Author interview and book giveaway: Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

Today, we've got the wonderful Wendy Nelson Tokunaga here to chat. She's going to tell us all about her novel, MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT, and even give away two copies! Yes, TWO!!!

Enter a comment on my blog to enter to win a copy! But now, without further ado, let's chat with Wendy!

Tell us about MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT in 25 words or less.

Ignoring her mother’s prophetic words, “Running off with a foreigner will bring you nothing but trouble,” a Japanese woman follows her fiance to the U.S. (I think that’s 26 words!)

When did you first begin writing?

From a young age I was always drawn to words and reading, but my real dream was to be a singer-songwriter, ideally fronting an all-girl rock band. After many adventures in the world of rock and roll, but without much to show for it, I found myself working as a technical writer at a database company in Silicon Valley. Every other tech writer seemed to be a closeted fiction writer, and I too became interested in writing fiction. I took a couple of creative writing classes at a local community college and eventually got a few short stories published in some small literary journals. From there I went on to writing long fiction. After receiving hundreds and hundreds of rejections on my first four novels, I finally landed a publishing deal with my fifth, MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT.

What is your favorite part of writing? Least favorite?

My favorite part of writing is revision—I can spend hours tweaking a chapter. I read out loud to make sure I’ve gotten the right rhythm down, and look for places where I can improve the prose, dictionary and thesaurus at arm’s reach. On the other hand, I find it very difficult to write new material. I hold my nose and persevere, all the while my inner critic imploring, “This really stinks, you know.” But once I slog through it, then I can revise, and I’m happy again.

Give us a quick character study on yourself...

I’m a late bloomer and a Gemini who is always multitasking, dealing with multiple people and situations at the same time, whether in- person or via email, Facebook, MySpace, blogging, etc. My current favorite TV show is “30 Rock,” and my favorite hobby is eating out—I’m always researching new restaurants with Zagat, Chowhound, Yelp, etc. I like all kinds of music, but especially electronica, dance, and J-pop.

My husband surfs almost daily, but I am the most unathletic person I know. I have to force myself to get on the treadmill and I so do not do bicycles. The only exercise I don’t mind is yoga because my body actually feels good while I’m doing it, though not as good as when I get a massage, which is another favorite activity (and one I wish was less expensive!). I also enjoy clothes shopping and cannot pass up trips to Anthropologie or H&M. I love to travel and have been to Japan at least thirty times, but the ideal would be to have a trans-oceanic highway spanning from San Francisco to Tokyo so I could drive my Scion instead of taking a plane ride.

What’s next for you?

My second novel comes out in Fall 2009. It’s called LOVE IN TRANSLATION and is about an American woman who finds herself unexpectedly in Japan tracking down a long, lost relative who may hold a clue to the identity of the father she never knew.

Want to win a copy of MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT? Write a comment on my blog and you're entered!  Want extra entries?  That can be arranged....  Blog about it for another entry.  Become of follower of my blog for another entry, too.