Welcome to the Book Launch And Birthday Bash!

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Welcome to the BLAB Bash!

I'm uber excited that you're here - this means that we can start our party! What do you need? Nothing much. Just make yourself comfortable, pick up your drink of choice (mmm, a lovely strawberry tea for me!) and prepare to get a little chatty.

First of all, the book launch!

I'm proud to unveil Stories from A Place To Call Home!

Orphaned at twelve, Daniel has often prayed for God to grant him a new family. Two years later, his prayer is miraculously answered: Emily Lee, grieving over the untimely loss of her son Matthew, has persuaded her husband to let her adopt a boy to fill the void in her heart.

But being adopted wasn't as simple or wondrous as Daniel hoped it would be. Matthew's friends resent his intrusion into their lives, getting him into trouble. Edmund Lee, a self-made man, ridicules his faith, telling him frankly that he doesn't believe Daniel would ever amount to anything.

And just when Daniel begins to feel comfortable and secure enough in his new family, he tears it apart again by disagreeing with his adoptive father's business principles.
Will they ever accept him for who he is? Will Daniel ever find a place to call home?

This e-book compiles the character development pieces written to define the main characters in the musical "A Place To Call Home", as well as other flash fiction written in an effort to work through snarly areas of the plot line.

So... if you watched the musical last month and you loved it, or even if you couldn't catch it because you're far away from Penang and only know me through the interwebs, here's your chance to find out more about the people who have been hounding my brain since last year.
The e-book is now available (for free!) on Smashwords in like a gazillion formats (epub, kindle, PDF, online viewing, and more) as well as Goodreads (online viewing or epub).

P/S I've got my first review here! Thanks, KK!

And now, to the Birthday Bash!

You see, the BLAB acronym actually has a purpose.

blab [blæb]
vb blabs, blabbing, blabbed
1. to divulge (secrets) indiscreetly
2. (intr) to chatter thoughtlessly; prattle

I'd like to give you, my readers, a chance to know more about me, as well as for me to learn more about you. Since I'm turning 28, I'm going to blab 28 random facts about myself and in turn, you can post facts about yourself, either here in the comments, or on your own blog (link back here so I can visit you!) - how many, that's up to you!

Here it goes:

1. When I was a kid, I really really really wanted to have blond hair. I thought it was really pretty. I still think it's pretty, but I love my hair as it is now.
2. There was a time... when I was about 7, maybe... when I thought it would be an easy life to be a gardener. For a few days. Until I realised... it involved worms. And sun. And sweat. And hard work. *silly kid*
3. Almost every time I hear really good worship music, I see in my mind this lovely dancer covering the altar with ribbons, flags and interpretive dance.
4. I really wish I could dance. And be that dancer.
5. I'm actually really shy. *blush*
6. I used to eat Hokkien Mee (prawn noodles) every single day in school from 1995 - 2001, except when they weren't open. 
7. Since I left school, I hardly ever eat Hokkien Mee anymore. 
8. I'm technically allergic to prawns. Except I don't really care. :)
9. I actually prefer C.S. Lewis' Narnia and Robin Hobb to LOTR. (shh... don't tell the die-hard Tolkien fans).
10. Sometimes I smile and wave, and talk to people, and go back thinking - who on earth were they? Where/when did I meet them before? 
11. I hate auditions.
12. That's why I write my own scripts and act in them.
13. I finished NaNoWriMo at least 3 times. I'm still trying to make something out of those drafts.
14. I go just a little crazy at book fairs. Well, maybe more than a little. It's like when a woman sees shoes....... (or a guy sees gadgets)
15. I decided not to be a journalist because I don't like talking to people. 
16. And then I found out that as an auditor, I need to talk to a lot of people :(
17. On weekends when my parents aren't around, I sometimes don't talk for the whole day.
18. I have another ten random facts to go and I'm about ready to kill myself, or at least bash myself in the head of thinking of such an idea. HAHAHA.
19. The reason why I really hate games is because I hate losing. 
20. I don't really know what my favourite colour is. I mean, I like pinkish and reddish stuff. And purple. But somehow I always seem to buy things in blue. 
21. I often need help colour coordinating my clothes (and no, I'm not colour blind).
22. British accents. Mmm. British accents, all the way.
23. "I'll stop at the end of the chapter" usually means "I'll stop when I realise it's three a.m. and I have work tomorrow".
24. I meet a lot of random people ALL THE TIME. And sometimes, how I meet them is a convoluted story in itself. 
25. I love driving long distance. 
26. Sometimes, the only reason I'm up-to-date on current news is because of Twitter. 
27. I fail at being Chinese. I still can't differentiate between Mandarin and Hokkien and I really don't understand any other dialects. 
28. Despite that, some of my spoken English takes on distinctively Chinese grammar usage. I suppose I don't live in a vacuum. 

There. Finally done. That actually took me all of 2.5 hours. 

Over to you!