We headed east for a few weeks
Om Swastyastu Friends,
We realize that we’re blessed beyond measure and those blessings include the opportunity to travel. We booked a Southeast Asia cruise, then tight layovers and delayed luggage tried to derail our enthusiasm. But delight prevailed. “Om swastyastu” is the daily greeting in Bali, Indonesia—it translates to “may you be blessed.” How wonderful is that? There were so many highlights from the trip, especially connecting with people and learning about new cultures.
For example, our taxi driver in Lembar (Lombok), Indonesia taught us how to say “thank you” in Indonesian—“terima kasih”—along with “dog” (because they were a part of the landscape) and “rice” (because we traversed through a lot of rice fields), and to close our eyes while he wove through those rice fields on rails. He slyly asked our thoughts about the U.S. president, laughed, and visibly relaxed when we responded that we weren’t fans. He also apologized for his English, which of course was far better than our Indonesian. We met Mia, a 19-year-old entrepreneur and designated spokeswoman for her village—a village where women are expected to be good weavers to guarantee their marriage prospects. Although she was a good weaver, Mia said she didn’t plan to marry until she was 25… We see you! Assert your autonomy. It shouldn’t be a surprise that we bought a new handwoven tablecloth—that we didn’t need—because Mia was a skilled saleswoman!
We made additional ports of call in Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. It’s always an adventure when we get away and enjoy new places.
A few more things…
We celebrated the second anniversary of publishing THIS: A Simple Complex Love Story last month and we’re excited to say that we submitted Book #2’s manuscript to our editor. We look forward to sharing our next novel, Why Not Us?, with you later this summer. You can find a glimpse here.
While we were away, we also finished Tap Out by L.M. Bennett and Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby. All of these novels were quite intriguing and are available at your favorite retailers.
Many authors are looking for ways to support each other and independent bookstores. Jae, innovative as always, compiled a list of ways to support authors beyond utilizing one big online retailer, she shares her. Also, during a recent fundraiser for author and reviewer friend Jamie Rose, we submitted the highest bids and won a 30-minute chat session with Stephanie Shea and a four-book bundle from Frederick Smith. We’ll share details of our delightful chat with Stephanie next month. Bookshop remains a viable option to buy books—proceeds can directly benefit your preferred local bookstore.
Lastly, we’ll continue sharing things we can do in these challenging times. If you’re like us and remain concerned about the direction our country is moving (at breakneck speed), attempts to marginalize specific groups of people, and the destruction of democracy, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to register your displeasure with at the federal level. Find similar contact information for your state, attend a city council meeting, make your voice heard.
Terima Kasih,
Naomi
Ko Samui, Thailand (fun fact, the third season of “The White Lotus” was filmed in Ko Samui)
