Hi there! My name is Jamie and I am so happy you’re here. Whether you’re here because I won’t shut up about this web novel on my Instagram page (@jamiedraws_) or here because you just happened to see this while you were scrolling through the novels, thank you so much for your interest in my version of Ao Bing and Li Nezha!

This story has been three years in the making. There was an urge to bring these characters to life back in 2021, it just took a while for them to materialize fully. When I revisited Journey to the West in late 2022 (after watching it as a young kid on PBS with subtitles when we first moved to the US), it was then that I knew, that I wanted to tell Ao Bing and Li Nezha's story through my own (delulu) viewpoint. 

For those of you who haven’t read or heard about Journey to the West or Investiture of the Gods, no worries. I am not here to give you a history lesson of these ancient myths, nor am I making myself out to be an expert on them myself. First of all, I will do my best to give my own spin on the stories and characters, and add some context before or after each chapter if I feel like it needs it. Second, there are A LOT of characters, so I will do my best to have some sort of chart at the end of each chapter as I introduce them. Both Li Nezha and Ao Bing are the third princes of each of their respective families, and their lineage and family are a key part of the story, so I really had no way of getting around having their brothers, parents, uncles and friends be part of the narrative. 

Speaking of characters- each celestial character introduced is actually from the myths themselves! I think you will recognize at least one of them, who turned out to be my absolute favorite character to write. 

Lastly, for those who aren’t familiar with the myths- I felt compelled to write my own re-telling because…well…what else am I supposed to do when I read about two princes whose families are sworn enemies on opposite sides of a war who, due to duty to their people, duel to the death in an epic battle between the Heavenly Realm and the Dragon Kingdom?? I did what any danmei fan in their right mind would do!

Make them kiss!

So, I hope you enjoy Lotus Blooms in Winter as much as I enjoyed daydreaming about these characters over the last two years.

PS: Starting on December 1, I will post new chapters every Sunday.