The story behind my story

Would you believe you are reading "Snow Phoenix and Me" because of fate dealing me a cruel blow more than 15 years ago?

In 1997, I lost my beloved mother to lung cancer. To me, she was like an angel sent by God as she was a mother full of kindness, tenderness, and everlasting love. She was my truest friend when sunshine deserted me and adversity fell upon me. And she was the strength that gave me wings to fly. After her death, my whole world tasted like a lemon, depression was ruling my spirits, and the hurt was slowly tearing me apart. My heart would ache, like an archer piercing it with his arrow, whenever I heard my friends talking about how great and wonderful their mothers were.

Then one night, I stared at my laptop and with tears pouring down like rain, began typing words to describe the sorrow and pain I was going through during that very difficult period. By the time I finished, it was two pages long and it acted as a basis to "Snow Phoenix and Me". Thereafter I sent my brain to the gym for a good workout as I needed to get the gray matter working overtime to dream up of an exceptionally good sob tale so that readers like you haven't seen it a zillion times before. 

And so, after more than fifteen years (I wrote a few other fantasy novels along the way), I finally completed my most cherished book. There are countless thrills, laughter, and melancholy on the fun-filled pages ahead, and I hope you will enjoy reading them. So, let's not waste any more time and travel back to 1913 in Shanghai, shall we? 

Yeah, one more thing: Ma, I still miss you ...