Showing Up

Even when it feels hard.

Welcome to Joy Ride, a monthly dose of joy, good things, creativity prompts, and gratitude by writer Jennifer Chen. If you like it, please share this newsletter with someone who might like it too.

Your Pep Talk 🙈

March was a month for me. This is what stared at me in my paper planner:

• Two Hangry Hearts launch events and several interviews

• Signing 700 bookplates for a book subscription box

• Finishing revisions on book 3

• Drafting a short story

• Planning a gender workshop for parents at my twins’ school

• Attending AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs)

I would turn in one project and work on the next. On the weekends, I wrote or revised. The week Hangry Hearts came out, I had two launch events planned.

You wouldn’t know that there were SO MANY EMPTY SEATS in front of us.

The first was at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena with my wonderful friend and author Edward Underhill. There were seven people in the audience total, including Vroman’s event coordinator, my two kids, and my husband. I was embarrassed, but Edward kept the mood upbeat and we talked to the crowd as if it were packed. Later, I posted on Threads, asking authors to commiserate with me and boy, did they ever! I got 167 responses. This is my favorite because it made me laugh.

I honestly made me feel better that I wasn’t alone. That even popular authors have been there and done that. There’s a relief in knowing that it’s not my book or me, but happens to us all.

I share this story because I hope it helps to see that whatever we’re going through, we are never alone in our worries, doubts, and anxieties. I felt like a big goof, but after reading everyone’s stories, I realized it’s part of life—showing up and doing the work.

My Latest News 📚

• Hangry Hearts came out! It’s my love letter to trans teens, Pasadena, and farmers markets. Read an excerpt. Stay tuned for some fun giveaways next month!!!

• I chatted about my creative process for writing novels on The Incoherent Fangirl podcast and The Well-Read Podcast.

• I’ll be on a panel at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 27 at 12:30pm to talk about “What a Girl Wants: Romance in Young Adult Fiction.”

Check Out This... 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

TV SHOWS: Mid Century Modern (Hulu) is like a gay Golden Girls with the same kind of sitcom vibes, laugh track and all. It’s funny and is the perfect blend of light and funny that’s ideal for nighttime viewing. I’m obsessed with mysteries and The Residence (Netflix) is such a good one with a stellar cast, surprisingly funny, and the whodunnit twists that I love. Top Chef (Peacock) is back with a new season in Canada. My twins wanted to watch it with us and it’s been a fun way to talk about cooking.

BOOK: The Quince Project by Jessica Parra is a hilarious YA novel that’s part Disney fandom and part The Wedding Planner.

NONPROFIT: Since it’s Trans Day of Visibility, I’d like to highlight Translifeline, which provides a safe hotline for trans people, run by trans people.

I'm Grateful For... 🍊

The Los Angeles Food Bank. My twins and I volunteered with their elementary school at the LA Food Bank, which feeds more than 900,000 people across Los Angeles. My kids and I were in charge of oranges, pulling out the moldy ones and bagging up the ready-to-eat ones. We had fun and did some good with other volunteers. Thanks to my friend Robin for organizing this wonderful event! The statistics below are what all the volunteers packed on a Saturday morning shift.