Ginger Li

  Dear Readers, XOXO, Violet comes out in a month and I am SO. FREAKING. EXCITED.  I love Violet and Wesley as a couple so much.  Of all the characters in the East Beach gang, Violet's been the easiest to write because we share similar personalities. We're both nerdy, painfully shy in front of new people, and prone to brain dump information when we get nervous.  And we both love plants. ( You can see all my planty adventures on my IG feed. )  So it made sense that I wanted to give her the opportunity to come out of her shell, have her moment to shine, and experience a happily ever after.  While plotting XOXO, Piper  (the first book in the East Beach series), Wesley's confident and charismatic personality kept stealing the show. He's the guy everybody loves hanging out with because he's fun, flirty, and doesn't take life too seriously. That was my initial impression of him too when I chose him to be Asher's best friend. But as I began writing, I realize...

  XOXO, Piper , the first book in my East Beach High Series, comes out in a couple of weeks. I'm so nervous and excited to share this sweet romance with all of you because it feels like quite a departure from my previous YA fantasy novels .  2020 did a real number on me.  Several family members got sick with Covid and a few people passed away. I've always been an avid reader of fantasy, but this past year I found myself reaching for romances instead. I needed stories about "normal" life and I craved a happy ending. And that's why I wrote this new high school romance series. Each book shares the story of imperfect characters overcoming obstacles from their past to find swoon-worthy first love (with a lot of help from their friends.)   I really hope you enjoy this series!  (And if you love book soundtracks, I created this East Beach High Playlist on Youtube. It will give you all the best angsty-first-love feels.) Read on, friends! Ginger

 Hello there, observant reader!  Yes! My author logo changed last night. Before, it looked like this: And now it looks like this! I loved my old logo. It was moody, dark, and hinted at a touch of romance. Plus, the moon and triangle elements (which very celestial and magical) also reminded me of ice-cream... which is one of my favorite things in the world.   The old logo felt perfect for an author writing her first YA fantasy series.  Unicorns, dragons, magic, epic worlds, prophecies, and a once-in-a-lifetime love... that's what I tried to represent in my logo. (And if those sound right up your alley, check out my fantasy  books.  You'll love the series.) But the old logo didn't feel right for a YA rom-com author. Yes! While I put together a boxset for my Light and Fire Series , I'm currently also drafting a fun YA romance. I'm dipping my toes into the romance realm! Will I now only write romance novels? Probably not... but honestly, I'm not sure. We'l...

Ever wonder how Indie Authors create all those gorgeous graphics for book promotions and book launches? Want to make professional Facebook and Instagram posts to advertise your books... for FREE? Well, here are my favorite websites to create stunning graphic images for cheap ! Top 3 FREE Graphic Design Websites for Indie Authors As an Indie Author you're not only a writer. Unless you pay other people to do the countless other jobs that come along with publishing books, you're probably donning a lot of hats. You're a book promoter.  You're a graphic designer.  You're a social media coordinator.  You're an advertiser.  You're a newsletter writer.  (And you probably do all these jobs on top of the other jobs you do during the day... like parent. Or clean. Or work.) I've only just dipped my toes into self-publishing waters, but I've already seen how important marketing and book promotion can be. And while I have yet to figure out ad...

Hi friends! How are you doing? Our family of four is slowly getting used to the new normal of online life and social distancing. My two boys have really great attitudes. They see this as a fun new adventure. My husband also seems resigned to it all, although he really dislikes Zoom. Unfortunately, it takes me much longer to adapt to new changes. (I know, it's been over 4 weeks... so it's not even new anymore... oy!) Honestly, it's hard for me to feel hopeful when there is so much suffering and the end isn't quite in sight. So today I thought I'd pop on the blog and share about something that makes me happy. And that's the cover of Haven of Smoke and Shadows , the 3rd book in my Light and Fire Series . Here she is- isn't she gorgeous? Once again, all props go to KD Ritchie from Story Wrappers for designing such a beautiful cover. Here's a blurb for the book: Sometimes first loves were never meant to be... Lia reveals her true...

Hi friends! It's been a while since I've posted here. But I'm stopping in now to share 5 reasons why every writer needs to get their manuscript professionally edited before they self-publish. 5 Reasons You Need an Editor!

Hi friends! Today I wanted to share the cover for The Lady Thief , the newest novel in my Light and Fire Series, and some reflections I had while writing this novel...

If you're a writer, you've probably experienced this countless times: You stare at a sheet of paper and nothing happens. No words. Nothing. You get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, grab a snack (if you're me, preferably salami) and then you come back. And still nothing. I get you. I've been there. And that's why today I wanted to share these 5 super easy techniques to combat Writer's Block. How to Kick Writer's Block to the Curb (5 easy ways that you can implement today!) 1. Allow Yourself to Write Crap I'm being serious. Let go of the expectation that you're going to write something amazing and just write something really crappy. You heard me. Set an alarm for 15 minutes and let your mind wander and your fingers type.  Write a bunch of crap. Just write. Don't worry about grammar. Don't check email. Don't peek at Facebook. Don't get a snack. Don't scratch that itch behind your ear. (Well, maybe do th...

My debut novel,  Half-Blood Mage  is finally out!  To celebrate, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek into some of the decisions I made along the way... especially the decisions regarding Lia's race and my cover design.  Should Lia be Asian? Honestly, I debated whether to make Lia Asian at all. Her "Asian-ess" (in this case, I imagined her to be half-Taiwanese, half-Caucasian) doesn't really have anything to do with her story. She doesn't speak another language. I don't really bring up her multiracial upbringing that often. And her mixed-background isn't super important to her story arc. Lia could honestly look like anyone. Or have any background. The only key feature she needed to have was heterochromia.  But here's the reason why I made Lia Asian: I'm Asian. My parents are originally from Taiwan. And I married an Asian man. So I've experienced life through a very Asian American perspective.  Su...

Hello, friends! It's been a long time since I last posted. And there's a good reason, I promise.   I haven't forgotten about this blog. I've just been busy with... writing! Right now I'm in the middle of writing the first draft for book 4 in my Light and Fire Series. Now, you may be wondering why I'm writing book 4 when I haven't even published book 1 yet. There is a method to my madness, I promise. Honestly,  I'm still trying to figure out where I want the story to go. I knew going into everything that I wanted to write a series. But up until this point, I've only attempted to write short stories or incomplete novels. I've never finished a novel, let alone even considered writing a multiple book series before. How do other authors do it? How do they write book by book, publishing each one as they go? Do they have an overarching plan? Or are they just flying by the seat of their pants? Because right now in the midst of boo...

My friend gave me two succulents from her garden. I transplanted them into a pot and then just sort of forgot about them.  It's now been about a year and I was pleasantly surprised to see several additional smaller succulents growing in the pot.  It's amazing, really.  As I was living my life, these plants were quietly surviving and growing.  Step-by-step, day-by-day the magic of nature was happening on my front porch. The succulents remind me of my writing journey.  Every day is filled to the brim with meetings, appointments, deadlines, play dates, dishes, laundry... you know, life.  And while all this is happening, I fill my nights with writing and editing.  Sometimes it feels like I'm burning the candle at both ends and I fear that I'll soon just burn completely out. Currently, I'm working on novel 2 of my still nameless trilogy.  (Ack. I'm so bad at names... but eventually something will sound right... I hope.)  Ho...

Well, do I? Surprise!  If you came to this blog post looking for an answer to this particular question.... then you came to the wrong place.  Sorry!  This is just a question that's been plaguing me for awhile and I thought it would be a fun way to title the blog post. Currently, I'm in the middle of writing the first draft for my second novel.  It's uber tedious and wonderfully fulfilling all at the same time.  I'm getting better at riding the twists and turns of the creative process, but questions like this always creep in... Am I good enough? Do I know enough about the English language to convey what I truly want to convey?

Hello friends! What are you  up to this summer?   Currently, I'm in the midst of writing.  To keep myself motivated, I signed up for  CampNanoWriMo   (Camp National Novel Writing Month .) It's basically an online "camp" brought to you by the same organization that does National Novel Writing Month .  If you're a writer definitely check out both sites.  For this online writing camp, a ton of writers signed up to write 50,000 words by the end of July. 50,000 freaking words. I know. I KNOW! It's a HUGE undertaking, that's for sure.  And I'm 99.9% sure that I won't reach the goal. But I figure it's better to try and fail then not sign up and not write anything, right? It's just like one of my favorite quotes: 50,000 = My moon 10,000 = Pretty Sparkly Stars Plus, while I'd love to say that I'm wholeheartedly dedicated to the craft of writing and ... yada yada yada. *Insert lots of flowery prose about ...

Today I was sharing the Pledge of Allegiance with my son.  (I just learned that it's no longer recited in the classroom.)  While I spoke the words to him, I felt myself growing teary-eyed towards the end.  "One Nation under God, with liberty and justice for all ." Regardless of whatever faith you profess to follow (or not follow), I hope that we all believe in the powerful promise behind those last 5 words:  liberty and justice for all. Liberty relates to a sense of freedom. It touches on the idea that each person has the ability to think, say, or act in a way he or she thinks is right.  Justice relates to each person receiving fair treatment under the law. The Pledge reminds us that in America, both of these rights belong to everyone. Not to a select educated, geographically located, beautiful, wealthy, or certain-skin colored few.  Everyone.  Me.  You.  My worst enemy.  And your worst enemy too. With the cur...

I've always dreamed of writing a novel. And this past year I decided, "what the heck," let's put everything into it and see if we can make this dream a reality. So today I started my official "author website" (ooh la la!)  And I'm currently in the middle of writing my first YA fantasy novel.   Let's see where this journey takes us!