About the Author

Apple loves to talk with her readers directly in person or on Zoom. If you would like to invite her to join a club discussion or an event appearance, email her at Apple@AppleAnBooks.com.

Brief Bio

Apple grew up during China’s Cultural Revolution and came to the U.S. in 1989 in her 20s. Her biggest achievement is to be a mom and guardian of five children. She writes, with her pen name Apple An, short stories, memoirs, and historical novels about her life and those of people she knows. Her writing goal is to enrich Asian cultural heritage and history and to enhance cultural understanding and acceptance among all people.

In 2023, Apple published her debut book, Las Crosses, a memoir of the first eight months after she arrived in America from Beijing. It received 2nd and 3rd places and was a finalist for book awards in categories of memoirs, women's non-fiction, multicultural non-fiction, and travel.

In 2024, Apple released her first historical novel, Mother of Red Mountains, based on real events and people. The book won several awards in categories of multicultural fiction, historical fiction, family saga, best first novel, and best adult book.

Apple designed a journal notebook to assist her in living a busy, productive, and mindful life. She published it as a self-help book to benefit others. Apple also co-edits the Voices Anthology Series, which includes contributions from writers who attended The Writer’s Voice classes and workshops.

Apple has been a professor of STEM fields at Syracuse University since 1995. She is a USTA-rated tennis player and an award-winning amateur ballroom dancer. In her spare time, she enjoys organic gardening, hiking, traveling, movies, concerts, books, and cultural events.

Lengthy Bio

Apple has been a professor at Syracuse University since 1995. She has published 200+ academic articles and three books, and received over 16,500 citations from scholars in various disciplines and around the globe. ResearchGate ranks her among highly productive scholars nationally and internationally based on her publications and citations. Apple has received 24 awards and recognition for teaching, research, and services. She is a founding editor-in-chief of a major academic journal. Two academic associations appointed Apple as their inaugural historian.

Apple began her literary journey in 2017 by taking courses at YMCA’s Downtown Writers Center (DWC) in Syracuse, NY. Her original intent was to tell her children about their Chinese heritage. The instructors and fellow authors made her realize her stories could be interesting to many people who only read limited stories or news pieces about China. She also realized that many stereotypes and misunderstandings about cultures and upbringings have a lot to do with not being able to read rich stories. She believed such stories could enhance cultural understanding and acceptance among all people, which could make our world a much better place.

After over 30 years as a professor in STEM fields, Apple found a calling to use her creative voice to enrich Asian cultural heritage and history, and to enhance cultural understanding and acceptance among all people.

Under her pen name, Apple An, she now writes short stories, memoirs, and historical novels about her life and those of people she knows.

In 2023, she published her debut memoir, Las Crosses: An Unwavering Journey to a New Life in America. The book has been among Amazon's best sellers in several categories, including Biographies & Memoirs of Asian & Asian Americans, History of China, Asian American Demographic Studies, and Biographies of Educators. The book was a finalist for the 2023 Annual Independent Author Network (IAN) Books of the Year Award and the 2025 Readers' Choice Book Awards. It earned 2nd and 3rd places for the 2023 Outstanding Creator Award.

In 2024, Apple released her first historical novel, Mother of Red Mountains: A Novel of a Woman's Journey Through Revolutionary China. She dedicated the book to her mother and all loving mothers. The book was the #1 New Release at Amazon.com for Historical Chinese Fiction. It has won multiple awards from eight award agencies. Such include the winner of three categories (Family Saga, General Fiction, and Multicultural Fiction) from The 2025 American Fiction Awards, the winner of Multicultural Fiction at the 2025 International Books Awards, and the winner of Pencraft Spring 2025 Best Book Award. In addition, the book has won silver medals, second and third places, and was a finalist in multiple awards in categories of Historical Fiction, Best New Fiction, Best Adult Book, Women’s Historical Fiction, and Asian American & Pacific Islander Fiction..

Apple has maintained a busy, productive, and mindful life with the help of her self-designed journal notebook, which utilizes the BuJo (Bullet Journal) idea. To benefit others with her experience, in 2023, she published her journal design as a self-help life management tool, titled All-in-One Dotted Journal Notebook.

Apple also co-edits the Voices Anthology Series with Georgia A. Popoff. The series is to provide a channel for writers affiliated with The Writer's Voice Center (formerly DWC) to share their life stories and worldviews. Volume 1, 28 Voices, was published in June 2024. Volume 2 will be published in 2025.

Apple grew up during China’s Cultural Revolution and came to the US in 1989 in her 20s. She is the mother and guardian of five children, a USTA-rated tennis player, and an award-winning amateur ballroom dancer. She grows an organic garden in her backyard and loves hiking, traveling, movies, concerts, books, and cultural events.

Website: AppleAnBooks.com | email: Apple@AppleAnBooks.com.

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