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Guest Post & Giveaway with John Shors, author of Dragon House
December 2nd, 2009
I am so pleased today to have John Shors visiting Peeking Between the Pages. I reviewed Dragon House yesterday and it is definitely a novel that will be one of my favorites of 2009! You can grab a look at my review here if you’d like. So without further delay here is the fantastic guest post from John Shors on How Street Children Inspired Dragon House.
Happy holidays, everyone. I’d like to offer a post on how my new novel, Dragon House, came to be.
I’ve been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling. A time existed, after I graduated from college, when I taught English in Japan and then backpacked around Asia. I had little money and tended to stay in rooms that cost a few dollars a night. With nothing more than a couple sets of t-shirts and shorts in my backpack, I visited places such as Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Korea. Some of these countries I grew to know quite well. I’d find a cheap room, rent a scooter, and explore as much of an area as possible. Sometimes my future wife or my friends were with me, though I was often alone.
I saw so many beautiful things throughout these adventures, sights such as the Taj Mahal, the Himalayan peaks, and white-sand beaches unspoiled by humanity’s touch. But I think that I witnessed the most beauty within the street children I encountered. These children seemed so similar, country to country. They were out at all times of day and night, selling their postcards, their fans, their flowers. For many nights in Thailand, I played Connect Four with a boy who wasn’t older than seven or eight. We bet a dollar each game. Some travelers told me not to play with him, convinced that his parents were nearby and were sending him out at night to work. But I never saw his parents, and one night I spied him sleeping on a sidewalk, a piece of cardboard his bed. I don’t think I ever beat him in a game.
Throughout these travels I met hundreds, if not thousands, of children who lived on the street. Sometimes they were sick or had a physical deformity. But most of them were simply homeless—abandoned into extreme poverty. Bright, eager, and unafraid to laugh with a stranger, they taught me so much. I owe them so much.
My encounters with street children inspired my new novel, Dragon House. Set in modern-day Vietnam, Dragon House tells the tale of Iris and Noah—two Americans who, as a way of healing their own painful pasts, open a center to house and educate Vietnamese street children.
I’m quite excited about Dragon House. David Oliver Relin, who lived in Vietnam, and is the best-selling author of Three Cups of Tea, let me know that he thought it was “a sprawling, vibrant novel.” Robert Olen Butler, who fought in the Vietnam War, and won a Pulitzer Prize for his collection of short stories about Vietnamese Americans, told me that Dragon House is “a strong, important work from a gifted writer.” Such feedback from two wonderful writers, and two people who spent a significant amount of time in Vietnam, means a great deal to me.
It is my hope that Dragon House will be a success, and out of that success something good can happen. I am donating some of the funds generated from my book to an organization called Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. This group works with children in crisis throughout Vietnam. Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation offers disadvantaged children a wide range of services and support to help them break out of poverty, forever, by getting them back to school and helping them achieve their best. If you would like more information on Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, and what I am doing to help, please visit www.dragonhousebook.com.
What’s especially wonderful is that many readers, after finishing Dragon House, have made direct contributions to Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. To date, we’ve raised enough money to buy complete sets of school books for 400 street children.
I appreciate the support of everyone who reads Dragon House because the success of my novel will allow me to continue to help street children in Vietnam, and to raise the level of awareness of the perils that street children face around the world.
My very best wishes to you.
John Shors
~~~~~~~~~~
John, thanks so much for the wonderful post. I think it’s so important to help children all over the world so I wish you every success with helping these children! I’d also like to thank you for a really terrific novel!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS
I have two copies of Dragon House to share with two of my lucky readers. What can you do to enter…
- For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you.
- For 2 entries follow my blog. If you do already, just let me know and I’ll put you down for an extra entry.
- For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word.
This giveaway will be open to US & Canadian residents only for 1 of the copies as it’s coming from the publisher and internationally open for the other copy as it is my review copy that I’ll be putting up for grabs. I will draw for the winners on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Good luck everyone!
What an interesting guy! After that bit of insight, and your wonderful review, I would love to win a copy of this book. I am a follower! rnawrot at cfl dot rr dot com
Hey Dar,
Would love to win this book.
I am a follower.
I will post about it next Tues.
forevereading at gmail dot com
John sounds like a great guy and I appreciate what he is doing for those poor kids. Would love to read his novel so count me in please.
I follow.
kiris089 at gmail dot com
I read your review yesterday and knew I had to read this book!!
Please enter me to win.
Sounds so interesting.
I follow
fmlj94 at yahoo dot com
After reading the review I would
like very much to win this book.
I follow by google reader.
cenya2 at hotmail dot com
Great guest post! How wonderful to be raising awareness and funds, all through a book.
I'd like to enter please.
I follow and will post here.
wanda_waiting[@]hotmail[.]com
I enjoyed the review yesterday, so found today's guest post esp. interesting. I'd love to win the book.
I'm a follower.
lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com
This book sounds very good. I would love to win a copy.
I am a follower.
pk4290@comcast.net
I caught your enthusiasm yesterday in your review and enjoyed the author's insights from writing it today.
I would appreciate a chance to win a copy!
Thanks Dar!
cjay (at) iavalley (dot) edu
Thanks, everyone, for your nice comments about my novel, Dragon House. I really appreciate your enthusiasm… The book is generating some goodness in that we're helping these street children. We're sending them to school, getting them clothes, etc. It's wonderful. I wish everyone the best. Happy holidays! – John
I would love to win this one Dar!
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com
I'm also a follower.
joannelong74 AT gmail Dot com
I would love to enter, thank you!
freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
I follow via Google connect.
freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
Tweet; http://twitter.com/fredalicious/status/6274145042
freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
It just breaks my heart to hear of children living like that, yet I know it goes on all over the world. This sounds like a wonderful book. Please enter me. milou2ster(at)gmail.com
Interesting interview!
Thanks for the chance to read this book.
heidivargas [at] live dot com
Very interesting. Vietnam is a country that I know so little about!!!
It sounds like a interesting book and I would love to win a copy of it.
I am a follower.
ainfinger@comcast.net
I would like to be entered!!!
I'm a google reader follower!
delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com
Please count me in.
simplystacieblog at gmail dot com
I follow
simplystacieblog at gmail dot com
very captivating thanks minsthins at optonline dot net
Hi Dar, there's no need to enter me for this giveaway (not eligible), but still, I'd like to say to you and John Shors!
Hi Dar, thanks for your email clarification. I'm sorry I didn't read it thoroughly. Ah yes, please enter me for the giveaway!
I'm already a follower…
teh(dot)alice(at)gmail(dot)com
This book sounds really interesting. I'd love to win a copy.
I am already a follower.
mlawson17 at hotmail dot com
I heart books amythomas at gmail dot com Thanks for the look at this author and this great opportunity
Following your blog #1
This looks like a fascinating book. Just signed up to be a follower.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
Thanks for this-I have had this on my wish list for awhile
chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com
I follow thanks
chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com
cococroissants
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2009/12/guest-post-giveaway-with-john-shors.html giveaway for The Dragon House.
chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com
Hi, Dar!
I've heard a lot of great things about this book. Would you mind counting me in for the Int'l copy? I'm your loyal follower
ivanaquick at gmail dot com
Hugs,
Ivana
oh, and I put the contest in my contest sidebar http://willingtoseeless.blogspot.com/
I'd love to win! I follow via Google Reader.
nbmars AT yahoo DOT com
Enter me please.
Thanks!
nycole
knycks1@aol.com
need some reading for the long winter,,thx for the contest..
thehighflyer3(at)hotmail(dot)com
I blogged about the contest here.
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com
I would love to read this book! Thank you for the giveaway
I'm a follower.
mittens0831 at aol dot com
What a well spoken and well traveled author. sharonaquilino at hotmail dot com
I follow the blog
Sounds like an excellent book!
baileythebookworm at gmail dot com
justpeachy36@yahoo.com
This looks like a great book and I would love to win it.
I am a follower via Google.
I tweeted the giveaway here:
http://twitter.com/justpeachy36/status/6318053380
I posted the giveaway on my blog here:
http://bookblogs.ning.com/profiles/blogs/peeking-between-the-pages
I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.
I am already a follower of your blog.
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com
Please enter me: thereadingjourney[at]gmail[dot]com
I am a follower too.
I've been watching the book reviews on this book and have it on my "to be read" radar. Thanks for the chance!
bookcat1010 at gmail dot com
I'm an "old" follower (at rubymoonstone/gmail) at google friend connect
bookcat1010 at gmail dot com
i've been eye-ing this book too for quite since last week
A great book to read !
i'm a follower !
uniquas at ymail dot com
Please enter me. Thanks!
I also added this to my blog.
kristinemarie7 at gmail.com
I'd love to enter! Thanks for the chance!
areallibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com
I also follow!!
areallibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com
After hearing good things about this book, I would love to win and read it.
rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
Would love to read this!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
I'm a follower!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Would love a copy of this book. I am a new follower, will post tweets…libbysutherland forty-six at gmaidot com
I have put this book on my "must read" list after reading your review. Please count me in!
I am a follower and will tweet about your giveaway.
the dot sweetkitchen at yahoo dot com
Enter me in. Thanks!
kalynnick AT yahoo DOT com
Sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway!
I really enjoyed your interview with John Shors, and would love to be entered in your giveaway for his book. Thank you! I'm also a new follower…enjoying your great blog.
Sandee
Muzzley56[at]aol[dot]com
It sounds like a book everybody should read to support the childrens charity.
I am a Follower.
Please enter me in the drawing.
Thank you
Carol
buddytho {at} gmail DOT com
I would love to read this. My daughter would to. Good review.
+1 I'm a follower. polo-puppy-fluffyAThotmail *dot* com
Would love a chance to read this
book. Sounds interesting.
RJB
loki304[at]tds[dot]net
What an admiral cause from a great guy! It's nice to hear that they are getting educated. Of course, I'd love to read this book. Thank you for this giveaway and an excellent review.
chinook92 at gmail dot com
I already follow Peeking Between The Pages via Google Friends.
chinook92 at gmail dot com
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/chinook92/status/6473510545
chinook92 at gmail dot com
Hi, Dar!
I can't enter, but I still wanted to say hi, and thank the author for such an interesting post! And for what he is doing. Writing a book is a great way to get the message out there!
There should be more people like you around!
Sassy
Alternative-Read
Would love to win this! Thanks for the contest!
airalynn@gmail.com
i have been wanting to read this! I hope I win! Thanks!
I already follow.
jacquecurl1(at)gmail(dot)com
I would love to read this one. Please include me.
dlodden at frontiernet dot net
I'm a follower.
dlodden at frontiernet dot net
Please count me in. This looks like such an intersting book.
lizzi0915 at aol dot com
Please enter me, too, for the copy for international readers
Thanks.
I'm a follower.
I tweeted about the giveaway here: http://twitter.com/alessandra83/status/6659767262
Alessandra
outofblue1(at)gmail(dot)com
Please count me in for the international copy!
+2 Im a follower
+3 tweeted: http://twitter.com/beleth22/status/6660674737
Thanks!
battyaboutbats at gmail.com
Looks like a good one. …review made me want to read this
anjamie4 at gmail DOT com
I follow on google friend connect
anjamie4 at gmail DOT com
I would love to be entered.
RJB
loki304[at]tds[dot]net
I'm glad to know that 400 children got some school books!
I just followed your blog too.
I also mentioned your giveaway in my blog.
josettebooks[at]yahoo[dot]com
Thanks!
Thanks for the chance!
I follow:)
christinbanda at yahoo dot com
Sounds fantastic! Please accept this as my entry. Thank you!
Aliya D.
aliyadaya(at)shaw(dot)ca
Count me in.
dsandyboy@gmail.com
Please count me in!
+2 follower
milkavainamo@lyseo.edu.ouka.fi
Please enter me. walkerd@primus.ca
I would love to win this book!
I follow your blog.
akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com
I would love to read this book.
I am a follower of ur blog.
shweta8416[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]in
I'm international.
I'm a follower.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/Sparima/status/6771705461
spav05@gmail.com
Please enter me in this giveaway!
saemmerson at yahoo dot com
Sarah Emmerson
I follow your blog.
saemmerson at yahoo dot com
Sarah Emmerson
I tweeted:
https://twitter.com/saemmerson/status/6792412481
saemmerson at yahoo dot com
Sarah Emmerson
contest82[@]gmail[.]com
Count me in.
dsandyboy@gmail.com
Enter me please. walkerd@primus.ca