Guest Post with Jeannie Lin - BUTTERFLY SWORDS

I was recently lucky enough to get an opportunity to host Jeannie Lin as she discussed her book BUTTERFLY SWORDS.  Apparently it must be my lucky month because she's back with a little bit of information about the scenery and majesty of China.

Let's all give her a warm welcome!

Jeannie Lin

Mysterious China

One of the beauties of setting a story in China is that with over two thousand years of history and a land mass that encompasses forests, deserts, and seaports, I can always find a suitably intriguing location. One of the best parts of researching is location scouting.

For instance, I needed a place along the western frontier of China. I wanted something that was a little lawless and wild. My searches brought me across pictures of a big hunk of rock which was all that was left of the Yuman Guan (Jade Gate) fortress.

It didn’t seem like much, but I was stricken by how lonely it looked, out on the edge of nowhere. It was more than a thousand years old and all that was left of it were stories and poems.

For the sequel to Butterfly Swords, I needed a place for a stronghold in the South. Someplace moody and hidden, yet romantic. The Bamboo Sea of Sichuan seemed the perfect place for a Beauty and the Beast story to unfold.

The Bamboo Sea is often used in film and was featured in the bamboo forest fight scene in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

For another project, I wanted someplace that had the reputation for being mysterious. Similar to legends of the Black Forest in Bavaria, I thought, but in China. I was prepared to make one up, but after a few internet searches I found Heizhu Valley – often called the Bermuda Triangle of China or the Death Valley.

I dream of visiting these places one day to research and take a million pictures. In the meantime, I try to visualize and weave descriptions around them, which I must admit, isn’t hard at all, given the legends and history of China and the seemingly infinite number of fascinating locations.

Jeannie Lin writes historical romantic adventures set in Tang Dynasty China. Her short story, The Taming of Mei Lin from Harlequin Historical Undone is available September 1. Her Golden Heart award-winning novel, Butterfly Swords, was released October 1 from Harlequin Historical and received 4-stars from Romantic Times Reviews—“The action never stops, the love story is strong and the historical backdrop is fascinating.”

Join the launch celebration at http://www.butterfly-swords.com for giveaways and special features. Visit Jeannie online at: http://www.jeannielin.com

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It's beautiful, isn't it!

Thanks so much for stopping by today Jeannie!

Butterfly Swords
The Taming of Mei Lin

Jeannie Lin online: Newsletter // Facebook // Website // Twitter