I'm Officially a Debut Novelist (Again)!

Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour is out TODAY!

Having an alter ego is a funny thing. It’s freeing and exciting, and also, sometimes, more than a little confusing. A few weeks ago, I attended a panel under my romance novelist pen name and found myself staring off into space for a solid five seconds as someone called, repeatedly, for Nora Nguyen. Then, with a terrible flash, I realized that I was Nora Nguyen. In another instance, I apologized profusely to a friend for not responding to some good news on her social media feed, only to realize I had responded, under my other account. And just the other day, I signed a book under the wrong name.

The eggs, they are in all the baskets! But I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Today, Nora and Thao (how annoying that we are speaking in the third person) are incredibly excited to share that Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour is officially out in the world! Look for the book in your local bookstore, as an e-book, or as an audiobook (narrated by the brilliant VyVy Nguyen and Ewan Chung)—all the forms for all the readers. 

One of the questions I’ve been asked is: Why romance? Why now?

Truth is, I’m no romance neophyte. I’ve been reading romance novels since the summer I turned ten, when, bored and mildly delinquent, I roamed the library aisles all day in search of something to pull me from yet another rerun of The Torkelsons. An intrepid South Florida librarian (bless her) had stocked the shelves heavily with Amish romances featuring sun-kissed, white-bonneted heroines staring off into the distant fields as suspendered rogues hung about the periphery. After the first bonnet-ripper, I was hooked! Then came regency romances, romantasies, and all the other niches that fill this warm and welcoming hug of a genre.

The first novel I ever wrote—even before Banyan Moon—was a romance. I stole away to coffee shops before my day job just to clack away at a happy little novel that wasn’t intended for anything but my own delight. That book never went anywhere, but I learned a lot in the process and eventually found the story I was meant to tell, one that speaks to all the yearnings in my heart. Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour is a love letter to so many things: travel, creativity, finding one’s footing after world-shattering grief, surprising community, and—yes, a caveside tryst that had one of my editors fanning herself on the subway. 

I hope you fall in love with stern (but passionate) Adam and reckless (but captivating) Evie, along with the meddlesome aunties and audacious besties that pepper their unforgettable tour through Vietnam. Most of all, I hope you fall in love with all the surprises, big and small, that lead to a happily-ever-after.

These initial weeks are so meaningful to authors in terms of word-of-mouth, reviews, and any other form of support you’re encouraged to offer. I’d love it if you checked out this steamy, whirlwind debut romance of mine, and I hope it fills you with as much joy as it has given me!

And if you’re in central Ohio, I’m hopping around to a few events over the next few months. Please come say hello, if you can! And THANK YOU for your support. I owe this beautiful life and career to readers like you.