Today we’re pleased to welcome author Kage Alan to The Novel Approach, on the Falling Awake blog tour. Enjoy Kage’s guest post, then be sure to click on the Rafflecopter widget below for the chance to win a signed print (US Residents Only) OR e-copy of the book.
Good luck!
Asian Flavor
Konnichiwa! That means “Hello and welcome to most esteemed author Kage Alan’s Day 7 post for the Falling Awake blog tour!” If you ever happen to visit Japan, or have already visited Japan, you’ve undoubtedly heard this word. Now you know how popular I am in Japan. It’s a burden, but one I gladly live with. I also don’t do too badly in China or Vietnam, probably because I tend to feature Asian characters in my stories. We’re not just talking secondary characters either, but leads and folks who play important roles in the overall arc of a story. Why do I do this? I think, probably, because my husband is half Chinese, and he isn’t exactly being represented in literature. Heck, he’s not being represented in movies for that matter either.
Being part of a minority can be a truly bizarre feeling. Yes, I’m white and I’m not what some refer to as stereotypically gay, so I tend to blend in. However, I’ve gone overseas with my husband to Japan, mainland China, and Hong Kong before. It’s there I stick out like a sore thumb. Young children have stared at me and some people have even avoided sitting next to me on the bus or subway from time to time, which really contributes to the minority feeling. But I’ve also come to appreciate these experiences.
We’ve all felt like outsiders. Sometimes a movie or book comes along that speaks to us and seamlessly blends minorities into their fabric. When it comes to featuring characters who happen to be Asian, there are cultural differences and those can’t always be ignored, nor should they. Sometimes it’s better to just explore them. I did this in Gaylias: Operation Thunderspell, only that one was a comedy. Falling Awake is anything but. It’s my first full-fledged non-comedy, so I knew it had to be special. The story needed to be intriguing, the characters had to feel real, and it had to unfold in a very real way.
I think one of the important elements I added in this particular story is that in the grand scheme of life, the idea of having lived before, and maybe living again, is that we could be Asian in one existence, white in another, black in another, etc. I didn’t get into whether or not we could be heterosexual in one and homosexual in another, or male in one and female in another, but those are certainly things that could be tackled. I’m just not about to take them on at this time. Falling Awake is a novella, so there’s only so much I can squeeze in.
The characters in this story are diverse as are their backgrounds, ethnicities, and role they play in what could be life or death beyond where they currently are. As for where they are, you’ll have to read to find out. So please check out the blurb and excerpt and see if you’d fancy giving Falling Awake a read.
And I’ll see you on Day 8 of the blog tour!
Blurb: Imagine waking up in a place you can’t remember, with a face you don’t recognize, and a name that may not be your own printed on a ticket in your back pocket. And of the five people you meet during the next few hours, four of them hold clues to your past, present, and two possible futures.
The outcome of the encounter will determine your soul’s fate, and the only way out of the nightmare may be through falling awake.
Buy Links: Amazon e-book || Amazon paperback || Barnes and Noble || Kobo || Smashwords
Excerpt: Daniel studied the latest addition to the group. The man stood around five foot four, was probably in his mid-twenties, and had short cropped dark hair that was even shorter on the sides. He wore a blue and yellow striped shirt, blue jeans, and gray tennis shoes. He was, for all intents and purposes, very attractive.
The man chose to sit next to Daniel, despite Tam pointing to the seat next to himself.
“I’m Eddie,” he introduced himself while Daniel scooted over. “And there’s only one Asian here,” Eddie corrected Larenz. “I’m Chinese. He’s Vietnamese. He doesn’t count.”
“Eddie is our resident—”
“Slut,” Larenz cut Tam off.
“Keep it up,” Eddie warned, “and I’m going to come back as one of your future son’s best friends and you’re going to catch us in bed together.”
“Why should it be any different than how I found out about you the last time?”
“You had that one coming.”
Author Bio: Non-award winning and utterly non-famous LGBT author Kage Alan lives in a suburb of Detroit, MI with his husband, who answers to “His Majesty,” and their fish and shrimp, who answer to “fish” or “shrimp.” He enjoys attending Sci-Fi and horror conventions, adding to his tiny Blu-Ray library, and fibbing about buying Blu-Rays on New Release Tuesday from the US, UK, Germany, and/or Japan. Kage also lives in fear of His Majesty’s Hong Kong Grandmonster, who God apparently doesn’t want to spend time with.
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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
1 Signed Paperback copy (US Residents Only)
1 eBook copy
Start Date: Sept 6, 2015
End Date: Oct 1, 2015
Tour Schedule:
Sept 7 – Dirk Greyson
Sept 9 – My Fiction Nook
Sept 11 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sept 15 – World of Diversity Fiction
Sept 17 – Bike Book Reviews
Sept 21 – Dawn’s Reading Nook
Sept 23 – The Novel Approach
Sept 25 – LoveBytes Reviews
Sept 28 – Prism Book Alliance
Sept 30 – JP Barnaby
The Fine Print:
*Entrants must be 18 years or older to qualify
*Residency restrictions may apply
*All comments must be relevant to the author’s prompt to be eligible (when applicable)
*The Novel Approach will not be held liable for prize delivery unless otherwise specified
