Month: March 2019

Heaven, Hell, and Off the Beaten Path in Japan

Susan Spann Blog , , , , ,
Heaven, Hell, and Off the Beaten Path in Japan

I love traveling to new and unexpected places here in Japan, and sharing the experiences I encounter. My trip to Kyushu (Japan’s southernmost major island) last January was both exciting and unexpected, and I’m thrilled to be able to share my experiences in “heaven and hell” at Matcha–which is also, hands-down, the best English-language website for travel ideas and travel advice about Japan. Here’s the link to the first installment of my “Japan, Off the Beaten Path” series: “To Heaven and Hell in Beppu” (with plenty of photos of the adventure, too!)

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A New Cover – and a Paperback release – for CLAWS!

Susan Spann Appearances, Blog , , ,
A 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,

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Cock-a-Doodle Lunch!

Susan Spann Blog
Cock-a-Doodle Lunch!

Last week, while visiting Mt. Haruna in Gunma Prefecture, the freezing temperatures (well below freezing, with the windchill factor) forced me to truncate my climbing plans and head back from the mountains earlier than planned. As I walked to the bus stop, feeling a little low (I hate canceling climbs) I paused in front of a restaurant that advertised the local special: “Cock-a-Doodle Menu.” I’d first heard of this specialty a couple of hours before, while reading a brochure about the Lake Haruna area. I knew it involved chicken, but that’s about all I knew. Even so, I like chicken,

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