Linda Liu – författare

After a successful rescue mission in the empire, Eizo welcomes Helen to the family. Peace returns to the forge once more, though the Black Forest is never without danger. A bear attack leaves behind an orphaned wolf pup, and with yet another mouth to feed, Eizo knows he must continue to test the limits of his cheats. His next challenge? Working with a rare, stubborn metal called appoitakara. From it, Eizo forges Helen a new pair of swords and a katana for himself—just in time for Samya’s discovery of a rare ore hidden in the dangerous depths of the forest. There, they encounter a young female mercenary and stumble upon the ultimate wild beast: a dragon! New faces, new monsters, and new metals are on the horizon for Forge Eizo, but will he ever find a quiet life?

With the empire off their backs, Forge Eizo welcomes Anne as a permanent member of the family! To celebrate, each member gets an entire day alone with him.Meanwhile, work calls for the finest blacksmith. Camilo brings a commission from Marius, who wants custom wedding rings made of rare meghizium—a challenge only a few blacksmiths could handle. Eizo is eager until the challenge turns dire when a fairy named Gizelle asks for his help curing a disease. Between wedding bands and healing, “Doctor Eizo” has his hands full!

The monster subjugation campaign was a success, and Eizo returns home with a new addition to the family! However, his days of battling beasts aren’t quite done yet. During a chance encounter with Jolanda—Samya’s childhood friend—the family learns that another corrupted bear is stalking around the Black Forest. There’s also a rumor about a magical knife—could this be a new product to add to Forge Eizo’s lineup?Eizo also receives a large-scale commission that will test his skills, but it also comes with the troubling rumor that a revolution’s brewing in the neighboring empire. On top of that, he learns the empire has also taken the legendary mercenary Lightning Strike Helen as a prisoner! Can a humble blacksmith come to her rescue? With so many irons in the fire, it might be tough for Eizo to forge the quiet life he’s after!

After mastering mithril sword repair, Eizo is looking forward to new experiences, new commissions, and new metals! A mysterious woman’s request for a custom katana excites him, but there’s one pesky problem: The client is a demon—and throughout history, demons have had a complicated and violent relationship with humans. Can Eizo’s conscience withstand forging a god-tier weapon for humanity’s former enemy? On other fronts, Eizo’s family gains a new member: an adorable drake! Unfortunately, aggressive monsters are launching coordinated attacks on the kingdom at the same time, so Eizo must join up with the military to protect everyone. Forging a demon sword, fighting hostile beasts, and supporting his growing household—can Eizo still manage to live the quiet life he wants?

Eizo is a burned-out, middle-aged software engineer. One night after working late, he throws himself in front of a speeding truck to save a cat. The cat survives, but Eizo is not so lucky. In a spark of divine fate, the cat turns out to be a godlike being who offers him a second chance in another world! Eizo wants a peaceful life, one where he can live off the things he creates with his own hands, so he decides to become a blacksmith!He does have one other stipulation: a cat companion for his quiet life. His requests are granted...but with a twist! His cat companion turns out to be a half-tiger girl, and he soon finds out that his blacksmithing abilities are well above average—in fact, his skills are practically cheats! Eizo’s blades soon garner attention, and he realizes that he can turn the tides of battle with his hearth and hammer. With so much commotion in store, will Eizo be able to forge a quiet life?

Now a blacksmith in another world, Eizo Tanya lives a quiet life—well, maybe it’s not so quiet now that tales of his cheat smithing abilities and overpowered blades have started to spread! Eizo tries to earn a modest living while avoiding politics, but tr

Nobody realises how hard it is to compete to be the shooting star that someone wishes on. And they definitely don't know that burn out impacts celestial bodies too.When the lights go out for one star, their self-worth is thrown into flux as they plummet to the ground. But after they hit their lowest - the Earth - they find a new purpose that might just bring back their glow.This irresistibly charming story tackles the struggles of motivation and self-confidence while dazzling readers with its stunning art.

Two misfits learn that nobody is too weird for friendship in this hilarious spin on the eponymous nursery rhyme by the beloved Linda Liu, author of Hidden Gem and Sour Apple. It's tough out there for outcasts to make a connection. For a lonely duck and sheep it seems nearly impossible. So, without a friend to be had, they do the only thing available to them. . . eat worms. But maybe, just maybe, they might be able to find someone who they have something in common with. In a hilarious remix of the song "Nobody Likes Me (I Guess I'll Go Eat Worms)", Linda Liu breathes new life into the importance of friendship that will have young readers belly laughing and cheering for another read.

THIS BOOK ROCKS!!(It also happens to be about a rock...)Prepare to fall in love with this irresistible debut picture book and its quirky story of a rock's journey to find self-confidence with accessible social emotional themes, perfect for fans of Oddbird and Something's Wrong.When a small pebble sees others gathering on the steps of the Museum of Rocks, he grows curious. Once inside the esteemed halls, he is shocked by what he discovers. The only rocks on display are glittering gemstones, geodes, and crystals! These beautiful stones make him wonder: Can he be special, too? Perhaps he’ll find an answer in the World’s Most Beautiful Gem exhibition . . . or maybe, just maybe, he will find the answer inside himself."Breathtaking." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Have you ever been the last one picked? Well, this apple knows a thing or two about being an afterthought: He was the only one left on the tree during apple-picking season.And when he has some time to ruminate on feeling left out, he does what we all naturally do: He spirals. Insecurity takes him on a funny (and gutting) survey of all the things he could have become if only someone had picked him.But we never really know what the seeds of change may sprout. Our adorable apple might just learn a valuable lesson about patience when his season finally comes.

This life story of Linda Liu covers her youth, career, marriage, and motherhood during the Mao era of China.Linda delights in spending her early childhood life in a traditional family in the countryside, especially in her maternal grandpas home. But in 1947, Lindas grandpa is declared in the rich-peasant class, and then the government confiscates his land and house, and the seven family members escaped to Beijing. Linda loves her courtyard home and the surrounding area close to Tiananmen Square. In the 1950s, as a teenager, Linda participates in various social activities and trusts Mao and believes the Chinese Communist partys propagandas that communism will be carried out in China for the good of all. But her father loses his business and job because of the socialist transformation of capitalist enterprises. Millions people starve to death during Three Years of Great Chinese Famine, and Linda also starves and suffers from TB. She doubts if socialism can save people. Linda finds her soul mate at her university, and they love and support each other whatever happens. In 1965, Linda is assigned to Xinjiang with too little work and is separated from her family for seven years because people do not have freedom of speech, religion, job change, and residence under Maos class struggle theory. During the Culture Revolution, many people die and suffer persecution, including her mother, who is wrongly struggled against almost to death. Working in an institute, Linda experiences a typical intellectual life. After the anti-Rightist struggle, intellectuals are in an awkward position, which leads many to die in middle ages from lack of food and mental pressure. After Mao, she and people wish China will have a big change.

For thousands of years, Japan has been protected by five clans wielding barrier-weaving magic. Born to a branch family of one such clan, eighteen-year-old Hana has always been stuck in the shadow of her more capable, beautiful, and popular twin sister. When a strong power awakens within Hana, she chooses to hide it so she can continue living a quiet life out of the spotlight. But that ideal lifestyle begins to slip out of reach when Saku Ichinomiya takes over as the new head of the Ichinomiya clan and sets out to find a bride strong enough to stand by his side. Eager to keep her abilities secret, Hana steers clear of Saku... but will she be tempted to sign a marriage contract if it guarantees the peaceful, quiet future of her dreams?

Hana’s engagement to Saku, the young and powerful lord of the Ichinomiya clan, might be more about business than pleasure to her, but it’s still a reality. Inevitably, not everyone is a fan—Hana’s shikigami are rather protective of their master, Saku’s family thinks she can’t live up to its standards, and her envious classmates aren’t above some good old-fashioned bullying. Hana’s not going to take it lying down, and her doubters are about to see how terrifying she really is!

THESE GIRLS AREN’T HUMAN, BUT THEY ADMIRE HUMANS MORE THAN ANYONE. I’m Rei Hitoma, a self-professed misanthrope thanks to some past trauma. Just when I thought my new teaching job in the mountains would provide a chill, rejuvenating environment, it turns out that this school is actually for demi-humans who want to become full-fledged human beings! There’s a mermaid, a werewolf, a rabbit, and a bird...all of whom are now my charges. It’s my duty to teach them about humankind—and maybe in the process, I’ll learn a few things myself. This isn’t an alternate world or a case of reincarnation. It’s just the story of a teacher at a somewhat peculiar school and his students who are striving to become human.

THESE GIRLS AREN’T HUMAN, BUT THEY ADMIRE HUMANS MORE THAN ANYONE. A year has already passed since I, the self-professed misanthrope Rei Hitoma, started teaching at Shiranui Private High School, where demihuman girls learn how to be regular human beings. One of my students has graduated, and now there are three new additions to my class: a dragon, a mouse, and a black cat. Somehow, these pupils are much more troublesome than the previous bunch...What will this coming school year bring? Can someone like me—someone who hates people—truly help these demi-humans realize their wish to become real humans?

All Hana wanted was a simple life. Instead, she has her hands full sending a terrorist organization packing, saving her school from destruction, and rescuing her twin sister from the clutches of their terrible parents! Plus, she has to stay on her toes to keep her husband’s romantic advances at bay. At this point, living a normal life and flying under the radar are simply impossible. News about who she is has spread far and wide, finally reaching Yukizasa Sankourou, a famous scion from one of the five clans and Saku’s old friend who vehemently opposes Saku’s marriage to Hana. He isn’t content to just grumble either; he fully intends on taking drastic action, and he’s not above teaming up with Hana’s parents to get her out of the picture!

Hana has kept her recently emerged powers a secret from her condescending family. However, the new head of the clan, the beautiful and powerful Saku Ichinomiya, makes Hana into his bride to help strengthen the barrier of a pillar that protects Japan. Now, Hana's powers are being tested by Saku’s family, and she’s even met with harassment at school!

There's a reason Emi Shimamoto can't find a job. For as long as she can remember, she's been unable to tell the living from the dead. Resigned to yet another failure, she attends an interview with Moriya Foods, only to find herself strangely attracted to its young president and more determined than ever to get the position. Meanwhile, Emi’s brother senses that there is more going on with his sister than meets the eye, and he pays a visit to a certain agency that specializes in matters of the supernatural...