Chatter Matters
Interviewing Author Camy Tang!
posted Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Q: Your characters are so fun and quirky! How did you come up with four completely different personalities?
A: I have to admit I used archetypes. I absolutely love the book 45 MASTER CHARACTERS by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. I also read a book, PSYCHOLOGY FOR SCREENWRITERS by William Indick, which explains why archetypes are so effective. Psychologically, our brains are geared to understand archetypes, which is why they resonate with us. I took four archetypes and stuck them a bit on their heads to make them unusual, but essentially they're four archetypes from Schmidt's book.Q: I know you're not supposed to have favorites, but between the four cousins (Lex, Trish, Venus, or Jenn), which one would you most consider for a best friend and why? A: I'd be friends with Jenn because she cooks up a storm and I can't resist a friend willing to feed me! LOL
Q: Follow up question: Okay, be honest - which cousin are you most like? A: Probably Trish, because she's a dingbat. She has strengths I don't have but wish I did--like her fearlessness, her enthusiasm for life and learning new things--but her general character and weaknesses are all things I can relate to.
Q: Without giving away the story, tell us how you came up with the title Only Uni. A: Uni is a form of sushi, and originally I was trying to come up with something to pair with "only" since there was a singleness theme in my titles. My marketing team liked the "uni" part as it referred to "one," like "unicorn," and I think they didn't really realize how disgusting a type of sushi uni really is (it's raw sea urchin). But they liked the play on words, so ONLY UNI it was.
Q: This one might be a bit more difficult: what overall message do you want your readers to come away with after reading Only Uni? A: Biologists are dingbats!!! Oh, I need to be serious? Shucks. I want people to understand that God is always there for us, even when and especially when we make massively bad choices, as long as we realize we've messed up and are trying to do better.
Q: When does book 3 come out and which cousin will be showcased? A: Book 3 is SINGLE SASHIMI, and it comes out in August 2008. It stars Venus, the woman I wish I could be. Here's the blurb:
Drake Yu. Why would Drake call her after … what, five years? Six? Venus heard in his voice that resonance that was almost a growl, that titanium-hard determination to get what he wanted. And he usually got what he wanted. The voice said: "I want you to work for me." Not this time… If it was a choice between Drake and McDonald's—she'd choose french fries. She'd never work for him again. It would take an act of God. Venus Chau is determined to start her own game development company and launch the next Super Mario-sized phenomenon. However, she needs an investor to back her idea. When Drake Yu, an old nemesis, approaches Venus with a contracting opportunity at his sister's startup, the offer to become Chief Operating Officer tempts Venus to think the unthinkable. Venus would rather throw away her PS3 than work for Drake again … except Grandma bribes Venus to do this favor for Drake's wealthy family with a coveted introduction to the most respected investor in the game industry. It's also a short job—only a few months—so Venus won't have to stand Drake's presence for very long. But one wild youth group, a two-faced assistant, and Grandma's determined match-making threaten to make them both fail—or go insane.With the encouragement of her three cousins, Lex, Trish, and Jennifer, Venus discovers that even a wounded heart can undergo a beautiful transformation …
Q: I'm in a cookie mood. What is your favorite cookie? (mine's ginger snap - my grandma Egge used to make them for me when I was a little girl) A: You mean I have to pick just one???? I'm in an oatmeal mood these days, and my favorite are these apricot cranberry cookies from Good Housekeeping:http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food/healthy/cookies-breakfast-1006 They are AWESOME! Thanks for having me here, Jenn!
****Camy Tang is the loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick lit. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away five boxes of books and 25 copies of her latest release, ONLY UNI.
So, whaddya think? (1)
1. Camy Tang left...
Wednesday, 12 March 2008 1:29 pm :: http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much for the interview, Jenn!
Camy
