Dearest Gentle Reader, did you miss me?
(Ha! That’s a quote from the Netflix show, Bridgerton.)
My goodness, the world is a crazy place right now. I hope you’re staying healthy AND sane. I also hope for peace in Ukraine and a safer world in the months to come. I have to admit that the ongoing violence against the AAPI community has left me horrified and heartbroken. I don’t want to live in fear, but whenever I’m out and about, I do find that I’m much more wary of my surroundings. I’ve also adopted the habit of reminding my parents and in-laws to be super cautious since Asian women and the elderly population have been the main targets of hate crimes. Sad.
But on to happier and lighter things…
Springtime brought me a gift: advance copies of ROSA’S SONG! The book will officially release on June 14, 2022, so these are “Folded & Gathered” (F&G) copies – basically loose-leaf pages that aren’t yet bound into a hard cover. The publisher sends these to reviewers, bookstores, etc. for an early glimpse.
The book and audiobook are available for pre-order!! The links are provided at the bottom of this page, as well as here. Pre-orders are especially important to get more diverse books out in the market, because early orders show that there’s interest and demand! Read on for a cool pre-order giveaway.
Book summary: Rosa’s Song is loosely based on my childhood, when I lived in a low-income building near downtown Los Angeles (specifically, in Koreatown). What made this building unique was that it was a place of transition: friends often moved away suddenly, due to changes in a family’s marital, financial or even immigration status. Friendships were extremely intense, even if short-lived. So Rosa’s Song is about a close friendship between two kids from different backgrounds, and I hope you’ll enjoy the book. Pascal Campion did a marvelous job of capturing the warmth between the friends (and a pet parrot named Pollito).
A PRE-ORDER GIVEAWAY will run through June 14, 2022 (the release date of Rosa’s Song)! Everyone who participates will receive a gift that I put together with a lot of TLC. Read on:
- Everyone who pre-orders Rosa’s Song will receive a 10-page pdf copy of Part II of my Dreams to Reality Roadmap (via email). This roadmap will help you unlock your creativity, and it’s the actual tool I created and used to develop a steady writing practice while juggling my full-time job and other life obligations. I hope the roadmap will be helpful for your own creative journey. There’s a kids’ version as well, so just indicate which roadmap(s) you’d like. Send a photo of your pre-order receipt to: hkrheeauthor@gmail.com 😊
But wait! There’s more!! (haha) You’ll ALSO automatically be entered for these additional prizes:
- 3 winners will receive signed/personalized copies of all 3 of my books: 1 copy each of The Turtle Ship, The Paper Kingdom and Rosa’s Song, along with postcards and other goodies.
- 2 winners will receive a 30-minute Zoom call with me. I feel a little presumptuous writing that (!!), but I want to do something to help my lovely readers. The time can be used to discuss writing, publishing, going over your own manuscript if you’re a writer OR you can even use the time for a free virtual school visit for your kids/grandkids/friends. It’s up to you! And P.S., If you’d rather forego the Zoom session, you can always select signed book copies and goodies instead 😉
Readers like you make my writing journey truly worthwhile, and I’m SO appreciative of all the wonderful notes, book purchases, library book loans, positive reviews, and book love in general. Honestly, publishing is such a tough road. I try to show only the best highlights here and on social media, but behind the scenes, the road is full of rejections, heartbreak, and most of all, self-doubt. That’s why I’m so UTTERLY grateful for your support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
PRE-ORDER LINKS: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (free int’l shipping), Children’s Book World (signed/personalized copies available), Indiebound (support your local indie bookstore!), Powell’s, Target, Walmart.
UPCOMING EVENTS (free to the public):
LitFest Pasadena (in person) — Saturday, May 14 at 1:30. Location: Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA. More details are below, and if you look up the other creators, I think you’re going to definitely want to come. Join us!
Los Angeles Public Library (Virtual) — Friday, June 17, 2022 at 4 p.m. Pacific. See the Events page for more details.
Children’s Book World, L.A. (Virtual)— Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. Pacific. See the Events page for more details.
Oh! Before I sign off, thank you also for your continued love for The Paper Kingdom! Here are some lovely images I received from readers, parents & teachers…THANK YOU!!
Friend & fellow author Michelle sent in this letter she received from her daughter, Sora. Michelle read The Paper Kingdom to Sora’s classroom (love her name!).
Students at PS 186 Castlewood in Queens, NY wrote about their own imaginary kingdoms, like a Firefighter Kingdom. Love their creativity!
