Visiting the Home of the Shogun

My second Shinobi Mystery, Blade of the Samurai, involved a murder set on the grounds of the Shogunate. The murder itself took place within the bakufu mansion, the building within the outer walls of the shogun’s compound where the shogun met with visitors and (in some administrations) where official government business took place. I based the shogun’s compound in Blade of the Samurai off of several historical structures, among them Nijo Castle, which was actually constructed after the date of the novel–between 1601 and 162–on the orders of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.*  In the novel, I also describe the shogun’s personal palace,

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Shinobi News: July 19, 2014 – Signings and Giveaways!

Blade of the Samurai released this week — and I’m so excited to share it with readers! BLADE OF THE SAMURAI GIVEAWAYS! If you’d like a chance to win a FREE copy of the novel, there’s still time to enter these Blade of the Samurai giveaways! So Many Precious Books, So Little Time (contest ends July 23!)  Reading Reality (contest ends July 25!) We’ve got more giveaways coming up in the next few weeks, so check back here, and on Facebook, for all the details! BLADE OF THE SAMURAI SIGNINGS! If you’re in the Orange County area, I hope you’ll join me today

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Fifteen Pages of Fame: Kazu’s Day in the Sun

I love writing a mystery series because it lets me return, again and again, to the worlds and characters I love. I love reading series, too, for the very same reasons. Like most readers, I can’t wait for another “ride along” with my favorite sleuths, from Richard Castle to Sherlock Holmes … and, of course, my own ninja detective, Hiro Hattori.  But fictitious worlds don’t revolve around a single person any more than the real world does, and series fiction also gives me (and everyone else!) the chance to learn more about the other characters who populate those worlds.  In

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Shinobi News: July 5, 2014

Welcome to the penultimate Shinobi News before the release of Blade of the Samurai! I’m just as excited about this book as I was about last year’s debut, Claws of the Cat. I’m looking forward to all the excitement and fun of the release, and even more to sharing the new Shinobi Mystery with readers. I hope you’ll join me at one of my signings (please check the Events page for all the upcoming fun!) or on one or more of the virtual tour stops I’ve lined up this month. Several of them include giveaways of Blade of the Samurai! Here’s the plan for the coming

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The Imago Chronicles, an Interview, and … Cats on the Internet

Today, I’m honored to be interviewed by author and martial artist Lorna Suzuki, whose IMAGO CHRONICLES are currently under contract (and in production) to become a series of major motion pictures. You can find the interview at Lorna’s website (click, and the link will open in a new window). I’m also delighted to announce that Lorna (who has over twenty-five years experience in various forms of martial arts, and is a 5th-dan practitioner and instructor of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, a martial arts system incorporating six traditional samurai schools and three schools of ninjutsu, under Japanese Soke, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi) has also agreed to

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Shinobi News: May 24, 2014

I’m delighted to announce the first tour dates for the Blade of the Samurai live tour! As of today, I have confirmed signings in the cities and at the great locations below. If you’re close to one of them, I hope you’ll stop in and say hello! Santa Monica, CA: Thursday, July 17, 2014: 7:00 PM Reading & Signing: Barnes & Noble (3rd Street Promenade) 1201 Third Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Map Link Huntington Beach, CA: Saturday, July 19, 2014: 3:00 PM Reading & Signing: Mystery Ink Bookstore  8907 Warner Avenue, #135 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 Map Link Napa, CA: Saturday, July 26, 2014,

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Chasing Down the Shogun

Writing historical mystery requires working within two sets of rules, the ones that govern mysteries and the ones for historical novels, and although those rules can be broken, I prefer to “play fair” with the reader when I can. Much of the action in my upcoming Shinobi Mystery, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, takes place on the grounds of the shogunate–the compound where the shogun lived, which also housed the government offices. (The Japanese word for the shogunate government is bakufu, though I substituted “shogunate” in the novel to make it easier on native English speakers.) When writing the novel, I researched medieval

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Cover Reveal: BLADE OF THE SAMURAI

Well, it’s Friday, and thanks to the diligent efforts of everyone who helped us track the cover clues, I’ve managed to retrieve the cover art from the ninja thieves! And so, with no further ado, allow me to present the cover for the second Shinobi Mystery, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI: June, 1565: Master ninja Hiro Hattori receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a fellow shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours before, the Shogun’s cousin, Saburo, was stabbed to death in the Shogun’s palace. The murder weapon: Kazu’s personal dagger. Kazu says he’s innocent, and begs for Hiro’s help, but

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Celebrating a Shiny New BLADE

This morning, I received the cover art for the second Shinobi Mystery: BLADE OF THE SAMURAI. This afternoon, my cover art was stolen by ninjas. (They did it last year, too, and I suspect this might be a pattern forming.) If you want to see it, I’ll need your help to get it back. I’ve called in some friends to help me track down the shards the ninjas left behind, along with bits of the jacket copy describing the new Shinobi Mystery, which will release from Minotaur Books in July of 2014. The first clue might leave you a little

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