Love and Other Moods

This is my stop during the book blitz for Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee. Love and Other Moods is a standalone coming-of-age "own voices" story set in contemporary Shanghai, about falling in love, learning to adult and discovering one's place in the world.

This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 10 till 23 March. See the tour schedule here.

And don’t miss the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a Love and Other Moods gift basket at the bottom of this post!

Love and Other Moods By Crystal Z. Lee
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Multicultural Romance, Coming of Age
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: December 10, 2020

Blurb: 

Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, finding strength, and discovering one’s place in the world.

Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country.

Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai.

This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships—familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships—in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.

Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee

 

Author Interview

Topic: Writing Inspiration

 

Share about the inspiration behind the novel. 

When I lived in Shanghai, it often felt like a city on steroids; there was always something exciting or bizarre going on. It's also one of the most international and fastest-developing metropolises, and every day I was meeting somebody with a unique background and story. I also became obsessed with the city's history, its stunning architecture, and its myriad of delectable cuisine. The city itself and its people provided endless inspiration. 

The story explores the city of Shanghai as well as the different people and relationships Naomi has. Was there anything you pulled from your own life and put into the story?

Yes. This is very much an “own voices” story. After I moved to Shanghai, my grandfather revealed that his father had once lived in Shanghai as well, during the World War Two era. I myself had lived in China for nearly a decade, and had worked on projects for the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Shanghai is one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever been to, and I’ve traveled to over thirty countries. There are contrasts abound in every corner—east and west, old versus new, modern meets tradition.

Love and Other Moods is based on different relationships. What was your hardest scene to write?

The most difficult scenes were the ones of redemption and forgiveness. Those are complex emotions and I spent countless months writing and re-writing those scenes.

Do you personally relate to any of the characters?

Much like Naomi, in my twenties I moved from the U.S. to China, an entirely foreign country for me. She learns to “adult” in Shanghai, as I did as well. But ultimately this is a work of fiction, although some of the characters and scenes were inspired by real-life events.

How do you develop your plot and characters?

For me, visualization is an essential element to my writing. I try to visualize what my characters look like, where they live, how they grew up etc. Once I have that picture established, the rest of the writing flows a bit more easily.

Were the romantic relationships in the book based on people you had known in Shanghai?

Somewhat. Almost every character or situation was inspired by something that had happened in real-life. For example, I had known people in China whose family were opposed to them dating a Japanese person because of what had happened during World War Two. I knew some Joss and Tay types, where the second generation was loosely connected to the government in some capacity yet decided to date outside of their circle. I also knew many Logans in China—western men who had moved to Shanghai and treated the city as their personal playground. Although many foreigners have left China recently ahead of the pandemic, there is still a sizable expatriate contingent in Shanghai. Many of my friends are still there, and have married a local or is dating somebody from China.

Explain the Chinese characters on your book cover and on the photos inside of the book.

The four characters on the book cover literally translated, means “romantic journey in the neon city.” Inside the novel are four photos, which serve as dividers to the four parts of the book. So each Chinese character is represented in each part of the book: “romance,” “journey,” “neon,” “city.” Indeed Love and Other Moods is a romantic story about journeys and voyages, both literally and figuratively for the characters. Naomi crosses oceans and borders, and in the process, learns and grows as a person.

A fun fact about the city photographs inside the novel: my husband Peter took them! We first met in Beijing (although he had seen my photo from my mutual friend in New Jersey, but that’s another story). In Shanghai, Peter was always taking photos of the city wherever we went, so I had a treasure trove to choose from!

What are some tried-and-true writing techniques for transporting the reader?
I'm a firm believer in personally visiting any location or backdrop you're writing about, or at least conducting very thorough research. When I travel to a new place, my routine is to take a massive amount of photographs and videos, buy local artisan crafts and memorabilia, and if possible, I try to visit the region's bookstore to find unique reads sold only locally. When it comes to writing the scene, I gravitate towards setting the atmosphere with descriptions of the location's five senses--sights, sounds, scents, touch and tastes. Sometimes I create a mood board which helps me to visualize a setting. And when in doubt, have someone that lives there or has been to that location read your work.

You write love stories. So what’s the most romantic thing that has ever happened to you?

Peter and I went on fifty dates which we diligently recorded in a notebook before we were officially a couple. We are now married!

If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you pick?

If I were the reader, I’d love to hear the backstory of Naomi’s parents, Reina Kita and Wesley Fan. Or hear about Trina Akersten’s adoption story in Taiwan. Those are two spin-offs I might develop one day.

What are some of your favorite films set in China?

- Us and Them

- Lust, Caution

- The Painted Veil

- Suzhou River

- Abominable

- Finding Mr. Right (also known as Beijing Meets Seattle)

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon ebook
- Amazon Paperback
- B&N
- Bookdepository
- IndieBound

About the Author:
Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was formerly a public relations executive who had worked with brands in the fashion, beauty, technology, and automotive industries. Love and Other Moods is her debut novel. She’s already hard at work on her next novel and a children’s book.
Follow the author on Instagram @ Crystal.Z.Lee

Author links:
- Instagram

 

 

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Love and Other Moods. One winner will win a “Love and Other Moods” gift basket filled with items related to Love and Other Moods. Total value at $70. US Only.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway