Copyright © 2007 Marjorie M. Liu, All Rights Reserved | Website Design by Marjorie Liu | Hosting by Dreamhost

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new york times bestselling author

So, I’m in China. 

There is nothing more surreal than getting on a plane in one country -- in this case, America, Chicago -- and then exiting that plane in a brand new place that is, in many ways, totally different than the one you left behind.

Surreal, but exhilarating!  Anyway, the flight went smoothly -- I actually slept through most of it, which is highly unusual for me, and when the plane landed I felt like a grizzly bear that had just been knocked out of hibernation.  I think I must have looked like one, too, because the girl at customs almost didn’t believe my passport photo and I were the same person.  Dude!

Then, a massage.  It kills me that in the US this is sometimes seen as a skeezy

thing, but man, in China it is pure reflexology, and I had some knots from that plane to work out.  The girl to the right, who is just about ready to pound the living daylights out of me, is the original Six.  Not an anti-terrorist operative (I don’t think), and definitely more personable than my (and I stress this) FICTIONAL CHARACTER, but still, the inspiration for the name and “undercover occupation” of the title super-spy from my story in Holidays are Hell.  I should clarify that Six is not this girl’s real name, but it is the number assigned to her by the massage clinic / spa*.  Using numbers instead of real names creates a level of privacy, protection, and distance between the girls and the folks who come in off the street (some of whom are, occasionally, very icky men). 

*And, of course, for those who are name-challenged, numbers are also easier to remember.  Ha!

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On the home front, even though Christmas has passed, the holiday spirit doesn’t have to!  Here are some organizations and folks that could use your help:

Kelley Granzow is a wonderful woman who has done tremendous work for our troops overseas.  She has spent huge amounts of her own time and money to send books to our soldiers, and now is beginning to formalize an operation that was already formal (just not on paper).  She's also, finally, receiving more well-deserved recognition for her good work.

To learn more about how you can support Kelley, either through donations of cash or books, contact her at:  kelleygranzow@yahoo.com

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Also, via the wonderful work of Jim Hines, you can donate books to a domestic violence shelter.

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UPDATE:  I’ve been told that “people can NOT send mail to a recovering soldier at Walter Reed...it won't be handed out if there isn't a specific name on it.”  That is a bummer!

Nice little letters or care packages go a long way to making someone stuck in a hospital feel less alone:

A Recovering American soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical  Center

6900 Georgia Avenue,NW

Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

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Cool link:  Wired for Books (audio selections from classic works)

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I’ve also been informed (thank you, Eve!) that SOUL SONG has been nominated for a RT Reviewer’s Choice award!

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More later.  I’ve got to work hard on the writing side today, but I may do some running around if the jet-lag doesn’t get me first. Tomorrow, though, my dad and I are flying to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors.

I’m not being sarcastic, either.  I walked down to Starbucks this morning to drink some hot chocolate and work on my book, and it was more Christmas than Rudolph, Santa, a gang of carolers, and Wisconsin -- all rolled together in some red and green frou-frou delight.  And lest anyone complain that I am forgoing some authentic Chinese experience by plopping down in a big comfy chair with James Taylor and Bing Crosby as my holiday Starbucks soundtrack, let me remind you that there is, quite likely, a Starbucks on almost every street corner in this city, and it’s the locals keeping them in business, not foreigners like me (unless Starbucks receives a government subsidy to stay afloat, but that’s another matter entirely).

Book News: MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL HONEYMOON should be on shelves everywhere by now!  All of the authors are wonderful, and it’s a really fun book.  My contribution is the short story, Where The Heart Lives, and though I’ve said it ad nauseam, I’ll mention again that it’s a prequel to the Dirk & Steele series (and that some of what takes place may have some bearing on the eighth book, The Wild Road, which is my Midwest road trip gargoyle / crazy amnesiac woman story).

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No more updates for the next two or three days while I carouse through Xian.  Stay safe, everyone!

I’m back in Shanghai!  Xi’an was an incredible experience, and I have many stories and pictures to share -- but in the meantime, Happy New Year!  As I’m a full day ahead over here, midnight has come and passed,  so it is now 2008 in this part of the world.  I wish you all a miraculous holiday, and hope that you welcome this new year with joy and love in your hearts.  May all your wishes and dreams come true in 2008 (but even if they don’t, may you find guideposts that set you upon the path to what you most desire).   Stay safe, and be happy!