What’s Up with the Single Life?

Drake Yu. Why would Drake call her after … what, five years? Six?

Venus heard in his voice that resonance that was almost a growl, that titanium-hard determination to get what he wanted. And he usually got what he wanted. The voice said: “I want you to work for me.”

Not this time … If it was a choice between Drake and McDonald’s—she’d choose french fries. She’d never work for him again. It would take an act of God.

One of the great novels I read while on the “hunting” trip was Camy Tang’s newest, Single Sashimi (Sushi Series, Book 3). Out of all three books, I enjoyed this storyline the most, though it didn’t bring me to tears like the others have.

That may have been because of the freezing cold temperatures of our trailer in the Umatilla National Forest where I read by lantern light, or it may have been because I wasn’t in an emotional mood. Whatever the case, I still found Single Sashimi a satisfying, entertaining read. Particularly, the occupation of the protagonist, Venus. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t read too many books featuring a female game developer.

Also, this book had an element of suspense I hadn’t seen in the others. Camy is very skilled at making the reader worry for the main character’s safety. (Near the beginning of the book, someone threatens Venus in a very violating way.) Tension mounted as the book progressed and I tried to put together all the clues Camy dropped.

The touch of suspense whetted my appetite for Camy’s next book, Deadly Intent, a romantic suspense set in a California day spa. I only have to wait until next August!

In case you haven’t heard about Camy …

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own…), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website for a huge website contest going on right now. She’s giving away ten boxes of books and 30 copies of her latest release, Single Sashimi.

1) What was the worst date you ever went on before you were married? And the worst one since? (You know, those “great idea” dates that our husbands come up with that don’t quite work out right.)

I have to admit (and you’re going to hate me for this) that we haven’t been on many bad dates, before or after marriage.

I think the worst one was our first date. It started off like this:

“I have volleyball playoffs on Wednesday night. Want to come watch?”

“Sure. I have nothing better to do.”

Since my driving skills are akin to a drunk, drugged woman, I drove to his house and he drove us both to the gym where playoffs were.

I stayed. I watched. The gym stank. But I got to talk to a lot of his friends, who were pretty nice. And his team won.

Then we went to an Italian restaurant, Frankie, Johnnie, and Luigi’s Too! (which is a FABULOUS restaurant, by the way) with everyone on his volleyball team, and had a great dinner. During dinner, we both discovered we love tiramisu.

No one else was ordering dessert, so he suggested we order one to go and eat it at his place before I have to drive home. My response: “Sure, I have nothing better to do.”

Here’s one of the most embarrassing moment of my life. Everyone is gathered outside the restaurant, chatting like large groups do, and he walks right through EVERYONE and says, “Bye, guys.”

I am left to follow while everyone stares at us, and they’re already speculating because I’m the first girl he’s invited to any group event in months, and he very nicely draws attention to the fact we’re leaving early. To spend time together.

But the tiramisu was good.

2) Biggest pro and con of being single? Of being married? Like a con of being married is sharing the covers, or losing control of the thermostat, etc …

Captain Caffeine and I are best friends. Seriously. He is the kind of best friend I’d always wanted all through high school and college. We like watching the same movies, we like the same food, we like talking to each other.

But he snores loud enough to wake the dead.

Luckily, once I fall asleep, I am deaf as a doornail, but it’s that falling asleep part that can be hard.

Also, he shoves the covers over to my side and then accuses me of stealing them. I swear, men!

3) Dream date: where would you go? what would you do? what would you eat/drink? (I know that last question is VERY important because you’re a food connoisseur.)

Someplace very chichi and Italian. Preferably in Italy.

Barring that, a really good steakhouse will do, too. Maybe in Kobe, Japan.

4) How was writing this third book compared to the other two? Did it ever feel left out? The whole three’s-a-crowd thing?

This last book felt like the stories were completing themselves. A few threads are wrapped up by the end of the book, making it feel like I could leave these cousins and be assured they’re going to be okay—them and their families. Jenn is still single, but right now she’s so peeved that her mother has ruined her best French saucepan, she’s not in the mood for love. But her novella will come out hopefully by the end of the year as a free ebook for my newsletter YahooGroup members (people can join here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Camys_Loft/join ) and hopefully as a print on demand print book via Amazon (but it won’t be free).

Thanks for having me here, Christina!
Camy