As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert–its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China’s desolate Taklamakan Desert–and carry out a series of tasks along the way.
  Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt’s motivations. . .
  Powerful and eloquent, Song of the Silk Road is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU THAT
  YOU RETWEETED THIS GIVEAWAY.

*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

  “High school sucks,” she remarked with disgust.
  “My sentiments ex—-“”
  At that instant–we were just steps from Bailey’s car—the air cracked with the sound of a shot fired at close range.

A few weeks back, in my Mailbox Monday Meme, I showcased a book that I had received and there were so many comments at how beautiful the cover of the book was.  Well..do I have a treat for you today!!!  The author of that gorgeous book is stopping by, answering some questions and letting us know what’s in between the pages of that lovely book.  So please help me welcome……Ms. Mingmei Yip !!

Romantic adventure on the Silk Road with the lure of a three million dollar reward.
2. What inspired you to write SONG OF THE SILK ROAD?
  I owe this novel to a brave and unconventional writer — and a dream.
  In the seventies, Taiwanese writer San Mao’s adventures with her husband in the Sahara Desert captivated many readers, including myself. Inspired by her, I decided to write about a young woman’s adventures in the desert. But instead of the Sahara, my lifelong fascination with the romantic history of the Silk Road led me to write about its Mountains of Heaven and the Taklaman Desert, also named Go-In-But-Never-Come-Out.
  Then I had a dream.
  In my dream a young woman receives a letter from an aunt whom she had never known existed. The niece was told to undertake a long journey in China, retracing the same routes the aunt had taken, meeting the same people, and doing things the aunt had done. The niece would receive a big sum of money, if she successfully carried out all the tasks – and if she survived.
  I remember the dream, but not when it came to me. The young woman had a strong personality and I knew she wanted me to give her a voice. The result is this adventure and love story, Song of the Silk Road.
3. Where do you do most of your writing?
  At home. I can’t write at cafes, since most have loud music which is a distraction for me. However if they play classical music, then I stop writing and listen.
4. What is your favorite book?
  The 2,500 year old Daode Jing, Classic of the Way and Virtue. This is about the Way of the Universe and how to live in accord wth it. A central theme is how the soft, feminine power can overcome brute strength. I imbibed a lot of its philosophy over the years and it crops up in my novels.
5. Which part of SONG OF THE SILK ROAD was the most enjoyable to write?
  There are a few. First, the love-making scene in the desert, imagining golden singing sand dunes, the unrelieved heat, the passion…all aphrodiasical.
  Another sequence I particularly enjoyed is the protagonist Lily Lin’s platonic love with one of her admirers – an Ughur healer who loves and protects her without asking anything back from her. Later, upon learning his tragic story she discovers she can open her yin eye to see beings from the realm of the dead.

(borrowed fom B&N)
     In this richly imaginative novel, Mingmei Yip–author of Peach Blossom Pavilion and Petals From the Sky–follows one woman’s daunting journey along China’s fabled Silk Road.
     As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert–its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China’s desolate Taklamakan Desert–and carry out a series of tasks along the way.
     Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt’s motivations. . .
     Powerful and eloquent, Song of the Silk Road is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

  As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert–its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China’s desolate Taklamakan Desert–and carry out a series of tasks along the way.
  Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt’s motivations. . .
  Powerful and eloquent, Song of the Silk Road is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU THAT
  YOU RETWEETED THIS GIVEAWAY.

*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

  “High school sucks,” she remarked with disgust.
  “My sentiments ex—-“”
  At that instant–we were just steps from Bailey’s car—the air cracked with the sound of a shot fired at close range.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
                                                Monday from The Hachette Book Group

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
                                                Monday from The Hachette Book Group

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

Today, since Jeff (Lori’s hubby aka Dollycas’s Thoughts) has had a week off and is well rested, I thought we would take another trip.  And seeing that hubby and I will be going to the Caribbean soon, I thought that this week, it would be the perfect place to visit.  We are going to Trinidad to visit today’s guest and get to know her a little bit better.  I thought we could sit on the tropical beach, have our “gab session” with a couple of frozen drinks and maybe even get some reading in.   Now doesn’t that sound relaxing?   Today my guest is the very sweet LESLEY-ANN from BOOKVENTURES BOOK CLUB.

*When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging in February of 2010. I started off wanting to create a book club where I can read and share my experiences with others. While searching for the various formats of online Book Clubs, I came across Bermudiaonion’s Book blog and realized that there was such a thing called a book blog; where ordinary folks read and reviewed books while sharing their experiences with fellow readers. The ideals of a book blog matched well with what I wanted to do and pretty soon, I joined this great community of book bloggers.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
 Bookventures actually comes from the name of a local bookstore close to the university that I attended. The store called Eventures Book Store specialized in used and traded books. You could have found almost anything in that store. Eventures became a staple for me during my final year at University. Whenever I became stressed out by my thesis project, I would go to the store and spend hours (and lots of money) checking out their books. When I was contemplating names for my blog, eventures kept popping up. I did not want to have something too similar to the actual name of the store so I decided to throw the word book in front of ventures and hence Bookventures was born. Sadly the store has since closed down but I am constantly reminded of it.

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
I mostly review books that I have read or have been requested to review on my blog. However I do try to add a bit of my personality to it so sometimes you will tend to find random musings and pictures about my life. I also love participating in memes so there are a few of them that are posted throughout the course of the week.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
I read almost anything for the blog. I love Suspense, Mysteries and Thrillers so if I receive a pitch for a title in one of these genres and it looks interesting, then I would more than likely accept. Also due to my background in History I also read Historical Fiction. I tend to shy away from most Romance Novels because of how predictable they are sometimes.

*How often do you post?
I try to post every day except on Fridays. It is my day of rest : )

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
The community of bloggers, the ability to share with others, the impact that this sharing sometimes have, the fact that blogging gives me an escape when the real world gets too frustrating; as a book blogger, reading great books before anyone else has a chance too. What’s not to love about blogging?

*What are some of the negatives?
 As a book blogger, the deadlines that are sometimes set (either by yourself or by the publishers or publicist). It turns the entire process of reading into a job and takes away from the fun of it.

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
Those would have to be:
1. My review of Juliet by Ann Fortier
2. Mailbox Mondays post (I haven’t posted one in a while but I hope to resume soon)

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
There is one major advice that I would like to share, one which I have been learning over the last few months; that is, No is a handy word. We sometimes get carried away when publishers, publicists and authors begin sending us review pitches without us having to send a request. While it is quite flattering, the deadlines and the huge reading piles are not so fun. I know that I certainly got carried away however what I have learned is that it is OK to say no once in a while. Trust me, the emails will still keep coming.

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
I am usually drawn to blogs by the type of books that the blogger reads. I have developed a few friendships with some blogs and so there are a number of blogs that I visit regularly.

*Would you please share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!
1 – I am a bit of a tech junkie.


2 – I am shy and sensitive


3 – My favourite colour palette would be earth tones though recently I have been trying to incorporate more colour into my life.


4 – I am terrified by cats. I think this had to do with a horror that I saw on the Sci-Fi channel when I was younger.


5 – I am the first of three children. Yep, am a big sister : )


6- I love the outdoors. Hiking and driving through the country side are just some of my favourite things to do.


7 – I have an obsession with stationary

Thank you Lesley-Ann for being my guest today.  I met Lesley-Ann, and since she is a lot younger than me, she may need to help me with this one, but I think it was because she was hosting an Author Chat on her blog with an author that I had recently finished reading their book, so I stopped by to leave a question and chat.  Lesley-Ann and I then started visiting each other’s blog, leaving comments, which lead to some emails that then led into emails that resembled novellas.  I truly believe that small pieces of one’s personality does shine through in their blog, emails, etc and I felt that with Lesley-Ann.  Even though there is a big age difference, she is about the same age of my boys, conversation is never at a loss for words.  We seem to be able to talk about anything and everything.  And what personality shines through is her genuine caring, politeness,  thoughtfulness, family oriented, protectiveness of her siblings, intelligence and respect, which in my eyes, truly makes her a Shining Star.  If you already know her, then you know what I mean.  And if this is the first time meeting her, then you will be meeting a very sweet young woman.  Please visit her and say hi….I know eventually you will understand why she is a Shining Star.