BLOG TOUR

BLOG TOUR STOP FOR JUNYING KIRK. AUTHOR OF 'JOURNEY TO THE WEST' TRILOGY: THE SAME MOON, TRIALS OF LIFE AND JUST RELEASED, LAND OF HOPE

A HUGE welcome to Junying. It's always such an honour to have her on my blog, and once you get to know this dynamic and talented lady you will most surely agree. For now, I invite you to join us on this last stop of her blog tour. 

As a bonus, the author is giving away three prizes! The first place winner will receive the trilogy: The Same Moon #1, Trials of Life #2 and Land of Hope #3. Second place winner will receive: The Same Moon #1 and Trials of Life #2, and the third place winner will receive: The Same Moon #1. 

How generous is this lady? Extremely. She's giving away six copies of her book, and you, yes YOU, could be one of the lucky few to own one, two or all of them. The giveaway will run until 31 October 2012. All you need to do is leave the author an awesome comment on this post. Good luck.

CONGRATS TO THE FOLLOWING WINNERS: Kathleen McCune (Trials of Life & Land of Hope), Dannie C. Hill (Trials of Life and Land of Hope) and Emma Meade (Land of Hope). ENJOY!

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AUTHOR BIO

Junying Kirk grew up in the turbulent times of the Cultural Revolution. A British Council scholarship led her to study English Language Teaching at Warwick University in 1988, followed by further postgraduate degrees at Glasgow and Leeds. She has worked as an academic, administrator, researcher, teacher and cultural consultant.

When she is not traveling to Courts & Police stations as a professional interpreter, she loves spending her time reading & writing books, and traveling the world. Her ‘Journey to the West’ trilogy, ‘The Same Moon’, ‘Trials of Life’ and ‘Land of Hope’ have been published on Amazon.UK, Amazon.Com and Smashwords. She lives in Birmingham, UK with her English husband.

BOOK BLURB

Every year, millions of illegal immigrants cross borders in search of wealth, happiness and a life of ease in the Land of Hope. Some succeed. Others suffer unimaginable hardships.

When Jack Gordon, Inspector in the SCS (Serious Crime Squad) hires Pearl Zhang, a professional Chinese interpreter, they join forces to fight injustice in the corrupt underworld of international crime, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Pearl is the voice of broken dreams, translating raw, deranged, and colorful tales of those who cannot speak for themselves. As Pearl gets more and more tangled in the lives of strangers, Jack becomes a welcome diversion, complicated by the fact that both are married. Their trans-continental roller-coaster ride derails when Pearl tumbles into the sinister world of her clients, a world full of secrets, lies, and unspeakable violence — only this time, it’s directed at her.

Can she depend on Jack? Find out in this third and final book of Junying Kirk’s Journey to the West trilogy.

BLOG: junyingkirk.com    TWITTER: Junying007    FACEBOOK: Junying Jeanie Kirk

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EXCERPT

Chapter 12: Ah Fan'gs First Day in London
(The author gave me carte blanche in choosing my own excerpt. I chose one that affected me so much (there are many), I had to re-read it as the first time around my vision was blurry)

There are days in our lives which are so significant that memories of them stay with us no matter how much time has passed.

    The day when I arrived in the UK was one of those days. I have forgotten what Heathrow Airport was like; after all, most airports look the same, don't they? But I do remember what happened upon leaving the airport, so vividly that it was like yesterday.  Once in a while, like a film, it has played out in my mind and made me wonder: if I didn't follow the orders to call the number the snakehead gave me, instead choosing to disappear in this foreign country, what would have happened? Would my life have turned out differently?

    Stop it, I tell myself. What's the bloody point? I am a Chinese girl, and my fate had more or less been sealed the day I entered this world. Everyone's life path has been predetermined: not only in this life, but in previous lives and the next one. I am no exception. No, I'm not a cat and I know people say that cats have nine lives. I hate cats. They are cunning, lazy, dirty, and their claws are sharp and spiteful. That's not the point either. I do not have to be a cat to have many lives.

    Being Chinese and sort of a Buddhist believer, I am blessed with the knowledge that if I do good in this life, my next time around will improve. So hopefully nine or so life cycles down the line, my life will be so different from this one that I no longer have to go through any of the pain, hurt, and suffering that I have been subjected to in my still young, "current" life.

    After I was picked up by a car with blacked-out windows outside the airport, I was taken to a place, which I learnt later to be Chine Town in London's Leicester Square.

    At the time, I was utterly and completely disorientated. The 'long march' across all those borders between China and Europe had seemed a never-ending, torturous marathon. Only after talking with other girls who shared my experiences did I discover the names of some of the locations I had been smuggled through.

    For the men who ravaged my body and soul, I was not the only victim of their heinous crimes. They did the same to many other innocent girls.

    I doubted if any of these nasty bastards would ever be brought to justice by the laws of the countries we have travelled through. How would anyone find out what they did to us, or would they even care? Even if they did get caught, would any of their victims be brave enough and strong enough to go to court and give evidence against them? No way! These bastards remain nameless and faceless even to us, the young girls and women they have abused and assaulted, ravaged and ruined, against our will. Even if some of us were willing to speak out, who in the real world would represent us, the weak, the poor, the underprivileged, the downtrodden, and worst of all, the invisible and illegal?

    Over time, I have learnt to see the world I live in. For the majority of the people in Western, democratic countries, we are illegal immigrants; although not exactly untouchable, we drift along under the surface and remain most of the time hidden in places like takeaway kitchens or fruit-packing in remote areas. We are like shadows in the dark, ghosts who have no physical form in the real world, hence are insignificant. Once in a while, we cause a bit of stir in their news and media, when their politicians want votes from new immigration laws, or when illegals or underworld gangs or drug dealers committed a terrible crime, too horrendous to be swept quietly under the carpet.

    As hidden as I have been, I was not totally blind to what was happening around me. I did not have to read the newspapers to discover how the invisibles were suddenly made visible in the UK: once by the dead bodies on the back of a packed lorry, and another time more bodies washed away by the unforgiving sea at Morecombe Bay.

    Within the Chinese community - even the hidden, secret one - we communicate: good or bad, news spread, perhaps even more effectively than the mass media. How did people communicate before the invention of modern media? Word of mouth.

    We may be insignificant and invisible, but whether the indigenous people want us or not, we are an integral part of the modern society. Inevitable events led to unwanted revelations about our existence, when the tiny tiny bits of our lives became exposed to the ordinary, decent folds in the West.

    There are more sympathetic and liberal-minded ones; they do not fear us, nor blame us for the problems in their society, because their intellect and vision allow them to see the truth behind negative portrayal in the media. It is us, the nameless/homeless/rootless beings who do their fruit-picking/meat packing/dirty-dishwashing and other minion jobs which their own folks don't want to dirty their hands on. We are the cheap labour that allows these peace-loving, charitable people to enjoy a good living standard, so when they are hungry, they can go to a good-priced Chinese takeaway, or when they are mentally stressed and physically depressed, they visit an Oriental massage parlour or try some herbal medicine All at a good price - for them.

    Oh yes, the massage parlours. They are 'fond' memories for me, personally. It was my very first paid job in this world, a masseuse.

    It sounds pretty cool, even somewhat noble, doesn't it? In your description, that is, if you're really a professional masseuse, you relieve your customers' mental stress and physical discomfort. It sounds almost as good as being a nurse or doctor.

    But no, my 'job' as a masseuse did not strictly adhere to the above job description. It was a totally different kind of service altogether, not noble at all, nor cool. It was damn bloody disgusting and degrading. Why do they choose such grand and misleading titles for us poor sex slaves? Yes, that's right, we are simply slaves. We serve the needs of dirty men, whatever their needs might be. They use us to their satisfaction, and they exploit us to the bone.

    That day when I was taken to China Town, I braced myself with positive thoughts: This is a new beginning for me. I am going to forget what has happened on the journey here and start afresh. This is England, a democratic country where everyone is supposed to have human rights and ordinary people are respected and protected by the law. I shall learn to speak English properly and work hard. I shall pay back whatever is owed to the snakeheads for bringing me into this country, and I shall live an honest life.

    How naive and unrealistic I was. In no time at all, my big dream of starting afresh was shattered to tiny pieces, bits so small that I was never able to pick them up again and make it whole.

REVIEW
Copy received from author for review

Where do I begin. There is so much I want to say, yet don't want to say too much. As I have to start somewhere, here goes. This is the third book in the Journey to the West trilogy by Junying Kirk. I own the first book 'The Same Moon' but sadly, haven't gotten to it yet. When Junying asked me to read Land of Hope, I was worried I wouldn't 'get' the third book precisely because I hadn't read the back stories. She assured me that it could be read as a stand-alone, and so I said yes. I'm glad I did, and will now have to - sometime in the future - start reading from the beginning. I loved this book that much!

This is primarily Pearl Zhang's story told in third person. However, between what's happening with Pearl, you will read and follow pertinent characters' stories and lives written in first person POV. Normally, this is something that would not only confuse me, but something I'm not usually fond of. Not to worry with this book. All I ask of anyone who is going to read Land of Hope is to please make sure you take note when beginning a new chapter so you know to which character it pertains. Do this, and believe me, you will not be in the least confused.

Would the word, 'wow' be appropriate? I think so. Junying honestly took me on a journey of note. I experienced varying degrees of emotions throughout this book. One moment I'd find myself smiling right along with Pearl due to little touches the author added to Pearl's everyday life regarding social media etc. including snippets I've come to learn about from the author, and then I'd be doing the ugly cry which left me feeling devastated. Reading about what I call the scourge of the earth, who think nothing of 'luring' and entrapping those who are desperate for new beginnings to only to make huge amounts of money off of them whether it's human trafficking, the slave trade and the sex trade is shocking to say the least. Death in droves is horrific due to packing these unfortunate people in containers much as sardines are packed, carting them goodness knows where on an excruciating journey only to use them in the end. These 'people' are savages! And, that is putting it mildly. What makes this all the more real, is the fact that the author is a real life interpreter and you can bet your bottom dollar that she's seen and dealt with more than probably most of us will ever come across in our lifetime. Her experience in this field is what makes Pearl one of the most realistic characters I've had the pleasure of not only reading about, but 'meeting'. I feel like I know her personally. She got under my skin in such a way that were it ever possible to meet her, I'd make it happen. This lady not only has guts, but she really is one of the most likeable characters I've read about. She makes life happen and is one strong and capable woman..

I loved how this book was put together. The characters you come to know and whose sad lives you follow throughout the story culminate in the eventual meeting of their interpreter, none other than Pearl. Should I ever (I hope not) find myself in a situation where perhaps I'm in a foreign country and something goes wrong, I hope to God I'd have someone in my corner just like Pearl. Now, amidst all of these horrendous acts being carried out upon those who believed to have reached the Land of Hope, where the grass is apparently always greener on the other side, Pearl is going through her own personal battle of sorts. She and her husband, Andrew, have separated as he's moved to the States to teach. Feeling lonely and missing Andrew, it's not surprising that when Pearl meets DI Jack Gordon, an instant attraction sparks to life. To be honest, this particular part in the story had me gasping quite audibly, but only because my belief is that once you've committed yourself to another, come hell or high water - you do NOT ever stray or cheat, no matter the circumstances you find yourself in. You work it out and if you can't, you then sever the relationship before moving on to another. BUT. There had to be a but, I could not help but sympathise with Pearl, and dammit I really liked Jack although he too, cheated on his wife and ultimately his children. It didn't make him love them any less, but he too felt like his marriage had hit a dead end. Truth be told, I wasn't impressed with myself for liking Jack as much as I did, but I got over it. In the end, he was a man that showed his true colours - a man of honour.

The love scenes between Jack and Pearl were sizzling and beautifully written. However, due to the nature of reality in this book, there are quite a few scenes that those who are not used to reading these types of descriptions, may find it hard to swallow. I will say this though, it's real, it happens and quite honestly, for one to understand the viciousness of the situation, you have to read about it. By turning away from these very issues is almost akin to apathy. I'm becoming just a tad personal here, but it equates to everything in life. Turn your face the other way when someone is in dire straits, it shows you have no compassion and ultimately no heart. Enough said.

I found the characters to be fully rounded and it goes without saying really, extremely believable. Junying has now made me think even more than usual. I just know that every time I walk into a Chinese shop, I will be wondering if the young girl behind the counter is here of her own free will, which I hope is the case, or if she too was duped into thinking that she was being taken to a better life... to a Land of Hope. How sad this life we all live in really is. Most of us sit in our cozy, warm and loving homes, surrounded by all sorts of material goodies and gadgets without most times sparing a thought to those who have absolutely nothing but their souls left, and most times these people are so ripped apart that they feel even their soul is non-existent. Heart breaking. Despite the very real nature of what this author has brought to light, there are wonderful moments too. The ending was exactly what I was hoping for, albeit both a sad and happy one.

I could go on and on about this book, but I won't. If you've followed the blog tour, and shame on you if you haven't because you are missing out, you will have seen what every single person who has participated has had to say, especially those who have reviewed Land of Hope. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision this book affecting me this much, yet it has. Gosh, I truly am an emotional sap and find myself choking up as I write this. The day Junying Kirk publishes her trilogy in paperback, is the day I will be hounding her for copies, because if the last book in this Journey to the West is anything to go by... I can just imagine what Pearl has gone through to reach this point in her life. I highly recommend reading this literary fiction story, you won't be sorry.

SANDRA'S RATING: 5 STARS