Less than a year, and counting
Looks like I'm scheduled for a February debut. This could all change of course, but for now, look for release date just in time for Chinese New Year '09. Pre-orders at Amazona and Barnes & Noble could happen as early as this fall!
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It's official!
Panama Hotel has been retitled Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet--and sold at auction to Ballantine.
It'll be released Spring/Summer 2009.
Welcome to The Panama Hotel
Just a much belated update. I finished the book at the tail end of last year, then let it sit for almost two months before doing a tight edit. I sent out my first partial yesterday, and another one today. Waiting to hear back from those select agents before I send partials to the agents I met at Squaw Valley. Then I'll send to the "big list" of agents after that.
Jamie
Wow, I can only describe my querying process as frenetic. I sent my queries out in small batches and had offers almost immediately. All total, I had 15 requests for the full and 5 offers of representation. I went from sheer bliss at having one agent want to rep me to head-banging frustration at having to decide between several agents, all of whom I liked.
I am Chinese
My short story, I am Chinese, which appeared in the Picolata Review has now found a new home as a chapter in my historical fiction novel, The Panama Hotel.
The story started as a 2,000 word exploration of the Japanese internment in Seattle during WWII, as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old Chinese boy. I continued on this theme at Orson Scott Card's Literary Bootcamp in June, writing a more comprehensive story set in the same time period, called The Button.
From there it grew to 6,500 words and seemed to take on a life all its own.
I workshopped it at the Squaw Valley Writers Conference this past August and was encouraged by three faculty members (an author, an editor, and and agent) to turn it into a novel, which I'm furiously doing.