My name is Kano Murasaki, but everyone calls me Risuko....
Samurai, assassins, warlords...
and a girl who likes to climb
Though Japan has been devastated by a century of civil war, Risuko just wants to climb trees. Growing up far from the battlefields and court intrigues, the fatherless girl finds herself pulled into a plot that may reunite Japan -- or may destroy it. She is torn from her home and what is left of her family, but finds new friends at a school that may not be what it seems.
Magical but historical, Risuko follows her along the first dangerous steps to discovering who she truly is.
Historical adventure fiction appropriate for young adult and middle-grade readers
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Kunoichi Companion Tales
David Kudler, author of Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, has released "White Robes," the first story in a series of prequels to his upcoming teen historical novel novel. The Kunoichi Companion Tales introduce characters and themes from the Seasons of the Sword novels, and are currently available exclusively to Risuko subscribers. To read the story, subscribe now.
"White Robes" introduces Lady Mochizuke Chiyome, a recent war widow who is mired in grief. She has become tired of mourning, tired of wearing the white robes that are the traditional Japanese garb of the grieving. On the road, she encounters two young women who open her eyes to a whole new purpose in life — and a new way to end Japan's century-old civil war.
There are six planned stories:
- White Robes — Mired in her own grief, Lady Mochizuki Chiyome encounters two young women who give her a whole new, much more interesting opportunity
- Silk & Service — A young Takeda warrior meets a servant who is much more than she seems
- Ghost — When Lady Chiyome receives a note from the shōgun, she finds that the messenger is much more intriguing than the message
- Shining Boy — Plucked off of the streets of the capital, an orphan girl tries to figure out what story she's wandered into
- Blade — Toumi doesn't want anyone messing with her business
- Little Brother — Returning to the monastery turns out to be as hard as leaving it was
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News from the Full Moon
The Hero’s Journey ® as a writing tool
Last summer, I had a really interesting conversation with Scott Calhoun of the Inner Typewriter about Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey® and how authors can use it to enrich and focus their writing:
Optimized
Among other things, I look at Risuko, and how my work on it reflects the Hero Journey.
The Hero’s Journey is a registered trademark of Joseph Campbell Foundation (JCF.org)
Character Mutiny: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Bright Eyes
So, hi.
I owe you an apology.
I had promised — and confidently expected — to finish and release Bright Eyes, book #2 in the Seasons of the Sword series, in 2018.
What happened? Continue reading Character Mutiny: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Bright Eyes
Stories & Keeping Time news
Hey! A couple of pieces of news!
First of all, I recently wrote a post for Joseph Campbell Foundation (my “day gig”) entitled “Where Do Stories Come From.” It’s talking about the source of narrative, and also mythologist Joseph Campbell’s own fiction writing. Check it out!
Also, the final volume of my friend Heather Albano’s steampunk time travel trilogy Keeping Time is coming out on November 22! Timebound is a wild, roller coaster-ride of a conclusion to what was already a fun series — a mashup of HG Wells, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley, if you can believe it.
In preparation for the release of the conclusion of the trilogy, we’re lowering the price for the ebook of Timepiece, the first book in the series, to just $0.99! Just November 22, though, so don’t wait! Continue reading Stories & Keeping Time news