I love the heading that WordPress so helpfully provided: The Journey Begins. Sounds like a chapter title from Lord of the Rings, all epic and important. Plus, it saves me from trying to come up with one which, given how long it
took me to actually get the chutzpah to sit down to create this blog, would have taken forever. Seriously, I have stalked other blogs, borrowed books from the library, read maybe a chapter from one of those books before losing focus and wandering around Pinterest, and sat before my computer and hoped that the words would just magically appear without me having to do anything. Which they definitely did not. But there comes a time when one must step up or ship out, so to speak, and since doing nothing wasn’t actually working I decided to be bold and try something new: actually writing a post.
I must say, so far it’s been shockingly effective; here I am, penning my very first blog post. Be gentle with me, dear reader, that’s all I can say.
And just why, might you be asking yourself as you try to figure out how the heck you stumbled across this blog, am I now a member of the blogosphere? Well, to put it quite simply, I’ve written a book. A beautiful amazing awesome book (am I biased? Nooooooo, of course not) that is going to be published in spring 2019. PUBLISHED!! Excuse me for one minute while I hyperventilate into a paper bag:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Erhem. I mean, I’m very excited. And happy. And EXCITED.
Hart & Seoul is the result of the most random surge of creativity that I’ve ever been hit with – how that surge struck me is such a good story that it deserves its own blog post – and as a result has basically consumed my life for the past three years (and, by extension, the lives of my family and friends, who deserve medals for dealing with my endless begging for feedback and the emotional seesaw of a writer who has no clue what she’s doing half the time). The end result of said past three years?
When a neighbor’s nephew comes over for a visit, high school senior Merilee Hart is not impressed. Sure, he’s tall, darkly handsome, and obviously has a big secret he and his aunt are desperate to keep hidden – but he’s also the typical bad boy who immediately butt heads with Merri. And, unfortunately, the one who is with her when her perfect world implodes with a betrayal that she never saw coming.
Lee offers surprising support, but it’s not long before his secret is revealed, and Merri is abruptly thrust into an international spotlight. Because next-door neighbor Lee is really Lee Hyung-kim, beloved and runaway member of the hot Korean pop group Thunder.
For Merri, the dizzying tumble down the rabbit hole of K pop is filled with culture shock and, well, just plain shock. Feuding, zealous fan girls, a love triangle that is fast becoming a square, kimchi – and that’s all before the world discovers just where Korea’s most popular singing idol has been hiding. Can this feisty American teenager withstand the pressure of global fame?
Yup, that’s my literary baby!
Officially, Hart & Seoul is a YA contemporary dramedy that explores cultural diversity and the hallyu movement, aka the Korean invasion of awesomeness. But unofficially, the book is an ode to the numerous K dramas that I have watched – any guesses as to which one was the first to suck me into that wonderful and sparkly world? – and, more recently, K-pop music I’ve been listening to.
Now, the real question is, can I withstand the wait till Hart & Seoul is unleashed to the world? 50/50 at the moment, tbh. It’s like when you’re on a rollercoaster that is currently going 90 degrees up in the air; you know that the drop is coming, are waiting breathlessly for it to happen…and are scared spitless. But the journey to publishing is definitely a marathon, not a sprint, so I’ll just have to fasten my safety bar and hold on for dear life.
For the record, as of right now I’m channeling Yzma more than Kronk, eyes zeroed in on a goal and all the steps to make it happen. Maybe as I get my feet under me I’ll be able to relax and “PUT MY HANDS IN THE AIR!” as I barrel down the track…and learn how to make spinach puffs while I’m at it. #cookingwithkronk#ironchef
As my bio so helpfully states, this blog is about all things that inspire, whether it be writing challenges, news on Hart & Seoul, travel photos, or me in a T Rex suit trying to make kimchi (or spinach puffs)… seriously, I actually own a T Rex suit, and I’m not afraid to use it. You have been warned!
