Grace Lin's Blog, page 73

fortune cookie friday

"He who is narrow of vision cannot be big of heart. "
-Chinese Proverb

Pocket Pacy Picture of the Week

Ashyln would take Pocket Pacy into a fairy tale book...what a creative idea!


*Don't forget, you can win your own Pocket Pacy by doing a drawing just like this! See details HERE!

mantra

from etsyMy friend Libby, over at the Blue Rose Girls blog, recently asked what quote you have over your desk to inspire your work. This made me pause because I haven't been at my desk in a while. Ever since Rain Dragon has arrived, the studio has been abandoned. While I know this is temporary, it does make me nervous. With Starry River of the Sky coming out in the fall, I worry that I won't be able to give it the promotional attention it needs to make it successful. And on an even greater scale, I worry that taking all this time off makes me fall behind somehow, that  what I've worked to build career-wise will now deteriorate.

But whenever I get too anxious, I try to remind myself that all the little things that I am doing-- from burping the baby to changing diapers-- are the pebbles that are building my family and are just as important as giving a speech a hundred people. These are the moments that make life.  And during an existence which finite, this is the time, this life is what is most important.

Of course, that is not easy to remember-- especially at 3 in the morning with a fussy baby! So, I do have a quote that inspires me but it's not above my desk. I play it on repeat in my head whenever I feel restless. I tell myself Live your Life.  Live your life.  Live your Life.

And so I try, with poopie diapers and all.

booktalk tuesday

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

IndieBound Description: "The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in."

Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination -- and its passengers search for their places in the world.

My Thoughts: I love this book! The perfect book to read before going on a grand journey. It's so beautiful, I love how the stories are slowly rolled out like ocean waves. I might like this better than Walk Two Moons (which will be featured here soon) which won the Newbery (but both are amazing). Studying the structure of this book really helped me with my novel...Sharon Creech is my literary idol!

on my desk monday

**The wonderful school in Hong Kong that I visited in 2007 sent Rain Dragon a baby gift and a batch of cards:

Isn't that sweet?  My extremely limited Chinese knowledge extended far enough to inform me that the shoes say "right" and "left."  Thanks so much*, Hong Kong International School!



*I've been so horrible about writing thank-you notes (I still owe friends & family from the baby shower! I hang my head in shame. Somehow, every time I try to start them something calls me away. It's even worse with my reader mail. So Sorry!)

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!Today's word is:
bicycle
jiǎotà chē
脚踏车

buzzing about my book

My editor & friend, Alvina, spoke about Starry River of the Sky at the recent Book Expo America's middle grade "book buzz" -- an event where editors get to talk about the books the are excited about. I'm so lucky to have such an eloquent editor, don't you think? (She's the first one after the intro):
 


authorbreakfasts on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

I hope people are getting excited about the book! I know I am!

fortune cookie friday

"Pick your inn before the dark; get on your road before the dawn. "
-Chinese Proverb[image error]

Pocket Pacy sees the eclipse

The Bell family took Pocket Pacy on an exciting trip to Zion National Park to see the annular eclipse on May 20th:
about 10 minutes outside the park
there weren't sunglasses small enough for Pacy
the sun gives her an angelic glow!

Neat, huh?
Wow! I think Pocket Pacy had an amazing time! Thank you Bell Family!

May Pocket Pacy Winners!

It's time to announce the winners of this month's Pocket Pacy Giveaway! 
As I mentioned before, winners have been chosen by random drawing (though, I will be posting my some of my favorites on my blog every week). If you have sent me a picture and your name was not chosen this month, you don't have to send me another picture--your name stays in the hat for the next drawing. 
And the May winners are:
Eloise RankMia Valenzuela
Zoe DeFrancesco

Congrats to you!
For those not chosen, don't worry! You still have a chance to win next month! For those new to the the giveaway, read all the details HERE!