Interview with Author Junying Kirk

Today, I welcome author Junying Kirk to the Realm. Junying has just released the final novel in her Journey to the West trilogy, which takes readers "from coastal Western China to the UK's hidden crimeworld, from wars in Afganistan to Iraq, across the deserts of Colorado to the Scottish Highlands, taking you on a roller coaster ride you'll never forget." Junying's story shows us once again that if you reach for the stars, you can make your dreams come true.

Welcome Junying! When did you start writing?

From an early review for Land of Hope,  a fellow author Denise DeSio commented and I quote: “Some people are born to write. She's one of them.” If you trust her assessment, writing is written in my stars :)

Joking aside, my very first attempt to creative writing began while at university in China, when I penned a romantic story, a young girl pinning for the love of a boy she secretly admired from afar. However, given the circumstances at the time when campus romance was strictly banned and severely punished, I burned my efforts to ashes, before I showed it to anyone, despite burning many midnight oil poring over it. It was probably more a compulsion to release my teenage angst, rather than an earnest pursuit for the glory of being a writer back then :)

What is your favorite writing style?

It is hard to describe my own writing, or to classify it, but since you’re forcing my hand, I’d say that I prefer a realistic, down-to-earth approach to my writing - all my books and short stories are either based on reality or have a strong element of what happens in the world we live in and the life of ordinary people. Perhaps because of my background - I have had the best education one could possibly wish for, both in China and in the UK - my writings reflect that special academic touch, an unmissable identity of someone who have been blessed with both Eastern ideologies and Western philosophy. My love for World literature, particularly that of English literature is easily identifiable throughout my story-telling. I write from both my heart and my mind.

Where do you get your ideas?

Everyday life and everyone around me, and something inside my head which people call imagination. I am a dreamer, literarily, on a nightly basis :) I often dream about the impossible, like having an ability to fly, or battling with evil people in order to save the world, a bit like Bruce Willis, or Jason Statham action flicks :) Seriously, people I have met in my life, both personally and professionally, often feature in my books - they are my greatest inspiration and provide me with a well of resources which will never run dry.

What’s the best thing about writing?

Creativity - I immerse myself into this semi-fictional semi-realistic world of writing and I never want to leave it. It brings out the best in me as a person, and it allows me to perceive the world through crystal clear lenses, and translates what I have experienced and imagined into words which simply flow out of that marvelous mind of mine. It is nothing short of magic and miracle. It’s a true blessing to be able to write and share what we hold dear with the wider world.

What's the worst thing about writing?

The cursed insomnia - It does deprive me of much needed sleep on a regular basis, more often than an average person. Dreams are good, but not the inability to shut down that brain when I needed it to :)

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I take it that you’re asking me about my leisure pursuit, not working :) I enjoy doing a lot of things, especially traveling. I was born with an adventurous spirit and a pair of restless feet. I enjoy exploring new places, learning about different cultures, meeting fascinating people from all over and sampling a variety of delicious cuisine. Traveling allows me to do all that, and more. It further fuels my passion to write and create beautiful things, like photography and making travel videos with my favourite music :)

Do you like reading?

I LOVE reading. It’s one of my longest and greatest hobbies. I have so many books both on my book shelves at home, on my Kindle and iPad, I often wish that I have more than one brain to consume books and at a high speed. I was chatting to my husband the other day and I said to him: Wouldn’t it be great that we have a device which I could stick to my head and instantly all the info were transmitted and absorbed! He replied: I’m sure that would happen one day - he’s a man with vision :)! Then I thought: If so, I would not have the luxury of sitting on a sandy beach with a book/Kindle in my hand, feeling that pure joy of being transported to another world and to another time through the pages!

What are you reading right now?

On my GoodReads, I set a challenge to read at least one book a week, and I’m ahead of target right now. I am currently reading About the Author: A Novel by John Colapinto, a wonderful read. I’ve also started Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, which has been on my to-read list for a very long time. Being a reader of at least three books on the go at any given time, I’m also reading an Indie author Madeline Sloane:’s Women of Eaton trilogy. I very much enjoy her books!

There is a huge, ever expanding reading list, but I try my best to squeeze time - I need to read, and would read something every night before bedtime, even if just a few lines even if I was already completely knackered. 

Image via Goodreads

Book Blurb

Junying Kirk completes her ‘Journey to the West’ trilogy with this inter-racial saga. A complex love story is interwoven through a tale of international crime, broken dreams, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. ‘Journey’ is just that, a merciless trek from the coast of Southern China to the drug farms in the heart of England, exposing worlds you never would have imagined exist.

Land of Hope is the dark, explosive finale of Junying Kirk’s modern trilogy  “Journey to the West”, taking us from coastal Southern China to the UK’s hidden crimeworld, from wars in Afghanistan to Iraq, across the deserts of Colorado to the Scottish Highlands, taking you on a roller-coast ride you’ll never forget.

Author Bio: Junying Kirk grew up in the turbulent times of the Cultural Revolution. A British Council scholarship led her to study English Language Teaching at Warwick University in 1988, followed by further postgraduate degrees at Glasgow and Leeds. She has worked as an academic, administrator, researcher, teacher and cultural consultant. When she is not traveling to Courts & Police stations as a professional interpreter, she loves spending her time reading & writing books. Her 'Journey to the West' trilogy, 'The Same Moon', 'Trials of Life' and ‘Land of Hope’ have been published on Amazon.UK, Amazon.Com and Smashwords. She lives in Birmingham, UK with her English husband. 

Thank you so much for visiting the Realm today, Junying! I enjoyed introducing you to my readers and learning about your books.

Thank you so much for having me, Andrea, and I've very much enjoyed talking to you. I'd like to invite everyone here to tag along on the next leg of this tour - tomorrow you'll be able to read a sample of Land of Hope with Jess C Scott. Hope to see you there !

You can reach Junying:

On her website
Facebook 
Twitter: @Junying007
Goodreads