a great time was had by all!

Flushing library asked me to do an event for their Teen Author Talk series, so this past Saturday I had the pleasure of going down to their library.  I was expecting a low turnout (like 2), but I was surprised to see about 20 teens there.  I loved every minute I spent there.  These were teens who were there because they wanted to be there - nobody forced them, nobody even asked them.  Fact is, they could have been home playing on their PS3 or Wii or on Facebook or any number of non-literary activities.  But they were there on their own.  And they were simply thrilled to listen to me! It was such a pleasure to be in their company, and to speak to them about the joys of reading, writing, and Crossing. Really, I was preaching to the choir.

It was such a wonderful time of back-and-forth discussion and sharing, I couldn't have asked for a better time.  A few of them had already read Crossing and hearing their thoughts and impressions of the book was priceless.  When one girl told me (shyly, eyes turned down) that she was so moved by the book that it had made her cry, it was the perfect kind of compliment.

An hour and a half breezed by in no time.  I was such a fan of these youth who so love books and seemed so interested in Crossing that I couldn't help but just give away all the copies of the book I had on me.  Check out the photos below, low res, but hi fun.  Favorite book event so far!

Starred Review from Booklist!

I've known about this for awhile, but today it went public so I can share this great news with you.  Crossing received a Starred Review from Booklist!  As I've been telling some people, before I felt lucky to get published, but now I feel legit.  Surprisingly, Booklist put it under the Adult category as opposed to the Young Adult category.  Anyway, here's the review:

It’s freshman year for Kris Xu. But those annual fantasies of remaking himself from the quiet Chinese kid with the voice that is “Jackie Chan cumbersome” are dashed when the usual indignities resume: bullying, racism, and underestimation. Even his best friend and secret crush, Naomi—the only other Chinese student—seems to be pulling away. Then two things happen: he stumbles into an audition for the school musical and finds the glorious voice he thought he left in China, and other students start showing up dead. Although it has the plot outline of a thriller, this semifinalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Contest has the careful language and fine observations of a book with much more on its mind. Wrapped up ever more tightly in the plot is Kris’ sense of racial and emotional identity, and his battle with self-loathing begins to test his reliability as a narrator. Even his name is a feint; those who know him call him Xing—but who really knows him? There are a handful of suspects to the increasingly grisly crimes, and though the ultimate revelations are a tad rushed, they contain enough heartbreaking truths to deliver a significant punch. Sad, elegant, and creepy, this is a deft debut.

book launch

I recently attended my first-ever book-signing.  It also happened to be for Crossing, my debut novel!  Being the first book signing I'd ever been to, I went in a little blind, not sure what to say or do.  My plan was to keep it casual and as engaging as possible.  The audience - made up of friends from every arena of my life - was very supportive and encouraging.  The book store, Book Revue, were amazing and gracious hosts - they usually host celebrities, so I really appreciate their helping out the little guy in my case.  Here are some photos, taken by photographer extraordinaire Justin Ong (www.jongphoto.com) who took all the author shots on this website (he also does weddings, portraits, etc.):

book trailer!

It was an exciting first day.  I must have checked my Amazon sales rank about 25 times.  It's a little sad how it can obsess a person, these numbers.  Anyway, some nice reviews came out in the blogosphere (and a scalding critique on my Amazon page - sheesh, what is it with some people), and it's always enjoyable to read how others got something valuable out of the book.

And my publisher sent me an email late last night to let me know the book trailer has come out.  Break out your popcorn, folks! 

CROSSING is born

Tossed and turned last night in excitement and anticipation.  Checked to see if my Amazon sales rank had jumped since the last time I'd checked (ten minutes previously), as if anyone would buy a book at 3 am.

When it was close enough to dawn, I jumped out of bed.  There was something I could do, I realized.  I bought the Kindle version.  Within seconds, I was reading it.  It was neat to see Crossing and my name right there on the Kindle, right down to the chapter markers.

That's the thing about having your book released in paperback and Kindle format.  It's like you're giving birth to twins.  Fraternal twins.

Arc de Triomphe

Monday was one of those pinch-me days.  My ARCs arrived.  An ARC (Advance Reader Copy) is what publishers send out to media outlets in the  months leading up to publication in the hopes of snagging reviews, interviews, etc.  The ARC is basically the book itself, without the final edits and with the words Advance Reader's Copy - Uncorrected Proof emblazoned on the front cover.

So I tore open the box like a kid on Christmas morning and this is what I saw:

I went into a delirium for a few minutes.  Caught myself stroking it Gollum-like, whispering My Precious, my Precious...  The colors on the cover, especially on the edges, were a little darker than expected, which I liked: it captured the sense of ominous and impending danger well.

I showed it to my oldest son who asked if there were any pictures inside.  Hiding his disappoint when I told him there were none, he took the book into his hands.  What impressed him the most wasn't the cover design, or even my author photo inside, but was - strangely - how it smelled.  He kept rubbing his nose on the cover, inside the book, sniffing hard.  He liked the smell.  Now I know why I wrote the book.

But what a feeling to be finally holding the book in my hands!  The visceral physicality of it.  So I did what came most natural.  I turned to the first page and started reading.  Hours later, I was still at it.

reconnecting...

Over the past few weeks, I've been letting family, friends, and work colleagues know about the upcoming release date of Crossing.  Most people - after getting over their initial surprise (few had any inkling I've been working on a novel) - have expressed genuine happiness for me, and their sincerity shows in their eyes.  Their encouragement and enthusiasm for the book has been awesome and humbling.  They've asked, for example, what is the best way to buy the book (online or in-store purchase) so as to "help my career as an author."  They've asked about the plot, the editorial process, the cover design; their curiosity and interest in the book move me deeply.

It's also been an awesome way to reconnect with college buddies.  Facebook is great for reconnecting, but most of my previous interactions with college friends have been limited to clicking the "like" button, or writing "cute kids!" to photos.  With the Crossing's imminent publication, however, there's been communication at a deeper level with these college friends, many of whom I haven't seen or really even spoken with for over a decade.  That's been an unexpected benefit to Crossing's publication.

One of the things I've realized in speaking/writing with a few of them is just how far back my dream of authoring a novel goes.  I thought that dream was something that began post-college, but apparently a few of them remember how even back in my college days I had talked about it.  How I used to tap away on my Macintosh Classic, punching out stories.  And suddenly memories have come back: my freshman roommate reading my short story, liking it so much that he passed it around among our circle of friends; the affirming look my creative writing professor gave me after he finished reading aloud one of my short stories to the class; being intoxicated in my Hemingway class by the austere beauty of his literary craftsmanship.

It goes back so far.  Probably even further back if I really think about it.  Maybe that's why April 27, 2010, feels like the culmination of something almost four decades in the making.  A destination of sorts after a long journey.  Or a way station.  And why I find myself waking up an hour early each morning, my heart thumping with excitement.