The Book Adventures of Emily: Author Interview with Loren Mayshark

What inspired you to write Inside the Chinese Wine Industry?

The book grew out of some freelancing work that I was doing. I started writing for an online Chinese travel blog and learning about the Chinese wine industry. I became completely fascinated with the subject. I read everything I could get my hands on about the industry and became more entranced. While doing this research, I wished that someone had written a more comprehensive overview of wine in China. When I could not find what I was looking for, it served as inspiration to write the book I had sought. I hope that it will be useful and fulfilling for others with similar inclinations.

How long did it take you to write your book?

I the idea came to me in early 2016 and I did not complete the book until the end of summer so it took over two and a half years.

How long have you been publishing your work?

I had been published as a freelance writer before but my first book, Death: An Exploration, came out on New Year’s Day of 2016.

What does your writing environment look like?

I have been able to produce steadily by making writing never seem like a big deal. So I use cheap notebooks and disposable pens to do most of my writing. Part of this approach is the ability to write in any environment whether it is on a bus, in a cafe, or sitting on the couch while people around me are watching television. I think of myself as a bit of a chameleon when it comes to what I write and where I write it; so far it has served me pretty well.

Do you have any routines to help you write?

I write nearly every day (I occasionally take off a Saturday or Sunday) but almost every day is different depending upon my work and family responsibilities. I usually will do what needs to be done during working hours which can stretch anywhere from 7 AM to 10 PM. After I finish for the day, and relax for a while, I generally do writing that I want to do which is usually some combination of journaling, free writing, or working on fiction projects.

My thing is just to get something down on paper to initiate the first draft, even if I think it is terrible. Once I have a start, the juices will hopefully begin to flow eventually. Then I have something I can edit and work into the next draft. Editing is a discipline that I have worked hard to cultivate, but it is still something I am trying to get better at.

About the Author

Loren Mayshark studied Chinese art, religion, philosophy, and history while earning a B.A. in history from Manhattanville College in New York. After graduation, he attended The Gotham Writers Workshop and the prestigious New York Writers Workshop. He has written about the Chinese wine industry for The Jovial Journey and Sublime China.

After college, he supported his itinerant lifestyle by working dozens of jobs, including golf caddy, travel writer, construction worker, fireworks salesman, substitute teacher, and vineyard laborer. Predominantly his jobs have been in the restaurant industry. He cut his teeth as a server, maître d’, and bartender at San Francisco’s historic Fisherman’s Grotto #9, the original restaurant on the Fisherman’s Wharf. While working with a colorful crew of primarily Mexican and Chinese co-workers.

He spent much of his young adult life exploring the wine industry from Sonoma Valley to the North Fork of Long Island, immersing himself in vineyards and learning valuable lessons. He has traveled extensively in South America, Europe, and Asia. He presently splits his time between Western New York and Sweden.

His first book, Death: An Exploration, won the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Award in the category of Death and Dying and was a finalist for book of the year in the 2016 Foreword INDIES Awards in the category of Grief/Grieving (Adult Nonfiction). Inside the Chinese Wine Industry is his third book.