Hello Inspy Romance readers! I’m Liwen, and this is my first post on this amazing blog! Lindi Peterson invited me as a guest back in February of this year and I was so touched by how welcoming and supportive all of you were. I’m thrilled to join this community and look forward to getting to know each one of you better.
I thought I’d introduce myself by sharing 7 fun facts:
- I was an only child until the age of 10 when God answered my prayers for a sibling. My sister brought so much joy to our family as soon as she arrived and I’m so thankful for her. Due to our age difference, I did get mistaken for her mom a couple of times when we were younger!
- My family moved to another city when I was twelve. As you can imagine, changing schools in the middle of seventh grade was quite challenging for an introverted teen. I’ll admit I hated it and thought the move was the end of my life. ;) I’m so thankful God brought some good lifelong friends my way soon after.
- The first year I was at college, I went home every weekend due to homesickness. Once I got plugged into a great fellowship, however, I hardly went home. My college experience was, without a doubt, the best time of my life.
- My hubby and I met at church when we were 25 and 23 respectively. We found out later on that we had crossed paths about a decade earlier at a church retreat. A friend of ours showed us the group photo we took the final day of the retreat and there we were, standing five feet from each other!
- I’ve loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember. Becoming an author, however, was nowhere on my to-do list until my late thirties. I started out by publishing a children’s book that I had written in high school, then decided to write my own love story in fictional form.
- Some other jobs I’ve had included working as a Human Resources Rep at a biotech company, a receptionist at a crisis pregnancy center, and a therapist at a recovery home for teens.
- Nowadays, being an inspirational and sweet romance author is my second job; my first is being a chauffeur and referee (aka. a stay at home mom) to my two munchkins. I’m happy to say my son has inherited my love of reading, and my daughter, my love of writing.
~
I’d love to share two projects I’ve been working on. The first is Fall Into Romance, a boxed set of small-town romances that fellow Inspy Romance author Melanie Snitker is a part of, too. Please note, the ten novellas in this set are NOT Christian/inspirational, but they are sweet and clean. This set is available for only 99 cents (please click the image for the buy link).
~
The second project is a Christian romance boxed set that will be releasing November 7th! Fellow Inspy Romance author Ginger Solomon is part of the set, too. You can pre-order your copy for only 99 cents! Please click the image for the buy link.
My story from Winter’s Kiss is Tropical Kiss and Tell. It features characters from two other stories of mine, Lucy Choi from Drawn to You and Micah Chan from Tropical Kiss or Miss. Lucy and Micah were just children in those books, but now they are all grown up and finding their own happily-ever-after.
Here’s the blurb:
Micah Chan has loved Lucy Choi ever since they were kids, but life—and some regretful decisions—stopped him from pursuing her. Now he has a choice to make: Let her marry another man or break up her engagement to make this Christmas the most memorable one of their lives.
~
My Christian romance series, Taking Chances, is all about taking a chance on love. What have you taken a chance on in your life? Please comment below and let me know! Feel free to also include a fun fact about yourself. I can’t wait to read your answers!
Giveaway: I’d like to give away one digital copy of a book from my Taking Chances series (winner’s choice). One winner will be randomly chosen from the comments below. The giveaway will remain open until midnight on Sunday, October 15th.
A chauffeur and referee by day (AKA a stay at home mom of two), Liwen Y. Ho writes inspirational and sweet romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).
Hi Liwen, how exciting to have you as a regular blogger:) I look forward to hearing more from you, as well as exploring more of your books. My husband and I took a chance by accepting the jobs we are in now. We had specifically said we did not want to move where we now live, God smiled and said- My plans, NOT YOURS- and 15 years later, we praise God that we took the chance to work where we are. It is a constant reminder to let go and let God lead.
Blessings:)
Hi and welcome to Inspy Romance, Liwen! Enjoyed reading your seven fun facts. Fall into Romance was a delightful read. Enjoyed all the novellas in the set with their common setting (Romance, Oregon) and unifying motif – Finding Forever Animal Rescue. A fun read for animal lovers with stories not only about cats and dogs, but pigs, a rooster, and a tortoise. Winter’s Kiss is preordered. Best wishes and welcome. :-)
I enjoyed reading your seven facts. I also like to read your books!
Welcome. IMO, being “Christian” does not mean directly referring to God, every other page. If it is clear from behavior (prayer being a part of every day life, trying to be Christian in actions, etc.) is as good. Not all “preachers” are on street corners, in churches, etc., they can also be found in those who openly try to *live* as Christians.
What a fun post to read! I guess the biggest thing that we are taking a chance on now is retirement, and having to trust God to meet our needs. My husband has been blessed to find some ways to supplement and provide for us. We have 6 children whom I homeschooled. Four boys, two girls. The last is halfway through college.
Hi Liwen! So glad you’ve joined us on Inspy Reads. Your post was a lot of fun to read. I especially liked how you and your husband crossed paths years before you officially met. :-D
Hi Liwen,
Welcome to Inspy. Enjoyed your post and learning about you and your family…as well as your writing. I am an avid reader so will check out your books!
Blessings~~
I enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Liwen
I enjoyed reading your post.You are a new author to me.Your books sound great and I would love to read one.Thanks for the chance!❤?
Welcome, Liwen, from another newbie InspyRomance contributor! I enjoyed getting to know you through your 7 Fun Facts, and I look forward to your future posts. :)
And let’s see, a fun fact from me… My first release was an *extra* in a movie released last year.
Welcome to InspyRomance! I’ve read several of your books so far, and have enjoyed them – one reason being that I grew up in the SF Bay area and recognize a lot of the settings. I too really enjoyed my college years (much more than high school).
Hi, Liwen! I’m another newbie contributor on the blog! I can relate to how your move affected. you. I moved to a new area when I was ten. It was awful! Although I made new friends, I never forgot my old home since I missed it so much! Welcome!
A fun fact about me is that I used to work at a travel agency! I got to travel to all sorts of places for free (or deeply discounted) and it was FUN! :-)
Welcome to the blog! I enjoyed your post. I’ve taken a chance on going indie though technically I’m a hybrid.
Hi Wemble! Thanks for the warm welcome. Wow, that’s wonderful that you have a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness. His ways are certainly higher than ours. :)
Welcome, Liwen! I loved reading your post. Although ours is a blended family, the oldest child is 20 years older than our youngest. She was definitely afraid of being mistaken as the mom when we went to the mall together. Now the youngest is an aunt and a teen, so it’s come full circle, LOL.
Hi Renate! :) I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed Fall Into Romance. Yes, weren’t the animals fun to read about? And thank you for preordering Winter’s Kiss! <3
Hi! :) Thanks so much. It’s good to see you here!
Thanks for the welcome and sharing your thoughts, Walter.
Hi Becky! What a big accomplishment for you both. So glad to hear God is providing for you.
Hey Melanie! :) Yes, it’s a fun story, especially funny because I remembered him, but he didn’t remember me. ;)
Hi Jackie! It’s great to meet you. Thanks for checking out my books!
Hi Diana! Nice to meet you. :)
Good to meet you, fellow kitty lover, I assume! :)
Hi Brenda! Ooh, that’s so cool! Do you mind mentioning which movie?
Hi Margaret! It’s great to meet another Bay Area gal. :) And yup, I’d love to relive my college years; high school, not so much. ;)
Hey Cecelia! :) Aw, hugs to you. Sounds like we went through similar experiences.
Ooh, working at a travel agency sounds like a great adventure (or several of them)! :)
Hi Kimberly! Thanks for your warm welcome.
Hi Julie! What a fun fact about your family. :)
It’s an indie-produced movie from iiFilms called Miles Between Us. It’s about an estranged father and daughter who are thrown into a road trip together. The daughter is reading my book on the road trip. :)
Thanks for sharing about yourself. I really enjoyed reading your books and I was really glad to hear more about your here at InspyRomance. (I enjoy connecting with authors of books I like reading.) My favorite series so far is Seasons of Love.
I´ve taken a chance of love when I started dating my husband. He had just applied to a masters program in another state and neither of us wanted a long distance relationship.. lucky for us, he didn´t get in (he was accepted at the local school though, so he stayed in town when I finished my last year of college, then got my masters degree too).
Fun fact? My husband and I went to the same pediatrician when we were kids. I´m pretty sure we must have met in the waiting room at some point in life. We also played in the same playground many times (probably at the same time), but again, we didn´t know each other until many years later.
I married my husband after knowing him for six months. Good thing too, because 2 months later, he was sent overseas to Thailand. 6 months later I was able to join him. That was almost 44 years ago.
Welcome to Inspy, Liwen! So glad you’re here!
Excellent fun facts, and I loved reading everyone else’s, too. :)
Oh, neat. I’ll have to check it out!
Hi Priscila! Yay, thank you for letting me know you enjoyed my Seasons of Love series. It warms my heart to know there are other people who like those characters, too. :)
I love your fun fact! That is so neat.
Hi Nancy! Wow, congratulations on 44 years together. That is such a blessing. :)
Hi Autumn! Thank you! I’m so happy to be here.
I had fun and enjoyed reading your blog. You sound like an interesting author.
Hi Andrea! Thank you for stopping by! :)
I’m not a real taking a chance kind of a gal….but all my jobs have been “let’s take this chance” kind of opportunities. God surely does give us curveballs sometimes ?
Hello. I’m not sure of taking a chance on something. But I have put some very serious issues in God’s hands and trusting the outcome to Him.
Thanks for sharing about you. I can’t really remember something I took a chance on right now..
Welcome to Inspy Romance, Liwen! So happy to see you here!
Oh, I totally understand! I don’t like taking chances either, which is why I like to do it in fictional form. ;) It sounds like you’ve had lots of opportunities to do it though!
Hi there! Trusting God sure does require taking a chance. But it’s reassuring to know He always has our best in mind.
Hi Laura! No problem. :) Thanks for reading and commenting!
Welcome Owen, loved the blog post and look forward to reading your books.
Hello! I loved reading those facts about you that I didn’t know, it’s fun getting to know authors. I think something I took a chance on would be moving to a different country and to get married. Yes, I was/am in love. But it was a difficult thing to be so far away from my family. A fun fact about me, besides reading, I love painting. And I also love taking pictures, but I don’t know a thing about it. :)
Thank you, Alexa! :)
Hi Britney! So good to see you here. Thanks for sharing about yourself :)
Thank you, Linda!