Do you believe in fortune telling? Twenty some years ago, a blind fortune teller described how I looked, which awed me. Then he said that I was adopted at either age eight months or eight years. I was deeply touched. He told me that I was a girl with tremendous courage and brain power. I needed these qualities, and have kept them on my wish list for the past two decades. He predicted that I would become very famous after age thirty-nine. However, his prediction had no valid expiry date, but I do. Becoming a famous person is fun, but becoming a dead famous person is not. I hope to stay valid long enough to accommodate his indefinite prediction, just in case it may come true someday. Now let me tell you briefly my past and present, and leave my future for you to guess.


• I was born in Tianjin, China in 1962. My birth family has seven children in total, two girls and five boys. I was child number six, and was raised, from eight months on, by my first auntie’s family. I called my auntie Mom and her husband Dad. I did not know I was adopted until I attended my birth mother’s funeral, which was one month after my adoptive mother’s death. I was only ten years old when I lost both mothers.

My adoptive father, Dong Chen Wang, was an artist whose thinking was unconventional. He raised me single-handedly, and devoted his life to me and his son who is seventeen years older than I am. My father called me “son” and brought me up as a boy. Therefore, I played with boys, fought with boys, and did not fully realize I was not a boy. My father kept me out of “women’s jobs” - domestic work. He had to put up with criticism from our neighbours and relatives for not preparing me properly for marriage. Even my birth sister thought my life would be ruined. “You cannot cook, and you cannot clean," she scolded. "How can we marry you off?” My father told people, “I’m not raising my daughter to be anyone’s housewife. So what if she cannot cook? When she finishes university she can always marry a cook.” That, back then, offended both men and women in our society. 
 
My father has never said “no” to me in his life. The only time he wanted to say “no” to me was when I bought a pair of shorts the day before my Canadian foster mother, Anne Smith, and I traveled to the south part of China in the summer. Shorts were only for men back then. Women could not wear shorts, except as underwear. My father took a look at the shorts, and hesitated. “Shorts are not for girls. Maybe you can wear them inside our house,” he suggested. I knew that it must have bothered him a great deal. Otherwise he would not have spoken. I did not want to upset him and left the shorts behind. The next day, my father saw us off at the train station. Before the train moved, he handed me a brown paper bag. When I opened it, my eyes filled up with tears. Inside the paper bag was the very pair of shorts I had bought. My father’s love for me overrides everything. He lived with me until age eighty-seven, still cooked, cleaned, shopped and kept my children fed. He was always there for me with his love. Due to his age and the fact that he did not know much English, my father could never figure out what I did, but he was always proud of me for whatever I was doing anyway.


• I came to Canada in 1985 as a visa student. My Canadian foster mother, Anne Smith, brought me over. Anne went to China to teach in 1984. She was my English teacher in Tianjin Foreign Languages Institute. According to her, I was some kind of spoiled brat who had no respect for Communist authorities and social rules. “I cannot believe that I have found a girl like you in Chinese society," she exclaimed. "You remind me of my own daughters. You were made for me.” Anne wanted to take me out of China, a golden opportunity for a Chinese young person. The university’s president was unwilling. “Ruowen Wang is not the best student,” he said, implying that I was not academically #1, a professional trouble-maker, and not worthy of Anne's effort. The best students were the ones who behaved well, studied their brains out before the exam and got high marks to bring honour to the school and his or her family. Anne knew enough to say, “I’m not interested in the best student.”

China was still a strict Communist country in 1984 when politically-inappropriate behaviour or speech could lead to jail terms or even execution. Seeing that I had no fear and would not behave, Anne decided to take me out of China as quickly as she could. This was what she told my father Dong Chen when she first asked him to let me go, “Ruowen speaks the first thing that occurs to her without thinking, and she does not bend. She cannot fit into this society. Either you let me take her out and give her a brilliant future, or someday, you will have to watch her get executed by the government.” My father was both sad and grateful. “You take her,” he agreed. After I left China, my father missed me dearly and lost thirty pounds in six months. Three years later, we brought my father to Canada to live with us.

Anne thought I was a piece of raw jade that needed a lot of carving and polishing, and she has shaped me in my growth over the years. I followed in her footsteps and became a teacher. I learned integrity, honesty, respect, fairness, forgiveness and, most of all, love for all from her. I also learned that I was not the only one in the world, and I was not perfect. Anne often says, “I may not always like what you do, but I will always love you. This is how mothers feel about their children.” I feel in my heart that Anne is my mother, not a foster mother, and she is very “Chinese,” especially when she exercises her mother’s authority. Here is a scene: before my 26th birthday in February, I told my Anne that for my birthday gift, I would like to get new queen-sized bed sheets for my wedding in May. Two months later, I had a fight with Mike and told her that we were not getting married after all. “What?" Anne, who loved Mike dearly, stood in the middle of the living-room, arms akimbo. "I have spent $250 on a set of queen-sized sheets and now you are telling me you are not getting married? No way!”

Anne often tells me, “Luckily, Mike married you. He is an awfully nice person. Otherwise, who else would marry you? You are terribly spoiled.” What she meant was that I was brought up with no rules. My husband Mike is very loving and tolerant – “tolerant” is the key word, I guess. Anne helped us survive the first few crucial years. She taught me not to take Mike for granted, and to learn to respect, not expect. She said, “Marriage is a partnership. You have to work on your relationship all the time.” Now, Anne's queen-sized bed sheets and her love have tied our marriage for twenty years. Through those years, Mike and I have learned a lot from each other, and about each other. The more we learn about each other, the more we appreciate each other. After so many years, Anne still tells me, “Marrying Mike is your bargain. You got a good deal.” I guess that means Mike didn’t, since I’m still a spoiled brat after all, but luckily, there are no refunds in this deal.


• People who did not understand at first why Mike dared to marry "this spoiled crazy girl" may wonder what keeps him madly in love still. If they ask, he will probably say, “Because she is unpredictable.” The truth is I do not like to live a predictable life. For example, teaching is considered a very secure job. Even though I love teaching and still miss it, I left it after ten years because I wanted some change, to do something I had never done before. I got into business. Another ten years have passed. It is time for me to look for something new again. To me, life is a book of many chapters. We have to flip the pages. Now I’ve started a new chapter in writing and publishing. And I’m curious to find out what the next page holds for me. My new venture makes my life exciting.

Writing is my love, and publishing is a game of business. I like both. I like business because business is risky and therefore exciting for me. My life has always been a wild rollercoaster ride. Mike is a very conservative person, and yet he sticks to me through our ups and downs, and always supports me in whatever I do. You may think he is rather indulgent, and he is indeed. In the case of my writing and publishing, he said, “No one is born an expert in writing and publishing. I’m confident about your writing, though. Good writing is like a good product which gives you a solid footing. The rest is salesmanship. It takes time to achieve, but we are not in a hurry. Let’s pretend we are investing in a large lottery ticket. If we win, we win. Otherwise, at least you will be satisfied for having tried. Just enjoy the fun.” You see? If I’m still spoiled, you know who is to blame.

Mike and I are well blessed. We have two beautiful children, Kevin and Robin. Kevin was prompted into this world by Anne, “It’s about time to have children," she announced. "If you wait until you can afford to have children, you will never have any. Just do it.” Then came Kevin. Robin arrived three years later. Both Kevin and Robin are well-read and good at evaluating literature. Both of them are good at writing, too. Kevin's My Grandpa was published by Richmond Hill Public Library as an award winner. Robin's poem Love Hurts was published in two poem collections. Kevin is more street smart, while Robin is more academic. Kevin's stories can be very creative, while Robin's essays have to confine to language rules. They are my "first editors."

• Our neighbours, friends, teachers, other writers, family members from both my husband's side and my side, kids from my children’s school and their parents have read many of my stories with enthusiasm. They keep asking for more stories. My first book was released before Christmas, 2006, and I was overwhelmed by people’s positive feedback, which was very encouraging and heartwarming. A few months later four more books were released. Two of my five books submitted to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre were selected in The Best Books for Kids and Teens 2008. Two others have been rated five stars by Midwest Book Reviews on Amazon.com. People cannot wait to read more, especially the next Little Wen. I appreciate these people's support very much. And I owe them for every step I take forward.


If you are interested in getting to know me as a writer, how I started writing, what made me take the plunge and get into publishing, here are answers to some questions that people have asked:

Q. People say that a Chinese horoscope determines a person's personality. What is your horoscope sign and how has that affected your life?

A. I'm a tiger, but not a tame one that you see in a cage. I like fun and love freedom. I do not like social expectations and rules. I have more fun breaking rules than following them. In the game of writing and publishing, there are many rules that I hate to follow, and therefore, have started my own game and play it my way, for better or for worse.

Q What kind of books do you like to read?

A. I read all kinds of books. I appreciate quality books that are intelligent and inspiring. When I read, I read with my whole heart, holding my breath for the best part until the last page. When a book has little to deliver, I feel cheated. I do not like that kind of feeling. What I have learned from reading these books is that I will never make my readers victims of that nature.

Q. You have collected over seven thousand children’s books and love reading them. How do you find writing?

A. Collecting quality books and evaluating children’s literature are my hobbies. Writing is my passion. When an idea sparks, the urge to write rushes into me with the story growing and pushing to get out, just like a baby being born that cannot be held back. However, I do not fall in love with all my stories at the “first sight”. Before I publish a book, I revise it over and over again, until it is taken away from me. Often I still find something to improve after my story is taken to my book designer, because I have to be happy with all story details, and every well-chosen word. Sometimes, I polish a story sixty times, because I want to make sure that my work represents me well.

Q. Where do your story ideas come from?

A. Depending on the individual, each person has his or her own favourite place where their ideas generate. In my case, stories came from everywhere. A lot of times, they come from the shower. I’m serious. as soon as I turn on the water in a cozy shower stall, inspiration seems to pour out of the showerhead. Meanwhile, I often lose track of whether I’ve applied soap or not. Thus, by the time a story has a clear outline, I usually soap myself repeatedly half a dozen times before knowing what I’m doing.

Q. What made you want to write stories and eventually become a writer?

A. As I have said, writing has always been my passion. Here is a joke for you, but a real life experience for me:

Once I was under excessive mental stress and sent to a psychiatrist for an assessment. The doctor, with his preset mentality, came in ready to evaluate me and record his findings. “Describe your problems and symptoms, please, Ms. Wang.”

“This year I have to teach four subjects, three different levels to six classes, which is too much. And I’m a young mother with a new baby.”
“Sure,” the doctor nods his head knowingly.

“I have suffered muscle pains and severe headaches.”
“Naturally,” the doctor agrees, but still waits for the ‘real problem’ before taking his notes.

“I have lost my appetite, cannot sleep at night, and can hardly concentrate or think clearly.”
“Right. You are right. These are all symptoms of too much stress. But in my opinion, there is no mental health issue that concerns me yet, and you do not need my further treatment.” The doctor writes on his prescription pad. "Take a sleeping pill at night and get plenty of rest."

As I step out of his office, I remember to mention something else. “By the way, doctor, I have also found myself very creative. I’m full of ideas, even in my dreams. Sometimes I wake up at midnight, and have to write my ideas down. Is this a sign of mental illness?”
“No. I don’t think so.” He puts my file away.

“Good. I think I want to write stories for children and become a writer someday.”
“I see. You fancy becoming a writer someday, do you?” The doctor looks into my eyes with concern on his face. “Well, please sit down again, Ms. Wang. We need further diagnosis. You may have to see me regularly.”

I have not visited that doctor again for further diagnosis or treatment. I think one doesn’t have to be crazy to be a good writer - but it helps.

Q. What made you want to be a publisher?

A. First of all, I believe that my stories are original, inspiring and unique. They are stories of fine quality. I want children to read my stories, and therefore, I want to get my books published. But I have been told by many knowledgeable people not to try to get into writing or publishing because it is a very tough path to journey. Editors working for publishers say they receive hundreds of submissions, and consider first only those from established authors that they know well. Many submissions from not-yet-known authors hardly get a chance to be looked at. Many writers have to go through a literary agency in order to approach a prospective publisher. Published writers say a submission is usual to be rejected dozens of times before being accepted, if it is lucky enough to be accepted at all. The rounds of submitting, being rejected and resubmitting can easily take years. One lady told me that after twenty years of trying, she finally "hit" the right editor and got her first book published. I admire her patience. But I like shortcuts, and I have taken the matter into my own hands. I do not need the right authority to judge my books or decide their fate. I will put my books directly into the children’s hands - where they belong.

Q. Have you ever tried to submit your stories directly to a conventional publisher or through a literary agency?

A. No. In case you want to ask why, here is a story I'd like to tell you. In the old days, a Chinese emperor had a large harem of maidens - three wives, six concubines, seventy-two ladies-in-waiting, and many more selected national beauties as maids-of-honour for him to choose from as his nightly companion. He either chose the close ones he knew well, or picked a new beauty by looking at the ladies’ portraits submitted to him by court artists. Some ladies had to bribe the court artists to paint a flattering portrait in order to get a chance to receive the emperor’s favour. Others waited their whole lives without a chance.

In this writing and publishing business, I haven’t thought about hiring a literary agency, and I won’t wait my whole life for my chance either. You probably have guessed that I want to be the emperor myself.

Q. What makes you think your children's book publishing can be successful?

A. On the other hand, what makes me think my children’s book publishing cannot be successful? Let me quote one of my editors:

As for your “crazy” idea about book publishing, nothing very much of value in this world has been accomplished without some creative and ambitious soul setting out to achieve what others regard as crazy or even impossible.   - Don Evans

Wish me luck. Thank you for visiting. Keep coming back.

Have you read the For Kids section yet? If you have a tender heart, skip it or get yourself some tissue paper, just in case.