The Great Wall by Z. Allora Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Z. Allora - The Great Wall Banner L

Hi guys! We have Z. Allora stopping in today with her upcoming release The Great Wall, we have a fantastic guest post, a great excerpt and an awesome giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

The Great Wall

(Made In China 01)
by

Z. Allora

Destiny will be decided by a battle between heart and mind….

Jun Tai “Styx” Wong loves two things: playing the drums and his best friend, Jin. But being a good Chinese son means he can’t have either—he’ll have to marry a girl of his parents’ choosing and settle into a traditional job. His move to the bigger city of Suzhou is both a blessing and curse, as living with Jin makes it harder for Styx to suppress his desires. Nearly dying while trying to eradicate his feelings serves as a wake-up call for Jin, who takes extreme measures to keep Styx safe from harm.

When given a second chance at life and happiness, will Styx be able to claim the future he wants with Jin, his bandmates, and his music? Can love and hope grow with the constantly looming threat of Styx’s parents ordering him home? Great things await—if Styx finds the courage to break down the wall that stands between him and everything he wants.

Release date: 9th January 2018
Pre-order:
 Dreamspinner Press ebookDreamspinner Press paperback

The Gardens Of Suzhou

by Z. Allora

Greetings! I want to thank MMGoodBookReviews for the opportunity to share a little bit about me, China and my new release The Great Wall. To celebrate I’ll be doing a giveaway: 3 ebooks of Secured and Free, 5 ebooks of Finally Fallen and a $20 gift card to Dreamspinner. (Details about the giveaway are below.)

The Gardens Of Suzhou

Z. Allora - The Great Wall DSC02408 sLiving in China started with a museum and a wish.

Love slave that I am, I travel with my love. In 2004, one of his business trips took us to San Francisco. As usual I went to the Japanese Tea Garden, and then to the Asian Art Museum. (I adore art and stalk every museum I can). I was meandering through the galleries, and I came upon an exhibit that focused on Suzhou (pronounced Sue-Joe) China.

The exhibit presented videos on the “Venice of the East”. Suzhou earned the nickname because of the numerous canals that used to transport goods through China. The town appeared to be a beautiful place but most stunning were the gardens of Suzhou. Due to the mild climate, many of the Emperors gardeners retired in Suzhou creating their own masterpieces. There are eighteen magnificent gardens and each is different.

Z. Allora - The Great Wall DSC05993I was taken by these exquisite works of art. Every step gifts you with another view the gardener wanted you to see. Around every turn a new perspective that draws you further into the depths of the natural beauty perfected and enhanced by the master gardener.

I watched the 20-minute video 3x crying at the magnificence. Over the weekend, I brought my love to the museum mostly see the videos of Suzhou. He was impressed.

Z.: “I wish we could live there. It’s so beautiful.”

My Love: “Be careful what you wish for…”

Z. Allora - The Great Wall DSC02624Two years later, my love and I settled into an apartment in Suzhou China. We lived in Suzhou for almost six years. I spent many early mornings and late afternoons, meandering through these works of art trying to appreciate every gift the gardener had left.

In The Great Wall Styx and Jin go to the gardens quite often. Here’s an excerpt from one of their garden adventures that changes everything between them.

Many hugs, Z.

Z. Allora - The Great Wall Square

Excerpt!

“Let’s go to the Lion Grove Garden.”

A short train ride later, Styx and Jin were climbing around the rockery of one of their favorite gardens.

Ornate gray limestone protrusions shot up around a tranquil lake, its glassy surface marred only by occasional koi surfacing to feed and ashes of their orange and silver gliding by. The limestone rocks, some of which resembled lions, were littered with natural holes of various sizes and shapes and formed an interesting maze. If the right path was chosen, it led to the towering teahouse pavilion. The teahouse had been refurbished in the last century, but the Chinese craftsmen were so precise with their restoration it appeared original. Parts of the garden were untouched from the 1300s, though braces now held up several of the ancient pine trees to prevent them from toppling.

Styx sighed in irritation when a tour guide screamed to her group, interrupting the garden’s peace. Her voice carried to them an explanation of how the rocks came all the way from Taihu Lake. It wasn’t far by modern standards, but in the Yuan dynasty, it must have seemed like an interplanetary move.

As expected, around three thirty the tour groups left. Apart from a few older folks, Jin and Styx had the garden to themselves.

Jin beamed at Styx. “We have to thank your grandfather again for these passes. Mmmm, smell the jasmine.”

He stuck his face in the large bush to inhale. When he finally stepped back, he came away with several white petals stuck in his golden hair.

“Come here.” Styx plucked each flower petal out of Jin’s hair. He fought the need to exchange kisses for each petal.

Jin leaned over, bringing with him the intoxicating scent of the flowers mixing with his own.

Styx was glad Jin relished the gardens of Suzhou as much as he did. With the garden passes, they visited the eighteen popular gardens created by the emperor’s retired gardeners, and even the smaller, lesser- known ones commissioned by rich merchants.

“Yeah, just remember we have to renew the cards soon. Hard to believe we’ve been in Suzhou for almost a year,” Styx mused.

They climbed the steep, rough-hewn limestone steps, along at stone bridges between formations, and down into the rockery that rimmed the pond. Across from their position, a number of elderly people gathered for an informal senior social club at the old teahouse. The excited words of two men playing a heated game of mahjong carried to them, making Styx recall how animated Jin became when he won a game.

“Styx?”

“Jin?” He hoped to lighten the direction of the conversation he was sure Jin would take.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were depressed?” The words tumbled out of Jin as if he’d held them back far too long.

Styx tried to make fun of the diagnosis. “According to the doctor, I’m not. I need to focus on my work.”

He didn’t miss the concern on Jin’s face. Turning away, Styx climbed onto the next section of rocks. The trees blocked their view of the tea pavilion’s ornate carved guardians and the people gathered in their protective shadow. Styx almost believed they were the only ones in the world.

“Styx?” A one-word warning told him he’d better fess up and do so quickly. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want you to know.” No man wanted to show such a loss of face. His inner voice demanded he act as culture dictated.

Styx jumped off the bridge path and landed on the rock face. He stepped around the peak, grabbing one of the jagged edges as he climbed over to grin at Jin.

“Careful, Styx.”

He scaled the unexplored parts of the rockery, relishing the fact he was breaking the rules. He’d left the proper-acting, rule-following boy back in Yintang. Here with Jin, he became himself—Styx, the boy who loved making Jin laugh, and not Jun Tai, the boy who had to marry a neighbor girl to please his family and honor tradition.

Styx orbited Jin, leaping from limestone outcropping to tiny footholds in the rocks until once again he stood beside his favorite person in the world.

About Z!

Z. Allora believes in happily ever afters for everyone. She met her own true love through the personals and has traveled to over thirty countries with him. She’s lived in Singapore, Israel and China. Now back home to the USA she’s an active member of PFLAG and a strong supporter of those on the rainbow in her community. She wants to promote understanding and acceptance through her actions and words. Writing rainbow romance allows her the opportunity to open hearts and change minds.

To contact Z. Allora:

FACEBOOK | Blog | Website | Twitter | E-mail: Z.AlloraHappyEndings@gmail.com

Z. Allora - The Great Wall Square

Giveaway!

Win! 3 ebooks of Secured and Free!
Win! 5 ebooks of Finally Fallen!
Win! 1 $20 gift card to Dreamspinner!

(Just leave a comment sharing favorite museum and why.!)

(Winners will be picked on Jan 19th by Z. Allora!)

24 thoughts on “The Great Wall by Z. Allora Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

  1. The Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver and the British Museum in London. They let you get close to history.

  2. My favourite museum is The Pergamon in Berlin, because I love history and there you can really feel it (Classic history specially). I also loved L’Orangerie in Paris, because I love Monet and all those pictures are beautiful… And huge! LOL!

  3. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit many museums. There was one in Memphis TN I visited a couple of times that had traveling exhibits; one was about Napoleon and the other was about the Terracotta Army from China. I also got to see the Titanic exhibit at Henry Ford in Dearborn MI.

    1. Lovely choices! I was surprised by the The Pergamon. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. And ohhhhhh L’Orangie YES PLEASE. Amazing (I’m a big Monet fan… so I was in awe!) Hugs, Z.

      1. Dear Lisa,
        Cool! Sounds like some great exhibits! BTW in Memphis here’s a surprisely incredible museum: http://www.belzmuseum.org. I lived in China and the stuff these collectors amassed was stunningly perfect!!!! If you get a chance to go let me know what you thought. Hugs, Z.

  4. I’m not really a museum person. I’ve been to two in my life. One was an art museum and the other a science one. I guess it’s from lack of museums to visit.

    1. H.B. No worries museums aren’t everyone’s thing. Many people think it someone stealing from another culture… besides with the Internet the world’s museums are a click away! (if you want… or I hear there’s porn… like a lot OHHHHHHH what about a sex museum there are 4 in the world and let me tell you they are all pieces of art! LOL Big hugs, Z.

  5. I’ve lived where the museums were plentiful and diverse (San Jose & Seattle) and as a Fine & Graphic Arts major I went often. I’d sit for hours with my sketch pad and chalk just trying to snag a little bit of the magic. I think I’ll have to find the time to do this again this year. Thanks for the opportunity to share and love ya Z!

  6. I have travel many destinations, the Louvre is a marvel to me, But, i would say in Japan, I found, Kyoto National Museum inspiring with the Meiji period. , seeing the sculptures, ceramics, costumes, beautifully skill calligraphy and arts. I have a Main Character in my book based on this era, and the Shinto Shrines. Her sir name is the Shira-Kami. <3

      1. Martin:
        Ohhhhhh yes! The Louvre YUM and I’ve got the Kyoto National Museum in my sights! I prefer the Edo period but that could be based on not enough exposure to the Meiji I’ll let you know!
        Big Hugs, Z.

  7. This is going to sound silly, but the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. One of my favorite kid memories is going there and walking through the giant beating heart. Many, many years later I got to do it again with my children. I laughed the whole way through because now I had to duck.

  8. Congrats, Z., and thanks for the post. I love gardens like the ones you talk about. My fav museum is the African-American History Museum in DC. In May I visited there for the first time with my husband, who is African-Am. So many poignant moments, and when my husband saw Harriett Tubman’s shawl, he was overcome with emotion.

    1. Lived near Philly soooo I LOVE this museum!!! I liked the sand spinner thing…. I’d stay there for hours if allowed (and hog it all to myself LOL) Hugs, Z.

      1. Purple Reader:
        I’ll add that to my list. Only seem to drive through Washington and the time we visited did the governmental buildings and Smith. Thanks for the information (the shawl would bring me to tears!) Thanks for sharing.
        Hugs, Z.

  9. I love the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit in Seattle- gorgeous work!
    Thanks for the chance!

    Sheila
    psshepherd(at)earthlink(dot)net

    1. Dear Sheila,
      YES!!!! (I might be a Chihuly stalker but come on I have to be forgiven cause WOW! Gorgeous… and yet simple items combined to give such an impact.)
      Hugs, Z.

  10. The Houston Science Museum has a butterfly conservatory and always has amazing exhibits. There was a gem and jewel one once that was breathtaking.

  11. for me it has to be the Ralph Foster Museum at the College of the Ozarks. my Dad and Stepmom took me there every summer at least once for one reason or the other and we always spent the day just looking at everything have not been in a long time but one on my fondest childhood memories is of that place.

    1. I LOVE the butterfly exhibits!!!! Houston’s got some great damned museums!!!! I haven’t got there yet it’s definitely on the list!!! Big hugs, Z.

  12. I love the museum of fine arts in Houston, Texas. I make sure I visit every time I visit my sister. I was lucky enough to visit on my first time a Japanese special exhibit with clothing, jewelry, and fabulous art. Tbey also did a room of art using gun powder and fire. They also had the video showing how they achieved this “old fashioned” way of art. I also visited when they had an exhibit from medieval Europe which included carriages, which were amazing!!! They also have amazing art works including several van Gogh’s. If you love jewelry then you are in love here!! They even have some crowns and royal jewelry from around the world and from different times. They are favorite but there are other wonderful museums in Houston also. And now I am in Chicago and looking forward to visiting the ones here.

    1. Dear Sherry,
      Hmmm, second mention of the Houston Art Museum… I’ve got to get my ass down there!
      Chicago>>> Navy Pier had this partial Tiffany Glass exhibit… it was being moved or something but it was AMAZING. Also the institute was good… I also enjoyed the bean LOL for people watching and they had a street fair right there… got an awesome leather mask there…. I’m rambling.
      Hugs, Z.

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