If there's an author after my own heart, it's
Wendy Tokunaga. Wendy is like our Japanese soul mate, and her new book
- Midori by Moonlight - is a story about a young woman who leaves Japan
for San Francisco to marry the American man of her dreams, only to have
her hopes dashed when her fiance dumps her for his ex. Broke,
heartbroken, and too ashamed to go home, Midori decides to try and make
it on her own. With the help of her platonic new Japanese transplant
roommate, Midori tries to make a new life as a pastry chef - and maybe
find another chance at love.
Here's our interview with the wonderful Wendy Tokunaga:
What was the inspiration for your book?
~ MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT is about 30-year-old fresh from Japan Midori
Saito, who finds herself lost in translation in San Francisco searching
for her American dream and the perfect dessert. It is inspired by my
Japanese husband’s story of how he never felt he fit in Japan and ended
up trading his native culture for a new one when he settled in the
United States.
Are you working on something right now?
~ I have recently turned in my second book to the publisher. Here is a brief description:
After receiving a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysteries,
33-year-old fledgling singer Celeste Duncan is off to Japan to search
for a long, lost relative who could hold the key to the identity of the
father she never knew. Lost in translation, she stumbles head first
into a weird, wonderful world where nothing is quite as it seems; a
land of gaijin worshippers, karaoke boxes, sushi fortune tellers, and
unbearably perky TV stars. But when she learns to sing a Japanese song
called “The Wishing Star” Celeste finds herself on a path to finding
real love, understanding the true meaning of family and, most of all,
discovering her own voice.
What is something about you that would surprise your readers?
~ That I love to sing in Japanese.
|
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
It used to be that the big milestones in my friends' lives
revolved around their weddings. Lately though, I've been
disturbed by a new milestone many of them seem to be experiencing: the
mid-life crisis (or at least the mid-mid-life crisis). In Jenny Gardiner's new novel, "Sleeping with Ward Cleaver", her heroine Claire Doolittle wakes up one day and finds herself in the middle of the throes of a full-blown mid-life crisis.
Here's our interview with the lovely Ms. Gardiner:
1) How did you get the idea for your book?
The title came to me one day. I guess I have always been a sideline
observer of relationships and we were talking about some couple or
something and the guy was so paternalistic, and I said "Well, it'd be
like sleeping with Ward Cleaver! Ugh!" And the more I thought of it the
more I thought, that's a great title. I like that. Now, to write a book
to go along with it!
2) Are you working on something right now?
I recently finished my WIP, MARY KATE GOES OVER THE FALLS, which
my agent will start shopping soon. It's about a woman trapped in an
abusive marriage who goes out to pick up her husband's dry cleaning and
instead picks up a handsome hitchhiker along the side of the road, the
lure of whom reminds her of the lip of Niagara Falls, said to taunt
people into wanting to jump into the falls. The two embark on a road
trip of self-discover, en route to Niagara Falls, where Mary Kate is
determined to leap into the falls, her first ever act of defiance in
life.
3) What is something about you that would surprise your readers?
Good question. Maybe that I'm REALLY outgoing. LIke I'm the person who
talks up complete strangers in elevators. I know, weird, isn't it? |
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
So I had a lot of reasons to look forward to this past Thursday's book reading at the Borders at Kips Bay. First, the reading was at my very own neighborhood bookstore, whichis just around the corner from my building. Second, the reading was going to be one of our first readings for the paperback release of "China Dolls." Third, this was going to be our first Manhattan bookstore reading since last February when the hardcover came out. Fourth, did I mention the reading was right around the corner from my building?
As it turned out, the most exciting thing about the reading was something completely unexpected: an appearance by New York City Councilman John Liu . Not only is Councilman Liu a wonderful, charming man (and an inspiring council member to boot) who took the time out of his busy schedule to come to our reading, but he had a surprise for us as well: he awarded us with Citations for outstanding achievement by a New York City citizen.
A Citation? Us? All I was expecting was hopefully some interested listeners and readers and a scintillating question or two during the Q&A. As I sit here watching the nonstop news coverage of "Client No. 9", it's kind of nice to know that there are still some New York politicians who spend their time attending little neighborhood book readings instead of holding court with "Emperor's Club" employees.
|
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
Back when CHINA DOLLS first came out,
Michelle and I did book readings galore. Even after our book tour, we
were averaging a signing a week. I won't lie to you though - we were
exhausted after a while. Which was why it was a nice respite to take a
break and focus on writing our next book. Well, after a five-month
hiatus, Michelle and I decided to dip our toe back into the pool and do
a reading at the KGB Bar for the NYC Writer's Circle.
After I exited the F train and was hustling my
way up First Avenue, I got an email from Michelle that she didn't think
our audience was going to like our book. Bursting with curiousity - and
not a little trepidation - I raced into the KGB Bar and asked Michelle
what she meant. Turned out we would be doing our reading after an
"opening act" reading that consisted of a lot of "thrusting",
"bursting" and "climaxing." Or as Michelle put it so succinctly -
"PORN."
Okay, so this wasn't exactly what I was
envisioning for our first reading in almost half a year. It didn't help
that some of the audience members told Michelle we had a hard act to
follow (no pun intended). Well, as it turned out, the reading was great
(so maybe we put a little extra oomph into it) and the Q&A was a
big hit (so maybe Michelle was a little extra "edgy"). It was fun to be
sharing our experiences with our audience, as well as imparting a
little hard-earned writing wisdom. In the end, Michelle and I had a
great time - and we can't wait to start doing it all over again. |
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
As anyone who knows me can tell you, I have a weakness for card
sharks...which is why I can't resist the premise of J ana DeLeon's new
novel " Unlucky." Mallory, the heroine of "Unlucky", is using her
notorious bad luck to "cool" cards on her uncle's casino boat when she
teams up with a dealer/undercover agent to catch a band of money
launderers - and maybe see her luck turn.
Here's our interview with Jana:
1) What was the inspiration for your book?
My husband and I got married in Vegas in 2000. Before we left, I
studied and studied blackjack combinations, determined to beat the
house. Unfortunately, I have absolutely, positively NO LUCK. In fact,
my luck is so bad that when I sit down at a table, not only don't I
win, everyone else starts losing too. So I came up with Mallory
Devereaux, the unluckiest woman in the world, who needs to make some
money fast and decides to do it by "cooling" cards at a poker
tournament of criminals.
2) Are you working on something right now?
I just accepted an offer last Friday for the first two romance/mystery
hybrid books in a related series. The first is entitled GHOST-IN-LAW
and features a woman being haunted by her dead ex-mother-in-law.
3) What is something about you that would surprise your readers?
I used to race motocross, and in fact am in to all kinds of extreme
sports. In addition to motocross bikes, I've owned competition
watercraft (Waverunners), shifter karts (like miniature Formula 1 cars)
and a crotch rocket. I was sponsored by a Yamaha store in Dallas and
other companies such as Oakley. |
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
| It's hard enough to be a teenager, but imagine having to deal with coming of age while trying to hide a disfiguring birthmark on your right eye. That's the situation that Nina Goldman, the heroine of Renee Rosen's heartwarming debut novel " Every Crooked Pot", finds herself in - while she's also trying to deal with an eccentric father and being the youngest of three.
Here's our interview with Ms. Rosen:
1) What was the inspiration for your book?
Even though Every Crooked Pot is somewhat autobiographical, I never
thought to write about growing up with a strawberry birthmark over my
eye until I enrolled in a week-long writing workshop with Michael
Cunningham. Michael gave us an exercise about childhood memories and
I jotted something down about how my father once used my eye to get
out of a speeding ticket. That incident is what inspired the opening
scene of the novel. That was the starting point and from there, the
characters took over and starting telling their own story.
2) Are you working on something right now?
I am at work on a new novel though it's still too young in my mind to
really share with anyone. Wish I could tell you, but right now it's
changing on me day to day!
3) What is something about you that your fans don't know?
I'm a horrible insomniac and can function pretty normally (though
that's a relative term) on about four hours of sleep a night. If I
get five or six, I consider it a great night's sleep. |
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
It's true. The "China Dolls" have been MIA for awhile now and we apologize! We have been quite diligent and were hard at work on the second book. Basically, during that time, we cut off all ties with society and hibernated in Iceland and were stuck in an igloo with two computers. Okay...Okay...That's not quite true but it's been busy. Book Two, which is still titleless (ANY SUGGESTIONS OUT THERE?!), is finally in its editing phase now. We just had dinner with our fabulous editor Diana Szu at New York's Bar Stuzzichini for the first time last week (in months) to discuss book deux. We also got together to discuss "China Dolls", the paperback version, coming out in February 2008! It seems that the excitement will be played out all over again. There will be no book tour of course but it's always exciting to see a new product come out and in the bookstores! I was in LA for like the eighth time this year. I was there for a wedding and for another China Dolls book event. This time, the book festivities took place in Cal State-Los Angeles and I was solo on the job. Being that we have been on hiatus with the events, I was a little nervous I didn't know what to say and Blossom wasn't there to help.  I kept texting her: "Wish you were! I am going to forget everything!". Her words of encouragement back on my blackberry were: "What?! Don't forget your "schpeel"!. The book store is nothing compared to all the other college campuses I've been to. Across the bookstore lies a massive food court with a Carl's Jr, Rice Garden, and some other type of fast food joint. I must say that those choices were much better than what I had in college which was, well, no choice. It was cafeteria food all day, all the time, which meant mystery meat all day, all the time. The bookstore itself was very...yellow. I guess those are the school colors? Anyhow, I felt a little like Phoebe on "Friends" performing "Smelly Cat" as I sat on top of this little stage area and had a microphone and a stool to do my book reading. There were some great students that came to the event. Many thanks to Fred (I wish I knew your last name!) and Nicole Abboud who graciously invited us to the event.  After the event, I realized....I miss college...Ahhh, the 10 cent chicken wings....the memories... Okay, Blossom and I are out from hibernation. We will be emceeing the AARI banquet this coming week in New York and we will be sure to let everyone know how that goes. It's the first time she and I will be emceeing an event together! Take Care! |
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
It's hard to imagine anything worse for a parent than the loss of a
child, but that's the nightmare heroine Ellen Banks finds herself
facing one perfect summer day. In Judy Larsen's new novel, " All The Numbers",
she explores both the depths and heights of the human soul - the thirst
for revenge and the ability to recover from unimaginable loss.
Here's our interview with Ms. Larsen:
1) What was the inspiration for your book?
Well, I was sitting on a dock at a lake in Wisconsin with my best
friend, Her girls and my sons were playing in the water and a jet
skier went by. And I just started thinking, "What if?" What if the
kids had been out too far? What if the jet skier hadn't been paying
attention? What would that do to me as a mother, as a friend? The
story flowed from there. I think, in a way, I'd been writing it ever
since my kids were born. That's the biggest fear for most
parents--losing a child. So I explored it through my character.
2) What are you working on right now?
I’m deep into what I hope will be my next novel--through two different
narrative lines, one set in the present and the other set between
1958-1971 it explores how women are too often defined by others’
expectations and judgments, rather than by themselves and their
dreams. I'm calling it Unexpected Grace.
3) What is something about you that your readers don't know?
Hmm. Probably that I'm distantly related to the only person ever
convicted of cannibalism in the United States. That doesn't come up
very often.
|
|
|
|
| Posted by Michelle and Blossom at | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
