Cover Reveal: THE NINJA’S DAUGHTER

I’m thrilled and delighted to reveal the cover (and title) of my upcoming Hiro Hattori Novel, which releases August 2 from Seventh Street Books! With no further ado, I proudly present: THE NINJA’S DAUGHTER I’m thrilled with the way my new publisher, Seventh Street Books, captured the theme and atmosphere of this newest novel–this is my favorite cover yet (and my favorite story, too).  We’re changing the series title from the “Shinobi Mysteries” to the “Hiro Hattori Novels”–but don’t worry, Father Mateo is just as much Hiro’s partner in crime (solving) as he ever was, and all of the other familiar faces–Ana, Luis, Ginjiro,

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How to Hunt a Shogun

How do you stop a plot to kill a man who’s been dead for five hundred years? In my case, it required a map, a tour guide, and a ninja. My second Hiro Hattori novel (Shinobi Mystery), Blade of the Samurai, involved a plot to assassinate the 13th Ashikaga Shogun, Japan’s military leader from 1546 to 1565. In the novel, the shogun’s cousin is stabbed to death inside the shogun’s palace, and master ninja Hiro Hattori (along with his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo) must find the killer and stop the plot – or face execution in the killer’s place. Writing historical mysteries

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The Ninja Detective Name Game

It’s November, and though I didn’t plan it this way exactly, I’ll be writing the first draft of the next Shinobi Mystery (#5, for those of you counting–#4 is already in the can and with the editor) before November ends. (Assuming I stay on track, it will be finished by November 21, if not before. But I digress.) I’ve already got a rough outline–meaning I know the killer-or-killers, victim-or-victims, suspects, and baseline plot. I know the body count is high, and the stakes for Hiro and Father Mateo are higher than they’ve ever been. And, after last night, I also know the names

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Flask of the Drunken Master, Deer…and a Frog in a Glass

The title might seem random, but I promise the three things listed above have more in common than you might believe. I spent some time chatting with Erin from Oh, For the Hook of a Book about my recent travels in Japan (with brand-new photos I haven’t shared elsewhere!) , the upcoming release of Flask of the Drunken Master, and the samurai I’d like to invite to tea. Hop over and join us for all the fun–and pictures!–at Oh For the Hook of A Book! And if you’d like a chance to win a copy of Flask of the Drunken Master or Blade of

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How much do you know about saké?

Many people drink saké with sushi or when eating in Japanese restaurants, but not many people know very much about the interesting history of this uniquely Japanese beverage. Saké is a brewed alcoholic beverage, produced in a fashion similar to beer, except that where beer begins with a mash of wheat and barley, the base grain used in sake production is rice. Good sake is produced from a special type of rice (called—shockingly–sake rice), which contains less protein and more starch than typical table rice. After polishing, the rice is rested (air dried), soaked in water, and steamed. A special mold (Aspergillus oryzae) is added

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Behold: Flask of the Drunken Master!

Cover art means a lot to an author–and to many readers also. The lovely imagery on the cover both inspires the imagination and teases at the story within the pages. The old adage says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in the case of the cover art for my third Shinobi Mystery, FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER, the art is so lovely that I’m ok if you want to love it at first sight (I know I did).   FLASK will release from Minotaur Books in July, 2015. (Available for preorder now.)

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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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The Hidden Secret in My Cover Art*

Cover art can make or break a novel, but for the traditionally published author, this critical facet of the work is often totally out of the author’s control.  Sometimes, that results in a horror story complete with tears and terror. In my case, it resulted in an unexpected gift.  When I signed my contract with Minotaur Books, I accepted that the cover art was out of my control. I made a decision: whatever my cover looked like, I would love it.  I told myself so over and over … “you’ll love the cover, whatever it looks like,” and yet, some fear

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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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