Question: For those of you watching Smallville last night, do you know the name of the song—or the band—that was playing while Oliver Queen shot his arrows inside the penthouse suite?
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A good friend typed out the entire RT Interview for me, which I had yet to see. Thank you. If you’d like to read it, continue on.
In just a few short years, Liu has gone from unknown to the author of six books, including her newest, EYE OF HEAVEN, the latest in her Dirk & Steele series. She�s also won the ROMANTIC TIME�S 2005 Reviewers� Choice Award for Contemporary Paranormal Romance.
Liu graduated law school but gave up practicing to devote time to her writing. Her father is Chinese, while her mother is a mix of English, French, Scottish, and Irish. Her characters are likewise multi-ethnic � a recent heroine was Chinese-American, while an upcoming one is part African-American.
“I don�t choose the ethnic background of my characters,” says the author. “The characters who show up in my head arrive fully formed, and I do not change who they are after the fact. Nor do I fear reader reaction. I have more respect for my readers than that, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People are people � all of us participating in human stories � and when I write, no matter how fantastical the tale, I am ultimately trying to tell stories that are based on our common humanity,” Liu continues. “I think there is a real joy in being who you are, in living a full life embracing every aspect of the things you love. It�s not me versus you, but all of us together.”
One of the things that sets Liu�s books apart are their international settings, something that can be attributed to the author�s own extensive travel dossier. “Growing up, I never thought I would be able to travel as much as I have, but what an adventure! The world is an incredible place, and I love trying to express that feeling of being a stranger in a strange land, of seeing for the first time a world that is both familiar and strange. As a writer, I think it creates an opportunity for bigger stories � but it�s also a lot of fun.” Liu has visited much of Asia, and would like to one day visit Iceland, Scotland, Afghanistan, Russia, Inner Mongolia � and even Antarctica.
Liu, who claims to be “pretty boring,” says she doesn�t think she�s been all that successful at her writing. “My definition of success is writing to the best of my ability all the stories that pop into my head. Given that I will never be able to accomplish that � too many stories, too little time � no doubt I will live in a state of �authorial hunger� for the rest of my life. I�m fine with that. I don�t think it�s healthy for one�s sense of purpose to ever be truly satisfied.”
So what�s the one thing Liu would like to write that she hasn�t already? “Comics, for sure.”
— Article/Interview written by Faygie Levy