fortune cookie friday

"You cannot be grateful and bitter.
You cannot be grateful and unhappy.
 You cannot be grateful and without hope.
 You cannot be grateful and unloving.
 So just be grateful."
-unknown

Starry River of the Sky Readers!

More photos of my beautiful readers with Starry River of the Sky for my giveaway drawing!

 And the deadline is now extended to Dec. 5th (winners announced on the 6th), so get your photos in!

events & giveaway extension

So, if you've noticed my updated tour schedule, I'll be at Children's Book World in Haverford, PA this Saturday. And then we are speeding off home right after that Saturday morning event because I have my the FCB's bookclub meeting on Sunday afternoon (I think there is one space left so claim it now if you want to come!). Hopefully,  Rain Dragon won't get too cranky!

But with all that rushing and traveling, I've decided to extend the deadline for my Starry River of the Sky Giveaway! You now have until midnight on December 5th to share your photo, and I will announce the winners--including the grand prize winner of the portrait painting on--December 6th! So get your entries in!!

cyber tuesday

Okay, yesterday was the biggest online shopping day of the year but I couldn't get my act together quickly enough to put an announcement out...so here's my cyber tuesday announcements!

Get Personally Signed Books:

For the past couple years, I've teamed up with Porter Square Books to offer my books personally autographed books for the holidays and I'm doing it again this year. However, this is the last year. Yes, it's official--the Sasquatch, Rain Dragon and I are moving! I'm not sure if there'll be a bookstore close enough for me to do this again (boo-hoo!) so take advantage now!

How does it work?

Simply call the Porter Square Bookstore at 617-491-2220 (you can also order online) BEFORE December 14th and ask for a signed or personalized copy of any of my books from Starry River of the Sky to Ling and Ting. (You can browse all my available books HERE).

You pay for the book(s), shipping, and handling, and the bookstore will ship signed stock in time for the occasion, even gift-wrapped if requested. Remember, if you want the books personalized, to provide the name of recipient to bookseller. And, if you order Starry River of the Sky, I'll throw in one of the glow-in-the-dark stickers for you!

New Etsy Prints:

And to go with that personally autographed book, you can also get a personally autographed print from my Etsy shop! I've just added new prints from Starry River of the Sky as well as restocked some old favorites.  Go to HERE to see!

on my desk monday

I'm hard at work on the illustrations for the second Ling & Ting book!

Just like the art process I did for Starry River of the Sky, I enlarged my small thumbnail sketch:

transferred the basic foundation of it onto watercolor paper and redrew it, tightening and adding details:

I have to do this to every drawing before I get to paint and it is rather a long process...which has only been made longer with the "help" of my new assistant:

But we'll get it done...hopefully!

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!

Today's word is:
delicious
hěn hǎochī
很 好吃

places for peace

CNN interviewed me for their Thanksgiving story, "Special Places to Find Gratitude."  I had to really think of what places I found most peaceful. In the end, I told the author about my experience of seeing the Big Buddha during my trip to Hong Kong. I'm not sure if that is really my most zen place but looking over my old Hong Kong blog posts did make me a bit wistful for overseas travels and adventure. Maybe when Rain Dragon gets a little older!

fortune cookie friday

"What you cannot avoid, welcome."
-Chinese Proverb

Pocket Pacy Picture of the Week

Aaditi would take Pocket Pacy to a Rocket Launching! Very exciting!

happy thanksgiving!

The beautiful blanket Rain Dragon is on was made by the ever-generous librarian, Mary!

 For the last couple of weeks I've been slow to respond to comments, e-mails, letters and messages and I do apologize. Even as I get caught up chaos, I  hope all of you-- my readers, friends and family-- know how grateful and honored I am to be a small or even teeny-tiny part of your life! So, this thanksgiving, I say THANK YOU to you!

more beautiful readers!

I actually have a backlog of photos sent to me via e-mail for my Starry River of the Sky Giveaway! Aren't these beautiful readers?

I have more photos to share but keep them coming! You can win a special edition pocket pacy or your portrait painted by me! More details HERE!

on my desk monday

It's a re-order of my Starry River of the Sky glow-in-the-dark stickers!

Remember, I offered these FREE to any book group reading Starry River of the Sky? Well, so many people ordered them that I had to get a new batch of stickers!  Order yours now (and they're still FREE) while the supply lasts!

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!

Today's word is:
turkey
huǒjī
火鸡

fortune cookie friday

"The secret of happiness is the realization 
that life is a gift, not a right."
-unknown

more pocket pacy adventures!

This Pocket Pacy is having a fabulous time with the Wu family. They've brought Pocket Pacy south to Grand Mound WA for some water fun at Great Wolf lodge:

Then north to Rice Lake in North Vancouver (BC Canada) on a hike:

Then over the ocean to  Kihei Public Library and found my books in Maui, Hawaii:

And finally, into SPACE via a Star Wars X-Wing, accompanied by R2D2:

Ha! Doesn't that look fun?

Don't forget, you can win your own pocket pacy (as well as a chance to get your portrait painted by me) if you enter your photo in my Starry River giveaway! More details HERE!

on my desk monday

No rest for me, have to get these sketch revisions done for Ling & Ting Book 2! The baby monitor's glow is like candlelight as I work into the late evening...

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!

Today's word is:
ice
bīng
仌

fortune cookie friday

"Only a stupid man cannot show mercy."
-Chinese Proverb

pocket pacy in DC

This reader took Pocket Pacy to Washington, DC and made me a little photo collage:

Isn't that great? Pocket Pacy looks like she had a lot of fun!

Come to My Book Club!

Okay, it's not really my book club. But I'm going to pretend it is. The Foundation of Children's Books is having a special book group party with yours truly! So if you've read the book and want to talk about it, come and join! This event is FREE but space is limited so you must RSVP. Official copy below:

The Foundation for Children’s Books (FCB) invites you to a special event for adults and kids featuring Newbery-Honor winner Grace Lin. We’ll talk about Grace’s wonderful new novel, Starry River of the Sky, with the author herself. That’s pretty amazing! We’ll hear about how the FCB brings authors like Grace Lin into under-served schools in Boston. And we’ll enjoy some awesome refreshments— because all book groups have refreshments!

Who: We hope that adults and kids in grades 3-7 will join us. Adults are welcome without kids, but kids should come with an adult.

When: Sunday, December 2 from 1-3 p.m.

Where: Park School Library, 171 Goddard Ave., Brookline

What’s Next: Buy the book and start reading! You’ll also be able to buy the book (and others) at the event, but it will be more fun if you’ve already read it. Bring your books to have them signed!

 RSVP: Email the Foundation for Children’s Books at admin@thefcb.org or call us 617-469-7222 by Wed, 11/28.

beautiful readers!

I've been meaning to post these photos for a while--they are some of the entries in my Starry River of the Sky Giveaway! Aren't these some great-looking readers?

Please send or post/share your photo with Starry River of the Sky! You can win a special edition pocket pacy or have your portait painted! Would love to see you!

on my desk monday

 I have Starry River of the Sky audiobooks!

I don't have too much to do with the making of the audio books but a friend passed onto me the AudioFile review of it which said: "Kim Mai Guest narrates with a delicate and ethereal voice that adds depth and mystery..Best of all, her “Noxious Toad” burps with gusto."

Have to love that!

Recently, I've been in love with audiobooks--it seems the only way I can "read" books while holding the baby (though I tend to download them rather than get cd's;  I am a complete audible junkie).  I've even been listening to my own books. Is that weird? But when someone else is reading the story, it almost like it's a new story--so interesting to hear someone else's interpretations of my books.

Also, Rain Dragon says the audio books are delicious:

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!

Today's word is:
candy
tángguǒ
糖果

Starry River of the Sky Giveaway Winners

It's November 3rd which means it's the day to announce the first winners of my giveaway! These five lovely readers will receive a special edition Pocket Pacy: The Cox Family Andrea Louise Dawson Webster Laura Jensen Martha Sledge Donna Kostuk If you see your name (or face!) above please e-mail me your mailing address at gracelin.manager@gmail.com and I will send you out your own Special Edition Pocket Pacy right away! And if you weren't a winner this time, don't worry! There's still four more pocket pacys to give away as well as the grand prize-- your portrait painted by me! Those winners will be announced on December 1st, so if you haven't entered yet, you can do so now! All you have to do is: 1) TAKE a photo of yourself with my book. It can be at the bookstore, at a library, anywhere! Just a photo of Starry River of the Sky and YOU in it. 2) POST or SHARE that photo to my facebook page (on the wall).(if you are not a facebook fan, you can e-mail me your photo at gracelin.manager@gmail.com & I can post for you! 3)Then, you are automatically entered into a drawing to win!

fortune cookie friday

"Riches add to the house, virtues to the man."
-Chinese Proverb

Pocket Pacy in Lexington

It's a special edition Starry River of the Sky Pocket Pacy! One of the ones I made for my giveaway (and YOU can still win one, get your entry in for the 1st drawing on Saturday).  This one was a I gave to the Elephant's Trunk Bookstore for a special giveaway when a Starry River of the Sky came out.

The winners of this Pocket Pacy made a custom carrying case out of a Xylitol bottle to  carry her around. The case is decorated with a Starry River sticker!

Here she is at the Minuteman statue on Lexington common:

I hope she sees even more of the Boston sites! And I can't wait to see more Starry River of the Sky Pocket Pacys in the world!