China Dolls
Hi blogland, and let's welcome Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan to the blog today! Michelle and Blossom are the authors of the new book, CHINA DOLLS.
With the traditions and family closeness of The Joy Luck Club and the sass, girl friendships and humor of Sex and the City, comes a novel about three Asian-American women balancing life, love and one another in New York City.
CHINA DOLLS [Thomas Dunne Books/ Pub date: FEB 8th, 2007] by Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan is based on personal experience and introduces three remarkable characters named M.J, Alex and Lin.
o M.J is a tomboyish sportswriter struggling to fit into her family’s traditional Chinese culture and the predominantly Caucasian male world of sports.
o Alex is a confident no-nonsense attorney fighting the submissive Asian woman stereotype and the fear of taking risks after a heartbreaking romance.
o Lin is the risk-taking stockbroker trying not to relive her mother's mistakes— that is until she falls for the office playboy.
Authentic, intelligent and funny, CHINA DOLLS explores how culture can affect one’s personal and professional lives. As if dating isn’t hard enough in New York City, these women have to balance the expectations of family and exceed expectations in the workplace, all while looking for Mr. Right. China Dolls embraces the fusion of these two cultures – a phenomenon that will grasp both commercial and young Asian-American readers today.
Michelle Yu is currently an on-air sports reporter. A Manhattan College graduate, she resides in New York City.
Sports and writing have always been my twin passions.
When I was seven, I received my very first diary. Sure, my life wasn't very exciting as a second grader, but I still wrote down everything in my Hello Kitty journal - even what I ate for dinner and my musings on my favorite "T.G.I.F" lineup show "Full House."
When I was 8, my parents sent me to take tennis lessons, and I fell in love with the sport immediately. Every night, I would write about who I beat in tennis camp that day and how I would one day hold that shiny trophy at Wimbledon, just like Steffi Graf.
So, obviously Wimbledon didn't happen, but I did end up becoming a TV sports reporter. Most of the time, I cover sports stories in New York City, but I also interview professional athletes - including Wimbledon players. I've also gotten my second dream - writing for an audience beyond my Hello Kitty Journal.
Currently, I live in Manhattan and juggle writing (with my lovely cousin and co-author Blossom) and my day job as one of those TV people.
Blossom Kan
Blossom Kan is an attorney in New York City. She graduated from Yale University where she majored in English.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Since I was seven years old, I’ve been writing stories. In fact, in my old room in my parents’ house, there's a desk full of little black and red notebooks filled with stories about these smart, strong girls who ran around saving people (I went through a Nancy Drew phase). Those stories are gathering dust right now, but Michelle and I have tried to keep those girls alive and well - our heroines might not be saving the world but they know how to save themselves.
"Asian-nuanced chick lit. Fun."~The New York Daily News
"Imagine The Joy Luck Club, but with less angst and more boytalk."~Publishers Weekly
"Every woman, regardless of race or ethnicity, is able to relate to Alex, M.J. and Lin."~Asiance Magazine
Michelle and I were sitting around talking about how we love reading chick lit, but we felt that we could add something to the genre - a multicultural twist that could enrich the genre. We decided to start writing down some of these stories we had in our head, and somehow, that ended up becoming a whole novel.
2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
- Don't give up. Writing is not an easy process, and getting a book published is a monumental undertaking. There are about a million times when you feel like giving up - and you really just have to resist the temptation and keep pushing forward.
3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
- Michelle and I have to be extremely organized. We both have full-time day jobs, so the only way we can do any writing is by being really disciplined about when we write. You really have to force yourself into a schedule. Even if you would much rather veg and watch TV, make yourself sit down at the computer at whatever the appointed writing time is and just write.
4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?
- The most exciting thing is seeing your book in the bookstore. It really makes the whole writing thing real and tangible for the first time. The most frustrating is dealing with the fact that you often have to rely on others to get things done - and sometimes, those things don't get done.
5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
- We're actually under contract for our next two books, so Book #2 is definitely on its way. It will focus on the younger sister of the Lin character who dreams about becoming a soap opera actress.
Thank you so much, Blossom and Michelle! You may buy China Dolls at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the best bet, your indy bookseller.
THE BOOK
With the traditions and family closeness of The Joy Luck Club and the sass, girl friendships and humor of Sex and the City, comes a novel about three Asian-American women balancing life, love and one another in New York City.
CHINA DOLLS [Thomas Dunne Books/ Pub date: FEB 8th, 2007] by Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan is based on personal experience and introduces three remarkable characters named M.J, Alex and Lin.
o M.J is a tomboyish sportswriter struggling to fit into her family’s traditional Chinese culture and the predominantly Caucasian male world of sports.
o Alex is a confident no-nonsense attorney fighting the submissive Asian woman stereotype and the fear of taking risks after a heartbreaking romance.
o Lin is the risk-taking stockbroker trying not to relive her mother's mistakes— that is until she falls for the office playboy.
Authentic, intelligent and funny, CHINA DOLLS explores how culture can affect one’s personal and professional lives. As if dating isn’t hard enough in New York City, these women have to balance the expectations of family and exceed expectations in the workplace, all while looking for Mr. Right. China Dolls embraces the fusion of these two cultures – a phenomenon that will grasp both commercial and young Asian-American readers today.
THE AUTHORS
Michelle Yu
Michelle Yu
Michelle Yu is currently an on-air sports reporter. A Manhattan College graduate, she resides in New York City.
Sports and writing have always been my twin passions.
When I was seven, I received my very first diary. Sure, my life wasn't very exciting as a second grader, but I still wrote down everything in my Hello Kitty journal - even what I ate for dinner and my musings on my favorite "T.G.I.F" lineup show "Full House."
When I was 8, my parents sent me to take tennis lessons, and I fell in love with the sport immediately. Every night, I would write about who I beat in tennis camp that day and how I would one day hold that shiny trophy at Wimbledon, just like Steffi Graf.
So, obviously Wimbledon didn't happen, but I did end up becoming a TV sports reporter. Most of the time, I cover sports stories in New York City, but I also interview professional athletes - including Wimbledon players. I've also gotten my second dream - writing for an audience beyond my Hello Kitty Journal.
Currently, I live in Manhattan and juggle writing (with my lovely cousin and co-author Blossom) and my day job as one of those TV people.
Blossom Kan
Blossom Kan is an attorney in New York City. She graduated from Yale University where she majored in English.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Since I was seven years old, I’ve been writing stories. In fact, in my old room in my parents’ house, there's a desk full of little black and red notebooks filled with stories about these smart, strong girls who ran around saving people (I went through a Nancy Drew phase). Those stories are gathering dust right now, but Michelle and I have tried to keep those girls alive and well - our heroines might not be saving the world but they know how to save themselves.
THE PRAISE
"Asian-nuanced chick lit. Fun."~The New York Daily News
"Imagine The Joy Luck Club, but with less angst and more boytalk."~Publishers Weekly
"Every woman, regardless of race or ethnicity, is able to relate to Alex, M.J. and Lin."~Asiance Magazine
THE INTERVIEW
questions answered by Blossom
1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.questions answered by Blossom
Michelle and I were sitting around talking about how we love reading chick lit, but we felt that we could add something to the genre - a multicultural twist that could enrich the genre. We decided to start writing down some of these stories we had in our head, and somehow, that ended up becoming a whole novel.
2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
- Don't give up. Writing is not an easy process, and getting a book published is a monumental undertaking. There are about a million times when you feel like giving up - and you really just have to resist the temptation and keep pushing forward.
3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
- Michelle and I have to be extremely organized. We both have full-time day jobs, so the only way we can do any writing is by being really disciplined about when we write. You really have to force yourself into a schedule. Even if you would much rather veg and watch TV, make yourself sit down at the computer at whatever the appointed writing time is and just write.
4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?
- The most exciting thing is seeing your book in the bookstore. It really makes the whole writing thing real and tangible for the first time. The most frustrating is dealing with the fact that you often have to rely on others to get things done - and sometimes, those things don't get done.
5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
- We're actually under contract for our next two books, so Book #2 is definitely on its way. It will focus on the younger sister of the Lin character who dreams about becoming a soap opera actress.
Thank you so much, Blossom and Michelle! You may buy China Dolls at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the best bet, your indy bookseller.
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