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

I was going to blog about my trip to Xi’an, but my dad and I went to the bookstore today -- a seven story monolith in the heart of Shanghai -- and while browsing the English language section, guess what I found?

Blink and you’ll miss it, but look close and...X-MEN: DARK MIRROR has found its way to China!  The discovery made me delirious (and rather loud), and we decided to tempt fate and walk down to a second foreign language bookstore to see if if they had more of my books.  This is what we found:

Wheee!!!  Happy New Year, everyone! 

In a break from our regularly scheduled programming, I would like to talk briefly about one of those books you read from time to time, the kind that make you want to be a better writer -- so good you forget to breathe -- and then when you remember it hurts because the characters have made you hurt, and you wonder how you could be affected so deeply, but you give up wondering because that’s a stupid question and the answer is obvious: The author is just that good.

In this case, I’m talking about EVERMORE by Lynn Viehl, which goes on sale tomorrow, January 2nd.  I’m not quite certain where to begin in describing the book; simply, the characters are not only complex -- they are alive.  The universe of the Darkyn has a pulse and you feel it in every word.  And the story!  Oh, man, that story...

In simple terms, EVERMORE is about a woman named Jayr, whose faithful service as seneschal to Darkyn lord Aedan mac Byrne goes beyond mere loyalty -- rooted instead in a secret, even obsessive, love that has lasted centuries.  Unfortunately, Aedan is a man of violent, uncontrollable, impulses -- and fearing he will harm those he loves, decides to leave his kind and enter a life of isolation.  Enter conflict, betrayal, storytelling so rich you want to eat it with a spoon, and romance that is hot, hot, hot. 

The back story of EVERMORE is equally fascinating.  The heroine, Jayr, is based on Ms. Viehl’s grandmother, who as a teen in the Great Depression cut off her hair and dressed as a boy -- called herself Steve -- and worked at a gas station so that she could feed her family.  There’s more -- and I can’t access Ms. Viehl’s blog at the moment to see if she’s shared the tale -- but check out the dedication of EVERMORE, as well as her blog, and maybe you’ll get lucky.

Anyway, to celebrate the release of EVERMORE, I am giving away three sets of the first four books in the series.  To enter, simply send an email to marjoriemliu@gowebway.com with EVERMORE in the subject line.  On the 5th, I’ll draw names, and announce the winners.  If you already have some, but not all the books, and would like to enter to complete your collection, that’s fine, too.  I’m all about spreading the love!

I hope you love EVERMORE as much as I did -- and if you enjoy it, tell the author and all your friends!  Personally, I’m more than a bit taken with one of her secondary characters, Mister Robin of Locksley -- but then, I’ve always been a bit obsessed with the legend of Robin Hood.  I think his book is next, and I cannot wait. 

But first, this truly excellent and timely post from Justine Larbalestier on how to rewrite:

Too true.  Something I need to remember.

And below, a brief glimpse of an author hard at work -- rewriting, no less!  Obligatory Starbucks scene!

Xin Tian Di is one of those places that needs to be seen in order to fully appreciate it.  Packed with restaurants, shopping, bars, and entertainment, Xin Tian Di is also a historical center, of sorts, as it retains the antique walls, tiles, and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai, a style that appeared in the mid-1800s, and that was a product of Chinese and Western architecture. 
Unfortunately, this particular residential style began to fade, and as a means of preserving some segment of Shanghai’s past, folks conceived of turning several blocks of the old neighborhood into a modern commercial area.  Honestly, my dinky little video doesn’t do the place justice as far as sheer eye candy goes, but I hope it gives some little taste.  Xin Tian Di is an expensive tourist trap -- with minimum prices just for sitting down in the bars -- but it is fun for a visit, and you get to meet some really cool and wonderful people like the beautiful woman below, Blues and Jazz singer, Ptah Brown (pronounced ‘TAH’). 

Hailing from Harlem, Ptah has been singing in Shanghai for the past month or two, and will be performing through the end of February.  My parents met her the last time they had dinner at the Blues bar/club.  Very lovely person, a true pioneering spirit, and a gorgeous singer (the clip below doesn’t adequately portray her voice or energy on stage). 

She sat down with us between sets and we talked about everything from purse shopping to all this cold wet air wreaking havoc on her throat.  She has a Myspace page, too!  And the band that played with her is great. According to Ptah, the sax player in the picture is a professor at some local university, and he was a dream to listen to. 

Remember, today is the last day to sign up for the EVERMORE contest! (see below for more information)