She thought that fate was finished with her. But it was only beginning… After being banished to a remote abbey, Daiyu thinks the machinations of the inner court can no longer hurt her. But she is wrong. A ghost from the past emerges and threatens everything Daiyu has worked so hard to build for herself. Read More
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Empress in Hiding: Empress in Disguise Book 2
She thought that the favor of the emperor would keep her safe. She was wrong. At the center of power and privilege, Daiyu is now in more danger than she ever imagined. No longer able to hide among the countless palace ladies, as empress, Daiyu cannot escape the jealousy and scheming of the other women Read More
Empress in Disguise: Empress in Disguise Book 1
To save her family, one girl will sacrifice her very identity. Living in poverty in the shadow of the Forbidden City, Daiyu never imagined that the life of the emperor would impact her own. But a chance meeting with a girl who looks exactly like her changes everything. Daiyu’s family is offered enough money to Read More
Mulan 2020: We Haven’t Come A Long Way, Baby
This post contains SPOILERS for the Disney live-action version of Mulan. Don’t scroll past Mushu if you don’t want to be spoiled. In 1978, Edward Said wrote the book on Orientalism, which is the racist, simplistic, and inaccurate view of Eastern cultures in the West, especially in Western pop culture. My go-to example of Orientalism Read More
The Man in the Dragon Mask Trailer Premier!
I’ve never commissioned a book trailer before, but The Man in the Dragon Mask is the most ambitious book I’ve ever written, so I felt it deserved one. I am so grateful to Cherith Vaughan for her incedible trailer and beautiful book cover. She also did all the promotional materials for me. If you need Read More
Book Review – Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim
I recently did an interview with Laila Ibrahim, the author of Paper Wife, and she was kind enough to send me a copy of her novel to review. Be sure to check out her interview here! About the novel: Southern China, 1923. Desperate to secure her future, Mei Ling’s parents arrange a marriage to a Read More
Book Review – In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park
I have been wanting to read Yeonmi Park’s memoir In Order to Live ever since I saw her speech about her escape from North Korea in 2014. Even though China is the main focus of my life and work, I have written before about how closely entwined the history of North Korea and China are. And, come to Read More
Film Review: Crazy Rich Asians
Crazy Rich Asians, starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding, finally opened here in China on Friday, so my husband I saw it for our weekly date night. We loved it! It was so sweet and funny. I haven’t read the book by Kevin Kwan, but I really want to now. I wasn’t sure how much Read More
Accessing Education for Children With Special Needs in China
Many children with special needs in China are denied educational opportunities because China’s public schools are literally inaccessible to children with physical disabilities and they don’t have the resources to support children with mental disabilities. It is an unfortunate fact that many Chinese families view their children as their support network as they age. If Read More
Interview with Laila Ibrahim, Author of Paper Wife
As soon as I read the description for Paper Wife, I knew it was exactly the kind of book I would love to read. It isn’t going to be released until the end of October, but author Laila Ibrahim was kind enough to do an author interview with me now. Read what she had to say Read More