comments and told me a little bit about yourself.
Welcome! Currently living in Cincinnati. I've based my many short stories in a small Ohio college town, New Orleans, and a small Cape Cod town. Prepping first amateur sleuth mystery for querying, second mystery in a complete first draft.
ReplyDeleteAvid traveler, gardener, and garden photographer. Usually seen attached to the leashes of two black standard poodles, Jazz and Louie.
Hello, Margaret! Thanks for sharing. Best of luck with your upcoming submission!
ReplyDeleteI love that line about you being attached to the leashes of your poodles!
Welcome to Writers Who Kill, Jennifer. Best of luck with your new series. Do you have penciled in publication dates? I know with Covid-19 many publishers are upending their timetables.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed Seniors Sleuth--a fun story with both depth and a light touch of humor--and I look forward to your new works.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jennifer, and Welcome to Writers Who Kill. We’ll look forward to hearing about your books!
ReplyDeleteJim: Book 2 in the Sassy Cat mystery series, MIMI LEE READS BETWEEN THE LINES, comes out on November 10, 2020. Book 3 is currently scheduled for September 2021, so we'll see...
ReplyDeleteKM, thank you so much about Seniors Sleuth!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warm welcome, Susan!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Jennifer. Sorry I'm late, but I wanted to add how much I enjoyed your book!
ReplyDeleteThanks, E.B.! So very kind of you.
ReplyDelete