I know for a fact, having met the San Fransisco Chronicle book review editor in 1992 or so, in Rome (he was wearing avant garde trapezoid glasses) that they are incredibly picky when it comes to who they review and why. So, this review, coming from that paper, should speak very, very loudly.
Tokunaga suffuses the book with warmth and lightness .....Just as the right dessert hits the spot, reading this delicious slice of escapism makes for a perfect afternoon. But instead of suffering a sugar crash afterward, you'll muse for days about the characters you've left behind and why they matter so much to you.
—San Francisco Chronicle
Also, of course, there is the cool factor of anyone who lives in San Fransisco and manages to get anything done other than walk around eating and drinking. Ooh, did I mention there seems to be some eating going on? What's not to like about that?
Here's the cover and and then I'll post Wendy's answers to our questions.
Amazon link
“[Midori by Moonlight] draws upon vivid imagery when defining traits of Japanese culture and really hits the nail on the head when depicting some American attitudes toward others.... witty and charming."
—Charleston Gazette
“Midori is endearing, feisty, and funny: the novel is a delight.”
—Ellen Sussman, editor of Bad Girls and author of On a Night Like This.
1. If I had to offer two bumper sticker explanations for my novel, they’d be “Appearances are deceiving” and “Mean people suck.” Tell me what your slogans would be, and why.
~ These would actually be my character Midori Saito’s slogans: “Don’t get stuck being up the creek without a saddle” and “There’s nothing that a good cupcake can’t cure.”
2. Your two favorite movies over the past twelve months and why?
~ I really enjoyed “Michael Clayton” because it was intelligent and suspenseful. You had to pay a lot of attention and use your brain to follow it. I also liked “For Your Consideration” from Christopher Guest (“Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” “Waiting for Guffman,” etc.) because it’s a spot-on satire of the entertainment industry and the actors are all amazing, especially Catherine O’Hara.
3. What was the one thing you learned in getting your book published that you were really surprised to find out?
~ That things in the publishing world move either very quickly or very slowly, but never in-between.
4. If you had to pick one and only one condition (beyond computer or pen and paper) that would allow you to write would it be: a. solitude b. caffiene c. sleep d. food e. sex or f. ______.
~ a. solitude
5. Do you have a favorite genre? If so, who are your three favorite writers? If not, who are your three favorite writers and how have they influenced your work?
~ Three of my favorite writers are Haruki Murakami, Amy Tan, and Nicky Hornby and with all of them I like their straightforward prose style.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
