I’d planned for HUI to be released on the 15th.

My  new goal is to have it out any day now, and that’s what  I’m concentrating on.

In addition to the a first chapter excerpt found here. I’ve included a couple of brief excerpts from the book:

Excerpt:

The very first woman he’d given his heart to was Nuri, his mother.

He loved her, not because she was exceptionally good or kind, but that she was resourceful. In a city where people were dropping in the streets from starvation, Nuri not only made sure they had food to eat, but that they shared their rations with others.

“See, your mother looks like a movie star in this photo,” his second mother, Eun-mi told him, her wrists shaking as she handled a black and white photo of Nuri. Posing in the large gathering space known as Kim-Il-sung square, Nuri could’ve passed for a flapper from some old Hollywood movie. Clothed in a long trench coat, Nuri’s mouth was darkened with lipstick and her teardrop shaped eyes appeared even larger, helped by liner that flared upwards from each eyelid. She wore a beret, so only the midnight curls framing her face could be seen. That small photograph shaded in black and gray was all he had to remember her by.

Each time his own eyes were enhanced with liner prior to a performance, Hui was reminded of her. Nuri’s beautiful heart shaped face was his face, and it had saved his life.

“Be glad that others can clearly see Nuri in you. This way, any man would be proud to call you his son,” Eun-mi had said. “Your mother had a talent of making friends of her enemies, and she has passed this gift on to you.”

Hui could no longer recall his Omma’s voice. But he had fond memories of walking along Kim-Il-sung square, marveling at the Grand People’s Study house, and the Juche Tower, a monument just across the Taedong river.

~~~~~

Copyright 2015

Excerpt: 

Of the five reviews three were so-so, one was glowing, and the last read more like an endorsement for Russian ballerina Natalia Osipova, after the writer compared Natalia’s version of Kitri to hers.

Still, this was one of the only times her name had been mentioned as a professional dancer. Imani was over the moon with happiness. But that last review . . .

“You’re thinking too hard on one review.” Hui told her.