Happy New Year! I’ll have to keep this update short as there are just so many things on the list to do. I was in Asia, in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong for most of December and of course no doubt, it was a trip of a lifetime but also one that has revealed a lot about how much I’ve grown and changed in the past few years since my last trip. I will need more time to truly sit down and write out my thoughts fully, as it’s been so hard to process all that’s been going on. Incredibly, the building blocks in my life has in retrospect been coming to fruition, not only through the physical manifestation of virtual dreams and memories, but as many gears in the cosmos seem to continuously churn and click into place, as people in my life connect one by one into the big picture, as each passionate soul brings along another for the ride, as timing, location, happenstance and events align and momentum gathers on all fronts, in so many places. It is hard to put into words the sort of movement we are a part of and in the center of.
In Asia, I caught up with many old friends and met for the first time long time online international friends and contacts – for example two talented cell phone novelists who had been in the community and movement I had sparked off with Secondhand Memories. On the other hand, I met the illustrator and the manager of the studio that drew the cover of the book in Singapore. Along with me travelled my proof copy of Secondhand Memories, the very first one in print into the hands of many, returning to Canada safely as a travel veteran and a small legend of some sort. Such many moments seem so groundbreaking and historical, yet, almost too easy in our globalized intricately connected and technological society these days. The deep connections and chemistry between one another seem so natural and so miraculous all at once. Here is a casual fun video introducing and showing Secondhand Memories in print, with selfie vlogging, unboxing, Skype and brief moments in Asia with other cell phone novelists.
After six years of memories and history-in-the-making, originally serialized and made popular online, the highly-anticipated and beloved pioneer English cell phone novel, “Secondhand Memories”, a young adult coming-of-age story that had sparked a movement and created communities, will indeed be officially released on February 14th, Valentine’s Day, 2015 as ebook and a massive 6″ x 9″ 558-page paperback print book with stunning cover illustrations, interior formatting and graphic design. It is now available for pre-order, so be sure to grab a copy or a few as keepsakes, fond memories, seasonal gifts or for inspirational reading pleasure from Sakura Publishing at http://sakura-publishing.com/product/secondhand-memories/ (contact them with address for international shipping)
If you would like personal signed book arrangements, contact me personally (potential shipping charges, limited priority and quantities)!
Join the Facebook event celebrating the release date!
The official Project website has been launched at http://secondhandmemories.net for more information.
For more information and news see my email newsletter from a couple of weeks ago here: http://eepurl.com/-lGA1 (you can also subscribe there)
Truly thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my journey, whether it was my music, my cell phone novel work and my current literary writing – I would not be able to continue to do what I love without you. Welcome to the journey, for new friends.
Onwards, Secondhand Memories truly is a significant step into the real world and the spearhead into a new phase of my life and a new phase for the cell phone novel community and symbolically a wider implication for the literature and the arts movements surrounding our momentum stemming from online. Stay tuned for news as my friends, my publisher and I hopefully embark on release parties and events, panels and presentations, conventions, media appearances, crossmedia and multimedia collaborations or adaptations and more. When details become more concrete, information will surely go up. Make sure to stay connected via social media as things continue to get immensely busy. If you have any ideas about possible events, contacts, or general suggestions on what we could do with this project forward, do contact me.
In Asia, I was also able to do a pilgrimage to locations of scenes from my most recent project, the literary dystopian magical-realistic novel, Espresso Love. Here is the Video Special, in Yokohama, Japan, Minato Mirai and Cosmo Clock 21. This little vlog/video/documentary/short film includes Shizuka’s Signature Drink, out of place music and reading excerpts from the top of the ferris wheel in winter misery. Check it out!
Worth and Words of a Wandering Wordsmith
On Wattpad, I use this as a notebook space where I jot down rough unkempt thoughts and ideas, some of which are from my trip to Asia, though I must find time to cover more of the experience.