Sandra Yuen MacKay

Chop Shtick Sandra Yuen MacKay

Are you interested in art, artists, comical situations, unusual circumstances, or stand-up comedy that verges on political incorrectness? If you said yes to any of the above, I recommend my novel, Chop Shtick. Told by Cathy Fung, a single, schizophrenic, Chinese artist, nicknamed the "Queen of Clichés," this story twists quickly into mayhem and amusement. The Big Six, made up of six struggling artists including Cathy, are commissioned to build an Upcycled sculpture in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Cathy is paranoid about the neighbours' missing cat and strange goings on next door. The artists investigate, which leads into a dangerous escapade. Not only is Cathy envious of her older brother Leonard the Pest but also Nathan X, an aspiring painter in the group, who dates a snobby Parisian named Sylvie. "I know all about Canada. The beaver fur trade, hunting buffalo, igloos and pemmican," says Sylvie. Marco Manicotti, a muscled sculptor, fights with Denise, a Chinese accessory designer, over the position of a pipe. The leader of the group, Raj aka the Big Kahuna, a troubled artist himself, knows Cathy's weaknesses are her naivety and a heart that cares too much. Cathy is led on a path of self-discovery toward her true potential.