I seem to be sending out my newsletter monthly, now, eh? I do not want to cramp your inbox with individual announcements, so I decided to put the monthly happenings in one issue, but you will not miss out on anything, I promise.

I had a wonderful time at my book signing during the Chinese New Year celebration in my local area. I am contacting local bookstores to see if I can schedule any book signings.

Below, I have listed my upcoming radio appearances. Two of them will not be archived, so catch me live if you can. But I know many of you do not have the stations in your area. Don't feel bad, though, as many hosts ask me the same questions, so you will not miss out on too much if you miss some interviews.

Tune in to WBNW 1120AM or WPLM 1390AM on Saturday, March 4 at noon EST to hear my interview on The Brass Ring® radio show with host, producer Gina Ghioldi, the founder and President of The Law Office of Gina M. Ghioldi, P.C.. Or catch the interview on the net at http://www.thebressring.net

I will be interviewed on Lillian's SpeakOut! on March 8. The podcast recording will be available for listening soon afterwards at my site http://www.shirleycheng.com

I will be a guest on The Donna Seebo Show on KKNW 1150 AM on March 14 from 11:00 a.m. to noon EST (8:00-9:00 a.m. PST). This program is streamed on the Internet live at www.1150KKNW.com so you can listen to it from anywhere in the world.

Remember the winning entry I told you about? Well, it is now posted. Please go to http://www.shirleycheng.com and click on "The Jewel from Heavenly Father" under News Flash to read my entry. Again, I am honored that I have been chosen as one of the 1st place winners.

I recently received a five-star review on Amazon for my autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine, and here it is:

"When the Crooked is Made Plain!"

"This is a complex story written in an easy to read, conversational fashion that is disarming, yet sometimes astounding in its micro-details (ie., telephone conversations you get word-for-word); Shirley Cheng seems to have the memory of a titan. Nevertheless, at times you feel some information is missing—must be missing, because why else the poor treatment by one person after another, one agency after another, one doctor after another, one medical aide after another? But then it hits you—these people, these agencies, these medical "professionals" are really, in many cases, THAT awful! The truth is that American medicine, American government schools and American government agencies all too often think they are GOD. But they're not.

In fact, this book poignantly shows how the enormity of the misuse of power, such as trying to take an ill and hurting child away from its primary source of love and security—its mother—in the name of doing what's "best" for that child, is downright horrifying. And rightly so. The medical establishment is one of the biggest offenders in Shirley's life, and we can probably all relate. (No one is saying, incidentally, that there aren't good people to be found in these arenas of public service, and thankfully, Shirley and her mom find some good people, too.)

If nothing else, Shirley's story is triumphant in that her mother rejects what she knows to be wrong for her child, fights the nightmarish resistance of said "establishment" and wins in the end. But the book is also more than that; it is the tale of a sensitive, intelligent, and observant girl who happens to be painfully disabled; she suffers enormously but has the extraordinary gift of a mother who is sold out for her well-being, hook, line and sinker.

Did the mother make mistakes? Of course. She trusted the wrong people, particularly a relative who was no less than criminal, it seems to me, in her actions. But Juliet Cheng's gift of love to her daughter is something that many able-bodied people never get. She is the epitome of the selfless mother/caretaker extraordinaire, shining the light on the lives of quiet, exhausting devotion that mothers like her live daily.

Overall, the author does an amazing job of keeping the reader's interest; I think the book could be shorter, but I honestly cannot say it was ever boring. When you finish the book you will feel an affinity to this Shirley Cheng and her mother, Juliet. You will admire them both, and hopefully, thank the Lord that your "trials and tribulations" have not been as devastating. If you are interested in a story of hardship and happiness, of personal triumph against horrendous disadvantages, of the experience of being female, Chinese, disabled and blind and yet achieving your dreams in an adopted country—then read this book. The level of success that Shirley achieves is remarkable and inspiring—no less than her achievement in writing this book. Her work and courage alone get five stars in my book.

Shirley Cheng is a talented and bright-hearted young woman who is by no means finished achieving. I look forward to her next accomplishments!"

Reviewed by Linore R. Burkard www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com

And here is an interview I did for Gotta Write Network, a site for writers: www.gottawritenetwork.com/shirleycheng.html About the Author:
Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled author and poet of three books, was diagnosed with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at only eleven months old. Due to years of hospitalization, she received no schooling until age eleven. Having achieved grade level in all areas after merely 180 days in a special education class in elementary school, she was transferred to a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Shirley lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.

Shirley Cheng is the author of Daring Quests of Mystics (ISBN: 1-4116-5664-4), written at the age of twenty. Her autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials and Tribulations (ISBN: 1-4116-1860-2), was self-published at age twenty-one, as well as Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells (ISBN: 1-4116-1858-0), an anthology of inspirational and fantasy short stories and poems she had written between the ages of twelve and twenty-one. She had been published twice before her writing career. One of her short stories, Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady, was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and a poem, The Colors of the Rainbow, was published in Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out in 1999. Visit her website at http://www.shirleycheng.com

Lastly, I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions. What would you like to read in my newsletter? I'll carefully consider any suggestions, so send them my way!

Okay, my booklover friends, I believe this newsletter is long enough. I leave you with one of my personal mottos:

"Hope builds strong wings."

Best,
Shirley Cheng