I am delighted to invite Cindy Pon to ye ol' blog today! Cindy is the author of the delicious SILVER PHOENIX: Kingdom of Xia, winner of the following awards:
Booklist Editors' Choice (2009), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2010), Booklist Top Ten Science Fiction/Fantasy Novels for Youth (2009), New York Public Library's Stuff for the Teenage (2010)
Her mysterious power haunts her day and night, and she leaves home—with just the moon as her guide—overwhelmed by her memories and visions and an unbearable sense of dread. For Ai Ling knows that Chen Yong is vulnerable to corrupt enchantments from the under-world. How can she do nothing when she has the skill and power to fight at his side? A dream has told her where he is, the name of the ship he is traveling on, his destination. So she steals off and stows away on board.
The ocean voyage brings with it brutal danger, haunting revelations, and new friendships, but also the premonition of a very real and terrifying threat. Zhong Ye—the powerful sorcerer whom Ai Ling believed she had vanquished in the Palace of Fragrant Dreams—is trapped in Hell, neither alive nor dead. Can he reach from beyond the grave to reunite with Silver Phoenix and destroy Chen Yong? And destroy whatever chance Ai Ling has at happiness, at love?
In this sequel to the acclaimed novel Silver Phoenix, four lives are woven together and four destinies become one, now and forever.
Kiki: I first came to know you on the Blueboards at VerlaKay three years ago where I was watching your search for agent representation. You were very open about the rejections you received and were such a personal inspiration to me, because eventually you did sign with an agent (Bill Contardi) and three weeks later had a THREE BOOK deal. What has changed in your writing career since you signed with your agent and your first book came out?
Cindy: Hi Kiki, thanks so much for having me! Silver Phoenix released less than a year after it went to auction. And the learning curve for being a published author is huge. I'm still learning as I go! I've had some amazing highs and also some amazing lows. I'm so grateful for writing friends, online and off, who are there to support and encourage and laugh with me.
Kiki: Your second book, FURY OF THE PHOENIX, is set to release on March 29th. FURY is a sequel to your first YA novel, SILVER PHOENIX, and is the continuation of the delicious love story between Ai Ling and Chen Yong. Did you find it easy or difficult to write a sequel? Were there any plot surprises along the way? Will there be a third book in this series?
Cindy: Writing Fury of the Phoenix was honestly the hardest thing I've ever done. With Silver Phoenix, I had all the time in the world, and spent a year revising the novel. As a result, what my editor bought was pretty polished. It wasn't the case with Fury, which I wrote in about four months with little revising. It was a mess and it felt like I was running around in my underwear when I sent the rough draft to my editor. Terrible feeling!! I call the contracted sequel The Devil's Spawn. There were some plot surprises along the way, thanks to brainstorming and revising with my editor, but the crux of the story definitely remained the same. To me, Fury of the Phoenix is all about consequences.
Ai Ling's story ends with Fury of the Phoenix. I do have another unsold and unwritten idea for another YA Xia fantasy.
Kiki: Your novel is set in the mythical kingdom of Xia, which I believe is based on ancient China. What is your research process like to create this world?
Cindy: I've never visited China. So I bought expensive giant coffee table books featuring beautiful spreads of Chinese scenery. I bought books on sociology, architecture and clothing, to immerse myself in the details of that world. And tried to relate the same in my writing to the reader.
Kiki: You were a marketing genius when SILVER PHOENIX came out in 2009. It seemed like you were everywhere promoting your debut. What are you doing different (if anything) this time around with FURY?
Cindy: It always amuses me when people say that as I had no idea what I was doing. I think it's because I'm so comfortable online, if we share the same social networks (which you and I do) it may seem I was everywhere. I'm not doing too much with Fury. Self promoting can get tiresome quick--I get sick of myself fast. haha! So i'm lucky in the bloggers and writing friends who come to me (as you kindly did) to offer an interview, etc. I also plan on running a big giveaway when Fury releases and twitter stuff, etc. My one biggest endeavor is the Diversity Tour which Malinda and I worked on together. We'll be touring and signing in San Francisco, Austin, Boston, NYC, San Diego and hopefully Los Angeles too. We're very excited by this and have invited awesome authors to join us along the way. You can check it out at: http://diversityinya.com
Kiki: You are a Chinese brush artist and your art has been featured as the chapter headings in both of your novels. Additionally, you have some lovely paintings and notecards for sale on Etsy. As part of your three book deal, Greenwillow has asked you to write and illustrate a picture book, which I can’t wait to see. Can you tell us a little bit of what that story is about and the status of that project?
Cindy: I turned in my dummy last year but I have NO IDEA how to go about writing or painting for a picture book. I do know that I hope to feature cute critters and bright flowers, as that's what I'm drawn to, but I can't say anything else much about it. I know that my editor will be a great mentor to me in the process. Greenwillow Books puts out some wonderful picture books.
Kiki: What writing projects are you working on now? Are you planning anything beyond Ai Ling’s world?
Cindy: Nothing! I've a dystopian short story set in Taipei that I need to revise. Maybe it'll even get published! Other than that, I need to percolate on my third Xia novel. I'm a One Idea at a time novelist. And I can go months without writing. Though I do miss it after a while.
Kiki: Along with Malinda Lo, you’ve recently launched Diversity in YA Fiction, which is a website and book tour that celebrates diversity in young adult fiction. Can you tell us a bit about how you and Malinda came up with the idea and the message you hope to convey?
Cindy: We always joked about it and when both Huntress and Fury were pushed back in release, within a week of each other, it seemed like fate. So we said, let's DO this! There has been so much discussion online and off about inclusion and diversity, we just felt the time was right. And we wanted it to be something positive, a celebration.
Kiki: What would you like to accomplish next in your writing career?
Cindy: I hope I can sell more books and keep writing what I love. =) Thanks so much for having me, kiki!
Kiki: Thanks so much for visiting with me today, Cindy and good luck with FURY as well as your diversity tour!
To celebrate the release of the paperback version of SILVER PHOENIX (complete with new cover - see below) Cindy will be giving away a copy to anyone who comments ON THIS POST with shipping to US only.
And I will be giving away a copy of FURY OF THE PHOENIX as my April Contest giveaway! All newsletter subscribers are automatically entered and anyone commenting on a blog post in the month of April is eligible. Please see my contest rules here. Thanks!
~Kiki
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