~Available September 25!~
Synopsis: It’s 1920. The city of Shanghai has been invaded by the drug trade. The drug trafficking and usage of opium have taken the city by storm. While the looks of the city seem calm, deep within there is a secret and nobody realizes that the small hidden drug world is about to get bigger..much bigger. The underground world that was once hush- hush is now slowly making it’s way to the surface to corrupt the public. However only a few are aware of it, for the rest it shall cause an uproar making some frantic and some in awe. Soon the drug is seen all around the city and it seems that getting one’s hands on it has become a problem so much so that it causes an all out epidemic. One that no one will see coming or seemingly be able to stop..
One of the few people aware of all this is Ryu Tsang, a local dock worker who grew up admiring the city for all it’s glamour. When strange things start happening Ryu takes notice. While at first he brushes off the first few encounters he can’t help but shake the fact that something bigger is unfolding. Shin Shaojin believes the city will be better off embracing such change. He has a vision of Shanghai’s future. One that involves his business to bloom and offer endless possibilities to all that are accepting. Will the city overcome the dark cloud that is the drug trade or will it be taken in and become the change that Shin Shaojin believes it can be?
Interview with Justin:
1. What prompted you to write your current novel? I had the title picked out and done before anything. For some reason the words Opium Warfare just sounded cool to me and I thought it would make a great title for a book. I would like to say something distinct prompted me to write it but to be honest it was rather random and spontaneous. I knew I wanted to write another novel and since I had a name a unique name so then the brainstorming and story ideas began soon after. 2. What is your favorite genre to write and why? Poetry and Horror. I enjoy writing Poetry because it really gives me a way to express myself and tell a story in a very different way. I can write my feelings and turn them into something or use my imagination and put it into a rhyme or more diverse way. I enjoy Horror because it’s one of the most popular genres so I know people will enjoy it. There are countless stories and movies of horror and people love to get scared and I enjoy the idea of giving people a reason to be scared. Also with poetry and horror there are so many inspirations that one can’t help but want to take a crack at writing within the genres. 3. What inspires you? I take inspiration from everything. I take in what I hear and see around me. My emotions and what I may be feeling at a particular time. Whether I’m outside on a walk or watching television I take things and they bring me inspiration. As I stated above when it comes to a more direct source, poets and authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Rod Serling, those people among more have inspired me. Their works and classics have inspired me to try new genres and new ways of writing. 4. What are your favorites: food, color, activity, place? Favorite Food: Chicken Parmesan Favorite Color: Green Favorite Activity: Video and Board Games(though soon to be watching Football) Favorite Place: Anywhere but cooped up in my house all day 5. What do you hope your readers will remember about you? My creativeness and wanting to be unique. I like to try and write about things or write in a way that most people don’t. Everyone wants to be themselves and be original but with me I want my writing to stand out and do that for me. For someone to say while he reminds me of so and so his work is truly unique and quite creative. 6. If you could give one piece of advice about life, what would it be? Live it as you wish to live it and live it to the fullest of your being. It seems days go by way too fast at times so make the most of what you can.
Where you can find Justin:
Website: http://jbienvenue.webs.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThePlasmaticWriter Twitter: @JustinBienvenue Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/justinbienvenue/opium-warfare/