Bullets on the Bund: An Autumn Jade Mystery
"Bullets on the Bund"
by Steve Whan |
Available from the Author Autumn Jade Publishing, 2001
ISBN 0-9688198-0-X
Meet Autumn Jade, a 12 year old Canadian sleuth who, with her best friend Adam, and her ever-faithful-but-disobedient dog Watson, get involved in great crime-solving adventures.
"Bullets on the Bund" is Autumn Jade's first mystery, and while it's a great addition to any young person's library, it's on my list of recommended books for yet another reason. Autumn Jade and Adam are young adoptees. Read more about them in my interview with author Steve Whan:
Q : Where did the idea for "Bullets on the Bund" come from? A : My wife and I adopted our first daughter from China in 1998. In January 1999 we had started the paperwork for our second daughter. I was sitting at the computer one night when it hit me... I loved to read the "Hardy Boys" when I was younger and my sisters all read "Nancy Drew". Where were the mystery stories with a heroine who had been adopted and more importantly for my daughters, from China? Within a day or two, the basic concept for "Bullets on the Bund" came together.
Q : What is the story about? A : Autumn Jade (adopted at a year old from Shanghai, China by her Canadian parents) and her best friend Adam (also adopted, but from Atlanta, Georgia) are walking home on the last day of school. They see a dog wearing a backpack limp through a local park. The two of them try to catch the dog, but they lose it in the nearby woods. While attempting to track down the owner of the dog, Autumn and Adam uncover a string of dognappings that eventually lead to a dangerous band of diamond smugglers. The 'twist' to the story is an underlying dream sequence of Shanghai in the 1930s. Through her vivid Shanghai dreams, Autumn Jade finds the pieces to help her solve the real-world mystery.
Q : Did you have specific goals for the book? A : I had three main goals:
- Everything I've read points to a healthy respect for our daughters' culture helping to build the self-esteem they'll need throughout their lives. I wanted to highlight the vast history and significant cultural impact that is part of their Chinese heritage.
- Create a positive role model. I wanted a strong character that was both adopted and Chinese. There are over 25,000 girls that have been adopted from China. I wanted to create a fictional character that they could relate to.
- We learn many things through the books we read. In Bullets on the Bund there is an important story line that involves Autumn and her dog Watson taking an obedience course. Readers will learn about dog training as they enjoy the story. There are many other subtle educational elements like this throughout the book.
Q : Will there be more stories in the series? A : I'm working on the outline right now for #2, "The Emperor's Pendant", and I have rough notes for "Sing Song Girls" and "Sisters of Shanghai" (Autumn returns to Shanghai with her parents to adopt a younger sister).
Q : Why did you decide to self-publish the book? A : "Bullets on the Bund" has been sitting with a major Canadian publisher for two years. I wanted my two girls to read these stories when they are older so I made the decision to do it myself. I contracted an editor to help with the manuscript and a talented young artist to illustrate the cover. I believe the final product is as good or better than what I would have achieved with a publisher, but I'll let the readers decide that for themselves.
Available from the Author © Nancy S Ashe
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