Black Jade (45 page)

Well, here I am. Fifteen years ago, I threw away my life in Hong Kong and returned to Australia. I had no friends and no extended family, and didn't want to go back into an IT cubicle, so I decided to write a best-seller and support myself that way. At the time, I knew nothing about writing fiction, or the publishing industry, and didn't know that it doesn't work like that. My original idea for three novels turned into nine, and I've gained a whole new life on the way.

I would not be where I am today without the help of a very large number of super generous people, that I am proud to call friends, and I'm thanking everybody in kind-of chronological order but not really.

My kids, who put up with the whole business start to finish, and who will remain unnamed to avoid excessive eye-rolling. My sister Fiona and the rest of the Canberra family.

Alana Rottler, who suggested I read some how-to-write books that turned my novels from amateur to pro.

Louise Cusack, who did a manuscript assessment of the first draft of ‘White Tiger', and helped me to make it something remotely publishable.

All the guys at the Queensland Writer's Centre: it was through an editorial consultancy there that I met up with Stephanie Smith in the first place.

Stephanie Smith, who read my awful rough first draft of ‘White Tiger' and decided to take a risk with it.

Nicola O'Shea, my long-suffering editor who's put up with me through the entire series.

Queenie Chan, my (not really) twin sister, who did the artwork for the wonderful ‘Small Shen' and doesn't receive nearly as much recognition as she deserves.

Rowena Cory Daniells, who is a shining light for all speculative fiction writers in Queensland.

Marianne de Pierres, who invited me along for a joint signing when I was a tiny baby author, and helped me with infinite amounts of supremely wise advice.

Trent Jamieson, who jumped up at a Supanova where he was supposed to be signing, and proceeded to help the sales staff behind the cash register.

Chris Tatzenko, my Wing Chun Sifu, who double-checked all the martial arts.

Alex Adsett, who rescued me from some bad contracts and business arrangements, and represents me tirelessly, and her husband Paul who knows exactly the right thing to say at exactly the right time.

Rochelle Fernandez, who stepped into some big shoes and took off running at Voyager HarperCollins, and who has been fantastic support. A special shout-out to all the guys at Voyager Australia, who are tirelessly awesome.

Ineke Prochazka of Supanova, and yes that is her as the bad guy in book 7 and she's much more evil than that character.

Isobelle Carmody, who helped me with genius ideas at my UQ study.

Trudi Canavan, always there with a Polaroid camera and an evil grin.

Kathleen Jennings, who brought my visions to life.

Lea Greenaway and Cynthia Rohner (Edu's name was originally Cynthia), who gave me sugar packets and infinite amounts of support right at the start and helped me to spread my little author wings.

Sean Williams and Rob Hoge, who helped me join the Visions writers' group.

The Brisbane spec fic community: the guys at Avid Reader and Pulp Fiction, Nicky and Damon Cavalchini-Strickland, the magnificent Valkyrie Kim Wilkins, Peter Ball, Aimee Lindorff, Rosemary of her Romance Bookshop.

The Comic Con guys — Carissa and Rand, Amanda Bacchi, Paul Mason, Stew and Wendy McKenny, Cordy and Kate.

The other friends I've made along the way: Tom Taylor, Colin Taber, Donna Maree Hansen and her fantastic husband Matt Farrer, Helen Stubbs, Glenda Larke, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Katie Taylor, Robin Hobb (more nostril, Ian Irvine!), Tad Williams (EGG, TAD), Jana Oliver (come back Jana we love you!), and Jim Butcher.

In 2002 I came to Australia with no friends. Now I have not only friends, but fans. Thank you, everybody.

The next things will be Dragons in Space, and Simone on Earth. To work!

In 1985 Kylie Chan married a Hong Kong national in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony. She lived in the Chinese community in Australia for eight years and in Hong Kong for ten years and now lives in Brisbane. Kylie has studied Kung Fu (Wing Chun and Southern Chow Clan styles) as well as Tai Chi and is a senior belt in both forms. She has also made an intensive study of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and has brought all of these together into her storytelling.

Voyager has published her Dark Heavens and Journey to Wudang series.

D
ARK
H
EAVENS

White Tiger
(1)

Red Phoenix
(2)

Blue Dragon
(3)

J
OURNEY TO
W
UDANG

Earth to Hell
(1)

Hell to Heaven
(2)

Heaven to Wudang
(3)

C
ELESTIAL
B
ATTLE

Dark Serpent
(1)

Demon Child
(2)

Black Jade
(3)

Harper
Voyager

An imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers

First published in Australia in 2016

by HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia Pty Limited

ABN 36 009 913 517

harpercollins.com.au

Copyright © Kylie Chan 2016

The right of Kylie Chan to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968
, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

HarperCollins
Publishers

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Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand

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195 Broadway, New York NY 10007, USA

ISBN: 978 0 7322 9442 7 (paperback)

ISBN: 978 0 7304 9881 0 (ebook)

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Chan, Kylie, 1964- author.

Black Jade / Kylie Chan.

Chan, Kylie, 1964-. Celestial battle ; bk. 3.

Fantasy fiction.

A823.4

Cover design and illustration by Darren Holt, HarperCollins Design Studio Cover images by
shutterstock.com

Author photograph by Adam Hauldren