Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Ryū Zhong and his new book, “Prince of Blue Flowers,” here on FAB!! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Ryū Zhong and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Prince of Blue Flowers
Adventures of Takuan from Koto Series
Book One
by Ryū Zhong
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GENRE: Fantasy, Adventure
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BOOK BLURB:
Young boy Hatsukoi leaves his village to become a monk, only to find monastic life incredibly boring. With a new-found name and a new-found friend, Hatsukoi travels the countryside and plays tricks at the expense of corrupt, irate, greedy, and ignorant people. Nobles of all ranks—from petty governors to crown princes—fall victim to the boy’s wit and cunning.
As his tricks evolve from childhood frolics to elaborate cons, Hatsukoi grows as well. He learns not only the craft of his trade, but also its higher purpose.
Join Hatsukoi’s journey, laugh at his exploits, and learn with him.
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EXCERPT ONE:
Fragments
In ancient times, on the shores of the Eternal Ocean lay the country of Auyasku. The waves of the three seas cherished her sleep. The Silent Western Sea lulled her with whispers, and the Glacial Sea squeezed her tightly in its arms. Even the Sea of Great Storms was quiet off the coast of this cold land.
A white fur coat of snow hid Auyasku from the heat of the sun. On the hottest summer day, the bright beams of Celestial Luminary could not penetrate beneath the blankets and awaken Auyasku from her age-old slumber.
In the middle of the country rose a snowy mountain, and on its top was a wonderful rock. This rock was open to the beaming sun and moonlight, because tall trees did not grow on it; moss alone covered the stones, still barely warm from the sun.
And then, one day, the rock produced a stone egg. Later, a marten hatched from this egg, also made of stone, but endowed with limbs and all five senses.
The stone marten quickly learned to run about and hunt small game that hid in the snow. She also made friends with other animals that inhabited the endless fields of Auyasku: foxes, bears, wolves – even moles. And, of course, with other martens, her relatives. The mountain from which she came was called Marten Mountain because it served as a home to many martens.
One morning, when the sun appeared in the east and slowly rolled across the sky, the martens began to frolic around the rock, chasing one another. Having gambolled enough, they calmed down and, staring at the sun, began to talk – for, as the proverb goes, even animals can talk to each other.
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GUEST POST:
If I Had Never Heard of My Book, Why Would I Read It?
Yet another book just gave me its last page, and I am left alone in the twilight of my bedroom. I always read before going to sleep, at least a couple of pages to flip through. Not paper pages, of course. Instead of a stack of books, there is a thin plate of a reader on my bedside table.
One more book is marked as ‘read.’ What should I take on next? Should I choose my cover? Yes, but not only.
What would I find in the next book that I’ll share my bed with? Entertainment or, better, a distraction from the worries of the day.
I’d find the smooth ride of the story that rolls forward effortlessly like a well-oiled car, crushing the hapless characters. I want to anticipate upcoming events and guess right every time, yet every time be surprised.
I’d find a world that is a little brighter than the one that just disappeared in the twilight of the night. There’d be magic and therefore hope.
I’d find the book both a reason to smile and a reason to think. I’d find magical Asia, Heavens full of self-consumed gods, Earthen Realm full of people mired in their vices.
But most important of all, I’d find a hero that is somewhat like my own self, which I have long forgotten, the self I dream of finding again. Perhaps, this would be the main reason to pick up the book ‘Prince of Blue Flowers,’ open it on some random page, read about the trick at the well, and smile. Then sit back, arrange my sheets and duvet, and start from the very beginning.
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AUTHOR BIO:
‘Ryū’ means ‘dragon’ in Japanese, and ‘Zhong’ can be translated from Chinese as ‘flute’. This amalgam of languages represents the fusion of cultures that characterises the writings of Ryū Zhong.
In their books, Ryū Zhong explore challenges that humanity might face as our technology gets more and more complicated to the level where it becomes magic. Such a shift would force people to look towards religion and reinterpret realities that today, we call fairy tales.
Ryū Zhong were lucky to be born and grow in Asia. Now they live in Amsterdam, study Dutch, and adapt their writings to English.
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CONNECT WITH RYŪ ZHONG:
Website for the Book Series:
Ryū Personal Blog:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/anno_ruini
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/anno.ruini
BookBub Author Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ryu-zhong
BookBub Book Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/books/prince-of-blue-flowers-adventures-of-takuan-from-koto-by-ryu-zhong
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23784629.Ryu_Zhong
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80758966-prince-of-blue-flowers
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Prince-Blue-Flowers-Adventures-Takuan-ebook/dp/B0BQNBPFR6
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Prince-Blue-Flowers-Adventures-Takuan/dp/B0BRC7BGB4
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prince-of-blue-flowers-ryu-zhong/1143052777?ean=2940186616542
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prince-of-blue-flowers-ryu-zhong/1143052777?ean=9798371716033
Google Play eBook:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=L4unEAAAQBAJ&pli=1
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Ryū Zhong will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Happy Friday! Do you have any specific reading or writing plans for the weekend?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very interesting. Great cover!
ReplyDelete