Howdy folks.

As I mentioned in my previous post yesterday, here is your second treat for the night (the first being a poem that I shared earlier, which you can find here:- NanoPoblano Day One – Poem/Poetry – “What Lies Deep Inside” by David Ellis)

For the ongoing Author Interview Series, it gives me the greatest amount of pleasure to present to you all Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim, as she whisks us through her wonderful books (her latest one is an Amazon bestseller) and she also graciously gives us some writerly advice.

As always, thanks for reading and enjoy the interview.

 

Hey there Eichin, thank you for being with us today to talk about your stories and the lady behind them.

Let’s start with your novels “Tough Scratches – Books 1 & 2”. The first book focuses on young love and the obstacles that come with it. The second one picks up several years later after the first story took place. Please fill us in as to what story arcs are going to happen in both of these fictional works and how the events of the first book lead us into the problems/challenges faced by the characters in the second one.

Most of us can relate to the main characters in the story of “Tough Scratches” one way or another, to a certain extent. “Tough Scratches, Book One, Love, the Tangled Knot” revolves around the love between Kayla and Russell; how the beautiful, innocent young love is steered off course due to unplanned actions and devastating decisions. At the crossroad, Kayla made a controversial move and went against her family’s wishes. Is her decision sensible? Tough Scratches debates the question of how far love should go—how much and how long a couple should endure hardships, heartaches, tragedies, and countless disappointments…before letting go.

“Tough Scratches, Book Two, Finding the Path” deals with love, relationship, and family. Kayla has great inner strength and a fearless nature, but still has her vulnerabilities; she is not perfect, just like all of us. On the other hand, Russell is a responsible young man, yet his split-second, unwise decision and “Man’s Ego” jeopardizes their relationship. Book 2 debates the question: Is non-possessive love possible in real life?

You have also written another book called “Flipping.” The focus of this story is about how our lives can flip in the blink of an eye and concerns two families, as they confront obstacles to find love and realise their dreams. Can you tell us what inspired this particular story, what compelled you to write it, and fill us in with a more detailed background of the characters and situations?

The seeds of my latest book, Flipping, were there way before I wrote Tough Scratches. I infused much of my personal experience into Flipping, especially the part about raising a special-needs child, walking alongside him during his growing-up years, learning to let him go, and seeing him struggle to spread his wings and fight to be independent and be loved. Flipping stars a cast of characters determined to live life on their own terms.

The story is set in Taiwan and California and follows the lives of two generations as they learn to deal with heartaches and celebrate their blessings. Love can overcome many obstacles with enough determination. JonSun and SuAnn is an unlikely couple, but despite their different social backgrounds, they fall in love. From the start, the odds were against them. SuAnn’s family has other plans for her future, but their love cannot be dismissed so easily. Defying everything, the couple gets married in secret and moves to California. Good fortune blesses the couple while flipping houses. Their success is marred only by JonSun’s imbedded need for revenge.

The second story is about Christa and her struggles with her disabilities. At a young age, it was discovered that she was profoundly deaf. A cochlear implant gave her a new perspective, and she fell in love with Gymnastics. Flipping in the air made her feel alive, and nothing will stop her from achieving her dream of a gold medal. These two stories intersect when JonSun and SuAnn’s son, Wynson, meets Christa. They became good friends for many years, and their friendship turns into something more. However, many problems stand in their way. Christa receives devastating news, which could be a game changer, and Wynson needs to deal with his own troubles at home.

The question is whether or not their love for each other will survive the trials. The parallel themes, which prevail throughout the story, give depth to this novel. The characters struggle with their self-esteem, and this is prevalent throughout the book. This creates a richly layered and more interesting novel as the reader recognizes the threads that weave the book together.

If your novels were to be made into movies, who would you cast in the lead roles?

For Tough Scratches:- Kayla- Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Kendrick.
Russell- Jesse Eisenberg, Taylor Lautner.

For Flipping: Christa- Emma Watson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicola Peltz, Holliday Grainger.
Wynson- Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum Jr, Justin Chon, Christopher Larkin.

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And, what do you find the easiest?

English is not my first language (I was born in Taiwan) and did not move to the USA until adulthood; thus, my English grammar and vocabulary skills were, sometimes, challenged. I found it much easier to just let my thoughts and feelings flow through the lines and scenes first and not concern myself with the structure of the sentences. It impedes my writing if I focus on grammar and words. I use the Grammarly site, to compensate for my weakness.

Who are some of the authors that generally inspire you?

I read across various genres, and my favorite authors shift, from time to time. If I have to pick one at this very moment, I would say it is Kazuo Ishiguro. However, my favorite book is “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. Nowadays, I have found many aspiring Indie authors who have produced great works. I am fond of a few of them and am affected by their inspirational work.

What sort of research do you conduct before writing your books?

Google is my favorite. I also interview professionals and individuals who are familiar with, and relevant to, particular subjects, or areas.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

Since I was young, I have had an affinity for reading the biographies of famous, historical figures that recount their struggles and how they have overcome challenges in their lives. Writing is a highly enjoyable passion for me because I love telling stories. It is my dream to tell inspiring stories about everyday people, using a fun and easy-to-read writing style. Writing is a form of art. To be an artist is to share one’s soul with others. At the same time, I find it therapeutic. I enjoy being an artist more than any other profession.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with writer’s block?

I only write on the weekends due to the demands of my day job. Before starting a book project, I write down the tentative layout. Then I spend a lot of time on research and go back to refine the layout. I have relatively clear ideas about the plots and characters before initiating a project. Since the outlines have been done, I have an idea of “what’s next.” I take quick notes during the weekdays when my muse strikes me, and this helps me gather my thoughts much faster when I hit the keyboard.

When I encounter “writer’s block,” I just move to the next chapter, then come back to fill in the blanks later. As a published author, I tend to let the book’s sales status affects me; I get discouraged from time to time. To remain constantly enthusiastic is a challenge. Talking to other authors through networking is essential.

You have access to a time machine. What advice would you give your younger self?

Find time to read more of literary books aside from professional and technical books.

Jump-start to serious writing sooner.

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

Two major activities: listening to music and working out.

Honestly, I cannot live without music. My favorites are from the Classical and Romantic eras, such as the operatic composer Verdi.

In terms of working out, I think of it as “work.” I have to kick my rear-end to do it, just because I “have to” do it to keep my energy up. I do dance aerobics two or three times a week and weightlifting at least five days a week. I also do stationary biking while reading (yes, multi-tasking). Due to time restraints, I work out at home. I am not a gym person. The outdoor sports I enjoy are golfing and biking, but I find them too time-consuming.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

I am co-authoring a book with some good friends to share our experiences of raising special needs children. It’s not a “How To” book. Our goal is to let other parents in similar situations know that they are not alone.

In the meantime, I’m in the midst of writing my fourth book, tentatively titled, “The Lovelock.” It is a romantic novel about how the main characters overcome post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression. I hope it will be published in mid-2017 if everything goes as planned.

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to aspiring writers?

Do not be afraid of writing—you do not need to be a “perfect” or “great” writer. All you need is the desire to share your aspirations and tell stories.

Bio:-

Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim is passionate about writing and enjoys listening to classical music and opera. She also does acting and modeling. Flipping is her third novel.

Eichin was born in Taiwan. She received her BS degree from the National Taiwan University and her master’s degree from the University of North Texas. She earned her doctorate in Optomerty from Marshall B. Ketchum University (aka Southern California College of Optometry) and is currently in private practice with her husband near Los Angeles. They have one son, Theodore, and one daughter, Victoria. Together with two Poodle mixes, Shorty and Gabby, they live in Orange County, CA.

You can connect with her on the following Social Media channels:-

Facebook:- Eichin Chang-Lim – Author (FB)
Goodreads:- Eichin Chang-Lim (Goodreads Author)
Twitter:- Eichin Chang-Lim – Author (Twitter)
Website:- Flipping by Eichin Chang-Lim

You can buy her books here:-

Buy Eichin Chang-Lim’s books in Canada

Buy Eichin Chang-Lim’s books in the UK/Europe

Buy Eichin Chang-Lim’s books in the US/Rest of the World

Still want more? Well, Eichin’s novels have protagonists that make unwise decisions that drive the narratives forward. Without mistakes in life then there would be little conflict for the stories to build upon and ultimately we are all driven to chances to provide redemption for these lapses in judgement. For more articles on the theme of ‘Mistake’ then check out the links below:-

1. Just a Human I am – mySestina
2. shame – To the little Southern girl on the beach
3. Fluffy Pool – Ahoy
4. For the people by the people? – MyBlog
5. Mistake – A Thomas Point of View
6. Missed Chances of a Highland Summer – byindiablue
7. A Momma’s View – Blast From The Past – Teachers And Students
8. Writing Prompt: Write a Short Story Using Four L Words- Lipstick, Lust, Loss and Locked… – KimKnight_Author
9. Travel Much? – Fall Folly
10. Theresa Barker – Lab Notes – new post
11. My Mixed Blog – Mistake Power
12. Making Up For The Days Lost – Melolontha by the River
13. Our Random View – Mistake
14. Opportunity – mum’s going nuts
15. 7 (minus 1) Reasons Why it Is Folly to Move to Greece Permanently – GREECE LISTS
16. whennothingworks – Mistake
17. Daily Word Writing Prompt: Letter to a Stranger – KimKnight_Author
18. “Cheats & Mistakes.” – Nomadic Adventurer
19. witchlike – Rapunzel’s Revenge
20. Satan’s Suicidal Mission – Purpose-driven achiever
21. Learning – Mahiself
22. Bizarre witnesses – Stories from A Closet of Errors
23. Mistake – Stealing Quiet Time In Noisy Disorder
24. The right mistake? – Ms Skyfall
25. The Showers of Blessing – Sorry, My Mistake
26. If you’re going to give your neighbor’s cat away, don’t use Facebook; use Craigslist. – anxietyin2d
27. The Cliffhanger Chronicle – The jingle
28. Le Drake Noir – Non used bright ideas
29. Mistakes are inevitable – FAITHFULNFABALOUS
30. artifiswords – MISTAKE
31. Be Our Guest – Bolognese’s Blog
32. Ideas for Teaching Ag – Mistake
33. the15thday – roge:)
34. Masculinity In A Broken World: Revisited – Lance Price Blog 2016
35. Jacki Kellum Juxtapositions: Read My Mind – City Traffic – One Way Streets & Other Types of Chaos – Including Writer’s Block
36. As I See Things – Right In Front of Your Eyes
37. Oops! My bad. – Jacquilane
38. Those 5 Mistakes – Hershey’s World
39. Learning from Mistakes – Meg’s Magical Musings
40. Day-To-Day Photography – A Little Late
41. Friend Indeed – The Chaos Within
42. Is’nt it good that we make mistakes? – Positive Reflections
43. Facing the Past to Move into God’s Future – Eagle’s Wing Ministries
44. LIFE, LEMONS, ESCAPADES – DAILY: Making Mistakes is What Makes You Human
45. This is a mistake – More Tiny Stories
46. Mistake – Stealing Quiet Time In Noisy Disorder
47. Smart and Happy – Mistakes Not The Same
48. Purposive Writer – What If It Is Right?
49. Devil Doll Musings – All or Nothing
50. ‘Barking’ – The Last Blog Available
51. Mistake = M @ Stake = Learning should not be called a Mistake – passiondesignerblog
52. tuckedintoacorner – gold + mistake
53. All the Bright Places. – CrossGear
54. Joes-Fotowelten – Auf dem Weg nch Flam
55. We Extraordinary Women – Making Mistakes in Relationships
56. Frank Prem – chooks n kooks
57. The beauty of making mistakes – Nina Verocia
58. My One Mistake – Franky tells it like it is
59. MY ENDURING BONES – French Fries and Reality
60. Never A Mistake – Leigha Robbins
61. Mysteries of Life…You and Me
62. I Am Not Her – november child
63. Meet Me in Nevada – I’m New Here
64. Somewhere – Painted in words
65. Leandra Knott Poetry – Mistakes Grace-Rescued
66. simplywithin – Make That Mistake
67. I Will Fight Site – A new story
68. another quiet muse – No Erasers…
69. The Mistake – Ashquill
70. Mistake – Life ReWritten
71. inspiration in progress – #SoCS – Your Mistake
72. Meander Marquee – Mistake
73. Mainline_Matter – Make No Mistake
74. How to Annoy Everyone on facebook – therealqueenofstuff
75. Success Inspirers’ World – Mistakes are the core of wisdom
76. sharonholly – Mistake
77. Sure Scribbles – The Candy Jar.
78. It’s a MISTAAAKEEEE! – Karuchan
79. A downpour – Un Camino de Hojas Secas
80. i am not a mistake – know my heart
81. The Daily Post – Progressing into Solitude – Mistake
82. Autism in Our Nest – There is Not an Autism Box
83. Read and Write Here – Mistakes – Short- and Long-Term
84. The Day My Brain Took A Holiday… – Kiwiontheloose
85. Giggles & Tales – The Daily Prompt – Mistake!
86. Mistake Or Not… – LMTP Journey
87. Mistake – Rosevoc2’s Blog
88. Passion through Poetry – Shining Spirit
89. U.S. Taxpayer as Lender of Last Resort – TARP Program – The Mono-Economy of the New Millennium
90. wordsareallihavesite – Mistake
91. “Flash Crash” and “London Whale” – The Mono-Economy of the New Millennium
92. Translation Who is Theo Herbots from this page //Vertaal Wie is Theo Herbots via deze pagina – Wie is Theo Herbots ? // Who is Theo Herbots?
93. Regulate Derivatives? No Way!!!!!!!!! – The Mono-Economy of the New Millennium
94. quiet time journal – Why?
95. Zombie Flamingos – Friday after work with kitties
96. lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown – Lack of Direction
97. Reflection on Mistakes – MumblingTrouble
98. A Polka Dotted Tiger – Heaven’s Sunshine
99. Barryjack’s Place – It’s cool
100. Your/You’re/Mistake ~ Reconsider – Word Adventures
101. Better – A lot from Lydia
102. there are no mistakes – Love it Now
103. In This Third Garden – Making Sense of Complications
104. Musings and My Two Cents – We Will Make Mistakes
105. Riley Central – Your Days of Yore and What You’re Not
106. Your Nibbled News (c) 2016 YNN – Crew chief checks specs for mistakes
107. A church for Sarah-Lynn – zorazebic
108. Mistake – findingbreathless
109. Anton’s Ideas – PRESENTS SENT IN ERROR
110. charlesewaugh – Handling a Mistake – Nu Book 1
111. Musings of a Menopausal Maven – Mistake
112. I Do Miss Steak – Monkebus
113. She Who Hears – Kindness for Weakness – Dilated Peoples Feat Talib Kweli
114. The Purge – Mistake (Pantoum)
115. Shell Games – I Think You’ve Mistaken Me for Someone Else
116. Mistake – juantetcts
117. Everything Is Not Beautiful – Every Description Is Not Grand – Blog to Memoir
118. Making it write – Scarlet
119. Back On Top – psychedelicwizard
120. On The Other Side Of The Gate – Odyssey In Atlantis
121. A Graduate Apology (If I Can Make It, Finally) – Let Me Stay Among The Stars
122. Fake Women – True_George
123. Lisa’s Journal Blog – Mistake
124. Travel Much? – The world’s Longest Cream Puffs Recipe
125. Mistake – Thoughts Of An E’ville Woman
126. My Own Hell – TheTattooedBookGeek
127. Travel Much? – The Cursed Forest
128. Jibber Jabber with Sue – Surviving Bikinis & Short Hair…It Can Be Done
129. When He Kissed My Hand – Jar of Hopes
130. No, Jesus is not all we need – Let The Light In ~ Reflections
131. copypower – Mistake – The fall and the rise
132. Sure Scribbles – The Candy Jar.
133. I wrote a book. Now what? – Oops! What did I just say?
134. kindergartenknowledge.com – My Falling Down Mistakes.
135. Flowers and Breezes – Mistake
136. Reaching In – littleflamesblog
137. One Mistake – A Dark World Inside
138. My Mistake…The Daily Post – bookyglover
139. SERENDIPITY – MISTAKE … OR NOT
140. Indeed a Beautiful Mistake – LIVING AND LEARNING
141. Regrettable – indisputably inconclusive
142. Am I kind? – Mahiself
143. Danger Single – Dangerspouse
144. B_ up to date – Clash of Cultures
145. Mistake – Covert Novelist
146. Maid’s Day Off – The Maid Goes to Maine: Part 8 – The Battle of The Bubbles
147. The Worst Mistake of my life – Live, Laugh, Love Writing.
148. a bliss of birds – When I Feel Very, Very, Very Small
149. To Err is Human – CANEST
150. Lakeland Musings by Irwin – OOPS!
151. kStan(ly) kSays – better look it up
152. The Cliffhanger Chronicle – Love and War [part 3]
153. There Are More Poets than Stars in the Firmament – why cell phones never caught on
154. Finished – aYoKa
155. Websites: Build a Business Site Gebracht door Theo Herbots – Wie is Theo Herbots ? // Who is Theo Herbots?
156. Red Mountain Motel – I Have Learned Daily Prompt–Mistake
157. Anonymous in Cali – August 27th
158. Michael J. Fite – How Can You Help Yourself and Someone Else Deal With A Mistake?
159. HarlemATL Inner City Blues – Staying The Course
160. Bittersweet Sensations – the lady kept her mouth shut
161. prompt: mistake – The Girl Your Parents Warned You About When You Started Dating
162. It’s All in Finding the Right Words – Mistakes
163. City Traffic – One Way Streets & A Consideration of Other Types of Chaos – Blog to Memoir
164. The Gad About Town – Make No Mitsaek
165. dueyvan – Such Sweet Mistakes
166. You – A masterpiece and a work in progress. – Your deevibes
167. Lamont and Dude Are not Mistaken – Where’s the Windmill?
168. thelonerose – Technology is too smart for me
169. iamdeltapositivenegative – Mistake
170. Mistakes to Success – eddaz
171. Writer Sanctuary – Success or Failure: It’s All in How You Look at It
172. No Mistake – Pete Gardner Psalms
173. Martha L Shaw – DIVINELY CRAFTY
174. I Was Tattooing While You Were Rolling Paint – Insidious Temptation
175. Mistakes… – Random Thoughts and Musings
176. WHOSE MISTAKE IS THIS? – breathingpark
177. MISTAKE – My QuotesVilla
178. The Cat Chronicles – Daily Feline Prompt: Felines do not make mistakes
179. Mistake – Nickey Dubstep
180. Addison Greene – Lost
181. Mistake – Vermont Book Works
182. Courage to Grow – Dreamer on a Cloud
183. 83 Unsung Heroes – Sleeplessness, Margot and Pumpkin Spice
184. Counting, or not – Jane Dougherty Writes
185. Mistake – An Everyday Thing – Writer’s Blog
186. you are making a mistake ⋆ Obsolete Childhood
187. This is Another Story – A Quiet Exit
188. Miriam Chako and the mistake – The new-ness
189. Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss – Sorry, sorry, sorry, my mistake
190. Just A Simple Country Girl – Mistake
191. Wither Or Thrive – Mistakes – They’re Important
192. My bad! – writemebad
193. Mistakes – Beliefs for Peace
194. Mistake – rheakhaira
195. Shut Out part 2 NSFW – Asleep At The Wheel
196. Error – apserranoblog
197. I gave you my heart – Bloggers Paradise
198. Mistakes – Ripples N Reflections
199. debooWORKS – Game Over
200. The Ladies – lonely.kenyan
201. A Vibrant Palette – Err…its human!
202. Awakening: A Bittersweet Ache – atrangizindagieksafar
203. Devil Doll Musings – Come Said The Boy
204. Fredrick’s Delivery – just a little magic
205. Mistake -be awake – rupalislale
206. Making Mistakes – Writings from the Heart
207. Mistake Mistakes – SUCCESS STRATEGIES
208. Important Links which you can help with the construction of a WordPress Site // spent Theo Herbots – Wie is Theo Herbots ? // Who is Theo Herbots?
209. Be kind to yourself – yasminmay
210. Wrong Number – Postcard from a Pigeon
211. Tapestry – indisputably inconclusive
212. Designer Sophisticate – I didn’t abandon this blog.
213. Towersey Festival, Near Thame – Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman!
214. Regret having no regrets, at least. – PsychPerspectives
215. Cassie’s Mistake – Just Writing!
216. Yes or no. – Ordinary Travels
217. How the World Could End… (In 98 Words) – ARJUN SHIVARAM
218. Southern By Design – Your Mistakes~Reflect
219. Lost Property Repository – Big Bear Episode 16
220. Lantern Words – Every Fault And Mistake
221. kStan(ly) kSays – the artist unrequited
222. ….on pets and prisoners….. – daily prompt: mistake
223. Shut Out – Asleep At The Wheel
224. La Tour Abolie – That’s how the light gets in
225. The Cliffhanger Chronicle – Love and War : Part 2
226. The Wandering Poet – No mistake on parts, It’s just art