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Kailei Pew
Dec 4, 20233 min read

PB 23 Bunch Features: Kim-Hoa Ung

Hello, friends! And happy December. I'm back with our final PB 23 Bunch Feature! And what a year it has been. I am incredibly grateful for these amazing creators and for the chance we had to get through the ups and downs of this year together.


And today, I get to sit down and chat with one of the absolute kindest people you will ever meet. Kim-Hoa Ung is truly just so wonderful. She's always aware of others, supportive, cheering, and all around such a great person. And her debut picture book, A GIFT FOR NAI NAI drops tomorrow! I know I'm super excited to snag my own copy.


So join me today in welcoming Kim-Hoa Ung to the blog as today's PB23Bunch Feature!



Kailei: Welcome! I'm so glad you're here with me today. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey?


Kim-Hoa: My name is Kim-Hoa and I am a picture book author-illustrator and an amigurumi artist. My two children inspired me to become an author-illustrator. One day while reading, my daughter asked why there weren’t any characters like her. It made me think about how nice it would be for my little girl to be able to identify with a character similar to her. That’s how my dream of publishing a children’s book came about. I hope to achieve that some day and to be able to dedicate it to my little girl and others like her.


Kailei: That is so wonderful, Kim-Hoa! I am so glad that your daughters and others will be able to see themselves in your books. So let's delve just a bit deeper... what inspired your debut book, specifically?


Kim-Hoa: My debut book is inspired by my grandma whom I am grateful to have been able to crochet hats for. I do not see picture books involving crochet, so this also inspired me to write one.


Kailei: That is so special. I love that connection to your own grandma and can't wait to read all the details in the story. My mom taught me to crochet, but like you say, it's not something you see a lot of. Really looking forward to it. (And full disclosure: I don't crochet well. hahaha. I pretty much only mastered the square dish cloth).

What message would you like for your readers to walk away with?


Kim-Hoa: To always try your best. Even though something may not turn out perfect, it may mean the world to someone.


Kailei: That is such a needed message. I know I struggled with perfectionism as a child (still struggle to be real), and we definitely need more books about things not needing to be perfect. I know we've already mentioned it, but tell us again... When does your debut hit shelves?


Kim-Hoa: December 5, 2023


Kailei: TOMORROW!!!!! EEEEEEEEkkkkkkk! I am So excited for you! Before I let you to do all the fun debut stuff... Where can we follow you online?


Webpage: kimhoaung.com


I have an Etsy shop: autumnleaflet.etsy.com where you can find patterns to create my original designs.


Kailei: Ooooh! That's SO cool, Kim-Hoa! Now readers... you may remember that one of Kim-Hoa's amigurumi crochet pencil plushie just went for a LOT of money in an auction for Palestine. So you will be really excited to know that she is offering a FREE CROCHET PENCIL to one lucky reader. OR if amazing crochet pencils somehow aren't your thing, you can still enter to win a PB MS Critique or Query critique. See all the details below! And thank you for joining me, Kim-Hoa! I hope you have a really wonderful debut season!



GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY


Kim-Hoa is generously offering one lucky reader their choice of a PB MS Critique, Query critique, or an amigurumi crochet pencil plushie. (These things are FAMOUS people... don't miss your chance!)




To enter:





For a bonus entries:




About Kim-Hoa Ung


Kim-Hoa is a picture book author/illustrator and an amigurumi artist.

Her two children inspired her to become an author/illustrator. One day while reading, her daughter asked why there weren’t any characters like her. It made Kim-Hoa think about how nice it would be for her little girl to be able to identify with a character similar to her. That’s how her dream of publishing a children’s book came about. She hopes to achieve that some day and to be able to dedicate it to her little girl and others like her.


About PB23Bunch




The PB23Bunch is a diverse group of 12 authors and illustrators with Picture Books debuting in 2023. We cannot wait to get our books in your hands!!

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Kailei Pew
Oct 23, 20233 min read

PB23Bunch Features: Susan Yoon


Hello, friends! And welcome to the blog! It's been quite some time since I've done a PB23Bunch Feature, but I was holding on to this one to help Susan celebrate launch week! Susan and I actually share a debut day, which is super exciting. And that means that Susan's beautiful debut, WAITING FOR TOMORROW drops, well... tomorrow! (Did I specifically wait to run this feature today specifically so I could say that I'm anxiously waiting for tomorrow for my copy to arrive? Yes, yes I did.)


I'm really excited for this book and hope you'll snag your own copy!





Kailei: Hi, Susan! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey?


Susan: Thanks so much Kailei for the opportunity to talk about my writing and the book. It’s so

great to get to talk to another debut author!


I think I’ve always done some sort of writing since I was very young – whether poems, or

short stories, but it didn’t seem like a thing you could do, like, as a job. So I wrote in other

ways, as a technical writer, and eventually getting a job in communications. I had it in my

head that it was too hard, and that I was too old to start something like “becoming a writer.”

But one day I found myself turning 40, newly divorced, and I got this feeling that I had

nothing to lose. Writing for kids had always been in the back of my mind, and I thought well,

it’s now or never.


Kailei: I love that so much! It's truly never too late to give up on your dreams and I love that you went for it rather than worrying the timing was bad. What inspired your debut book?


Susan: It really started with the phrase – “but when is tomorrow?” – which ended up in the book. I could hear it very clearly in my head, a little girl asking, anticipating. I don’t know where that phrase came from, but from there, I brainstormed what that girl might be waiting for, anticipating about tomorrow. I ended up sharing some childhood memories with my sister, and that got me thinking about two sisters – and the story evolved from there.


Kailei: That sounds wonderful! I'm so excited to see exactly what you did with it. And what a seriously kid friendly question... What IS tomorrow?!

What message would you like for your readers to walk away with?


Susan: I’m not sure if there is a message, but I think I want readers to walk away with a feeling of having walked through the small bits of life and feeling the warmth of them.


Kailei: That is so beautiful. I love those important slice of life moments. When does your debut hit shelves?


Susan: October 24, 2023!


Kailei: HOORAY for tomorrow!!! Before I let you go, where can we follow you online?


Susan: I’m only on Instagram @susansyoon and you can also visit my website

www.susanyoon.com Thank you for the interview Kailei!


Kailei: Absolutely! Thank you for joining me!


GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!


Susan is generously offering one lucky reader a pb ms critique!


To enter:





For a bonus entries:





About Susan Yoon

Susan Yoon is a writer of books for children and an avid hobby doodler. She has a debut picture book, Waiting for Tomorrow, coming out in 2023. Hope you’ll check it out. ​ Growing up, Susan was not an avid reader or writer, although she did both, very slowly and steadily. Eventually her love of writing caught fire, and although she's done all kinds of writing — from poetry to screenplays to short stories — it was writing stories for kids that made her feel like her words had found their true home.




About PB23Bunch




The PB23Bunch is a diverse group of 12 authors and illustrators with Picture Books debuting in 2023. We cannot wait to get our books in your hands!!


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Kailei Pew
Oct 9, 20234 min read

Monster Launch MONSTER Giveaway

Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Hello friends! Can you believe we’re well into October?? And do you know that what that means??? It is officially LAUNCH MONTH for my debut picture book, THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED. Written by me, illustrated by the incomparable Steph Lew, this book is one of many layers. With a fun twist on a classic fear, Blossom will help you find out what the monsters under our beds think of US! You’ll see layers of courage, friendship, judgments/othering, and more. I hope this book brings joy to young readers everywhere!




Now… in the spirit of Launch Month, I am offering a MONSTERLY HUGE GIVEAWAY!





One grand prize winner will be able to CHOOSE between:

  • Mini PB Mentorship with Kailei Pew: two (1.5 hour each) zoom calls to discuss anything and everything publishing PLUS three rounds of extensive revision on one PB manuscript PLUS work on pitches and queries

  • Virtual full day author visit. A school may choose up to four presentations plus a “lunch with an author” to be given virtually.

  • In person full day author visit (available only in the Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and San Diego area). Schools may choose up to four presentations plus a “lunch with an author” in one full day, in person visit.


Two additional winners will receive signed copies of THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED with stickers and bookmarks.


Two ADDITIONAL winners will receive a 20 min AMA phone call OR virtual classroom reading with Kailei.


That means 5 total prize winners!


And those are some exciting prizes!!!


So… how do you enter??


There are 10 different ways to rack up entries PLUS some MAJOR optional bonus entries... and some of them can be completed multiple times!

Even once a day.


The only required entry is to provide your name and email address on the raffle copter below and tell me which prize you would choose if selected. But if you want a better chance of winning, make sure to compete the additional entries below! (PLEASE NOTE: Rafflecopter is not working on mobile devices for some reason. Please enter on a computer, or contact me if you cannot do that and I will record your entries manually. SO sorry for the inconvenience).


  1. Required (worth one entry): enter your info and tell me which prize you would choose in the raffle copter below so that I know how to contact you if you win.

  2. 3 bonus entries: Subscribe to Kailei’s email list at kaileipewbooks.com/subscribe (and mark that you did on the rafflecopter below).

  3. 1 bonus entry (can be completed every day for up to 20 bonus entries): post about THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED on social media (and mark that you did on the rafflecopter below)

  4. 1 bonus entry (can be completed every day for up to 20 total bonus entries): send a text message to a friend with a suggestion to purchase THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED. If you want to make it extra easy, you can copy and paste this message: Hi! There's a brand new picture book coming out this month that I think you will love. It's called THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED and flips the traditional story in a really cute way that gets kids asking what the monsters under our beds think of US. You can check it out at KaileiPewBooks.com/monster

  5. 5 bonus entries: request that your local bookstore carry THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED (and mark that you did in the rafflecopter below)

  6. 5 bonus entries (complete after reading the book on or after October 24th): leave an honest Goodreads review HERE (and mark that you did in the rafflecopter below)

  7. 5 bonus entries (complete after reading the book on or after October 24th): leave an honest Amazon review HERE (and mark that you did in the rafflecopter below)

  8. 1 bonus entry: Follow @KaileiPewBooks on Instragram

  9. 1 bonus entry: Follow @KaileiPew on Twitter

  10. 1 bonus entry: Leave a comment on this blog post below!

Bonus BONUS entries.

Note: rafflecopter only allows up to 5 Bonus points for an action, so Kailei will enter these manually. All orders already made through Literally, A Bookshop have been counted and if you already submitted a receipt through my webinar campaign, you also have been entered already!


  1. 20 bonus entries: Order THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED OR request it from your local library and upload proof of purchase HERE. (You may do BOTH, preorder AND library request for 40 bonus entries).

  2. 25 bonus entries: donate a copy of THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED to a child in need HERE

  3. Donate funds toward getting THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED into Title I Schools HERE (1 bonus entry per dollar donated)


And remember, Preordering the Book ALSO gets you free seats into one of my webinars! So this is a GREAT deal! Make sure to ALSO register for one of those events HERE.


WHOO! This is exciting!


The giveaway is open NOW through October 31st! You have 21 days to log those entries. And I honestly am SO grateful for you helping me spread the word about my debut picture book. I hope that this is just a small way that I can give back and I hope that it gets people really excited!


So... GOOD LUCK! And THANK YOU for entering. I hope this is really fun for everyone!








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