Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My historical novel “The Immoderate Temper of Mrs. Chen’s Daughter” is my first book. I enjoyed a long career as an engineer, the last six years of which I worked for a Chinese company. Now I travel and write. I spend most of my time in China, Indonesia, and Thailand. You can read about my travels at www.easterntales.wordpress.com. I have been studying Chinese for some time and have many friends in China. I enjoy hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and, of course, writing.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The idea for “The Immoderate Temper of Mrs. Chen’s Daughter” came from my observation of a young girl in a poultry market in the city of Kunming, China. The girl was, perhaps, eight years old and she was responsible for the slaughter, plucking, and dressing of the live ducks and chickens purchased by customers. The author was fascinated by the sight of this little girl and the carnage she created. The author wondered what such a girl would be like as she grew to adulthood.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do all of my writing on a macbook, at the seaside, in Thailand or Indonesia, in a comfortable lounge chair, often with a gin and tonic in my hand. I write best when I am out of communication with anyone I know.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Pearl Buck (The Good Earth, Peony), The Golden Lotus (The Plum in the Golden Vase), Philip Roth, George Simenon (The Train), Bertolt Brecht (Mother Courage), Gunter Grass (The Tin Drum), Graham Greene, George Orwell, Madame Bovary (especially the death scene), William Styron (Sophie’s Choice), Edith Wharton. In my book, the relationship between Slaughtering Girl and Comrade Zhao was particularly influenced by the relationship between Xena and Gabriella in the television series Xena the Warrior Princess. The first half of the book was heavily influenced by the song Sweet Dreams (are Made of This) by the Eurhythmics which I was not able to get out of my head.
What are you working on now?
I am just getting started. I think it will be a mystery.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I knew how to promote the book. Strangely, I have sold more copies of the Audio edition than the Kindle or print editions and I have done nothing to promote this.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, yes, yes. The most important thing I have learned is to record what you are writing, let it sit for a day, and then listen to it. When you record, you hear all kinds of things that looked fine on the page but just don’t sound right when read. Then, when you listen to the recording, you hear an entirely different set of things that sound wrong.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I can tell you the worst advice I have ever heard. “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” …Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway left this as a land mine to sabotage beginning authors. By the time you know the truest thing you know, you are ninety years old and have some difficulty moving the pen. Ignore this advice.
What are you reading now?
I generally listen rather than read. I have a subscription to Audible. I am currently listening to The Internal Enemy by Alan Taylor (about slavery in Virginia). I just finished Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (as loaded with similes as an ancient cigarette ad). Before that, the wonderful The Complete Sherlock Holmes.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am taking some time to try to publicize my book in the US, but I can’t wait to get back to my travels in Asia which feels like where I belong. Then I can begin serious work on my next book.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“How to Distill Quality Gin from Coconuts”, “The Hobbyists Guide to Building a Fire”, “A Thousand and One Nights” (unabridged), and “The Complete Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature” (the waterproof edition).
Author Websites and Profiles
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