My host sister from China, Shan Shan Nie, is a lot to live up to. With a masters’ from Harvard, a corporate job leading leaders, and a newly published novel this Sichuan-born beauty embodies the American dream.

In our chat we go from rebelling to excelling, hacking the ACT/SAT exams, using higher education to serve a purpose, and self-financing your dreams.

We also nerd out on crafting characters, choosing what to reveal to your audience, influencing young adults in the fantasy adventure genre, how to better connect with readers, and other lessons learned from countless manuscript revisions.

Check out this sister-sister convo on leadership, resilience, and an ode to those old school pocket translators!

LINKS

Website

The Belt of Chaos on Amazon

MUSIC

Chinese Middle School Calisthenics Jam 

Ondara - "American Dream" 

The Dragon Boy / The Bottomless Pitt (From 'Spirited Away')