Author Archives: Jeannie Lin

Never apologize for the sex

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This post is actually a fangirl gush about a new author I’ve just discovered after reading a review on Dear Author: Gaijin by Remittance Girl. As I was putting my thoughts together, I considered starting with a warning that this author’s work is intensely erotic and may contain content, language, etc that is disturbing or offensive to readers. But 1) You never know what’s going to offend a reader 2) Heck, my work is likely offensive to some 3) Who am I to be the protector of sensitivities? and finally 4) A great word of advice I got from author Megan Kelly:

Never apologize for the sex Continue reading →

My Fair Concubine: Literary & Folkloric References

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Text of: Great Tang Records on the Western Regions

 

It’s obvious My Fair Concubine was inspired by the classic tale of My Fair Lady and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, but the story is actually an homage to many more works that might not be familiar to readers not familiar with Chinese culture. So what were the Chinese works also referenced throughout the book? I’ve always been impressed with the culture of literacy in Tang Dynasty China so I couldn’t set a book in Changan, a center of literature and art, without mentioning some literary works. Since the book doesn’t have extensive author’s notes, I thought I’d give a little information about them here.

Forgive my extensive use of Wiki here to provide quick links and references. This is meant to be a summary and a survey and not an in-depth research bibliography. Continue reading →