And the Winner is....

Congratulations to Pointy Star! You were randomly chosen by the random number generator to win the 2 signed copies of Huntress and Fury of the Phoenix!

Please email me at helloello@ellenoh.com with your address and I shall mail you out the prizes!

In other news, my parents are big gardeners. They have a passion for it. Me, I have the black thumb of death. I am known as the cactus killer. I still don't know how I do it. I must emit toxic fumes to plants. But my parents can grow flowers out of rock. It's amazing. So when they come to stay at my sister's place (I have no garden since I'm in a townhouse) they love gardening. They've spent the past 3 years cultivating a large peony bush in my sister's front yard. Well this year, for the first time, the peonies began to bloom. My parents were so excited. Finally this past weekend they began to open up. My parents got to enjoy it for all of one day and then some jackass came in the middle of the night and cut every single peony bloom off leaving the bush completely naked.

My parents laughed about it and shrug the whole thing off. They just hope someone is enjoying their beautiful peonies. They are much nicer than me because I'm wishing that particular someone a plague of a thousand mosquitoes on them. They desecrated 3 years of my parents hard work and they left them with nothing to show for it. We didn't even get to take a picture to memorialize the results of all their hard work. And that just kills me. They didn't even leave one flower behind! And there were over twenty blooms! Why did they have to take them all?

A plague of mosquitoes isn't enough. May they be infested by a plague of every evil creepy crawly insect known to man, and then some. May boils cover their body and then burst out with maggots. May they burp scorpions and fart snakes.

My parents just said - May they enjoy the beauty of the flowers and come to appreciate what it took to grow them and perhaps realize the error of their ways...


All right, fine then. But at least may they step in a pile of dog poo and track it all over their house before realizing what it is. Then I shall be satisfied.

See? I can compromise.

Sometimes Surprises are Good - and Time for a Book Giveaway!!!

I had a fabulous time in NY this past weekend. Even though it was Friday the 13th, it was a very lucky day for me! First of all, I had a fantastic meeting with my editor, Phoebe at the HarperCollins offices. I also got to meet her lovely assistant Jessica who I will also be working closely with. I got to see Phoebe's editorial process, her book and manuscript covered office, have a fabulous lunch with her, and then leave with a huge bag filled with HarperCollins books! And even though I hurt my back cause of the sheer weight of all my books that Phoebe gave me, I wouldn't have put a single one back!

I then went and had possibly the best dinner of my life with my best friend Sylvia and her fabulous husband Stu, who took me out to Socarat, this amazing paella bar on West 19th Street. We had these fabulous tapas, my favorites of which was an amazing anchovies dish and also their garlic shrimp. But the star of the night was the Arroz Negro, a crispy black paella seafood dish with squid ink that was incredible.

Ok not the best picture, sorry, the light was very dim in there and I didn't have a flash. But oh man was it good!!

So Saturday started with breakfast at a diner with Malinda Lo, author of Ash and Huntress, and Cindy Pon, author of Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix, and our buddy JJ, an editorial assistant from St. Martin's Press. After breakfast we all headed down to the Diversity in YA panel at Books of Wonder where I got the best surprise ever! Barry Goldblatt and Joe Monti, the best agent duo team in the world, showed up with a special surprise for me. My signed contract and my first advance check!! I admit it I freaked out. I jumped up and down, ran around in a big circle and had to sit down in order to keep my heart from jumping out of my mouth. I was a quivering mess. But how else was I to respond? I'm officially a paid author!!!

I was so out of it, I didn't have a chance to snap some photos of Barry and Joe or of the authors panel! I was a quivering mess inside. In fact, I didn't calm down until I was on my way home on the train, back to DC. I think it is that first check that makes you feel like a real author. I think I may have a heartattack when I finally get a copy of my published book. Barry has promised to send paramedics to deliver my finished book. I will most definitely need them!!!

So to celebrate, I'm going to have a signed book give away! I'm giving away one copy of Malinda Lo's Huntress and one copy of Cindy Pon's Fury of the Phoenix - both signed by the lovely authors themselves!

All you got to do is leave me a comment letting me know that you would like to be entered into my book give away. That's it! Just a comment right here on the blog! I shall pick a random winner this weekend. So come on, what are you waiting for? Comment already! These books are FANTASTIC!!!!

I am Korean American

A while ago I was asked to post up a bio about myself on the "I am Korean American" website. This is a website which showcases normal, everyday Korean Americans and tells a little about what they are about. I thought it was a great idea and shot up a bio. Since then, I've met quite a few people who've reached out to me since my bio went up. And then I realized, I didn't actually blog about it. So here's a link to my bio.

If you are on facebook, please like the link. If you are on facebook and haven't friended me, please friend me (and let me know you are a blog buddy). And if you are a Korean American then please think of sending up your bio on I am Korean American.

Conversation between My Mom and the Girls

After church this past Sunday, my Mom turned to the girls and congratulated them for being so good during mass.

My Mom - You girls were so good and quiet during the mass today. I was so impressed because even I was so boring during the long long sermon. So boring.

Youngest - (very sincerely) You're not boring, Grandma.

Angus - Well, it wasn't too bad because of the old man who kept burping all during church. Every time he said 'Amen' he burped really loud and long.

The girls both start laughing.

Mom - He was burping? I thought he was snoring loudly.

Angus - No, I kept looking at him and he would glare at me and then he would burp again.

Youngest - That man was very gassy.

Mom - It must be because he was so boring.

Youngest - No Grandma, he was very entertaining, but disgusting.

Mom - Yes, very disgusting.