Susan Spann's Blog, page 81

Ripley … Believe it or Not!

Last week I brought home another porcelain crab for my little reef.

Although larger than the other two, the new addition looks almost identical to the existing porcelain crabs, Face and Hugger. I’d originally named her “Hold” but after discovering that the new crab was both female and gravid (egg bearing, aka “pregnant”) my son persuaded me that she needed a name more in line with the “Alien” theme of the other two.

We’ve named her Ripley.

After completing her acclimatization hold, I released Ripley into the tank. She swam immediately into a large cluster of blue-green palythoas, where she perched, apparently thinking herself invisible.

It took a hungry Ghillie less than five minutes to spot her there. He leaned in close for a better look, waving slightly as if to mimic the movement of seaweed (an instinctive predatory behavior for hunting syngnathids).  I worried Ghillie might try to eat her – and with good reason, since he’s gone after crustaceans before and eaten several peppermint shrimp. He’d never shown an interest in crabs, per se, but one can never tell what a seahorse might decide to do when faced with crustaceans of delectable size.

Fortunately, Ghillie passed on this particular morsel.

Ripley spent the night in the palythoas, but by morning she had moved to the front of the tank and taken up residence in the anthelia where Emo the clownfish lives. Face resides there, too, though Hugger has moved to the back of the tank (after losing a turf war over the anthelia in question).

Face and Hugger are males, so Ripley’s presence didn’t bother Face in the slightest. For her part, Ripley seems content to wave her “fans” in the current and eat–both in the light and when the lights are out.

I was asked, on Facebook, exactly what a filter feeder finds to eat in a closed aquarium system. The answer is “Reef Nutrition!” I buy a variety of liquid foods, including live plankton, “oyster feast” (a combination of oyster tissue and oyster roe), and R.O.E. (a combination of oceanic fish eggs), and I feed that to the tank on a daily basis. The filter feeding corals, feather duster worms, and porcelain crabs react to the food the minute it hits the water, and strain it out of the system within hours.

In addition, the pipefish and seahorses macerate their frozen shrimp and blow out “clouds” of particles which also enter the water flow and get strained out by the filter feeders in the ecosystem.

Maintaining a reef is more complicated than dropping flakes in the water, as I used to do in my freshwater fish-keeping days, but maintaining a living, multi-layered ecosystem is more than worth the extra care and trouble.

An Interview With Laura Drake

Today I’m delighted to welcome Laura Drake, author of the new release HER ROAD HOME (Harlequin Super Romance, August 2013):

Laura has always been a storyteller.  She began on her front porch, telling ghost stories to the neighborhood kids.  They ran screaming, but kept coming back for more. If she wasn’t telling a story, she had her nose in one, bumping into students in the halls on her way to classes. Her settings are Western, but Laura grew up in the suburbs outside Detroit.  A tomboy, she’s always loved the outdoors and adventure. In 1980 she and her sister packed everything they owned into their Pintos and moved to California, sight unseen. There Laura met her husband, a motorcycling, bleed-maroon Texas Aggie, and her love affair with the West began.

She rode a hundred thousand miles on the back of her husband’s motorcycle, propping a book on his back and reading on the boring stretches. But you can’t read all day and after awhile, her brain would empty of the day-to-day thoughts and cast about for something new to think about. 

Then one day, riding into the small town of Kernville, California, a dog ran in front of the bike. After a gut clenching scare, it trotted back the way it came and they rode on. But she started thinking. What if someone came along and hit the dog?  And what if a girl riding a motorcycle came along . . .

You can’t outrun nightmares on a motorcycle. Samantha Crozier knows, because she’s tried. Following the death of her father, Sam, an itinerant building contractor,  sold everything and hit the road on her motorcycle, ‘flipping’ houses on her way across the country. One rainy day on the coast of California, she runs out of road – and luck.

When an accident leaves her afoot in Widow’s Grove, the nightmares catch up. But can a derelict Victorian house, a stray dog, and a small town mechanic convince her to stay long enough to face them?

I hosted Laura on the blog earlier in the summer to celebrate the release of THE SWEET SPOT, the first novel in Laura’s Sweet on a Cowboy series. It’s wonderful to have her back today to talk about the debut Widow’s Grove novel, HER ROAD HOME. And so, with no further delay, on with the questions!

I know from our previous visits that you grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and that you’re a big fan of motorcycles and rodeos. Could you tell us how a city girl fell in love with the rodeo?

I married a Texan! On an annual pilgrimage to Texas, he took me to a rodeo, and I feel in love. I liked the bull riding best. There’s just something about the courage of a guy who has the guts to strap one hand to a one ton animal who wants to stomp him. Oddly enough, it reminds me of a violent ballet – the riders have more in common with gymnasts than weight lifters. After all, there’s no way a man is going to overpower a bull, no matter how strong he is.

And also…when did you start riding motorcycles, and do you have a favorite one (a specific motorcycle or a type) that you love to ride?

Again, the Texan. He’s ridden since he was 16, when he borrowed money from his sister and snuck off to rent a motorcycle (his mother would have killed him if she’d known.)

He wasn’t over his divorce, and spent our whole first date talking about it (yawn.) The only reason I agreed to a second date was because he offered me a ride on his motorcycle!

I rode 100k miles behind him before I learned to ride my own.  Now I have 100k miles on my two; a BMW R100M named Elvis, and a R1100 named Sting.

Since we ride long distances, we need dependable bikes, so we ride Beemers!

Your novels, THE SWEET SPOT and HER ROAD HOME, are romances with unusual twists and settings. What drew you to writing romance?

I actually wrote them as Women’s Fiction! My agent, Nalini Akolekar with Spencerhill Assoc., thought they were WF too. The editors we submitted to were split, 50/50. They sold to Grand Central, who saw them as romances. It took some editing to bump them into line, but not as much as I’d feared.

Samantha Crozier, the heroine of HER ROAD HOME, is a builder by profession and a motorcycle rider by avocation. How did you create such an unusual romantic heroine?

Um, because I’m odd? Ha! I’m not sure. Who knows where these ideas come from? Surely not a pantser like me!  Of course the motorcycle chick wasn’t a stretch for me, but building? I know exactly zero about that!

Do you have a favorite movie? What is it, and why?

Okay, you’re pushing all my ‘odd’ buttons today. Or maybe I just have more of them than most? I’m probably not qualified to answer this, because I don’t watch TV (except bull riding and an occasional football game,) and the last movie I saw at the theatre was probably Jurassic Park. Oh no, wait! I saw Hunger Games.

But I’d probably have to say, Pretty Woman. It wasn’t very realistic, but I got caught up in the wonderful romance, and was able to suspend disbelief. The heroine was like mine tend to be – complex, with lots of baggage.

What did you find most challenging about writing HER ROAD HOME?

Oh jeez, everything! This was the first book I ever wrote, begun probably 18 years ago. I knew no craft, nothing about genre, or just about anything else. All I had was a feel for storytelling forged by being an avid reader, and idea that wouldn’t let me alone. That’s probably why it took me 4,758 separate edits to get it right!

Nick, the hero, went from a redheaded vet to a mechanic that looks like a young Bruce Springsteen. Sam, the heroine, went from a pudgy brunette to a leggy blonde. The dog went from a husky mix to a bulldog that drools like a waterfall and farts like cannon-fire.

And it is now more what I meant to say than any other iteration, thanks to my amazing editor, Wanda Ottewell.

If you couldn’t pick motorcycle riding or rodeo, and money was no object, how would you choose to spend a week’s vacation?

I have on my bucket list to take a paddlewheel cruise down the Mississippi. It starts in Memphis, and I want to fly in early and see Graceland. Then I want to read some great Southern Fiction as we roll down to the gulf; Savannah, Naches, New Orleans…

Doesn’t that sound like heaven?

Do you have a favorite scene in HER ROAD HOME? If so, what makes it stand out for you?

Oh yes, the night that Nick invites Samantha over to cook for her. It’s very romantic (he’s Italian, and cooks like a dream!)  But the evening takes a dark turn, and Sam’s secrets are revealed – not willingly, and not easily. I slaved over that scene for weeks. I’m very proud of it!

And now, the speed round:

Beef, chicken, or fish?

Chicken! Unless it’s deep fried perch…yum!

Tattoos or hair dye?

Neither, I’m an old lady! I don’t even cover the gray!

Beer, lemonade, or scotch?

Iced tea. I killed way too many brain cells in the 80’s. You never know when that brain cell you kill next will be the lynchpin, and everything will unravel! I need every one of the few I have left.

For breakfast: eggs, waffles, or oatmeal?

Oatmeal.  But I covet any kind of donut – especially bear claws.

Thank you, Laura, for joining me today! It’s always a pleasure having you here, and I wish you the best of luck with HER ROAD HOME (as well as THE SWEET SPOT!)

Laura’s books are available in paperback and ebook formats wherever books are sold. (I’ve spotted, and purchased, them “in the wild” myself.)

You can find Laura online at her website or on Twitter (@PBRWriter), as well as periodically blogging at Writers in the Storm.

An Island, a Weapon, and a Plot Point Walk Into a Novel …

Tanegashima is the second largest island in Japan’s Ōsumi Island chain, located off the southern coast of Kyushu (the southernmost of the four major islands which make up the country of Japan).

During the medieval period, Tanegashima was considered part of Ōsumi province and ruled by the daimyo in control of that territory.

In 1543 a Portuguese trade ship heading for China found itself blown off course and landed at Tanegashima. The accident introduced the Portuguese to Japan (and vice versa) and within a few years the Portuguese had established a trading relationship with Japan.

Among the most popular Portuguese goods was the matchlock-style arquebus, which many Japanese referred to as tanegashima, after the island where the weapon first came ashore.

While formulating my Shinobi Mystery series, I wanted an interesting foil for Hiro who lacked the warmth and friendship my shinobi detective would share with Father Mateo. Since Father Mateo worked at a distance from the Jesuit mission, it would also help to give the Jesuit a separate form of financial support. The church would help him, of course, but I wanted Father Mateo to have a level of independence that required another member to their household.

Enter Luis Alvares, a Portuguese merchant and weapons-dealer. Luis provides a foil not only to Hiro’s character but to Father Mateo’s also. Unlike the Jesuit, who loves the people and indigenous culture of Japan, Luis considers the Japanese people a bunch of “murderous savages” and the culture barbaric at best. He is the character in the novels most readers seem to “love to hate” or “hate that they love” (depending upon which email I’m reading at the moment), and yet, he also has a surprising number of fans.

Luis exists as a foil, but also to introduce another truth of 16th century Japan – the existence of outsiders, with foreign values and foreign weapons, whose influence shaped the manner in which the Japanese went to war. In 1565, that influence remained relatively small, but it was spreading and picking up speed. The use of a weapons-merchant allowed me to bring the arquebus “front and center,” challenging Japanese tradition and Father Mateo’s normally pacifist stance.

It also allowed me to share the history of firearms in Japan – a subject I personally find fascinating. And any time you can hit a writing hat trick … in this case, historical fact, a change in warfare, and an intriguing plot point … all in one, you’d better not let that trade ship sail without you.

*Image of Portuguese traders in Japan from the U.S. Library of Congress, image in the public domain due to age.

What IS Copyright, Anyway?

Authors talk a lot about “copyright,” but many don’t actually understand what the word entails.

A lot of us also don’t ask questions, largely from a desire “not to look stupid” — I know I’m guilty of that on occasion, and I suspect a lot of other people are too.

Since school is starting (for some, has already started) it seemed the right time of year to open a #PubLaw series on copyright for authors. We’ll talk about what it means, what rights it includes, and how to make sure your contract terms protect them.

Today? Square 1: What IS Copyright, Anyway?

Copyright is a form of Intellectual Property, which means intangible property, generally in the form of ideas, inventions or creative works.

In the United States, much of the intellectual property law is federal law, meaning law enacted by the United States government (that’s Congress, for the civics nuts among you). State laws may supplement, but cannot overrule federal laws.

Intellectual property law is also mostly statutory, which means it exists in codes enacted by legislatures rather than lawsuits decided by judges. Judges do interpret these codes, and sometimes expand or interpret them in ways that create “new law,” but (at least in theory) these judge-made precedents cannot conflict with (and can be overruled by) statutes.

Brain full yet? Not quite? OK, we’re moving on.

Internationally, copyright law is governed by treaties, which are agreements between nations or national governments. 

But none of that explains what copyright IS.

Let’s look closer.

Copyright is a form of legal protection for published and unpublished creative works “fixed in a tangible medium of expression.”

Copyright protection begins automatically at the time the work is created.

A valid copyright has five basic elements:

Copyrightable Subject Matter
Meets “Threshold for Protection”
Compliance with Legal Formalities (which is not required for validity, but required in order for the owner to receive certain types of damages)
Authorship or Ownership of the copyrighted material
Statutory Duration

Let’s start with the easy one: Statutory Duration.

In the United States, a copyright lasts for one of two statutory terms:

- For individuals: life of the author plus 70 years

- For entity authors (meaning corporations, limited liability companies, etc): the shorter of 120 years from the date of creation or 95 years from the date of initial publication.

What does this mean for authors? Your copyrights will outlive you, unless you deliberately put your works into the public domain.

Since that’s the case, it’s important to understand exactly what your copyright covers (and what it doesn’t). But since we’re already three-steps deep in legalese today, we’ll take the next few steps in next week’s post.

Have questions about copyright? Ask them in the comments or tweet me using the #PubLaw hashtag – I love to answer reader questions!

Sometimes, the Pearl IS the Oyster

Yesterday, while visiting the fish store to pick up another porcelain crab, I noticed a strangely-shaped frag of zoanthids in the “cheapie” section of the store.

I noticed because zoas rarely grow in geometrically-regular colonies, and even when they do the colony “edges” are uneven, with independent polyps sticking away from the cluster at varying intervals. The colony I noticed was circular (almost ovoid), with sharply defined rounded edges.

Upon closer examination, it also had an open mouth along the edge.

What I’d found was a rare example of inter-species cooperation: a live oyster overgrown with at least two different zoanthid species. (Even now, as I write this, I’m not sure whether it’s two or three).

Oysters rarely survive in private aquariums, mostly because they require special, microscopic foods and because many popular “pet” species prey on molluscs. My reef, however, offers a “safe zone” for sensitive species. I’ve got several other thriving (and growing) bivalves, so I brought the zoa-covered oyster home.

After a 45 minute acclimatization drip, I moved the mollusc into the tank, placing it high on the reef in a spot where the current would flow toward the creature’s mouth. Then I left it and hoped for the best.

Within 30 minutes, the zoanthids decided they liked the location and opened (they won’t if they sense their positioning isn’t ideal–and it’s not always easy to tell what a species wants in a home). 15 minutes later, the oyster was open too. You can’t tell from the photos, because unfortunately the best orientation for Mr. Oyster required me to tilt him away from the front of the tank where I can’t see or photograph his mantle extension. So you’ll have to take my word for it that (s)he’s happy.

To the untrained eye, the oyster looks like a cluster of zoas growing over a rock. But look closely and you’ll see the edge of the oyster’s shell. Ironically, not one of the zoas is actually “on” the rocky plug. They’re all on the oyster.

In addition to the oyster, I brought home another porcelain crab–a peaceful, filter-feeding species that does well in soft-coral reefs. I’d seen the crab in the shop last week and asked them to hold it for me through the weekend. The manager and the owner were out, but one of the sales associates told me he’d make sure they kept the crab.

Today, I went into the shop and told the manager, Joe, that I’d come to retrieve my crab.

“Your crab?” he asked.

For a moment, I thought it was gone.

His eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh, HOLD CRAB!”

We went to the back of the store, where someone had written “HOLD CRAB” in grease pencil on the tank. No name, no date, no details, just “HOLD CRAB.” I’m in there often enough that, apparently, the salesman thought no name or details were necessary. (“Invertebrates on hold belong to Susan…”)

We had a good laugh, and the crab acquired a name. I’m calling him Hold. Hold Crab.

Did you spot the oyster hiding behind the zoanthids and the crab on the lower left in the midst of the blue-green palythoas?

 

 

Monday Blog Game: Music!

Today marks the return of the Monday Blog Game – I’ll pick a topic at random, and if you want to play along, feel free to leave a comment with a link to your post (if the spam filter traps it, don’t worry, I’ll pull it back out) or comment directly on the topic.

Today’s topic: MUSIC.

I listen to many kinds of music, from country to rock to classical. I like a selection for different times and moods.

Before I started writing mysteries, I used to listen to music while writing. Since 2011, however, I just can’t do it, and it took me almost two years to realize why: outside music confuses my mental ear.

A lot goes into writing a mystery (or any other novel). Plots. Subplots. A cast of unusual characters (most of mine, shameless liars), and–when you’re writing a series–continuing themes. It’s a lot to keep in your head all at once, and more so when you’re trying to write to a personal cadence (or, as some people call it, maintaining your “voice”). My writing voice ebbs and flows with the action, sometimes in longer lines and sometimes shortened. Whether writing first drafts or editing, I need to listen carefully to ensure the voice stays constant.

Although I love music, listening to it while writing now seems more like playing two competing soundtracks against one another – like Metallica sharing the stage with a marching band. It doesn’t work. It becomes an unintelligible mess.

I miss the music sometimes. There are days when I wish I could play it while working, but every time I try the result’s the same–and it isn’t pretty–so I’ve finally given up altogether, with one exception.

When the novel is finished, and typeset, and my editor sends me the “first pass” pages for final review, I put on music.

At that point, the book is finished. The only editing I can do is correction of typographical errors and other mistakes, so I don’t have to listen for line and voice. In fact, I can’t listen too closely, because if I get caught in the voice I could miss a typo.

This means that each of my novels has a “soundtrack” of sorts – the music I listen to while reading the final, typeset version. In the case of CLAWS OF THE CAT, my music of choice was INVINCIBLE the first of four albums by Two Steps from Hell.

[INVINCIBLE album cover image: copyright Steven R. Gilmore, reproduced in low-resolution thumbnail in reliance on Fair Use Doctrine to serve as identification of the artist and work in question.]

If you don’t know their music, give it a try. The group’s website bears the tagline, “Music makes you braver,” and their music certainly sounds both brave and inspiring. I listen to it often in the car or while relaxing at home, and the lack of lyrics makes it great writing music … or would, if not for that marching band romping ’round my head.

Do you listen to music while you work or write? What soundtrack inspires you?

 

What’s in a Name? Sometimes, Confusion.

I’m continuing my “fact from fiction” series today with a look at samurai naming conventions and why they caused me a little trouble in CLAWS OF THE CAT.

Most samurai received and used several names in the course of a lifetime.

The childhood name was given at birth and used until the samurai completed his genpuku, the coming-of-age ceremony during which a samurai male received his swords and his adult name.

In addition, samurai children often answered to various nicknames, either personal (like the ones we use for our children now) or numeric and based on the child’s age and rank within the family.

The samurai’s adult name had its own conventions. Male samurai names normally consisted of two (occasionally three) written characters, at least one of which was the same as a character in the name of the samurai’s father.

For example, a man named “Mitsuhide” might name his son “Hideyoshi” or “Yoshihide” – or even “Yoshimitsu.”

When a samurai had multiple sons, each one would usually share the identical character from the father’s name, resulting in a plethora of similar-sounding names within the clan.

This issue came home to rest in my first Shinobi Mystery, CLAWS OF THE CAT, which involves a murdered samurai. The dead man has a brother, a daughter, and a son, and though I did my best to keep the names as distinct as possible, I also didn’t want to breach the history by using names that didn’t follow convention. As a result, I ended up with:

Hideyoshi , the murdered samurai.
Hidetaro , the older brother of Hideyoshi.
and Hideyoshi’s children, Nobuhide (a son) and Yoshiko (a daughter – and the easiest one to name because “Yoshiko” translates simply, “the child of Yoshi”).

Had Hideyoshi not been dead before the novel started, the naming convention would have caused no end of grief. As it stands, it still requires a little attention to keep them straight. While I don’t regret the choice of a family story to lead the series, or the choices I made for the various characters’ names, it’s definitely an issue I will keep in mind when plotting future installments.

Wherever possible, I try to keep my characters’ names distinct and dissimilar, both from one another and from characters who appeared in previous books. In fact, I have a “naming chart” that helps me track the names I’ve used, the characters who have them “claimed,” and whether those characters are alive or dead (or both, depending on the book). I organize it alphabetically, to help avoid alphabetical duplications and also ensure a decent “spread” of names in every succeeding volume.

In addition to the names I’ve mentioned, a samurai might also change his name if a lord or powerful samurai decided to “gift” him a character from the lord’s own name or title. This happened either as a reward (most often for service in battle) or when clans allied by marriage.

Finally, a samurai who retired from warfare and joined a monastery (as many of them did in their later years) might cast off his warrior name along with his swords and adopt a Buddhist name. Buddhist monks adopted names in much the way many Jesuits do — relinquishing their worldly names in favor of religious ones at the time they take their vows. Samurai who survived to old age often opted to spend their twilight years in more peaceful company that that which characterized their bloody youths. Changing their names was a sign of commitment to a more peaceful way.

Would you have trouble remembering all those names, for yourself as well as all of your family members?

Koromogae, Rethreaded*

This week has been the hottest so far in Sacramento this summer, so I’m thinking a lot about what to wear to keep the heat at bay.

In medieval Japan, people wore lightweight clothing during the spring and summer, and heavier winter kimono through the colder months. The change from summer to winter clothing (and vice versa) was controlled by the calendar, not the weather. The Japanese have a term for this: koromogae, which means changing clothing at the turn of the seasons.

During the Edo Period (1600-1868), koromogae took place on April 1 and October 1. Although the winter change-date remains October 1, modern Japanese perform the spring koromogae on June 1 instead of in April.

The concept of koromogae appears in my upcoming debut novel, Claws of the Cat. The novel takes place in May 1565 – after koromogae. In the novel’s opening scene, Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo finds himself wearing a summer kimono in weather that’s anything but warm – and wondering why!

The term koromogae doesn’t appear in the novel, but the wearing of summer kimono after the proper calendar date reflects Father Mateo’s adherence to this Japanese custom.

Have you ever read a small detail in a book and later learned it had a much more developed history than you imagined?

*This post is actually a reboot from August of 2012, but since the heat is on my mind this week I thought I’d share this one again.

July 2013: Reef Retrospective

As always, the first week of the month gives me the pleasure of sharing the “best of the reef in photos.” Here’s what I saw in July.

Seahorses will hitch to anything that offers a good enough grip, as this Mexican turbo snail discovered the hard way:

Sun corals rarely extend their tentacles fully, due to the danger of getting nipped by a passing predator.  Once in a while, though, I have the pleasure of seeing these lovely corals at their photogenic best:

Snail races. Brought to you by “dinnertime on the reef”:

And another one from the snail files – this one a Mexican turbo grazing on the algae that grows among the zoanthid colonies:

Finally, it’s a joy to return from book tour to learn that someone missed you–or, at least, missed you serving her dinner. A shot of Ceti hitched to a sea fan, watching me write on the night I came home:

Which one is your favorite? I can’t decide.

 

 

Tasty Summer Reads: Claws of the Cat

Thanks to fellow historical fiction author Kim Rendfeld (author of THE CROSS AND THE DRAGON) for tagging me in the Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop!

Here’s how it works: Each participating author invites other authors to answer five questions about their current summer release or work in progress and also post a tasty recipe that ties into the book. I’ve linked to all of the other participating authors, and my unwitting victims friends at the end of this post.

Before we get to the questions, here’s a little more about my current release, CLAWS OF THE CAT: A Shinobi Mystery (Minotaur Books, July 2013):

When a samurai is brutally murdered in a Kyoto teahouse, master ninja Hiro Hattori has just three days to find the killer before the dead man’s vengeful son kills both the beautiful geisha accused of the crime and Father Mateo, the Jesuit priest that Hiro has pledged his own life to protect. The investigation plunges Hiro and Father Mateo into the dangerous waters of Kyoto’s floating world, where they quickly learn that everyone from an elusive teahouse owner to the dead man’s dishonored brother has a motive to keep the samurai’s death a mystery.

It’s got ninjas, weapons, dead guys, female samurai, a Portuguese weapons dealer, an ornery maid, a gaggle of geishas, and one rather feisty kitten thrown in for good measure. Did I mention the ninjas? Yeah, I thought so.

On with the questions!

When writing, are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?

I’m definitely a snacker, though not as much when I’m writing because I tend to read my work out loud and because I hate cleaning debris out of the keyboard. I’ve always got a cup of coffee, a glass of water, and sometimes also a soda by the computer, though, so what I lack in snacks I make up in drink cups.

When cooking, do you follow a recipe or do you wing it?

If I haven’t made a dish before, I normally use a recipe. After a couple of rounds, though, I leave the paper behind and go freestyle. I love to cook, and usually cook dinner 5 nights a week, but I use recipes only 3-4 times a year.

What is next for you after this book?

Another book! Another Shinobi Mystery, to be exact. I’m under contract with Minotaur for two more mysteries featuring Hiro and Father Mateo, and after that we’ll see where the series goes.

Last question…on a level of one being slightly naughty and ten being whoo hoo steamy, how would you rate your book?

The book does have a hint of naughty but if you’re looking for “onstage sex” I’m afraid you’re begging at the wrong pantry. That said, if you’re looking for ninjas, death by exsanguination and a fast-paced romp through the streets of medieval Kyoto, I’m your gal.

Now, how about that recipe?

Since my ninja detective, Hiro, loves Japanese noodles (udon in particular) I thought I’d share a little about udon, and a recipe, below the fold:

The Japanese have many types of noodles, most of which have been around since at least the medieval age. Udon, soba, and ramen are the most common, but since many Western palates consider “ramen” a freeze-dried cube of college-kid fare and don’t have a solid reference point for soba, I decided to let udon be the noodles Hiro loves.

Udon are long, thick noodles made from wheat flour – the type you usually see in Japanese soups.

In fact, the simplest form of Udon (called “kake udon”) consists of noodles served in a flavored broth composed of soy sauce, dashi (a Japanese fish stock) and a low-alcohol content rice wine known as mirin. The soup is sometimes topped with scallions, fish, or shrimp.

The simplest recipe for udon (aside from “order in restaurant”) is simply adding udon to your favorite broth or soup. Most udon don’t require much cooking a couple of minutes is usually enough, but be sure to check the package directions for proper preparation of the variety you buy.

Traditional Udon Recipe:

- prepackaged Udon (I prefer fresh, but they come in frozen varieties too)
- 2 cups dashi
- 1 Tablespoon each of soy sauce, mirin (or rice wine), and sake
- 1 chicken breast, cut into half-inch cubes
- 1 scallion, chopped or cut on a bias
- pinch of salt

Heat the dashi almost to a boil, and then add the soy sauce, mirin, and sake, as well as the salt. As the mixture comes to a boil, add the chicken. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the udon. Simmer for 2-3 minutes (or according to package directions).

Transfer the udon and soup to bowls. Sprinkle with scallions. Enjoy!

Traditional Japanese street food usually featured fish instead of chicken, so you can substitute chopped shrimp or fish if you prefer a more authentic flavor. But those of you (like me) with the misfortune to be allergic to fish can use chicken, substitute chicken broth for the dashi, and have a cluck-worthy alternative to the traditional dish.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of menu at these other participating Tasty Reads Blog Hop blogs: 

Christy English

Donna Russo Morin

Nancy Goodman

Lauren Gilbert

Lucinda Brant

Prue Batten

Anna Belfrage

Ginger Myrick

Jo Ann Butler

Kim Rendfeld

Cora Lee

Jessica Knauss

And I’m tagging three good friends who know a thing or two about tasty reads:

Heather Webb, Marci Jefferson, and L.J. Cohen! What’s for dinner, ladies?