EBOOK NOW AVAILABLE + Behind the Scenes: A Brief Timeline of EoA’s Creation

The ebook of Eye in the Blue Box is now officially out! 

As I mentioned on my social media, the ebook drop is actually a big deal because I’ll likely make the majority of my sales from ebooks. Brick-and-mortar bookstores, whether they be indie bookstores or big chains, usually aren’t willing to stock self-pub books as they try to prioritize titles that have a bigger-publishing-company-backed vote of confidence and therefore, a better chance of financial return. As such, the internet is really the only place I can consistently showcase my book to strangers, which, in turn, makes my ebooks my bread and butter. 

I’m proud to say, though, that critics, whether they’re trad pub or self pub critics, have generally loved my book. For example, take the following quote from BookLife’s review of Eye in the Blue Box:

“Kim delivers a world that is beyond intriguing … Between the eerie nightmares of the Flowering, James’s bewilderment, and the monsters he’s forced to fight, Eye in the Blue Box is a thriller that never lets up—but still shows humanity threading the Flowering’s inhabitants together.” – BookLife (a branch of Publishers Weekly)

Check out the full BookLife review of my book here! Again, I’m honored that they loved Eye in the Blue Box. It’s a big deal considering all BookLife reviews are written by Publishers Weekly reviewers who critique trad pub and self pub works alike. I hope their review is proof enough that I wrote a fantastic book that is well worth your time!

If you’d like to support my writing journey, please consider purchasing the ebook (only $1.99!) and/or the paperback of Eye in the Blue Box, both available now! My book makes a perfect gift for spooky month, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as major plot points all hit on those timestamps 🎁👻🦃🎄🎁

Speaking of journeys, when I set out to build this website last year, I first researched other professional authors’ websites to see what key components went into creating an engaging author site. I’d initially assumed “the fancier, the better,” but after much research, I realized that I was not, at all, a fan of the fancier sites, which often came with explosions of graphics and interactive features but very little actual content, and what content I did find (after the website finally finished uploading) wasn’t much different from what I could find on Amazon or Wikipedia. The author websites I did end up bookmarking and revisiting time and again were relatively simple but kept up-to-date by the author and, most importantly, gave information about the author and the author’s work that I couldn’t find elsewhere.

As a result, one of my top goals for this site became to turn it into a unique resource where you, my reader, could find exclusive information about my beloved books as well as me, their creator. My dream is to turn the Eyes of Awakening (EoA) Encyclopedia portion of my site, in particular, into a major fan resource over time. It’ll include everything from timelines to maps to early character sketches as well as all the behind-the-scenes work that went into creating the Flowering and its many inhabitants. 

And to celebrate the launch of the ebook today, I thought I’d add to the Encyclopedia:

• 2014: I conceive the idea of EoA via a random vision of an Asian American man in his mid-20s riding a surreal monster that’s often haunted my nightmares (as detailed in this post). I’m excited about the idea but place it in my back pocket for now.

• 2016: I start working on EoA for the first time. However, I refuse to write a single page of the actual book and instead, set out on figuring out as much of the world/characters/plot as possible first. I’d started big personal projects with a “I’ll figure it out as I go” approach before, only to find myself hopelessly tangled up in details and giving up in the end. So, I already knew that taking such an approach to this project would lead to my downfall. I needed to construct as solid of a foundation as possible first. I begin brainstorming casually in notebooks during spare moments after work. I ultimately write around 300 pages of notes before starting on the first page of the book.

• 2017 (I think): I start work on the actual book and plan on writing the first book of a trilogy. However, as writing continues, I realize that my plot is moving along so efficiently that I won’t be able to stretch the story into three whole books and that, instead, I must fit everything into a single book, much to my mild panic and dismay.

• 2019-2020: To my further panic and dismay, several of my key characters start acting out in ways that I’d never anticipated, changing the trajectory of the entire story. Also, I decide to quit my day job due to a personal emergency. This period of unemployment turns out to be my most productive period of writing, and I write the vast majority of my book between these years. My husband encourages me to go to author events for other writers, so I do for the first time. 

• 2021 (I think): Bookshops slowly start allowing in-person visits again. My husband and I get into the habit of haunting all bookstores within our vicinity and researching works similar to mine in preparation for publishing and marketing. Barnes & Noble has banned customers from sitting on the floor while reading and has taken away all the chairs, so we stand for hours on end. 

• 2022: The book is as edited as it’ll ever be, so I send out a call at church for beta readers. 

• 2023: Several rounds of beta feedback is now incorporated. Editing continues on the book.

• 2024: Final edits are now complete, but I keep adding tiny tweaks because I keep catching typos and grow increasingly paranoid as a result. Work on the book’s internal and exterior design commences. Research on self-publishing goes into full swing, and I realize that printers won’t be able to handle my word count if I keep the font and trim the way that I want. I finally decide to listen to my mom and my beta readers and split the book into two. And thus, a duology is born. I decide on the titles for each book. Book 1: Eye in the Blue Box. Book 2: you’re going to have to wait to find out! (Also, I learn some basic coding and build this website!)

• 2025: Professional reviews start coming in. I go into a mild shock when I read Kirkus’s glowing review. I’d expected a lukewarm response at most as they’re known for being savage, even to mega bestsellers. IndieReader also gives my book a warm welcome into the world and gives me an interview opportunity. And, of course, the paperback of Book 1, Eye in the Blue Box, releases on August 30th, the same day that my protagonist, James, was born into the Flowering. My book is also accepted into San Diego’s Local Author Showcase.

• 2026 (in the not-too-distant future): Book 2 releases! I also host my first author event sometime in January 2026. Both Books 1 and 2 manage, somehow, to reach all the right readers, who all love the saga, and I ride off into the sunset with my husband, and we live happily ever after, selling my books and living comfortably off of them, which, in turn, gives me the time and money I need to write Book 3 in peace, and everyone loves Book 3, and, and, and…

Okay, I’ll stop there haha And yes, 2026 is but a dream (except for the Book 2 releasing and first author event bits; those parts are totally and foreseeably true!). But one can always dream. After all, as my EoA readers already know, dreams and reality can always collide….

And yes, you read that correctly: I am planning to host my first-ever author event early next year! I’m still working out the logistics, but I’m hoping for a mid-to-late January date. I hope you’ll come out and that I’ll get to meet you in-person! This will also be your chance to ask me any questions you may have about my characters, the Flowering, and anything else related to my writing.

Stay tuned …