Camy Tang’s Sushi for One?
September 3, 2007
A couple weeks ago, while we were driving to and from Kansas, I got to read an advance copy of Camy Tang’s debut novel Sushi for One?
Sports-crazy Lex Sakai isn’t too worried about “winning” the unofficial family title “Oldest Single Female Cousin” when her cousin Mariko marries in a few months. Her control-freak grandma is easy to ignore, until Grandma issues an ultimatum—if Lex can’t find a date for Mariko’s wedding, her ruthless Grandma will cut off funding to the girls’ volleyball team that Lex coaches.
Lex isn’t about to look desperate by dating every player in the dugout. She comes up with a stringent list of requirements from her Ephesians Bible study in her search for The Perfect Man. She always wins in volleyball—if she ups her game, she’s sure to succeed.
Then her brother introduces her to non-Christian, non-athletic, no-immediate-physical-appeal Aiden.
Aiden’s on the rebound from a girl named Trish, who dumped him because he wasn’t Christian. Then he discovers that Lex is 1) not attracted to him at all, 2) Christian, and 3) Trish’s cousin. No way is he hooking up with anyone from that crazy family, much less another hypocritical Christian chick. He’s certainly not masochistic.
Time is running out for Lex, and no matter what she does, she can’t find the right guy. Especially when she keeps running into Aiden everywhere. If only the list would stop getting longer and longer…
I loved Lex! Sushi for One? is a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud story about Lex Sakai and her search for love at the demands of her domineering grandma. Lex is funny, athletic, and a bit obsessed about her goals. Her character develops more and more as the book progresses, and she’s a heroine to root for. I even caught myself groaning out loud in sympathy for her a time or two. I hated to see the book end, but I know Lex will make an appearance in the following books in the series. If you’re looking for a fun, relaxing read, Sushi for One? is it!
And here’s Camy!
SB: Your heroine, Lex Sakai, is quite an athlete, specifically into volleyball. What about you, Camy?
CT: My husband and I played coed volleyball for several years, although I wasn’t as good as Lex. My hubby still plays, but I’ve retired after I tore my ACL twice. Yup, not fun. I decided to give up volleyball rather than risking a third tear and a third surgery.
SB: Ouch! I guess I’d retire, too. In the story, Lex mentions a girl named Camy who gets brained by volleyballs all the time. I have to ask — is that you making a cameo in your own book?
CT: Yup! I am a ball magnet. That part someone mentions about Camy being hit by a volleyball as she walks across the back of a court — that’s me. Happened to me twice. Both times, I was just walking across the back of the gym, but I got nailed in the head by a hitter at the net whose spike went way long.
And the part where Camy gets smashed in the face? Guilty. Happened to me at my Nikkei Volleyball League night.
SB: If it’s any comfort, Camy, I’ve been there too. Someone spiked a ball right at my eye, and my contact went flying. Good times!
Back to the book — you did a wonderful job developing Lex’s character. She just gets better and better as the book goes on. How hard is it to leave a character at the end of a book?
CT: Luckily, I don’t have to leave Lex because the series involves all the cousins at some point. While each book deals with a different cousin, the other cousins are involved in the storyline and evolve themselves as the series goes on.
I think I’m also kind of a weird writer because I have never “talked” to my character or “interviewed” them. Unlike other writers, I don’t really personify my characters and talk about them that way. So as to “leaving” a character at the end of a book, I don’t have problems with it because their story arc is concluded satisfyingly, and that’s that.
SB: When will the other three books in the series be released? Do you have any plans for books after the Sushi series is done?
CT: Only Uni, Trish’s story, releases February 2008, and we recently decided on the title for the third book, which is Single Sashimi (Venus’s story), scheduled to release in September or October 200. The fourth book is not contracted (yet). If it doesn’t, I hope to have at least a shrot story or novella available for people with Jenn’s story.
As for what’s next, I’m working on another proposal, this time a YA series.
SB: Tell us about your contest this fall.
CT: It’ll be just like the one I ran last year. I’m giving away baskets of books and an iPod Nano! Only members of my newsletter YahooGroup can enter, so join today: http://groups.yahoo.com/group
Also, you get extra entries if you get your friends to join my YahooGroup and enter the contest. All they have to do is mention your name, email address, or YahooGroup profile ID when they enter, and you get 3 extra entries.
SB: So all of you who enter Camy’s contest, remember you heard about it here! Camy, where can people find you on the web?
I also blog 5 days a week on my blog:
> http://camys-loft.blogspot.com
SB: Anything you’d like to add?
CT: Thanks so much for having me here, Sally!
Comments
3 Responses to “Camy Tang’s Sushi for One?”
Thanks so much for the interview, Sally!
Camy
I love Camy. She encouraged me to become a blogger. Can’t wait to read this book. Thank you. When is it available? On another note…I am contacting everyone on the Laced With Grace blogroll to say….
As a contributor to the Laced With Grace Devotional Site, I want thank you for your faithful readership. September is our one-year anniversary. We are please to announce we have a permanent new address. http://www.lacedwithgrace.com. Please change your link to include this new address.
Thank you. Lynn
Lynn, the book was released September 1, so it’s out there!
Thanks for stopping by, Camy.