Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to talk with Pauline Frommer of Frommer’s Travel about the nature of travel, its power to heal, and how a special itinerary from Hokkaido Nature Tours helped me through one of the most challenging periods of my life.
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CHAPTER 13: Walking on the Road
The day after my ill-fated climb of Mt. Ibuki, I headed to southern Nara Prefecture–more than an hour south of the famous deer in Nara City. Most American travelers never get this far south in Nara, which is a pity, because some of the best and most beautiful parts of the prefecture lie off the beaten tourist path. (Highly recommended for nature lovers!)
Read moreJuly 30, 2020: TELL ME YOUR SECRETS
Watch or Listen Now! You can watch or listen to this interview any time on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts as well as at the original links below! WHEN: Thursday, July 30, 2020 WHAT: A live conversation about climbing mountains (real and mental), surviving cancer, overcoming fear, why it’s unwise to eat raisins on a mountain, and why you should dare to live your dreams. WHERE: Watch it on YouTube! – Or watch it live right here:
Read morePrepare to CLIMB!
Dare to Dream, and You Can Change Your World CLIMB – the narrative nonfiction story of my journey to overcome cancer and conquer fear by climbing 100 of Japan’s most famous mountains – releases this coming Monday, August 3, worldwide. (Purchase links for online and local bookstore sources are here.) Advance praise: “Spann’s journey is a tremendous reach into uncertainty amidst a cancer diagnosis, and ultimately her summits become a reward far more than the tops of the mountains she attains. ” — Erik Weihenmayer, Athlete, Adventurer, Bestselling Author and founder of NO BARRIERS USA Due to COVID-19, I don’t have any
Read moreA New Cover – and a Paperback release – for CLAWS!
I’m proud and delighted to announce that my publisher, Seventh Street Books, is releasing paperback editions of the first three novels in the Hiro Hattori series: Claws of the Cat, Blade of the Samurai, and Flask of the Drunken Master. Claws re-releases next month, on April 23, but the paperback is already available for pre-order at your local independent bookstore (like Northern California’s FACE IN A BOOK) or at online retailers like Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com. Hiro and Father Mateo’s first adventure sends them deep into the floating world of the entertainers who would, in the century that followed,
Read moreAn Exciting Announcement!
I’m thrilled that I can now announce the secret project I’ve been working on – the contract is signed, and in March I’ll be applying for a visa to spend a year in Japan for this exciting new adventure! Here’s the deal announcement, which my agent submitted to the industry deal news this week:
Read moreOn the Road…to Bouchercon!
This morning, I’m flying to Los Angeles to pick up my mother, and tomorrow she and I fly to Toronto, Canada for Bouchercon (the World Mystery Convention). On Friday at 2pm, I’m speaking on a panel about mysteries set in foreign times and places. After that, I’m looking forward to spending a lovely long weekend with my brothers and sisters in crime-fiction – writers and readers! This will be my mother’s first Bouchercon – and I’m excited to share it with her. She loves a good party, and the world mystery convention is tremendous fun. My regular Japan posts are on hiatus
Read moreThree Mysteries at Annie Bloom’s!
If you’re in or around Portland, Oregon this Thursday (August 24, 2017) I hope you’ll join me, along with fellow mystery authors Lisa Alber (Path Into Darkness) and Kerry Schafer (World Tree Girl) for the Three Mysteries Launch Party at Annie Bloom’s Books! It all starts at 7pm on Thursday evening at Annie Bloom’s Books in Portland. We’ll have treats, trivia, mystery, and fun – I hope you’ll join us there! (If you can’t make it to the event, you can still contact Annie Bloom’s and arrange for one or all of us to sign a book for you! Contact information is at the link
Read moreIt’s a Party! (A Facebook Party) With Prizes!
Everyone loves a party, and authors are no exception! This afternoon (Tuesday, August 8) from 5-6:30pm Pacific Time, fellow mystery authors Lisa Alber, Kerry Schafer, and I are hosting a Facebook party with lots of prizes and giveaways. We hope you’ll join us. Click here for all the fun! Here’s just one of the fun prize packages I’m giving away: And yes, the socks and candy came from Japan! The party celebrates not only the recent release of my newest Hiro Hattori mystery, Betrayal at Iga, but also today’s release of Kerry’s newest Shadow Valley Manor mystery, World Tree Girl, and Lisa Alber’s newest
Read moreComic Con
Last weekend I attended San Diego Comic Con, where I spoke on a panel about “Creating Effective Villains” along with Brian Pinkerton, Genese Davis, and Eric Kieron Davis. (Side note: If you haven’t read Genese Davis’s fabulous fantasy thriller THE HOLDER’S DOMINION, about a female gamer who goes head to head with a hacker, get thee to a bookstore immediately. I’ll wait.) But one doesn’t merely go to comic con for the length of a panel – especially if you’re a gamer and comic/sci-fi/fantasy geek like me. I spent some time on the convention floor, making friends: And checking out all the
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