This is from a fabulous editor/writer, Barbara Milbourn. She edits most all of my books and God love her, she definitely earns her money! Without further adieu,
The Mango Tree Café Loi Kroh RoadAuthor: Taryn Simpson & Alan Solomon
Author Web site: http://mangotreecafe-loikrohroad.blogspot.com/
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQD0R5IXOhs
ISBN-13: 978-1430325222
Reviewer: Barbara Sharp Milbourn
Purchase at http://www.lulu.com/content/1019489 or Amazon.com
Alan Solomon and Taryn Simpson, in The Mango Tree Café Loi Kroh Road, present the life of Larry. We both meet and say goodbye to Larry as an old man sitting in his cane chair on the veranda of his Chiangmai home peering into the past and future. What’s in-between is an entertaining and sensitive story of a man’s awakening to find and serve the truth.
Larry, a teenager, heeds the words of his father to leave the small New Zealand village so that his achievement will be greater than “. . . watching the grass grow and releasing the pressure from the udders of cows. . .” His travels take him to Thailand, “Land of a Thousand Smiles” and to the fertile beauty of the Mae Rim region where the solitude of the jungle stands in sharp contrast to the noise and bustle of Chiangmai’s Loi Kroh Road.
On this famous and hypnotic road, the powerful and the powerless come to wash bad luck away in drink, prostitution, and anonymity.In one of its bars, Larry has a vision (not his first) that points him to partake of the road and feed it a different food, to experience a different kind of love, and to acknowledge and embrace his purposefulness.
I’m convinced that roads like this and their seedy, gritty dynamic exist around the world. What I especially liked about The Mango Tree Café Loi Kroh Road is that it places us in the pocket of Larry’s shirt closest to his heart. We are standing with him in the press of his life, peering into and out of the café, seeing it for what it is, meeting its characters, smelling its smells, tasting its strange humor and barely disguised grief.
We move back and forth through time and reality to the accident scene, and eventually come to rest as the realization of who he is and why he is here presents itself. Through Larry we are reminded of how little we are really known and understood by others—and often ourselves—and how his seeking is hardly different from our own if we will but stare into its face.
Enjoy The Mango Tree Café Loi Kroh Road.
Hear author Taryn Simpson in an interview with Barbara Milbourn by clicking on Taryn’s name on the right side bar at http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com.
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Friday, September 7, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Interview, Interviews, and MORE Interviews
Well, I didn't get to talk with Alan via phone, but I continued the interview anyway. The show must go on, right? Sigh.....One day, Alan....One day.
Having read Taryn Simpson's and Alan Solomon's book, "The Mango Tree Cafe"; Loi Kroh Road" I was anxious to interview them for my program. Lately it's been rare that I've picked up a book and not been able to put it down. "The Mango Tree Cafe" is just such a book. Set in Thailand it tells the story of Larry and the colorful characters he encounters on Loi Kroh Rd. I feel this story will HAVE to be made into a film for those whose imaginations don't do the book justice. It's a "must read" for those who love adventure and discovering new places while sitting comfortably in an easy chair accompanied by a warm cup of tea.
Revvell
http://podcast.thebookcrawler.com/
http://podcast.thebookcrawler.com/2007/08/15/revvell-interviews-taryn-simpson.aspx or: http://tinyurl.com/3y5usj.
Had the most fun with Revvell on her radio program! It was like we were just chatting and having a great conversation instead of an "Interview".
Here's her review and listen to the show, it was a blast!
Revvell
http://podcast.thebookcrawler.com/
http://podcast.thebookcrawler.com/2007/08/15/revvell-interviews-taryn-simpson.aspx or: http://tinyurl.com/3y5usj.
Monday, August 13, 2007
HUGE NEWS!
Not only is the book reading like a Who's Who, read below for the HUGE NEWS!
"The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road" is....
* Being shown at the Beijing, China International Book Fair at the end of this month
- Revvell (http://www.revvellations.com/)
- Virtual Book Review (http://www.virtualbookreview.com/)
* Selected as Book of the Month to read by an Australian book club
* Advertised heavily in "Ideas, Goals and Dreams" Magazine to premier in Sept 2007
* Scheduled to be translated into Chinese and Mandarin languages
"The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road" is....
* Being shown at the Beijing, China International Book Fair at the end of this month
* Competing for Best Fiction Novel according to USABookNews.com
* Accumulating Interview Requests from
- Linda Della Donna (http://www.griefcase.blogspot.com/)- Revvell (http://www.revvellations.com/)
- Virtual Book Review (http://www.virtualbookreview.com/)
* Selected as Book of the Month to read by an Australian book club
* Advertised heavily in "Ideas, Goals and Dreams" Magazine to premier in Sept 2007
* Scheduled to be translated into Chinese and Mandarin languages
AND THE HUGE NEWS
"The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road" will compete for
Best Fiction Novel for the Pulitzer Prize!!!!
All I can say to Alan Solomon is, "Cheers, Mate!"
Saturday, August 11, 2007
An Interview with Revvell Promises to be MONUMENTAL
I spoke to Revvell (www.Revvellations.com) yesterday morning to discuss when she would like to interview me regarding "The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road" book.
While we chatted, I suddenly had a thought. "Do you think we could bring Alan into this interview as well?"
Revvell was game, so when I asked Alan about it (via email as always) he responded that he would be glad to.
This would be the FIRST time we would talk to each other regarding the book. Due to time differences, it will take some doing, but it should be a monumental occassion.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
The First Review Is IN!!!!!!
An author who also conducts radio shows as well as review books:
..."If you get a chance to read this book, do so. It is MAHVELOUS!!! It's been awhile since I've not been able to put a book down. Going back to reading it now. We're doing an interview, right? HAVE to talk about THIS book!!!"
Revvell
http://www.revvellations.com/
You know what to do, right? Click here: The Mango Tree Cafe', Loi Kroh Road by Alan Solomon, Taryn Simpson (Book) in L
..."If you get a chance to read this book, do so. It is MAHVELOUS!!! It's been awhile since I've not been able to put a book down. Going back to reading it now. We're doing an interview, right? HAVE to talk about THIS book!!!"
Revvell
http://www.revvellations.com/
You know what to do, right? Click here: The Mango Tree Cafe', Loi Kroh Road by Alan Solomon, Taryn Simpson (Book) in L
Monday, August 6, 2007
A Virtual Conversation with Solomon & Simpson by Linda Della Donna
Welcome Readers! Have I got a treat for you. Recently, I caught up with authors, Alan Solomon and Taryn Simpson and asked for an email interview. Solomon and Simpson teamed up to write The Mango Tree Cafe' Loi Kroh Road. What is stunning about this union, is Solomon makes his home in Asia, and Simpson resides in the USA.
Here's what Taryn Simpson and Alan Solomon had to say:
How did you come across this project?
TS: A writer friend of mine got a lead from a gentleman that had written a rough draft of a book and needed someone to "punch it up". She forwarded the book to me because it was fiction and she knows that it's my speciality. I thought it was going to be 'just another writing job'. Enter Alan Solomon and The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road. I read the synopsis he wrote for the book and was immediately taken with it. Why did you write this book?
AS: I received the power to write this novel from the moment I entered Loi Kroh Road and felt the mysterious magic of the street.
What was it like working with another author from a different part of the world? Were there barriers? Name one?
TS: Absolutely! Being an American, it's hard for me to fathom that people in other countries don't have the same freedoms that we do. Even when it comes to something minor such as the internet. If you have lived in the USA your entire life, you tend to adopt the mindset of "If I have a certain freedom, surely everyone else has it too". Although watching the news I know differently. It's just different when you become aware of how rich our freedoms are in this country when you hear people from different parts of the country talk about certain limitations they have. For example, when I created the blog for the book, Alan wasn't able to see it online for quite some time due to China's strict internet laws. TS (continues): Another barrier was I had a certain time frame where I could catch Alan on line. Remember, if the time in Nashville, TN USA is 8pm, it is 8am in Beijing. So, when I'm winding down from the day, Alan is beginning his. From 7:30pm my time until however late I could make myself stay up is when we had brief conversations about the book. Once I logged off for the night, Alan would leave me emails for the next morning (which is his night!). It was crazy!
AS: No barriers working with Taryn, Taryn was so enthusiastic and so helpful, for me it was like we were seated in the same bar side-by-side discussing our next move.
TS: Well, that's hard to say. Although the book was written, I re-wrote roughly half of it and added/deleted sections of the book. Generally a novel takes 2-3 months or maybe more. That's not including editing. Yes, my partner endured many conversations about the book. When I become enthralled with a book, look out. I talk about it non-stop!
AS: The novel from start to finish took around 4 years, however the 'pull' to write was in my head for as long as I can remember, probably in High School. My family and friends never knew I was writing the Mango Tree Cafe, however if they had known they would have been supportive with a roar of laughter.
Without giving too much away, what is your favorite part of The Mango Tree Cafe? Do you have one?
TS: Oh, this is going to be difficult. Overall, I loved the fact that I got "lost" in this book as a reader. I've never been to Thailand and never had a yen to go. But, the events of the novel were so real to me that I felt like I have been there. It was a very strange feeling. And, meeting people in Nashville that had actually been there was just surreal. TS (continues): I love many sections of the book. The ones that stand out in my mind is the metamorphisis the main character goes through. It covers from the time he is a child to current age of around 50ish. He is able to gain a realization about himself and his father which is very melancholy at best. It's a sweet, sad, and all too painfully familiar feeling of knowing what it feels like to be so ultimately different from others and realizing that regardless of the lifestyle you lead, you can't run from what is inside yourself. I don't want to give too much away, but it is a very poignant story. I promise you will be in tears at the end. Not to mention that the setting includes visions of a lush jungle full of exotic fish, elephants and street dogs. I tried to put that feel in the You Tube video I did for it.
AS: In the novel there are many personal favorite parts I enjoy, however I guess if I had to identify just one part I would have to say it was when Larry realized he lost his only love Noo and to the end of the novel believed he was hearing her and seeing her and that someday she would return to him.
Did you accomplish everything you set out to do when writing this story?
TS: I think so. This question would probably be better served if answered by Alan Solomon. But, after he read the final draft I sent him. I could tell he was quite pleased.
AS: Yes I believe so.
What do you want readers to come away with after reading your story?
TS: I have to remind people that the story was created by Alan. But I want people to come away with whatever makes them think about the book. It has a lot of messages and there is one for everybody. I loved how the book describes the misfits of Loi Kroh Road as beautiful and exotic. Yet, the lives they lead were very gritty and difficult.
AS: Questioning life and how things happen to us as we travel through life which we can miss unless we are alert and seize the moment.
Are you working on anything at this time? Can you share what it is?
TS: I'm having to FORCE myself to move on from this book! LOL. I'm marketing the heck out of it as we speak. But, I have a couple of ideas for books that I am working on. The Mango Tree book has created a real desire in me to start writing "literary fiction" much in the same vein as "The Color Purple", or "A River Runs Through it". This book is pivotal in my career. My next book is tentatively entitled "Invisible Fences". Although it can change.
AS: I am thinking all the time, I watch and listen and keep a notebook. Something may happen. I am not too sure.
Any advice to a writer in the process of writing her own book?
TS: Some writers will say write at any cost. I say write when you have alone time and if you don't have it, make time to write. Even if it is for 10 or 20 minutes a day. Don't be discouraged. Get it down. Worry about deleting or editing later. Listen to music or do an activity such as people watching that will help you get in the mood for what you are writing because I think it bleeds through.
AS: Place a mirror on your writing desk and as you write occasionally look up and you will see what your next line is to be, because looking right back at you will be the lines, the eyes sending you the message and experience of life.
Thank you, Taryn, Thank you, Alan, for your time. Much success with The Mango Tree Cafe Loi Kroh Road. I'm off to do get a mirror and do the 10-20 minute-a-day writing thing!
You have permission to contact Linda Della Donna to do an interview at littleredmailbox@aol.com
Here's what Taryn Simpson and Alan Solomon had to say:
How did you come across this project?
TS: A writer friend of mine got a lead from a gentleman that had written a rough draft of a book and needed someone to "punch it up". She forwarded the book to me because it was fiction and she knows that it's my speciality. I thought it was going to be 'just another writing job'. Enter Alan Solomon and The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road. I read the synopsis he wrote for the book and was immediately taken with it. Why did you write this book?
AS: I received the power to write this novel from the moment I entered Loi Kroh Road and felt the mysterious magic of the street.
What was it like working with another author from a different part of the world? Were there barriers? Name one?
TS: Absolutely! Being an American, it's hard for me to fathom that people in other countries don't have the same freedoms that we do. Even when it comes to something minor such as the internet. If you have lived in the USA your entire life, you tend to adopt the mindset of "If I have a certain freedom, surely everyone else has it too". Although watching the news I know differently. It's just different when you become aware of how rich our freedoms are in this country when you hear people from different parts of the country talk about certain limitations they have. For example, when I created the blog for the book, Alan wasn't able to see it online for quite some time due to China's strict internet laws. TS (continues): Another barrier was I had a certain time frame where I could catch Alan on line. Remember, if the time in Nashville, TN USA is 8pm, it is 8am in Beijing. So, when I'm winding down from the day, Alan is beginning his. From 7:30pm my time until however late I could make myself stay up is when we had brief conversations about the book. Once I logged off for the night, Alan would leave me emails for the next morning (which is his night!). It was crazy!
AS: No barriers working with Taryn, Taryn was so enthusiastic and so helpful, for me it was like we were seated in the same bar side-by-side discussing our next move.
TS: Well, that's hard to say. Although the book was written, I re-wrote roughly half of it and added/deleted sections of the book. Generally a novel takes 2-3 months or maybe more. That's not including editing. Yes, my partner endured many conversations about the book. When I become enthralled with a book, look out. I talk about it non-stop!
AS: The novel from start to finish took around 4 years, however the 'pull' to write was in my head for as long as I can remember, probably in High School. My family and friends never knew I was writing the Mango Tree Cafe, however if they had known they would have been supportive with a roar of laughter.
Without giving too much away, what is your favorite part of The Mango Tree Cafe? Do you have one?
TS: Oh, this is going to be difficult. Overall, I loved the fact that I got "lost" in this book as a reader. I've never been to Thailand and never had a yen to go. But, the events of the novel were so real to me that I felt like I have been there. It was a very strange feeling. And, meeting people in Nashville that had actually been there was just surreal. TS (continues): I love many sections of the book. The ones that stand out in my mind is the metamorphisis the main character goes through. It covers from the time he is a child to current age of around 50ish. He is able to gain a realization about himself and his father which is very melancholy at best. It's a sweet, sad, and all too painfully familiar feeling of knowing what it feels like to be so ultimately different from others and realizing that regardless of the lifestyle you lead, you can't run from what is inside yourself. I don't want to give too much away, but it is a very poignant story. I promise you will be in tears at the end. Not to mention that the setting includes visions of a lush jungle full of exotic fish, elephants and street dogs. I tried to put that feel in the You Tube video I did for it.
AS: In the novel there are many personal favorite parts I enjoy, however I guess if I had to identify just one part I would have to say it was when Larry realized he lost his only love Noo and to the end of the novel believed he was hearing her and seeing her and that someday she would return to him.
Did you accomplish everything you set out to do when writing this story?
TS: I think so. This question would probably be better served if answered by Alan Solomon. But, after he read the final draft I sent him. I could tell he was quite pleased.
AS: Yes I believe so.
What do you want readers to come away with after reading your story?
TS: I have to remind people that the story was created by Alan. But I want people to come away with whatever makes them think about the book. It has a lot of messages and there is one for everybody. I loved how the book describes the misfits of Loi Kroh Road as beautiful and exotic. Yet, the lives they lead were very gritty and difficult.
AS: Questioning life and how things happen to us as we travel through life which we can miss unless we are alert and seize the moment.
Are you working on anything at this time? Can you share what it is?
TS: I'm having to FORCE myself to move on from this book! LOL. I'm marketing the heck out of it as we speak. But, I have a couple of ideas for books that I am working on. The Mango Tree book has created a real desire in me to start writing "literary fiction" much in the same vein as "The Color Purple", or "A River Runs Through it". This book is pivotal in my career. My next book is tentatively entitled "Invisible Fences". Although it can change.
AS: I am thinking all the time, I watch and listen and keep a notebook. Something may happen. I am not too sure.
Any advice to a writer in the process of writing her own book?
TS: Some writers will say write at any cost. I say write when you have alone time and if you don't have it, make time to write. Even if it is for 10 or 20 minutes a day. Don't be discouraged. Get it down. Worry about deleting or editing later. Listen to music or do an activity such as people watching that will help you get in the mood for what you are writing because I think it bleeds through.
AS: Place a mirror on your writing desk and as you write occasionally look up and you will see what your next line is to be, because looking right back at you will be the lines, the eyes sending you the message and experience of life.
Thank you, Taryn, Thank you, Alan, for your time. Much success with The Mango Tree Cafe Loi Kroh Road. I'm off to do get a mirror and do the 10-20 minute-a-day writing thing!
You have permission to contact Linda Della Donna to do an interview at littleredmailbox@aol.com
******
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Interviews, Interviews and More Interviews!
As I am putting the finishing touches on the novel, I'm getting more requests for interviews. Normally, I don't care for doing numerous interviews about a book but that was before I did an interview with Linda Della Donna.
www.Griefcase.blogspot.com and look for www.Griefcase.net coming soon.
I'll post it as soon as she is complete right here. By the way, if you would like our book to be featured in your local newspaper, ezine, blog etc. Drop me a line.
Don't forget to purchase the book. Then drop by the mangotreecafe yahoo group and leave a message! I look forward to hearing your comments.
www.Griefcase.blogspot.com and look for www.Griefcase.net coming soon.
I'll post it as soon as she is complete right here. By the way, if you would like our book to be featured in your local newspaper, ezine, blog etc. Drop me a line.
Don't forget to purchase the book. Then drop by the mangotreecafe yahoo group and leave a message! I look forward to hearing your comments.
Monday, July 16, 2007
No Rest for The Weary! On To Beijing, CHINA's Book Fair
If any of you are in the Beijing, China area during Aug 30 - Sep 3, 2007, be sure to check out "The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road" book on display with the Jenkins Group at their international book fair!
Thousands of books are expected to be displayed and The Mango Tree Cafe book will be there as well with a one very excited co-author on hand, Mr. Alan Solomon. So take this opportunity to shake his hand if you are a book seller and order our book! We are hoping it literally flies off the shelf with orders!
Stay tuned for more details!
WE ARE PUBLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pass the champagne, "The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road" is scheduled to be published and available for purchase within the next week or two!
I just finished polishing the book and am sending via email to Alan in Beijing to proof a bit further. Then, dear reader, you will be able to hold in your hands the book that started it all!
Just look at the crowds clamoring to get a copy of the book!
I just finished polishing the book and am sending via email to Alan in Beijing to proof a bit further. Then, dear reader, you will be able to hold in your hands the book that started it all!
Just look at the crowds clamoring to get a copy of the book!
Continue to stay tuned, more exciting news is on the way!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The Music and Text in the Book Trailer
Thanks to all that stopped by to either watch the book trailer here, or at You Tube. Quite a few of you remarked about the music and text that was in the trailer.
The music/lyrics of "Solitaire" was written by an American named Neil Sedaka. He's had numerous hits throughout his career and this song is a particularly touching one.
The singer's name is a British citizen named Tony Christie. He's definitely got a beautiful voice and sings the Sedaka composition with such feeling. The song was chosen because Alan mentions it in the book. So, we tried to be as true to the book as possible when doing the trailer.
Check out the performance of this song with both Sedaka and Christie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVCLdzBYjEs
As for the text, all I can do is mutter an "aw shucks it was nothin'". I wrote the text based upon my affection for the book.
Alan and I are so glad you enjoyed the mini-film. Please continue to link to the You Tube link
The music/lyrics of "Solitaire" was written by an American named Neil Sedaka. He's had numerous hits throughout his career and this song is a particularly touching one.
The singer's name is a British citizen named Tony Christie. He's definitely got a beautiful voice and sings the Sedaka composition with such feeling. The song was chosen because Alan mentions it in the book. So, we tried to be as true to the book as possible when doing the trailer.
Check out the performance of this song with both Sedaka and Christie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVCLdzBYjEs
As for the text, all I can do is mutter an "aw shucks it was nothin'". I wrote the text based upon my affection for the book.
Alan and I are so glad you enjoyed the mini-film. Please continue to link to the You Tube link
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Agent NUMBER FOUR!!
There is nothing better than logging into your email account first thing in the morning and seeing the following words:
"Your proposal sounds very interesting. Please forward the first three chapters and a synopsis to my attention."
"Your proposal sounds very interesting. Please forward the first three chapters and a synopsis to my attention."
And, as Tom Petty would sing, The Waiting is the Hardest Part.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
30 pages and 30,000 miles
This past weekend, I put together a synopsis, 3 chapters of the book and a detailing of this blog, the interest that we have generated thus far, etc. I carefully put it into an airmail packet and printed the agent's name and address on front.
The mail clerk asks me a series of questions of what is inside the package (due to 9/11 security issues) and I replied, "30 pages of a book and alot of anticipation". She smiles and stamps it to death and gives me a receipt.
I am continuing to query U.S. agents as well. Once I hear from these agents, I'll let you know (good or bad) what they say. It's all part of the process, right?
The mail clerk asks me a series of questions of what is inside the package (due to 9/11 security issues) and I replied, "30 pages of a book and alot of anticipation". She smiles and stamps it to death and gives me a receipt.
I am continuing to query U.S. agents as well. Once I hear from these agents, I'll let you know (good or bad) what they say. It's all part of the process, right?
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Literary Agents....
I've started the process of querying agents for the MTC over the weekend. And, voila', I had two favorable responses from agents in London.
So today I will spend my time today gathering the info they are seeking and will send off for their review. Cross your fingers folks, I still predict that MTC will be HUGE. You heard it hear first.
I've read alot of novels in my time and inevitably, one of two things happen: either the novel doesn't hook me in the opening paragraph, or I love it from the first sentence.
I love this novel from the first word. Any book that captures me mind and spirit and has me in tears at the end counts as one of those books I'll remember forever.
More news later.
Friday, May 4, 2007
AN EXCERPT FROM "THE MANGO TREE CAFE, LOI KROH ROAD"
Let us know your thoughts....
This was Larry, wasted by the struggle called age, a duel he hadn’t even noticed taking place until it crept up on him while he was just too darned busy fighting the reality to have seen time and infirmity racing up to engulf him. He rested his head on the back of the chair in defeatist reflection.
“It was just a time. Just a time, and then I had the rest of my life which bored me near to death,” he sighed. He offered me an early morning, expertly made Bloody Mary, full of I never figured out what special ingredients. I gladly accepted as I finished off the last of the Dewar’s.
“The days are in a hurry now. My memories are kept under lock and key never to escape. My mind recalls my ragged history with a reflex as natural as breathing so that I never forget the unpleasantries. As I think back to my life; I loved the farm but there are only certain things that can happen on the land, and one can only go so far there. Maybe I should have stayed to please the old man, or the ancestors. The farm was part of the family, and I’m sure I was expected to make sure it remained so. However, as it turned out I didn’t stay, and in all honesty it was not hard for me to leave. As a result, I am pleased I won’t die a bitter old man thinking of the dreams I wanted to chase but didn’t, because the tits of cows had to be pulled in order to relieve their stress and to keep the bank manager happy.
“I was determined never to go home again. I escaped grief, but also love to a point, and as I stand watching that old man struggling along past my home every morning, I wonder if I am torn with guilt, and if I am, why don’t I know for sure? Has time caused my recollections to dull? Life is full of strange mysteries and secrets,” Larry half smiled at his own summation as he stared transfixed onto Loi Kroh Road while he rubbed the stubble upon his face.
“Ah, but when the mysteries happen upon us we will gladly describe the experience to friends over a beer or two, but little secrets we prefer to keep to ourselves. It is often said that three people can keep a secret only if two of those people are in their graves. Another line is, ‘On the world stage, some of us have better seats.’ Odd things happen to us as we go about our daily life which later, after the dust has settled and we get back to some semblance of normalcy the road ahead is seen much clearer. It makes one wonder if what you experienced that moment was from some cosmic force aimed directly and only at you. I’m talking about the real things that end up changing your life forever. Are these happenings a coincidence, or are they planned by some higher spiritual force? He turned to me with answerless eyes as he asked his rhetorical question.
“Why do some people have the Sight, the ability to see ahead of time and deep into the past, while others cannot even see what is happening in front of their noses? I used to, and sometimes still do wonder if time is real, only to have had that pushed back into my face in my early thirties when at a party I latched on to this pretty thing in a bar and used the well worn line of, ‘Where have you been my entire life, darling?’ To which she, without a hint of embarrassment or hesitation replied, ‘Well judging from your looks, for the first half of it I wasn’t born.’”
~~~
Larry’s story is a strange one, with the added merit of being true. I witnessed much of it, yet even I have difficulty understanding how it all happened and why it ended the way it did, and why such an incident so late in the life of a man who thoroughly enjoyed his own company above all else, suddenly jolted him into the realization that life is possibly just an illusion, and that we do not actually exist. He came to suspect the people who live around him and those whom he believed were meant to be trusted based on their station in life or their profession might actually resent him for no other reason than because he was successful. He started to consider them parasites that, while sucking from the public purse, would desperately use him as a sponge for their own means. Then when they had used and abused him to satisfy their own insatiable greed and he found himself drowning, these same parasites would gladly throw him an anvil.
Such people held the ability to cause all sorts of problems for innocent people while they themselves disappeared into the eye of their own storms. Larry often recalled the old story of the new British Member of Parliament who, on being shown where his seat was located by the Whip pointed to across the room and said, “Is that where my enemy sits?” And the whip said to him, “Oh no, my boy, that's where your opponents sit. You will be sitting with your enemy.”
Larry mistrusted the so-called elite and their self-bestowed authority, those who lived in their own worlds believing they had control over those they consider of the lower class. “I don’t have a law degree, I am not an eminent heart surgeon, and I can’t even fly a fighter jet, but I know what shit looks like. They should receive tumultuous applause in recognition for their ability to survive in their world of dishonesty, corruption, evil, lies and Absolut martinis at breakfast,” was one of Larry’s favorite lines when he got angry enough with the so-called elite.
In his time, Larry had been called many things by various groups of people; some descriptions were not very flattering, with their name calling changing in color to suit their mood of the day and whatever intensity was required to accommodate their own hidden agendas. However, one description they failed to attribute to him, was the truth: a caring person who was generous to a fault and did not ask for anything in return. There was jealousy and there was evilness in the intentions of those who concealed their own weaknesses. They saw what Larry had to offer and clamored to feast upon his carcass with the hunger of a glutton. They wanted to seize his power- that certain something he had that was indefinable. But, they failed miserably, for they did not know his secret, the secret of being aware, his personal spiritualism, for unbeknownst to them all, Larry felt the force of the spiritual energy from his past life, and he was guided by the spirits of those who had gone before him many years previously.
He was led on a life which was to be full of love for those less fortunate but, as Larry found out, even those to whom he devoted his life to help sometimes would unexpectedly turn on the very person who had saved them. So this is the story of Larry, who ended up not trying to save his soul but desperately trying to save his life.
As this story is told, please do not judge Larry too harshly, as he had no real argument with the establishment. Try having corrupt officials all with their own selfish agendas in your background, praising you, slapping you on the back with the right hand while in the left they hold a knife that flirts with the glint of its own sharpness. "Cold and calculating people to whom conscience is a foreign concept," Larry called them.
Larry was a traveler like many before him, however, unlike most poor souls he knew, his path had been planned for him and he knew he was constantly guided by a powerful spirit, a spirit whose presence was revealed to him at an early age, a spirit to guide him and help him survive on the street where he eventually ended up. Larry knew that to survive on the street, the street must fall in love with you.
I know that from the day Larry walked onto Loi Kroh Road he never drew a sober breath again.
The Excerpt
This was Larry, wasted by the struggle called age, a duel he hadn’t even noticed taking place until it crept up on him while he was just too darned busy fighting the reality to have seen time and infirmity racing up to engulf him. He rested his head on the back of the chair in defeatist reflection.
“It was just a time. Just a time, and then I had the rest of my life which bored me near to death,” he sighed. He offered me an early morning, expertly made Bloody Mary, full of I never figured out what special ingredients. I gladly accepted as I finished off the last of the Dewar’s.
“The days are in a hurry now. My memories are kept under lock and key never to escape. My mind recalls my ragged history with a reflex as natural as breathing so that I never forget the unpleasantries. As I think back to my life; I loved the farm but there are only certain things that can happen on the land, and one can only go so far there. Maybe I should have stayed to please the old man, or the ancestors. The farm was part of the family, and I’m sure I was expected to make sure it remained so. However, as it turned out I didn’t stay, and in all honesty it was not hard for me to leave. As a result, I am pleased I won’t die a bitter old man thinking of the dreams I wanted to chase but didn’t, because the tits of cows had to be pulled in order to relieve their stress and to keep the bank manager happy.
“I was determined never to go home again. I escaped grief, but also love to a point, and as I stand watching that old man struggling along past my home every morning, I wonder if I am torn with guilt, and if I am, why don’t I know for sure? Has time caused my recollections to dull? Life is full of strange mysteries and secrets,” Larry half smiled at his own summation as he stared transfixed onto Loi Kroh Road while he rubbed the stubble upon his face.
“Ah, but when the mysteries happen upon us we will gladly describe the experience to friends over a beer or two, but little secrets we prefer to keep to ourselves. It is often said that three people can keep a secret only if two of those people are in their graves. Another line is, ‘On the world stage, some of us have better seats.’ Odd things happen to us as we go about our daily life which later, after the dust has settled and we get back to some semblance of normalcy the road ahead is seen much clearer. It makes one wonder if what you experienced that moment was from some cosmic force aimed directly and only at you. I’m talking about the real things that end up changing your life forever. Are these happenings a coincidence, or are they planned by some higher spiritual force? He turned to me with answerless eyes as he asked his rhetorical question.
“Why do some people have the Sight, the ability to see ahead of time and deep into the past, while others cannot even see what is happening in front of their noses? I used to, and sometimes still do wonder if time is real, only to have had that pushed back into my face in my early thirties when at a party I latched on to this pretty thing in a bar and used the well worn line of, ‘Where have you been my entire life, darling?’ To which she, without a hint of embarrassment or hesitation replied, ‘Well judging from your looks, for the first half of it I wasn’t born.’”
~~~
Larry’s story is a strange one, with the added merit of being true. I witnessed much of it, yet even I have difficulty understanding how it all happened and why it ended the way it did, and why such an incident so late in the life of a man who thoroughly enjoyed his own company above all else, suddenly jolted him into the realization that life is possibly just an illusion, and that we do not actually exist. He came to suspect the people who live around him and those whom he believed were meant to be trusted based on their station in life or their profession might actually resent him for no other reason than because he was successful. He started to consider them parasites that, while sucking from the public purse, would desperately use him as a sponge for their own means. Then when they had used and abused him to satisfy their own insatiable greed and he found himself drowning, these same parasites would gladly throw him an anvil.
Such people held the ability to cause all sorts of problems for innocent people while they themselves disappeared into the eye of their own storms. Larry often recalled the old story of the new British Member of Parliament who, on being shown where his seat was located by the Whip pointed to across the room and said, “Is that where my enemy sits?” And the whip said to him, “Oh no, my boy, that's where your opponents sit. You will be sitting with your enemy.”
Larry mistrusted the so-called elite and their self-bestowed authority, those who lived in their own worlds believing they had control over those they consider of the lower class. “I don’t have a law degree, I am not an eminent heart surgeon, and I can’t even fly a fighter jet, but I know what shit looks like. They should receive tumultuous applause in recognition for their ability to survive in their world of dishonesty, corruption, evil, lies and Absolut martinis at breakfast,” was one of Larry’s favorite lines when he got angry enough with the so-called elite.
In his time, Larry had been called many things by various groups of people; some descriptions were not very flattering, with their name calling changing in color to suit their mood of the day and whatever intensity was required to accommodate their own hidden agendas. However, one description they failed to attribute to him, was the truth: a caring person who was generous to a fault and did not ask for anything in return. There was jealousy and there was evilness in the intentions of those who concealed their own weaknesses. They saw what Larry had to offer and clamored to feast upon his carcass with the hunger of a glutton. They wanted to seize his power- that certain something he had that was indefinable. But, they failed miserably, for they did not know his secret, the secret of being aware, his personal spiritualism, for unbeknownst to them all, Larry felt the force of the spiritual energy from his past life, and he was guided by the spirits of those who had gone before him many years previously.
He was led on a life which was to be full of love for those less fortunate but, as Larry found out, even those to whom he devoted his life to help sometimes would unexpectedly turn on the very person who had saved them. So this is the story of Larry, who ended up not trying to save his soul but desperately trying to save his life.
As this story is told, please do not judge Larry too harshly, as he had no real argument with the establishment. Try having corrupt officials all with their own selfish agendas in your background, praising you, slapping you on the back with the right hand while in the left they hold a knife that flirts with the glint of its own sharpness. "Cold and calculating people to whom conscience is a foreign concept," Larry called them.
Larry was a traveler like many before him, however, unlike most poor souls he knew, his path had been planned for him and he knew he was constantly guided by a powerful spirit, a spirit whose presence was revealed to him at an early age, a spirit to guide him and help him survive on the street where he eventually ended up. Larry knew that to survive on the street, the street must fall in love with you.
I know that from the day Larry walked onto Loi Kroh Road he never drew a sober breath again.
Monday, April 30, 2007
If You Haven't Read This Blog Yet - DO IT NOW
So you can get familiar with the background of the book, "The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road." The reason I say this is because in the next day or two, I will be posting excerpts from the book.
The Restaurant that inspired The Book
A brochure from the actual restaurant in Chiang Mei, Thailand
As I mentioned previously, the book is all a-buzz in Europe and it hasn't even been published yet. I will be contacting some literary agents in the next week or so to garner additional interest in this book. Who knows? Maybe I can even query Miss Snark and get some interest from her. If the reaction in the U.S. is anything like the reaction in Europe, Asia and South America, I would be willing to wager that we have a winning book on our hands.
Spread the word....
Thursday, April 19, 2007
COMING SOON.....
Alan sent me a quick note this morning (or last evening if you're in Beijing) and mentioned the following:
Hi
Received this note from a reader who read the article about the book. Also I had several wondering when the novel will be published, as you predicted there is huge interest.... Note from reader: Regarding your book: I did not know what a great talent you are. I also learned new things about you - restauranteur, etc...Where can i read excerpts from the book? is it on-line? or shall I wait until it is published?
Hi
Received this note from a reader who read the article about the book. Also I had several wondering when the novel will be published, as you predicted there is huge interest.... Note from reader: Regarding your book: I did not know what a great talent you are. I also learned new things about you - restauranteur, etc...Where can i read excerpts from the book? is it on-line? or shall I wait until it is published?
EXCERPTS OF THE BOOK COMING SOON.
Monday, April 16, 2007
An Interview with Alan Solomon - Author of "The Mango Tree Cafe, Loi Kroh Road
The Mango Tree Cafe', Loi Kroh Road is such an intriguing book, I thought it was high time that the readers of this blog get a bit of insight into the man responsible for the story.
I felt New Zealand was too small for me and while it is a beautiful country with a great caring government, I needed to see what was on the horizon. I traveled extensively and during my travels I met a Chinese Police Officer Richard Ren around 1996 and we became good friends. One day somewhere mid 2003 out of the blue he asked if I would come to China and help him with a project and I agreed. I am still here, and Richard and I are still good friends.
What's it like to be a white man living in China?
One of the earliest New Zealanders who came to live in China was Rewi Alley. He lived here for over 50 years, dying on December 1987 in Beijing - There were many others, great men and women who came when times were hard here, who stood beside the Chinese people and helped make China the modern country it is now. Life for a foreigner in China is very easy today.
Have you ever thought about becoming an author before this book?
I wrote poetry and people interest me. I do a lot of watching and thinking. I wrote a poem for the opening of the Prem Tinsulanonda International School Thailand in Chiangmai, and it was read publicly and now is in their archives.
How did you come to meet Taryn Simpson?
What are some of the most exotic places you have traveled to?
Is China home to you now?
Finish this sentence: "The best piece of advice I ever received was...."
Be kind to those on your way up the ladder, for as sure as hell, you will meet them on your way down.
Finish this sentence: "Most people don't know this about me, but..."
Every song about being on the road, losing someone you love, that rough night, or being on the street, having been born 200 years too soon and 200 years too late were all written about me.
My pleasure.
A Conversation with Alan Solomon
You're from New Zealand, correct? Tell me about growing up in NZ
I was fortunate growing up in New Zealand; I came from a good home with a mother and father who cared. I was well fed and well clothed and given every opportunity to gain an excellent education. I was very happy and very fortunate. However while I was lucky enough to have caring parents, many children did not and one incident that sticks firmly in my mind to this day, was at age seven witnessing a boy also aged seven sorting through the rubbish bins looking for food and wondering why he had to do this. I still see his face now every time I eat.
What prompted you to move from NZ and move to China?
I was fortunate growing up in New Zealand; I came from a good home with a mother and father who cared. I was well fed and well clothed and given every opportunity to gain an excellent education. I was very happy and very fortunate. However while I was lucky enough to have caring parents, many children did not and one incident that sticks firmly in my mind to this day, was at age seven witnessing a boy also aged seven sorting through the rubbish bins looking for food and wondering why he had to do this. I still see his face now every time I eat.
What prompted you to move from NZ and move to China?
I felt New Zealand was too small for me and while it is a beautiful country with a great caring government, I needed to see what was on the horizon. I traveled extensively and during my travels I met a Chinese Police Officer Richard Ren around 1996 and we became good friends. One day somewhere mid 2003 out of the blue he asked if I would come to China and help him with a project and I agreed. I am still here, and Richard and I are still good friends.
What's it like to be a white man living in China?
One of the earliest New Zealanders who came to live in China was Rewi Alley. He lived here for over 50 years, dying on December 1987 in Beijing - There were many others, great men and women who came when times were hard here, who stood beside the Chinese people and helped make China the modern country it is now. Life for a foreigner in China is very easy today.
You really owned the cafe', "The Mango Tree Cafe'. Had you ever owned a restaurant before?
Yes I owned the Mango Tree Café in Loi Kroh Road Chiangmai. I started the operation with myself one girl as front of house and one chef. Eighteen months later I had 15 staff and three chefs. I had never owned a restaurant before but had visited many on my travels and figured that if I ever was to buy a café I knew what I would and would not do. However my mind was made up when I came across an old Chinese palm reader who told me that what I had to do was open a café or bar and 'the tourists will fly from many countries to come to visit it' she was right.
Yes I owned the Mango Tree Café in Loi Kroh Road Chiangmai. I started the operation with myself one girl as front of house and one chef. Eighteen months later I had 15 staff and three chefs. I had never owned a restaurant before but had visited many on my travels and figured that if I ever was to buy a café I knew what I would and would not do. However my mind was made up when I came across an old Chinese palm reader who told me that what I had to do was open a café or bar and 'the tourists will fly from many countries to come to visit it' she was right.
Have you ever thought about becoming an author before this book?
I wrote poetry and people interest me. I do a lot of watching and thinking. I wrote a poem for the opening of the Prem Tinsulanonda International School Thailand in Chiangmai, and it was read publicly and now is in their archives.
How did you come to meet Taryn Simpson?
I met Taryn through a contact when I was looking for someone to help polish my novel. I am very happy I met Taryn as we are getting along very well.
What are some of the most exotic places you have traveled to?
This is a very hard question as I have worked in over 15 countries. It was Thailand which gave me the enthusiasm to write, probably owing to the number of infamous, sad people who are drawn to the country. It is like this huge lonely hearts club. Thailand has a by-line for tourism 'The country of a thousand smiles' I added, 'And a million tears'
Is China home to you now?
Home is where I am at the time. I settle easily. I guess however the magnetic pull of New Zealand is very strong. However Larry says in the novel that he wants to die surrounded by the of laughter of children and the sounds of the animals and the jungle. We will see.
Finish this sentence: "The best piece of advice I ever received was...."
Be kind to those on your way up the ladder, for as sure as hell, you will meet them on your way down.
Finish this sentence: "Most people don't know this about me, but..."
Every song about being on the road, losing someone you love, that rough night, or being on the street, having been born 200 years too soon and 200 years too late were all written about me.
Thanks, Alan.
My pleasure.
* Note: Alan is Fedexing the article from the International School of Beijing cover story on "The Mango Tree Cafe', Loi Kroh Road". It will be posted here as soon as I recieve it.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Polishing The Diamond
This morning, I awoke in a good mood. I knew it would be a good day, because I would continue my work of "Polishing The Diamond," or I should say, "The Mango Tree Cafe', Loi Kroh Road."
As I read through the beginning pages, my eyes were following punctuation, grammar and all the other nuances that a writer attends to. I tweaked here and there, offering stronger details and bits of poetic prose. Catching a bit of the reflection of my laptop screen in my reading glasses, I smile because I love what I am reading.
As a writer, it is one of the most rewarding experiences when you are asked to shape and polish a book that is so damned good in the first place. I was very fortunate to have stumbled upon Alan Solomon.
And, I feel blessed and priviledged to have this phenomenal book resting within the confines of my computer. I think somebody "up there" likes me, there's no other way to explain my good fortune.
More Musings Later-
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The International School of Beijing
As busy as I have been promoting the book in the states, Alan has been just as consumed with spreading the word across Asia and Europe.
In fact, it appears that The International School of Beijing is planning to spotlight the book in the near future in one of its newsletters. The readership is around 5,000 which is tremendous exposure. When it happens, of course I will share with you here.
Make no mistake. This book is going to be huge.
Spread the word.
In fact, it appears that The International School of Beijing is planning to spotlight the book in the near future in one of its newsletters. The readership is around 5,000 which is tremendous exposure. When it happens, of course I will share with you here.
Make no mistake. This book is going to be huge.
Spread the word.
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