Author Interview: Cindy Pon + CONTEST

Cindy Pon debuted with her amazing novel, Silver Phoenix, in 2009. I got the chance to interview her, excited for the sequel. At the end of the interview, you can enter to win a signed copy of Silver Phoenix for yourself!

If you want to learn more about Cindy or Silver Phoenix, please check out at www.cindypon.com. Enjoy!

Firstly, what inspired you to write Silver Phoenix?

although i've been writing since before i was a teen,
i stopped all through my 20's. it was only after i had my
bubs back to back that i rediscovered my love for writing.
i began taking some creative writing classes through the
local universities and thought, why don't i write a novel!
at the time, i had just begun taking classes in chinese brush
painting and reading more about chinese culture and history.
fantasy was and always will be my favorite reading genre, so
i thought i'd combine the two interests. Silver Phoenix was the result!

Can you please give us a little more information on the era in which the novel takes place for those who are unfamiliar with the Chinese culture and history?

i'd like to say that Silver Phoenix is inspired by ancient china
because it actually doesn't take place in china or any time period
within it. i drew inspiration from mainly the qing dynasty but also took
elements from others, researching in architecture, clothing as well
as other social and cultural elements. when i started to write Silver Phoenix,
i realized i wasn't writing a true historical, it was too limiting to my story.
ai ling, as a daughter within the scholarly class, would have had her
feet bound.

Are the magical beings in Silver Phoenix mythical creatures within the Chinese culture or did you create them yourself?

the creatures are a combination of actual chinese myths
and folklore and my own imagination!

What should readers expect of the sequel for Silver Phoenix?

the sequel is planned to be released in fall 2010! i think
that while Silver Phoenix was a very fantastic journey, this
one will be much more personal on many levels.

Are you working on any other writing projects aside the sequel to Silver Phoenix? If so, can you please give us a brief description of them?

i am! i believe ai ling's story is finished with the sequel.
but i have another fantasy YA novel planned in xia. it is only at the very
beginning stages so i won't say more about it, as i don't know
much myself yet right now! i also have a children's picture book
featuring my chinese brush art slated to release in 2011!

What do you find is the easiest part in writing? And the hardest?

the easiest part is definitely revising and polishing a novel.
the hardest part is writing the rough draft (the initial draft) of
any novel for me. the unknown can be very scary to me. i
liken to starting a new novel like jumping of a cliff. ha!

Lastly, please give us an interesting fact about yourself that not many know of!

i wrote a letter "to my future husband" when i was 16.
when i married, i never gave him the letter, because it's
so embarrassing. ha!

~~~

Now that you got to learn more about Cindy, here is a chance for you to win her novel!

To enter: (Make sure to have everything in one comment in the post or it will not be counted)
+1 comment
+2 follower through Google Friend Connect (MANDATORY or no entry, new or old)
+2 comment on the review here
+2 add Stop, Drop, and Read! to your blog list (link)
+2 for every time you link the contest (link)

This contest is open to Canadian and U.S. addresses only. (Sorry international friends!) Contest will end on February 28/10.