Sunday, July 28, 2013

Guest Writer Mingmei Yep - Gangsters in Fiction

I’m always intrigued by the dark, inscrutable world of gangsters, because it is so different from the one in which most of us live. In movies and novels, gangsters are often portrayed as cruel to their rivals and enemies, but to their families, loving, generous, and righteous.

Black society members live in their own shadow world with their own esoteric rituals and moral codes. In China, if a gangster has betrayed his boss, he’d be punished according to that gang’s laws. Before a man was allowed to join a gang, he’d be told these secret laws.
 
Here Is An Excerpt from my previous novel Skeleton Women describing the initiation into a gang during which the new member-to-be has to swear that, “We, members of the Flying Dragon Gang, here, under the moon, swear our loyalty to the order and its sun and head Master Lung. If we ever betray the master or this order, we step on a path of no return. If caught, we will be beheaded and our souls forever condemned to burning hell. Even if we are able to quit the Flying Dragons with our heads on our shoulders, we will be murdered by bandits, or struck down by lightning….After becoming a Flying Dragon Gang member, I will treat my sworn brothers’ parents and relatives as my own. If fail to do this, I will be struck dead by thunderbolts….”
 
In Hong Kong during the years when I was growing up, gangsters were so entangled with the police that often we couldn’t be sure who was who. The most successful gangsters, after they became rich, often tried to wash off their notorious past and transform themselves into respectable businessmen. Their favorite business was movies, often as not, about gangsters. Gangsters would force actresses to star in pornographic films by sending a script to her with a gun wedged between the pages.
 
The only ones who might get the better of gangsters were other gangsters. Ordinary people had little chance to revenge no matter what was done to them and their family. In my new novel The Nine Fold Heaven, the singer-spy Camilla does succeed in getting revenge against her gangster boss, by using the training he gave her against him.

Come along with an ex spy as she returns to Shanghai where she’s a wanted woman – but she has to search for her baby and her lost lover. Is her baby really alive? Will she be able to find her lover? Can she elude the police long enough to find them? Learn much more about Nine Fold Heaven and Mingmei Yip HERE and get your copy of this exciting and exotic novel HERE.
 
Nine Fold Heaven is part of a series about Camilla the songbird and female spy – you can also read Skeleton Women, the first book about Camilla.
 
About Nine Fold Heaven: An ex spy and nightclub singer who undertakes an emotional and dangerous journey to reunite with her lost lover and the baby she was told was stillborn, and to discover the secret of her parents’ murder.
 
About The Author: Mingmei Yip has been writing and publishing since she was fourteen years old and now she has twelve books to her credit. Her five novels are published by Kensington Books and her two children’s books are published by Tuttle Publishing.
 
Mingmei is also a renowned qin (ancient string instrument) musician, calligrapher and painter. In Hong Kong, she was a columnist for seven major newspapers. She has appeared on over sixty TV and radio programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and the US. Visit Mingmei HERE.

33 comments:

  1. Her books sound like they would make intriguing movies!

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  2. Excellent post Stephen, certainly a talented writer, thanks to bringing her to our attention.

    Yvonne.

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  3. My goodness!! What a heroine in such frightening circumstances and a beautiful looking series of books too!! All the best to Mingmei!! Take care
    x

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  4. Wowzer, that's some major intrigue! Great subject to tackle for your books!

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  5. An ex-spy who's a woman - that's great!

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  6. Thanks Mingmei for stopping by and saying hello! Its great for people from across the globe to share their international experiences with writers from around the world.

    Good luck with everything and the release of The Nine Fold Heaven!

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  7. I just finished reading this last week and it was very good. I love books that transport you to other places and times and "Camilla" definitely takes you inside her world. It was interesting while I was coordinating this tour to see how many people wanted to talk about the gangster and the female spy elements of the book.

    Thank you for sharing Nine Fold Heaven with your readers Stephen.

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  8. Very interesting stories. I'm fascinated! Thanks for introducing this writer here, Stephen.

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  9. The post kept me riveted. The story blurb pulled me further and the trailer solidified my intrigue. The danger, the love the suspense. These books should be in some film producer's hands :-)

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  10. Loved the video, sound like absolutely fascinating books. Good luck with them.

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  11. That was a pretty cool video. These short clips can be a very effective marketing.tool. I need to.do something like this.with my books.

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  12. Those are eye-catching covers and the descriptions are fascinating.

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  13. That gang oath is a little terrifying.

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  14. I think the whole gangsters trying to become philanthropists and generally up-standing folk is a keen observation. I've often thought that billionaires like Bill Gates turn to this kind of thing out of guilt. They feel guilty that they screwed over so many people when they were younger to get to where they are that they feel bad as older folks (depending on your religious beliefs the afterlife can be terrifying to these folks). So suddenly, everything mellows, and they become Santa Clause as if all that money can buy them a better place in the hearts of men. But who am I to judge? I think it happens all the time.

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  15. I love strong, brave female protagonists who fight against evil! Your books sound wonderful, and their covers are so classy. I hope I get a chance to read them. Have a great week! :-)

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  16. The cover art is first class. I didn't think to ask who did it. I'll have to find that out.

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  17. Hi Stephen .. I love that she writes from her knowledge of Hong Kong and society there .. these would be fascinating to read - though I'm not so happy about the thuggery - but I'm sure extremely informative.

    I wonder if she did the designs herself, or at least drafted them .. what a very talented woman .. great to meet her...

    Cheers Hilary

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  18. The premise is outstanding. And those covers are fantastic. They capture intrigue, beauty, and have and exotic feel.

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  19. These both sound like excellent reads and I agree with Alex, they also sound like they would make great movies!

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  20. One of the most intriguing things to me about gangsters, as least as portrayed in books I've read and movies I've seen, is that dichotomy between vicious killer and say, pious Catholic. There's something especially bone-chilling about these contradictory traits coexisting within the same person. Ms.Yip's books add an exotic flavor of the Orient to the mix, so I'm sure her stories are even more intriguing. They sound terrific, and I must agree with Julie and Alex about them making great movies, as well.

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  21. Fascinating! Great to meet you. Your books sound awesome. I see my Kindle list growing again :)

    Hi, Stephen!

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  22. I wish I had all my posts on the villian series I did a couple years ago. But thanks to Google they are all gone now. Bad Google. Evil Google!

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  23. I love all your wonderful comments, and special thanks to Stephen for posting this interview!
    I was a little scared when I researched The Nine Fold Heaven and Skeleton Women, fearing that somehow I'd learn too much about this forbidden and fascinating world.
    Three reasons gangsters donate to charity: neutralize their bad karma and accumulate good ones. Donation is tax deductable (this apply to all the extremely wealthy people), so might as well do this to get a good name. Donate to exchange for more profitable deals.

    Happy reading!
    Mingmei Yip

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  24. Beautiful covers. You definitely got me interested now.

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  25. This sounds really cool! Thanks for introducing her.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  26. Oh, gangster stories! Those sounds really fun :)

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  27. The feeling of helplessness must be very difficult for regular people and the temptation to join a gang overwhelming just for protection. Love stories with strong women.

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  28. i think her books sound like they would make wonderful movies---and writing since 14! amazing :)

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  29. Now there's a side to Hong Kong that would make for an interesting book or three :)

    Congrats to Mingmei and continued success :)

    PS... Stephen, I also come here looking for a certain "my nose is bigger..." blog hop :)

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  30. Wow, Mingmei is an accomplished woman. Congrats to your success. :D

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  31. Alex is right. Mingmei's books would make EXCELLENT movies. Wow.

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  32. It's got an interesting plot. Wishing you many sales!

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  33. Wishing you success with your project. Always feel that when I let an error slip through I am letting down the children who buy my books :0)

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