Deb Dana’s Summer Vacation to 16th-Century Japan

susanbookToday, friends, I have the honor of introducing our VERY LAST DEB LAUNCH. Yes, that’s right: Deb Susan’s engrossing debut, CLAWS OF THE CAT, comes out today, and it is the perfect (or should I say purrrfect) summer read!

For a lot of people, summer means travel and vacations, but if you’re me, and you have a four-month-old munchkin demanding your constant attention, exciting vacations aren’t exactly in the cards. And yet! No sooner had I cracked open CLAWS OF THE CAT than I was transported to 16th-century Japan and thrown into the complex and mysterious world of samurais, ninjas, and teahouses.

This book did what my favorite books do: it took me on a wild journey to a new and exotic place, and I never even needed to leave my couch. Deb Susan’s descriptions of 16th-century Kyoto are so rich and detailed that I felt as if I were standing beside Hiro and Father Mateo as they wandered the streets of the city, seeking clues in the murder of a samurai at a local teahouse. I cannot fathom the amount of research she must have done to create such a vivid and textured world. From the references to Japanese culture to the use of Japanese vocabulary (doshin, tokonoma, genpuku), the book transported me nearly 7,000 miles away — and I didn’t even need to deal with the TSA!

There were so many things I adored about this book (the relationship between Hiro and Father Mateo is perfect on so many levels), but given that I’m currently experiencing a bit of wanderlust, CLAWS OF THE CAT was the perfect antidote when a real trip to Japan is a far-off dream. So if you, like me, are looking to escape through a book this summer, I highly recommend you pick up a copy today!!

And don’t forget: in honor of her launch, Susan is giving away an amazing Ninja mug, a signed copy of the book, and a batch of delicious Ninja cookies (YUM)! To enter, just leave a comment below telling us where YOU would travel this summer if you could go anywhere!

 

 

13 Replies to “Deb Dana’s Summer Vacation to 16th-Century Japan”

  1. If I could go anywhere this summer, I would travel in Japan, starting by Kyoto then I’ll go in Tokyo and maybe I’ll go to okinawa too because it’s a wonderful place. If I could I’ll visit all the beautiful places in Japan and everybody knows there is a lot of it. 😀

  2. This book had the same effect on me! I cannot wait to get back there with the next installment. It also made me want to watch Shogun. Anyone seen it? Is it any good?

  4. This book sounds wonderful. Looking forward to reading it, whether I win or not (but hope I do!). I’d love to travel to Alaska this summer. Cool, remote, breathtaking. When I need my Alaska fix, I pull out The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and escape in its pages. 🙂

    1. Thanks Jessica! Alaska sounds so wonderful – I’ve always wanted to go there. I loved THE SNOW CHILD and I have several nonfiction books about mountaineering in Alaska too. It seems like a dream vacation spot to me too!

  5. Yay Deb Susan! I hope by now the bubbly’s been cracked and consumed–and the next bottle opened!

    Hope your launch is everything you wished for and more! Congrats, Deb sister!!

    1. Thank you Erika! My family was in town for a celebratory dinner and I signed some books for the shelf at the local B&N (they asked me to come sign a few!!). It was really exciting. Thank you so much for the support on what has been a truly amazing day!

  7. I’ll have to look in to this book for my wife. She loves arm chair travel books, so I think she’d really like this one. I bought her “One American Woman Fifty Italian Men” by Lynne Ashdown, http://lynneashdown.com/ and she loved it. With her birthday coming up another good book might be the perfect gift. Thanks for the post and idea.

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