Letter From Lisa "Making a Mark" First Two Novels in Hardcover Behind the Scenes Upcoming Appearances On Board Listen Up!

MY FRIENDS... Happy Holidays! Those of you who come to my book signings — and thank you so much — know that they aren't typical. We hug and kiss, eat saturated fats, take pictures trying to look thin, and talk about plot, character, and pantyhose. We laugh and even get misty, and by the end of the evening, everybody has learned that I'm softer than a cupcake. But my most emotional occasion recently wasn't a book signing at all. I recently had the great privilege to speak at a naturalization ceremony at the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, at which some one hundred immigrants from Vietnam, Korea, China, Guatemala and many other countries became citizens. It reminded me of the importance of the many liberties we have in the United States, primary among them the right to vote. I am attaching my remarks for those of you how would like to read them; my own family's immigrant history, which provided the backdrop for KILLER SMILE, is also integral to the speech. The most memorable words that day, however, didn't come from me but from a new American, Ms. Ying Zhang, formerly of China. She spoke in halting English, saying, "I'm so glad that I can be a citizen today and - as all of you today - and we can participate in the voting system. We can vote. I no longer need to debate and campaign for someone as an alien. By the way, I hate that word because it sounds like someone from Mars." Isn't that wonderful? Many of you, like me, were born in the U.S. and never head to earn the right to vote. But now more than ever, we are aware of its importance. We just saw a national election in which every vote counted. And we are a nation at war, and brave soldiers are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq every day, on our behalf. Some of them email me, sending smiling pictures of themselves; undoubtedly, many of you have closer ties, and they are your neighbors or even your family members. Let's all take a minute to send them a silent thanks, and say a prayer for their safe return. They bring out the cupcake in all of us. I hope you and your family have a wonderful and peaceful holiday season. Love, Lisa