by Liwen Y. Ho
“Hurry! Take more picture,” Mrs. Koo ordered the photographer in English. “Today is happy day!”
Melanie shook her head and laughed. For once in her life, she agreed with her mother. It was a very happy day indeed.
Afterword
I did not set out to write a series, but I enjoyed the characters of Melanie and Ben (from my first novella) so much that I wanted to dedicate a book to them, too. This book was much easier to write than my first, probably because I was a tad more experienced with the process, but also because I was able to “write what I know” (which is Rule #1 for writers). I had a lot of fun including tidbits of the Chinese culture into the story, as well as breaking out the Chinese stereotypes. I hope you found humor (and not offense) in those details, which may—or may not—have been exaggerated for entertainment purposes. And just to set the record straight, my mom is nothing like Mrs. Koo!
Much of Melanie’s immigration story was derived from my hubby, David’s, own experiences. We both moved from Asia to America as kids, but he had a more challenging assimilation process because he was fourteen when he immigrated; I was only five.
Even though we are both Chinese, we have faced some cultural differences in our relationship. He comes from a Cantonese-speaking family, and I am from a Mandarin-speaking family (though we both have Shanghainese roots). He’s the Chinese-y one (he even knows Chinese history) who can carry on a better conversation in Mandarin with my parents than I can, while I am the Americanized one (he insists I speak Mandarin with an accent) who never thought I’d marry someone “fresh off the boat”. Now we are raising two American kids who barely speak any Chinese (sigh!) but who hear the L word every day. :)
I really wanted to show through this book that God sees the bigger picture of our lives and does work everything together for our good. The struggles we go through are real, but also prime opportunities to learn how to chi ku (eat bitterness) and grow in our character. This is something I am learning every day as a mom! I hope and pray we will all learn to trust God more through whatever hardships we face in life.
Thank you for spending time with Melanie and Ben! I hope you enjoyed their story! I’d love to hear what you thought of this book, so please leave a review and let me know.
* * *
Be sure to check out Sam and Lucas’s story in Taking a Chance on the Enemy, book 3 in the Taking Chances on Love series.
She’s an art teacher used to coloring outside the lines. He’s the straight-laced cop who pulled her over. Sparks fly when she decides to take a chance on the enemy.
Feisty and adventurous, art teacher Sam Koo is used to getting what she wants, including talking her way out of traffic tickets. When it comes to money matters though, she’s a lost cause. Her studio is in trouble, and there’s no way of charming herself out of this mess.
Police officer Lucas Choi is the last person she expects to rescue her. Handsome and rule-abiding, he was the best—and worst—part of her high school experience. When they meet a decade later, he’s still on her case and quick to point out her flaws.
Their differences drive each other crazy, but also draw them closer. The attraction is tangible, yet so are Sam’s fears. Will she choose to protect her heart or trust the only man who ever rejected her?
Preview
Enjoy this preview of the first chapter from Taking a Chance on the Enemy.
You’ve got to be kidding.
Sam Koo heard the wailing siren before she spotted the red and blue lights in her rearview mirror. Out of instinct, she stepped on the brakes and steered her red sedan to the side of the road. She eased into a spot under the green canopy of a flowering cherry blossom, grateful for the shade it offered. Holding her breath, she said a quick prayer that the police car would pass her by.
No such luck. The black and white vehicle parked behind her.
Sam turned off her engine as well and rolled down the passenger window. Beads of sweat gathered on her temple as the suffocating September heat filled the car’s interior. The Silicon Valley neighborhood was quiet at a quarter till nine in the morning since school drop-off had passed. At least no one would witness her run-in with the law.
“What did I do this time?” she muttered as she rummaged through a purple fringed purse. Pulling out three tubes of lipstick, she chose a dark pink one and flipped open her visor. She had applied the first coat and closed the mirror when the click clack of boots hitting concrete reached her ears. She breathed a sigh of relief when muscular arms and broad shoulders appeared in the side mirror.
To her credit, she’d sweet-talked her way out of several speeding tickets in the past year. She could handle the male officers, especially the newbies. Fingers crossed that this incident would be just as easy to get out of. Turning toward the window, she licked her rosy lips and pasted on a bright smile.
An officer wearing dark shades placed his hands on the window frame and peered into the car. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Officer.” The words rolled off Sam’s tongue with a sweet lilt. She batted her long lashes, thankful she had taken time to put on mascara that morning. “How are you doing today?”
“License and registration, please.”
“Can you believe this heat wave we’re having? It just makes me want to lay by the pool in a bikini. Don’t you agree?” Winking, Sam leaned on the console and rested her chin on one hand.
“A bikini’s not really my style, but, yes, it is warm for this early in the morning.”
“I think you’d look good in just about anything,” she gushed, surprised to find she meant every word she said. Up close, she could tell from the hard curves of his biceps that he worked out regularly. Not only did his physique appeal to her, there was something about his square jaw that made him appear strong and self-assured. Not to mention his mouth. Lips that weren’t too thick or thin, perfect for kissing.
Which was the last thing she should be thinking about at a time like this.
A disappointed sigh escaped her lips, which she dragged out to sound more attractive. Tapping one gold glitter painted fingernail against her mouth, she returned to her flattering. “Look at how well you pull off that uniform. There’s just something about a good-looking man in a uniform.”
“Your license and registration, Miss.”
“Of course.” Apparently, her comments and girly giggles were falling on deaf ears. If she didn’t know better, she’d have assumed the guy was blind, too, since he didn’t seem to be falling for her act. This was obviously a seasoned officer.
Time for a different tactic.
She pulled her driver’s license out of a star-studded leather wallet and handed it over. “Give me a second to get the registration.”
****
Lucas Choi straightened and stared at the card in his hand. The name in black print confirmed his suspicions. Sam Koo. He bent down again to get a good look at the young woman he hadn’t seen in a decade. She had the same heart-shaped face and big brown eyes from high school, but now with the curvy body of a woman. The purple and white polka dotted necktie hanging around her neck by a gold chain reflected the bold, offbeat style she'd had as a teenager. Sam had never been one to follow the rules, a characteristic which both frustrated and intrigued him.
She hadn’t gotten any better at organization either from the looks of her crammed glove compartment. The rest of her car was also—for lack of a better word—a mess, particularly the backseat that resembled the epicenter of an earthquake. Fashion magazines and articles of clothing lay strewn across the grey seats and empty water bottles littered the floor.
“That is a picture of me, in case you’re wondering,” Sam piped up as she sorted through a handful of receipts, candy bar wrappers and elastic hair bands. “I taught at an outdoor art camp the year I renewed my license. My face got so dark, my mother showed up one day to give me her Chinese lady sun visor. You know”—tracing the outline of her face with an index finger— “the ones that cover up your whole face? There was
no way I was going to earn my students’ respect looking like a welder, so I ditched the hat. That’s why I’m so tan in the picture,” she added sweetly.
He grunted to keep himself from laughing. Was she trying to build common ground based on their ethnicity? Of course she would try to charm her way out of a citation. He couldn't wait to see her put some effort into the performance. As he recalled, work had never been at the top of her to-do list.
“Those middle school kids were so precious. Even though the hours were long and the students could be a handful, it was such a rewarding experience.” She let out a yelp of excitement and waved a piece of paper in front of his face. “Here it is!”
Lucas breathed in a whiff of tangerine and mint as she passed him the form. The scent tickled his nose, and he had the unexpected urge to take a deep breath. It had been so long since he smelled anything so feminine that he forgot how much he missed it. He took a step back to clear his wayward thoughts, and scanned the paper. Just as he predicted: an expired registration.
He opened his mouth to ask for a current one, but stopped when he saw Sam staring at a typed letter. From the way she furrowed her brows and bit her lip, he guessed she didn’t like what she was reading. She then crumpled the paper and stuffed it in the glove compartment before shutting the door. Her quick action piqued his interest. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, no worries.” Sam cleared her throat. “As I was saying, I loved working in East Palo Alto that summer. There’s no place I wouldn’t go to help underprivileged kids. Now Officer, if we’re done here, I really need to get going. I’m late—”
“We’re not done yet,” Lucas interrupted, pointing to the form. “Your registration expired last month.”
“It did? I had no idea.” She took the form back from him and muttered under her breath, “It would’ve been nice for the last guy to tell me. Now I have to pay a late fee!”
“The last guy?”
Sam’s cheeks reddened. “The last, um, officer who pulled me over.”
“When was this?”
“Maybe two weeks ago?” she shrugged. “It was such a minor incident; he didn’t even write it up.”
“Obviously, that officer was paying attention to the wrong details,” he smirked, knowing full well one of the rookies had fallen under her spell. He couldn’t blame the guy though. Sam was a rare combination of sexy and sweet with her sassy mouth and the light sprinkling of freckles across her cheekbones and nose. She was not only attractive, but bold and smart. Bold enough to do whatever pleased her, and smart enough to know she had earned the right to wear that smug smile on her face. “But little gets past me. I spotted the old sticker on your plate twenty feet away. You’re breaking the law by driving with an expired registration.”
“Yes, yes, and I totally feel bad about it. I’ve just been so overwhelmed with work and family and life, but I promise I’ll go to the DMV today and get it done.” She clasped her hands together in a dramatic pose. “Can you give this girl a break? Please, Officer”— she stole a look at the silver plated name tag on his uniform—“Officer Choi. I’ll be forever grateful. I’ll buy you a drink. I’ll call your boss and tell him what an awesome job you’re doing. I’ll even name my future kid after you, assuming your name doesn’t have a trendy spelling, like Aiden with a Y or Ryan with an I. Those poor kids can never find a key chain with the way their names are spelled.” Her voice rose as she pled, “Please. It would mean the world to me, actually the universe, if you would give me a pass, just this once. Pretty please, with sugar on top?”
Lucas chuckled. He’d lost count of the times Sam used that line. There was no shortage of guys in their senior class who would’ve done anything for her had she asked them to. One glance at her puppy dog eyes and pouty lips was all it took for them to hand over their notes or homework assignments. He was probably the only male who had not only resisted her charm, but also called her out on it. “I appreciate your offers, Miss, but I don’t drink on the job. There’s no need to call my boss since I already got a good review this year. And even though my name is spelled the traditional way, I prefer to keep it in the family.” He paused for a beat as the color drain from her face. He felt guilty that he enjoyed watching her squirm, but someone needed to say no to her. For today, that someone was him. “I hope you know you can’t sweet talk your way out of everything, Sammie Koo.”
Acknowledgments
Special thanks goes out to these individuals who have blessed my life and the making of this book:
My medically-savvy consultants who added credibility to my story: My cousin Dr. Diana Lo for answering my questions about medical residency; my friend Alan Chan for offering his detailed insight into the work of an EMT; and my friend Dr. Kathy Wu for explaining a resident’s on-call schedule to me.
My dear artistic friend, Michele Chung, for sharing your creative journey with me and for helping me grow in mine. Thank you for being my dedicated proofreader and helping to add depth to my characters and storyline.
My writer friend, Christy Chu, for giving me thoughtful feedback on the story and graciously pointing out its flaws.
My R-Je, Maymay Ho, for being my “manager” and getting my first book onto the shelves of the public library. As you requested, I made this second book a little longer than my first!
My dear hubby, David, who always believes in me and supports me 1000% as a wife, mom and writer. When you said this book was way more complicated than my first one, I knew that was a good thing. :)
My two munchkins, E and C, who fill my head with many strands of grey hair, but also my heart with so much joy, love and wonder. (Half night, guys!)
My awesome readers (!) who make the writing process worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears (I may or may not be exaggerating, haha). Thanks for taking a chance on me.
About the Author
Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).
In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist at www.2square2behip.com.
Sign up for Liwen’s newsletter to receive an exclusive free book, news about her upcoming releases, giveaways, sneak peeks, and more at: http://eepurl.com/bt2nEL
Also by Liwen Y. Ho
Sage Valley Ranch Series
Falling for the Younger Cowboy
The Spark Brothers Series
A Single Spark
A Sudden Spark
The Sweetest Spark
Billionaires with Heart Series
At Odds with the Billionaire
Best Friends with the Billionaire
Crushing on the Billionaire
Taking Chances on Love Series
Taking a Chance on the Heartbreaker
Taking a Chance on Mr. Wrong
Taking a Chance on the Enemy
Seasons of Love Series
The More the Merrier
A Spoonful of Spice
Of Buds and Blossoms
On Waves of Wanderlust
Tropical Kiss Series
Tropical Kiss or Miss
Tropical Kiss and Tell
Welcome To Romance Series
Chasing Romance
Romantically Ever After
Holding Onto Love in Romance
Non-Series Books
Puppy Dog Tales
The Love Clause
Love’s Choice
The Time Rift (co-authored with David H. Ho)
