KILLER NASHVILLE GUEST BLOG POST

Many thanks to Clay Stafford and the folks at Killer Nashville for posting this guest blog I wrote about what screenwriting taught me about how to structure a novel. Click on the image below to check it out.

FEBRUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER

Assassination amps up N. Korea intrigue View this email in your browser PAUL H.B. SHIN's NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2017 In this issue, life imitates art with some major North Korean intrigue that's straight out of a spy novel. I'll also tell you about a very tragic incident that happened to a close friend of mine that was linked to a N. Korean assassination. There's also news about some upcoming projects I'm working on. OPEN CALL FOR IDEAS ON NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL I'm preparing to launch a new YouTube channel, tentatively dubbed "Literature for the Manly Man." It's devoted to works that help us understand what masculinity means in the modern world -- the mature kind of masculinity that doesn't reject the feminine but embraces it. Despite the "Manly Man" name, it's not about being macho, but rather about grasping the full breadth of human experience, so, of course women are invited, too. If you have any ideas for works of literature -- novels, nonfiction, poetry -- that might fit the bill, please send me your suggestions. Some ideas in the works: "Ajax" by the ancient Greek general and playwright Sophocles, and "Free Union" by the poet John Casteen. INTERESTING STUFF GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD What a whirlwind month it's been with regard to news about N. Korea -- a serious case of life imitating art but with a bizarro twist. I'm referring to the death of Kim Jong-nam, the exiled half-brother of N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Authorities believe he was assassinated in a truly strange incident at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Before this, Kim Jong-nam was probably best known for being pushed aside in the succession struggle after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, and for being apprehended at Narita Airport in 2001 after he tried to sneak into Japan on a fake Dominican passport. He later reportedly said he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. One of the suspects in Kim's apparent assassination, a 25-year-old Indonesian woman, told police that she thought she was taking part in some reality TV prank. Surveillance footage at the airport shows the femme fatale wearing a shirt with "LOL" on the front. Yeah, coz assassinations are so LOL. Assassinations -- both successful and botched -- are nothing new when it comes to N. Korea. But one of the most devastating incidents -- both in terms of S. Korea as a nation and for me personally -- was the October 1983 bombing in Rangoon, Burma. That bombing, later found to be perpetrated by N. Korea, wiped out half of the S. Korean Cabinet. The S. Korean president was spared because he was reportedly stuck in traffic and was running late.  One of the Cabinet members was Ha Dong-seon, the planning director of the International Cooperation Committee. He was also the father of a very close friend of mine -- a brilliant kid named Ha Jong-ryong. We used to spend hours talking about Einstein and other science topics. Our conversations were one of the reasons I decided to study physics in college. When his father was killed in the assassination, it precipitated a series of tragic events, including his mother's suicide. Then the family unraveled.  My friend also eventually committed suicide. If Jong-ryong had lived, I'm pretty sure he would have made some significant contributions to science. IN THE MEDIA Many thanks to Suzanne Lang for a very insightful interview on her show A Novel Idea on KRCB in northern California. (Thanks to Linda Hervieux for hooking me up.) It's really one of the best interviews I've had while promoting Half Life. You can listen to the interview or download it by clicking here or on the picture below.   I also have some interviews coming up to talk about Half Life, including the following: At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, on the "Steve Hexom Morning Show" on KBUR radio in Des Moines, Iowa. You can listen live by clicking here or on the photo below. I'll also be doing a taped interview on Wednesday, March 1, with Rodger Nichols of the "Cover to Cover" book show on KLCK in Portland, Oregon. I'll keep an eye on this archive page to see when they upload the interview.  Please follow my Facebook author page or my website and I'll let you know when the podcast becomes available. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

JANUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER

Check out Paul's confessions and 2017 resolutions. View this email in your browser PAUL H.B. SHIN's NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2017 Happy new year, everyone! Here's an update of events, media appearances and general musings for the well-informed citizen of the world, plus something a bit more personal. CONFESSIONS & RESOLUTIONS In the spirit of sharing (and I hope not over-sharing), I've resolved to add some more personal touches to these newsletters in 2017. Speaking of which, I have a confession: The holidays are not my favorite time of year. I know, I know, call me a Scrooge. But it can be kinda tough when you're an expat like myself and your family is scattered across the globe. The thing I've noticed as I get older is that memories -- the happy ones in particular -- combined with that separation can make me quite melancholy, especially around the holidays. I think it's because it's a reminder of how ephemeral life can be. Makes me think of this passage from The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. “Because we don't know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, an afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four, five times more, perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps 20. And yet it all seems limitless.”  On that uplifting note, let's dive into this month's goodies. INTERESTING STUFF GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD There's been some very intriguing news lately regarding North Korean defectors -- in particular, diplomats. (For those of you who haven't read Half Life yet, that's a central storyline of the novel.) In particular, Thae Yong-Ho, who was N. Korea's No. 2 guy based in London before he defected with his family in August 2016, recently spoke to the press in Seoul for the first time and provided some insights into Kim Jong-Un's nuclear ambitions. He also told S. Korean lawmakers how impressed he was with the recent large-scale demonstrations against embattled S. Korean President Park Geun-Hye. (As you might imagine, not a lot of that going on in N. Korea.) He also spoke about the two things N. Korea is having trouble keeping out of the country: Drugs and S. Korean pop culture. Kind of amazing when you consider how restrictive the country is about internet traffic. Reminded me of this scene from Jurassic Park. "Life finds a way." IN THE MEDIA This is one of the most wide-ranging interviews I've done while promoting Half Life. Many thanks to Dan Manley of WMST radio in Lexington, Kentucky, for having me on his live show "Mornings on the Main" on Dec. 15 to talk about writing, journalism, and my book. Check out the recording of the broadcast by clicking the image below. Thanks to Jill Sheets at KOPN radio in Columbia, Missouri, for having me on her show to talk about Half Life. I'm keeping an eye on the show's podcast archive page to see when KOPN uploads the podcast of the show. Please follow my Facebook author page or my website and I'll let you know when the podcast becomes available.  I also did a long taped interview with Suzanne Lang for her show A Novel Idea on KRCB in northern California. I'll let you know when that airs. Wishing all of you the best for 2017. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

DECEMBER 2016 NEWSLETTER

Check out Paul trying to become a radio star. View this email in your browser PAUL H.B. SHIN's NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2016 Welcome to the December issue. Here's an update of events, media appearances and general musings for the well-informed citizen of the world. Happy holidays to everyone! SHAMELESS PLUG: HALF LIFE IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING DILEMMA And now for some shameless merchandising, a la Spaceballs. All kidding aside, if you're looking for a gift for that hard-to-buy-gifts-for person, don't forget Half Life -- especially those thoughtful people in your life who are into spy thrillers in the tradition of John le Carre or Graham Greene. Click below to shop online -- and don't forget to leave it a review. It really helps promote the book. INTERESTING STUFF GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD The United Nations Security Council voted on Nov. 30 to adopt new sanctions against North Korea after months of deliberations on how to respond to the country's latest nuclear test in early September. Among the less talked about aspects of the sanctions: Targeting North Korea's “use of its diplomats to funnel in financial resources to fund its nefarious programs,” according to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power.  It's one of the sub-plots that I deal with in Half Life.   The U.N. resolution was unusual in that it also threatens to suspend some or all of North Korea's rights at the U.N. if it continues to defy its obligations.   IN THE MEDIA Thanks to The Korea Times for this profile of me and Half Life.  In my ongoing effort to be a radio star, I had interviews with WOCA radio in Ocala, Florida, WYRQ in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and KOPN in Columbia, Missouri. Thanks to all of them for having me on to talk about Half Life. Keep an eye on my Facebook page for upcoming interviews. Here's my interview with WOCA (audio on YouTube). Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

Featured on 'Hart's Romance Pulse'

Thanks to "Hart's Romance Pulse" for featuring my guest blog on how the concept of "Half Life" was created. Check out the blog here or by clicking the image below.