The Panama Hotel

Less than a year, and counting

Jamie — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:52:00 +0000

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!

It's official!

Jamie — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 15:45:35 +0000

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

Jamie — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:33:32 +0000

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.

I am Chinese

Jamie — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:23:44 +0000

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.