Tag: Japan
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Headless on Kindle Countdown Deal
My book, Headless, is on Amazon at a deep discount right now. Currently 99 cents (Kindle version only), and will go up in one dollar increments over the next few days until it’s back to full price. Grab your copy now! About Headless: A serial killer in Japan leaves behind an ancient samurai mask. What…
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Akio’s Journal – April 13th
I found another one of Akio’s journal entries from just a few weeks before the events in Headless. It’s kind of personal, but at this point, he’s probably okay with me sharing it. Considering all he’s been through, I’m sure a little maudlin complaining about a past girlfriend is one of the least of his…
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Let the Beheadings Commence
You might think this is a post about a new American policy toward immigration, but no… HEADLESS HAS AN OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE. It will be here very, very soon. Am I nervous? Hell, yes. But extremely excited too. It’s going to be released on that second most terrible day this year when the world…
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More Google Maps Images of Headless Locations
I’ve been working on the final edits of Headless: clarifying the confusing, smoothing the rough bits, and changing some minor descriptive elements. I have some side stories in the works and will have those out soon on the Extras page. In the meantime, here are some more Google Maps photos from my research. I’m still blown…
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Flying Over Japan with Google Maps
The Chuo Expressway between Tokyo and Kofu I think I have a new favorite website. It’s Google Maps. You may already know about this function, but I didn’t, and was pleasantly impressed. I was using Street View to do some research for some of my edits of Headless, when I backed up one step further than…
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Feedback
Artwork by RobbyCobalt As someone who sang and played guitar in a few different rock bands, feedback often makes me think of that shrill squeal that rips through the PA when you point the microphone at the speakers, or when your guitar amplifier has started picking up alien radio signals. Sometimes there’s just no explaining…
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HEADLESS
Here, finally, is the ANNOUNCEMENT OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, complete with amazing cover art! The book is called Headless, as you can see, and I can’t express how happy I am with the cover. The artist is Michelle Tolo, and she perfectly captured the look of the demonic somen mask, which is featured in the story. This novel…
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To Hum a Strain in the Face of Death
“A truly brave man is ever serene; he is never taken by surprise; nothing ruffles the equanimity of his spirit. In the heat of battle he remains cool; in the midst of catastrophes he keeps level his mind. Earthquakes do not shake him, he laughs at storms. We admire him as truly great, who, in…
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Even a One-Inch Insect Has a Half-Inch Soul
I read a book on Japanese proverbs this past week to get some inspiration and more insight into Japanese culture for the novel I’m working on. It’s called Even Monkeys Fall From Trees, which is, of course, one of the proverbs. Many of them have easy parallels with Western proverbs, such as one favorite of mine,…
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The Kanji Test
The Kanji Test by Tristram Lowe The teacher handed Yoshio a two-page vocabulary test on the new kanji words they were learning. They were still fairly basic kanji as he was only 6 years old, and in grade two. He scanned the questions as the teacher moved on. He saw “door,” “summer,” “older brother,” “forest.” Cake.…
Tristram Lowe 