It’s Thursday, and I’m giddy. Not only do I get to share cheese and chocolate fondue with my Book End Babes tonight at my house while we drink and dish about life and good books, but today girlfriend Wendy Nelson Tokunaga has so graciously stopped by to fill us in on her second novel, LOVE IN TRANSLATION. Give her a big atta-babe!
If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about Love in Translation, what would the theme of that show be?
I think a show with a theme about finding yourself by living and experiencing a foreign culture, or one about the rewards and challenges of cross-cultural relationships would work very well. Actually, I never like the Oprah question because I am quick to say that I don’t write “Oprah” books. But after taking the time to really think about it, thanks to your interview question, I have begun to see things in a whole different light. So can you excuse me for a minute? I’m going to get on the phone with one of her producers.
What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?
I use an iMac at home. Once in a while I bring my pink Acer NetBook with me to a coffeehouse or somewhere. But more often, if I’m away from my desk, I’ll take a printed copy of what I’ve already written and make notes or a paper notebook to work with. I usually write in my office at home.
Have you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?
That’s an interesting question, which I will take a little more literally since, when I was young, I wanted to be a rock star, not a writer. Recently I participated in an event for the California Writers Club called “We Know They Can Write, But Can They Sing?” where authors performed karaoke with a live band. Since I’ve done a lot of singing, this was perfect for me. I sang “You’re No Good” and “At Last” and I got a nice feeling of being a “rock star” from the audience reaction to my performance.
What do you do to celebrate your writing successes?
Eat a great dinner and crack open a great bottle of wine. But, come to think of it, we do that most nights!
Describe yourself with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud.
equanimous
temerarious
sanguine
steatopygic
graphophobic
WOW, smarty pants! Those are more like twelfth grade, sister! Go, you.
About LOVE IN TRANSLATION:
The San Francisco Chronicle called Wendy Nelson Tokunaga’s debut novel, Midori by Moonlight, a “terrific first novel.” Now she’s back with her second book, Love in Translation, which again explores the themes of Japan and Japanese culture and being a stranger in a strange land, which have played a major role in her life and writing.
Love in Translation
by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
Trade Paperback $13.99 ($17.99 Canada)
978-0-312-37266-8
240 pages St. Martin’s Griffin
Available: Now (Published November 24, 2009)
Web Site: www.WendyNelsonTokunaga.com
For anyone who’s ever dreamt of finding love and family in an unexpected place…
After receiving a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysterious family heirlooms, 33-year-old fledgling singer Celeste Duncan is off to Japan to search for a long, lost relative who could hold the key to the identity of the father she never knew. Once there she stumbles head first into a weird, wonderful world where nothing is quite as it seems—a land with an inexplicable fascination with foreigners, karaoke boxes, and unbearably perky TV stars.
With little knowledge of Japanese, Celeste finds a friend in her English-speaking homestay brother, Takuya, and comes to depend on him for all variety of translation, travel and investigatory needs. As they cross the country following a trail after Celeste’s relatives, she discovers she’s developing “more-than-sisterly” feelings for him, although his mother seems to have other plans for her son. But it is when Celeste learns a Japanese song called “The Wishing Star” that things begin to change for her in ways she never expected, leading her to ask, what is the true meaning of family? And what does it mean to discover your own voice?
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Translation-Wendy-Nelson-Tokunaga/dp/0312372663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258672687&sr=1-1
Praise
“A delightful novel about love, identity, and what it means to be adrift in a strange land. This story of a search has an Alice in Wonderland vibe; when Celeste climbs down the rabbit hole, one can’t help but follow along.”
—Michelle Richmond, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Fog
“An amusing story of one woman’s quest for her father and the improbable path of love.”
—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
“Tokunaga… describe[s] Japanese culture in absorbing detail.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Witty, lighthearted and charming story of finding love in an unexpected place.”—Fresh Fiction
“A delightful plot with wonderful characterizations.”—Affair de Coeur Magazine
“Four stars!” —RT Book Reviews Magazine
Get your copy! If you buy one as a gift, be sure and enter it in our HoLITday contest!
Love in Translation Theme Song
The fictional song becomes a reality! Listen to the Love in Translation original theme song, “The Wishing Star (Nozomi no Hoshi)” Music by Manabu Tokunaga, Lyrics by Hiro Akashi and Wendy Nelson Tokunaga, Vocal by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga.
Download at my website:
http://tinyurl.com/yfsuebh
Download on iTunes:
http://tinyurl.com/yecqc3g
Love in Translation Audio Drama Podcast
Hear the dramatic excerpt:
http://tinyurl.com/yfsuebh
Author Bio
Wendy Nelson Tokunaga is the author of the novels, MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT (St. Martin’s, Available Now) and the forthcoming LOVE IN TRANSLATION (St. Martin’s, November 2009). Her novel, NO KIDDING, won the Literary/Mainstream Fiction category in Writer’s Digest’s Best Self-Published Book Awards in 2002. She is also the author of two children’s non-fiction books, and has had short stories published in various literary journals. Wendy signed her two-book deal with St. Martin’s just as she was beginning the MFA in Writing program at the University of San Francisco in 2006. Along with her MFA, she also holds a BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University. In her spare time Wendy sings bossa nova, cool pop, jazz standards and Japanese songs accompanied by her surfer dude husband Manabu on electronic keyboards. They live with their cat Meow in the San Francisco Bay Area, a short walk from the Pacific Ocean.
Find more information at Wendy’s website (http://www.WendyTokunaga.com). And look for her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Nelson-Tokunaga/52795977320) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/Wendy_Tokunaga)