Comment #1:

First of all, thank you Barbara for being our guest!

We already heard about your novels in Anne Cain's interview

about her beautiful artwork.

Barbara--Thank you, Naan. It's exciting to be a guest here and have my words translated into another language.

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I would like to ask you some questions about this trilogy's

background and characters.

It's very unusual to read a romance which takes place in the

east (at least it is for Italian readers), I'm sure writing one

must be a challenge. History, culture and life valours are so far,

so different from our ways.

Why did you choose to write about Japanese characters and to set

your novels in the east?

In the third book you put together a Japanese man and an

American woman, like to say black and white :-) Did you find some

difficulties in writing their love story?

What did you enjoy more to write about them and their

relationship?




Barbara--Anne and I are both very interested in the culture of Japan and China. We listen to a lot of Asian music and love Asian films and drama series. And we think Asian men are the sexiest in the world. :-)




It wasn't very difficult. Our male character Imai spent many years in America so that solved the communication problem for most of the story. The most difficult thing was trying to think what Kim would find to be very different between Japan and America. Neither Anne nor I have been to Japan so we had to use what we did know about the country from research and use that.




What did we enjoy most? I think we enjoyed watching Imai find a woman who was not impressed by him being a big famus rockstar. In Orange Moon Imai was shown to be very egotistical and with Kim he found that she wasn't a starstruck fan.

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You wrote these titles together with Anne Cain, how does it work

when writing four hands? Did you ever find yourselves in

disagreement about anything?

Barbara--We rarely disagree when writing. We think so very much alike, but sometimes one of us will have a suggestion to change some things to make the scene better.

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If you must say three reasons why we should read your books,

what would you say?

Barbara--In writing with Anne and in the books I've written alone characters are the most important part of the story for me. When I write I'm as anxious to find out "what happens next" as I hope the reader is. When my characters cry I cry too. And when they're happy I can feel their happiness. I like to think the characters are as alive to readers as they are to me. And I hope that when someone reads my stories they go into the characters' world and escape from the stress and everyday trouble we all have. I like to think that I give my readers a "vacation" at times when they can't leave leave home to take a real trip.