Samantha Chong

Samantha Chong

@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

✍️ Malaysian fiction writer 💻 freelance social media strategist/newsletter person 🧠 lover of puns 🍴avid food maker/eater 🐅 YA fantasy PRODIGAL TIGER (Putnam Children's) > March 17, 2026. rep: Larissa Melo Pienkowski https://linktr.ee/samjamtimtam

545 followers309 following101 posts

Pinned

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

BREAKING: Meet PAPER GHOSTS, my new Malaysian YA contemporary fantasy coming in 2028! I am so delighted to return to Penang in this book! The characters in this are so sassy and I adore them so much. On deck: ghosts, shenanigans, and more ghost-punching.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

Need a Halloween read? May I recommend PRODIGAL TIGER, a Malaysian YA contemporary fantasy with supernatural elements, written by **checks notes** me! It features ghosts, monsters, and witches — three elements perfect for this season. (1/2)

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

(2/2) It may not be a pure horror, but it certainly ticks a lot of supernatural boxes. I would rate it 👻👻 — ideal for those of us who are a little bit light on the horror vibes but want to be a little bit scared still!

Samantha Chong reposted

Round Table Mentor
@roundtablementor.bsky.social

AND WE’RE LIVE! Welcome to our #roundtablementor mentee pitch party! From 8 am to 8 pm EST today, you can browse the #roundtablementor hashtag across Bluesky, Twitter, and Instagram to see what our mentees have been up to. (Spoiler: They’ve been writing amazing stories! 👏)

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

PRODIGAL TIGER is out in the world today. Even typing these words out feels surreal. 7 years of work and 7 years of a wild, wonderful ride, and now it’s over. Or rather—it’s just beginning.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

Let me just say: This book is about home, but it’s also about the people who make up what you consider home. I am so deeply lucky that I met you (YES, YOU, READER), and that we get to walk this journey together.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

PRODIGAL TIGER is yours now. May you find home in its pages. May it answer some things for you. May it ask the right questions. May it be a stepping stone in your journey to define home, whatever comes next.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

THIS IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED THANK YOU MARLEY AHHHHH

Marley Rose-Teter@marleyroseteter.bsky.social

Happiest of pub days to my Deb Ball sister, Samantha Chong, and her phenomenal YA fantasy, PRODIGAL TIGER!! In her honor, may I present.... Prodigal Tiger-themed cock/mocktails!

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

BREAKING: Meet PAPER GHOSTS, my new Malaysian YA contemporary fantasy coming in 2028! I am so delighted to return to Penang in this book! The characters in this are so sassy and I adore them so much. On deck: ghosts, shenanigans, and more ghost-punching.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

I am so grateful to everyone who’s endured my DMing, countless drafts, and long phone calls. None of this would have been possible without you. Thanks to my agent Larissa Melo Pienkowski, my editor, Tiara, and all my patient friends. I hope you will love what PAPER GHOSTS has in store for you.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

A STARRED REVIEW!!!!! From @ala_booklist ?! I am over the moon to get to share this with all of you. Truly it has been such a ride getting to connect with folks who have loved Caroline as much as I do, and I have so loved hearing your thoughts on the ghosties and the crew's shenanigans .

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

breaking news! PRODIGAL TIGER is "Read Now" on NetGalley currently, which means that you can request it without needing approval! I'm not sure how long the window is open, but if you wanted to dive into a world of monsters and magic, This Is Your Moment. I hope you enjoy Caroline's shenanigans!

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

Hi! I'm Samantha Chong, a Malaysian fiction writer. My Malaysian YA fantasy debut PRODIGAL TIGER follows Caroline Chua, a young witch who returns home to Penang, Malaysia, to find her missing brother, only to realise that if she wants to him back, she's going to have to fight more than a few ghosts.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

Prodigal Tiger has and always will be a love letter to my hometown, but also the idea of home, complicated as it feels once you leave and come back. I hope you see something of yourself in Caroline and her friends ❤️

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

PRODIGAL TIGER's cover is the gift that keeps on giving — couldn't resist taking a photoshoot with it when the light was really good! ICYMI, PRODIGAL TIGER is available for request now on NetGalley and Edelweiss! Run, don't walk :) Links in thread.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

we're answering questions about RTM today! swing bybthe RTM account to ask your burning qs or if you have one for me specifically leave it below!

Round Table Mentor@roundtablementor.bsky.social

Today’s the day! Have a question about the program, application process, or our mentors? Ask it below! #writingmentorship #roundtablementor #writingcommunity

Samantha Chong reposted

Round Table Mentor
@roundtablementor.bsky.social

Attention applicants! We're hosting an AMA on the RTM socials on 11/3 starting at 8 a.m. EST! We'll be answering questions about the program or anything specific you have for our mentors. (Some will also have AMAs on their personal pages, so keep an eye out!) See you then!

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

All 6 elements are present in PRODIGAL TIGER, a Malaysian YA fantasy where a girl returns home to find her missing brother has been kidnapped by ghosts. ft: 🌴 malaysian lore 🌴 complicated diaspora feelings about home 🌴 second chance friends to lovers (? maybe?) bit.ly/prodigal-tig...

bit.lyProdigal Tiger by Samantha ChongAn action-packed YA contemporary fantasy debut that brings vibrant Malaysian folklore to life.For five years, Caroline Chua has lived in exile from her home ...
Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

Thrilled to get to talk to students at The High School of Art And Design as part of their launch for the AAPI Club's anthology, "Have You Eaten Yet"! The 28-page collection anthology features stories that illustrates the deep cultural connections between food and history across AAPI communities.

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

All proceeds received for sales of the anthology (only $18!) will support Yu and Me Books, NYC's only Asian-owned bookstore. The goal is to reach $2000 by 6/15 — any donations or purchases are appreciated. www.zeffy.com/en-US/fundra...

zeffy.comDonate to Art & Design High School AAPI MagazineThe AAPI Club is proud to launch its fundraising anthology, "Have You Eaten Yet?" This 28-page collection of food stories beautifully illustrates the deep cultural connections between food, history, a...

Samantha Chong reposted

Roanne Lau
@roannelau.bsky.social

🎉 I AM OFFICIALLY A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!!! 🎉 My book The Serpent Called Mercy has officially hit shelves in North America (UK/Commonwealth tomorrow)! This is a dream come true for me, and I’m so grateful. Here’s my very last unboxing video to celebrate:

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

it's not lost on me, btw, that while this guy is doing this extremely bad take /for a newspaper/, authors of color are losing sleep over representation in their books because they want to get every single thing right to be good stewards of the cultures they're sharing

Grant Marek@grantmarek.bsky.social

“They gave me some chopsticks,” Potts says. “That was a bad idea. I don’t know how to use chopsticks. Pro tip: You can just stab stuff with them.” www.sfgate.com/la/article/l...

sfgate.comLA Times deletes cringey Tokyo food video from Dodgers game after backlashThe Los Angeles Times deleted a concession food review video from Japan's Tokyo Dome after facing Instagram comment backlash.

Samantha Chong reposted

amanda 🇵🇸🔻 | bookishbrews.com
@amandasbrews.bsky.social

come visit and see this beautiful cover 😌 bookishbrews.com/twin-tides-h...

bookishbrews.comTwin Tides by Hien Nguyen, Exclusive Cover Reveal, Interview, & Excerpt – Bookish BrewsBookish Brews is a book blog dedicated to celebrating and promoting books by marginalized authors. Decolonize your bookshelf with me!
Hien Nguyen (mostly updates)@authorhien.bsky.social

The exclusive cover reveal, excerpt, & interview are live on BookishBrews 😭 I’m so excited to share the absolutely STUNNING cover of Twin Tides with you all. Credit: Reiko Murakami - art & Trisha Previte - design bookishbrews.com/twin-tides-h...

Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

today's edition of "pieces that will haunt me for a long time": this piece by allegra rosenberg. the headline is true, but it's also a fascinating lens into how grief and loss calcifies relationships, and how those experiences immortalize us to other folks. magazine.atavist.com/from-antarct...

magazine.atavist.comThe Love Story Hiding in a Legendary TragedyCaptain Robert Falcon Scott’s doomed journey to Antarctica captivated the world. But hidden within the legend was a story that has never been told—a love affair between two of the crew who survived.
Samantha Chong
@samjamtimtam.bsky.social

me, shaking you wildly by the shoulders: WRITING IS SO COOL STORIES ARE SO COOL I LOVE HOW WRITERS CAN MAKE A STORY SO VAST AND ENCOMPASSING AND BEAUTIFUL AND MEAN MORE THAN WHAT THE FRAME STORY IS ABOUT

Samantha Chong reposted

CitruSEA
@citrusea.bsky.social

🍋 SOUTHEAST ASIAN CREATIVES INTEREST FORM 🍋 We are now taking applications for Southeast Asian creatives who are interested in a feature interview on our website and social media! If that sounds like you, fill out the form below! We'd love to spotlight you. 🥰 FAQ THREAD BELOW, PLEASE READ 🧵

forms.gleCITRUSEA // SLICE OF LIFE // INTEREST FORMHey there! This is the signup form for Southeast Asian creatives who are interested in a feature interview for CitruSEA, a multimedia brand that aims to showcase the sweet and tart stories of Southeas...