The Last Fallen Star (Gifted Clans #1)

by Graci Kim

“You know what this means, right?” Hattie frowns. “No, what?” “If you guys get married and hyphenate your last names, you’ll be Hattie Oh-Noh.”

True story - I laughed so hard I cried while writing this scene. BEST LAST NAME EVER! If you enjoyed this, too, THANK YOU. Thank you for being on my wavelength and for laughing with me from wherever you live and read. Every chuckle and giggle you put out into this world as a result of reading this has fed my soul. My soul thanks you for its sustenance. (For anyone out there whose surname actually is Oh-Noh, I LOVE YOU!) Also, I have a friend whose surname is Kim. She married a man whose last name is Chee. She decided to hyphenate, which means her surname is now Kim-Chee. If that's not Korean pride in a name right there, I don't know what is. Represent, sister. REPRESENT!! <3 Names are a complicated, beautiful, messy thing. I even did a TEDx talk about it actually (https://www.gracikim.com/tedx-talk) because when I first started writing, I wrote under a Western penname. I wanted to hide the fact that I was Korean, because I thought it would work against me in an already competitive industry. Ultimately, I decided to get rid of my penname and embrace my surname, Kim, instead. But it was QUITE a journey. If you're curious about it, feel free to watch my ted talk! Anyone else had an interesting journey with their names? (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)