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New book Blackout available now!

While I love blogging about Japan and Disney, I'm also a creative writer on the side! My novella Blood Magic is available on Amazon, and now I'm releasing my first novel called Blackout through Golden Storyline Books.

It's been a work in progress for more than 10 years since I wrote it back in the early 2010s. (Which is how long I've been trying to get published! So long, in fact, that the original manuscript had the protagonist using a (gasp) flip phone!).

If you like speculative fiction set in a futuristic world with a side of action, mystery, and romance with a strong, kick-ass female protagonist, this one's for you! Head to Amazon now to purchase!


Virtual launch party: Blackout

 I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my debut novel, Blackout. Join me on Zoom Saturday, March 23rd at 1:30 PT/3:30 CT for the virtual launch!

During the launch party I will be introducing the book, reading an excerpt, and holding a Q&A session. I will also be giving away 2 FREE copies of my book!

Zoom

March 23rd

1:30 PT/3:50 CT

Meeting ID: 812 4430 4947

Passcode: dz5Lrd

Read a description of Blackout below.

In a world without sunlight, darkness means death.

There are four main things humans need to survive: water, food, air – and sunlight.

Somewhere along humanity’s existence, humans have lost the ability to absorb sunlight on their own and must rely on the use of solar discs. There are a full 17 hours of sun a day, astronomists are celebrated as celebrities – if not gods – and no one dares go out after dark, or you may be dead before dawn’s first rays.

After a high-stakes career, Roth’s job in the Sun Regulatory Affairs department is safe – but dull. When black patches began appearing around the city that occupy space for crucial sunlight, alarm sets fire throughout the nation.

In a stroke of fate, a boy with ghost-like white hair named Carrow appears, and the department tasks Roth with his care and protection. This boy is one of the last of a long-lost people known as the “Children of Light,” who don't need solar discs to absorb sunlight and have faded into all but legend.

When Roth discovers Carrow can make the black spots disappear, news spreads in a frenzy, to the surprise of the city’s top astronomers who are supposed to be the authority on the case. Dissension brews among them as Carrow’s identity and subsequent popularity skyrockets as the world’s savior.

But soon the black spots are growing faster than ever, nearly everyone is criticizing Roth, and pressure is mounting from all sides. Will Roth and Carrow be able to restore balance, or could this mean the end of everything they know?

Japanese Secrets to Health, Fitness, and Longevity

The Japanese population is known to be one of the healthiest on the planet, with low obesity rates, high life expectancy rates (84.95, and up to nearly 88 years for women), and one of the world's highest concentration of centenarians (if you've watched the recent Blue Zone documentary series on Netflix, you'll be familiar with how Okinawans make up a big portion of global centenarians).

Meanwhile, in the US obesity rates soar at 41.9% nationwide, and average life expectancy is considerably shorter at 77.5 years. Many other countries also experience similar health statistics that are concerning. Let's explore Japan's secrets to staying healthy and living long.

Disneybounding Tips

 

Have you caught the Disneybounding bug? Whether you're a regular at the Disney theme parks or look forward to that special day a few times a year, Disneybounding is a fun way to show off your love for your favorite Disney characters. If you're new to Disneybounding, follow these tips to plan your first bound, or get some fresh ideas to up your bounding game!

Disneybounding: One of My Favorite Pastimes!

If you’ve followed my blogs for a while now, you’ll know I’m a huge Disney fan. Now that I have an annual pass, I’m at Disneyland at least twice a month – and no, I never get tired of it.

Besides the rides, seasonal food, entertainment, and souvenirs, one of my favorite things about going to Disneyland is Disneybounding, which is like cosplaying but using everyday clothes to recreate inspired looks based on your favorite characters. The fun is planning your outfit from clothes, ears, bags, and accessories. No one’s Disneybound looks quite like another, and that’s the fun of it – showing off your unique take on a look! I always get excited to wear a new outfit and take photos at the park.

Here's a look at some of my favorite Disneybounds (they're all princesses!).

Happy Holidays from Disneyland! Part 3: Characters, Shopping, and Food!

Now that we've seen Disneyland and California Adventure at its holiday best in Part 1 and Part 2, what about all the fun characters, food and goodies, and shopping to be done? Let's dive right in!

Characters

Although full-blown parades as we used to know them aren't back yet, you'll be happy to know that you can still catch mini parades and appearances of some of Disney's most popular characters! 

Happy Holidays from Disneyland! Part 2: California Adventure and Spider-Man Webslingers!

Welcome back to part 2 of Happy Holidays at Disneyland Resort! Let's pop over to see what's going on at California Adventure, from holiday decorations, the new Spider-Man Webslingers ride, and Cars Land. Quick note: the new Genie+ and Lightning Lane services have launched at the Disney parks, so you can shorten your wait times! Read more here.

California Adventure


DCA is currently drawing visitors with its Festival of Holidays. a "seasonal celebration of diverse cultural festivities with music, food and fun for all, from November 12, 2021 to January 9, 2022!" This includes holidays such as Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwalki, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings' Day (special ticketed event running only from January 3-9). You can spot special musical performers from holiday toy drummers to a capella, jazz, and rock. 

Disney Launches NEW Genie+ and Lightning Lane Services

Exciting news has landed, Disney lovers! Visitors have been bummed for a long time that FastPass and MaxPass never returned upon the reopening of the California parks, but new versions have officially launched! The only caveat is they are no longer free as FastPass used to be.

These new services are called Genie+ and Lightning Lanes

Disneyland App Genie Service

There is now a complementary Genie service in the Disneyland app which lets you set up your travel party and select your interests and preferences to build out an itinerary and tip board. You can then view "My day" and the tip board listing your reservations and other things you've indicated interest in with their event/wait times.

Happy Holidays from Disneyland!

Hello Disney lovers, and welcome to this special holiday edition! I'll take you through the full experience of the holidays at Disneyland and California Adventure 2021. If you're interested in my full review of Halloween at Disneyland 2021, check it out!

I can't remember if I've been to Disneyland California before during the holiday season due to avoiding higher crowds/prices (I have, however, been at Disney Japan. Did you know you can find mistletoe there?). Anyway, I was thrilled to get an inside look thanks to my new key pass!

Don't let the holiday season discourage you from going: with the limited capacity in place, crowds have been manageable even when I went on Saturdays! I've heard reports of barely any people a

Christmas runs through Jan. 9, so check out those reservation dates and book while you can!

Without further ado, let's dive into the lights, festive treats, and special experiences that await!

Disneyland

As you enter the park, you'll enjoy the special snowflake design over the entrance gates, which of course lights up beautifully at night.


Halloween at Disneyland Part 3: Food, Characters, Plaza Point Holiday Shop

The best part of Halloween time at Disneyland is the food, amiright? I can't wait to show you some of the treats I enjoyed plus some very special characters and the brand new Plaza Point Holiday Shop featuring year-round holiday merch!

(If you missed part 1 and part 2 covering Disneyland and California Adventure, check it out!)

Food


Halloween is the season of pumpkin spice, so I had to try these pumpkin fritters from Royal Street Veranda just outside the Pirates ride. So moist and served with the most amazing cream cheese dipping sauce! It's $5.99 for three, and annual pass holders get 15% of almost all food in the park.

Halloween at Disneyland Part 2: California Adventure

Welcome back to my tour of Disneyland, Halloween 2021! I'm sure you're dying to see what California Adventure does to celebrate the spooky festivities.

California Adventure


The California Adventure archway is extra-spooky thanks to Oogie Boogie. There are some special night events with photo ops like this one set up.


You can spot the Headless Horseman when you enter the park.


The first place I always head is Cars Land – you're sure to have a happy "Haul-O-ween" with Lightning McQueen, Mater, and friends!

Halloween at Disneyland USA

Halloween time at Disneyland Park

Disney fans will never forget March 14, 2021: the day Disneyland and California Adventure parks in Anaheim, California closed for a recor412 days due to the COVID pandemic.

Over a year later, Disney reopened both its California parks to a very different experience that involved mandatory masking, mobile ordering, and the loss of several staples including parades, fireworks, and the beloved FastPass and single rider programs.

Fast forward to my birthday this year when I got the best gift of all: an annual pass to Disneyland, USA! Luckily my birthday is in the fall, and I was just in time to check out the Halloween season at the resorts. Some things were improved since the last time I visited in June 2021, and I had an amazing experience I can’t wait to share with you, including Halloween décor, food, characters, and shopping; Avengers Campus; Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge; and the brand new Main Street holiday store Plaza Point!

Day Trip to Miyajima Part 3

Welcome back to the Miyajima tour! (Catch up on part 1 and part 2!) After my journey exploring the many temples and shrines around the island, I found myself at the Miyajima ropeway to Mt. Misen.