A Visit to Kyoto’s Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji

Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji (sometimes known merely as “Eikan-do”) is Japan’s head temple for the Jōdo-shū, or “Pure Land” Buddhist sect. With its focus on faith, and specifically on Amida Buddha, Pure Land Buddhism differs from the popular Zen schools often followed by members of the samurai class (especially during Japan’s medieval age); however, many samurai families followed Pure Land teachings. Originally founded in 863 as “Zenrin-ji” (in Japanese, “ji” means “temple”), the temple continued to expand through the centuries, adding new buildings and reconstructing older ones as the need arose. The temple is famous, in part, for its statue of Amida Buddha, which looks over its shoulder rather

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Dead Before Dying: A Twitter-Spawned Tale

Today, please welcome my long-time friend and fellow mystery author Kerry Schafer – who also writes fantasy (if you haven’t read her fabulous Books of the Between, you should) and her debut women’s fiction novel CLOSER HOME (written as Kerry Anne King) releases in March.  Kerry is here to celebrate next week’s release of her new paranormal mystery DEAD BEFORE DYING (Diversion Books), which I read (and adored, and blurbed, and STRONGLY recommend to anyone who likes mystery novels with an edgy sense of humor). I asked Kerry to share the interesting story about the inspiration for DEAD BEFORE DYING–and happily, she agreed: Kerry Schafer writes

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Writing a Business Plan For Your Book: The Budget

The final section in the business plan for your book is the budget (in a standard business plan, this section is usually called “Financial Factors and Statements). The budget for your book may be simple or highly complex, depending on a number of factors, including your publishing path. Marketing and travel budgets are part of this section also, as are any other book-related costs the author will bear. Note: Traditionally published authors do not bear ANY of the costs of publishing, sales, or distribution, and do not pay the publisher’s editing costs. Self-published authors are responsible for all of the costs of publishing

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Ninja Architecture, Part 3: Moving Panels & Secret Lofts

My research trip to the Iga Ninja Museum involved a tour of the “ninja house,” a recreation which features some of the secret panels and hiding places common in medieval shinobi (ninja) homes.   (The “headless woman” is our guide, who asked the little ninja to demonstrate the panel–to his delight, and his pink-ninja sister’s obvious envy.)  These rotating panels added to the shinobi’s mystique, and fueled the legends that said a master ninja could “turn to smoke” or “vanish” at will. The ninjas really did disappear in an instant…but through a rotating panel or trapdoor, not by turning into smoke. (Would have gotten away with it,

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