tienyi

Where did the time go?? The pandemic seems to have warped everything and suddenly it is two years later. While I haven’t been able to do much writing, I have been extremely busy helping other authors, which makes me happy. Please check out some of the author websites I’ve designed: Jennifer De Leon, Elizabeth Graver, … Read more

Well, I didn’t get too much of my own writing done in 2020, but I’ve been incredibly grateful to have had plenty of design work, and the opportunity to work with so many amazing authors! Please visit some of the websites I’ve recently designed: Grace Lin, children’s book author and illustratorElle Marr, suspense authorKosoko Jackson, … Read more

I just finished designing two new websites for two more authors: Nancy Kilgore and Nancy Johnson. Nancy Kilgore needed a redesign of her two-book site, featuring The Wild Mountain and Sea Level. I went with a quiet, elegant design that complements both book covers and allows each of them to pop. Nancy Johnson is a … Read more

I love helping writers launch their new websites, whether they’re seasoned authors or brand new debuts. Kate Whouley‘s site is whimsical, warm, and inviting. The visitor enters via the room where she writes! Kate is a woman of many talents — in addition to authoring two non-fiction books, Cottage For Sale, and Remembering the Music … Read more

I spent the past two days at Thayer Academy, a private school in Braintree, MA, as part of their Bailey King Author Series. As their 2020 guest author, I had the opportunity to speak with seven classes of high school students, from 9th through 12th grade. We talked about character and conflict and empathy and … Read more

There’s something about having been through the debut process that makes me feel an instant connection with new authors going through the same thing. The anticipation, excitement, anxiety… and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes along with it all. I recently helped three very different debut authors launch their websites, which I guess is kind … Read more

I was fortunate enough to participate in the Boston Book Festival this past weekend, where I sat on a panel alongside authors Brendan Mathews and Steve Yarbrough. Jessica Keener was our fantastic moderator, and we spoke about short stories and novels, how one influenced the other, how they were similar, different, both in writing and … Read more

Long before I became a writer, I worked as a graphic designer. My clients consisted mainly of individuals and small businesses. After setting aside design for a few years (to write, and care for small, helpless children), I found I missed it. A lot. Design satisfies a very different part of my brain than writing. … Read more

I was lucky enough to go to the Massachusetts State House, an imposing gold-domed building in Boston, to receive an honor for EHIB. I got to meet my State Representative, Marjorie Decker, as well as many other authors who live in Cambridge, as well as all over the state.

My essay “From ‘Homewrecker’ to Caregiver” was published in the Modern Love column of the New York Times. This was not a piece I ever expected to write. I’d jotted down some notes during a previous trip home to visit my dad, who has severe dementia, and is being cared for at home by his … Read more