Tag Archives: Bright Eyes

Risuko, My Father, and Toxic Masculinity

I tell yeh, Bright Eyes. Men and women? A bloody mess. Every time. — Kee Sun on sex and gender, Risuko

Is “toxic masculinity” just a way of saying men are toxic?

I get asked a lot about why I decided to write about young women in my Seasons of the Sword novels. There are lots of reasons.

But an online conversation I was part of recently made one of them very clear to me.

In the conversation, someone argued that “toxic masculinity” was feminist code for the assertion that all men are bad/toxic.

No. No. No.

Masculinity ≠ Men Continue reading Risuko, My Father, and Toxic Masculinity

Bright Eyes Resources for Teachers and Students

Teachers and students now have access to two new benefits in the Educators section of Risuko.net!

Working with a master educator, author David Kudler has added two sets of resources to those already available for studying Bright Eyes, book 2 of the Seasons of the Sword novels:

Continue reading Bright Eyes Resources for Teachers and Students

How Accurate Should Historical Fiction Be?

I got into a conversation recently about whether historical fiction should be “prohibited” if it wasn’t “accurate.” (The discussion started over swearing in historical novels, but spread out from there.)

As a historical novelist… yeah. No.

I think that, of course, historical fiction should be as true to its time and place as it can be. But writing a story set in another time with 100% accuracy isn’t for historical novels — it’s for textbooks. (And even then, it isn’t possible, since so much of history remains up for debate.)

In fact, writing fully accurate historical fiction isn’t always possible. Or even advisable. So I’m glad there aren’t any HistFic cops out there to beat down my door.

There’s a lot that’s almost impossible to find out about life in former times. Dates, names, and outcomes of big battles, marriages, deaths — the important, history-making events of the ruling classes — are easy to learn. What people in a particular part of rural Japan would have had for breakfast in May, 1571? Not so easy.

And even those battles and things don’t always cooperate to allow you to tell the best possible story.

In Bright Eyes, my latest Seasons of the Sword novel, one of the historical characters had changed his name by the time in which the book is set. But if I used the correct name, it was going to be too much like that of another historical character, and I was worried that similarity would confuse readers. Also, the new name was a very famous one — and I didn’t want to give away what happened to him later to the historically literate. (Mind, if they’re real Japanese history buffs, they already know. But why make it easy, right? 😉)

Historical fiction isn’t pretending to be historical fact. It’s just doing it’s best to weave a consistent tale within a long-ago setting. Like fantasy or science fiction, it’s trying to tell a good story — only someone’s already done the world building.

Bright Eyes has arrived — and the critics are already speaking!

Bright Eyes reviews:

The sequel to David Kudler’s award-winning YA novel Risuko hit bookstores today — and critics are applauding!

“Once again David Kudler has fully succeeded as a novelist with a genuine flair for historical fiction populated by memorably crafted characters and decidedly entertaining plot twists and turns. Like the first novel in the author’s ‘Seasons of the Sword’ series, Bright Eyes is imaginative, original, exceptionally well written, and highly recommended” — Midwest Book Review

“The martial arts was well done, the mystery was riveting, and the ending unexpected!” — Azalea Dabill, Author

“David Kudler crafts an enthralling. unputdownable tale due in no small part to his outstanding world building. He ties enough aspects of real-life feudal Japanese culture to give the perfect balance of reality in this fictional world. […] The well-crafted mystery, well-honed history and world-building, and Risuko’s adventurousness leave the reader wanting more.” — Shailyn Rogers, Ind’Tale Magazine

Continue reading Bright Eyes has arrived — and the critics are already speaking!

Risuko Flash Sale!

With Bright Eyes less than a week from release, we wanted to let you know that we are offering David Kudler’s award-winning first novel Risuko on a special sale for a limited time — both ebook, paperback, and hardcover!

This week only, you can get a special deal on the first volume of Seasons of the Sword:

The ebook is only $0.99!

Order Direct from Stillpoint • Order from Your Favorite Store

The paperback is only $6.99!

Order Direct from Stillpoint • Order from Your Favorite Store

The hardcover is only $16.99!

Order Direct from Stillpoint • Order from Your Favorite Store

We’ve never offered the book at these prices before, and won’t be likely to again — if you’ve been waiting to order a copy for yourself (or for someone else) now is your chance!

Win a signed copy of Bright Eyes!

GIVEAWAY COMPLETE!

Don’t want to miss the next one?

SIGN UP TODAY!

 

Get news, reviews, events, and exclusive free gifts!

 

Kunoichi Companion Tales covers

Kunoichi Companion Tales introduce characters and themes from the Seasons of the Sword novels, and are currently available free exclusively to Risuko subscribers, along with news, blog posts, and other exclusive gifts!

To read the stories, subscribe now:

[mc4wp_form id=”600″]

Kunoichi Companion Tales

This series of short stories, set before and between the novels of the Seasons of the Sword series, is available exclusively to our subscribers and to our Kickstarter supporters. Continue reading Win a signed copy of Bright Eyes!

Bright Eyes Kickstarter Live!

Optimized

We’re excited to announce that the Kickstarter campaign to support the launch of Bright Eyes: A Kunoichi Tale, is now open — and already halfway to its initial goal!

About the Kickstarter Campaign

This crowdfunding campaign, which runs through April 10, will help us create the best possible book — while guaranteeing our supporters copies at less than the retail cost.

As author David Kudler said, Continue reading Bright Eyes Kickstarter Live!

Character Mutiny, Pt. II — The Author Strikes Back

Here’s the story of how I crushed a character mutiny and finished a book.

Back when Risuko first came out, I was hard at work on the sequel, Bright Eyes. I was cruising along, with every expectation that I’d have the book ready for publication in 2018.

Then one of my characters mutinied.

I was about to kill her off (spectacularly, I thought) in order to move the plot forward. As I began to write the scene, however, I realized that I hadn’t set up the death or the character well.

In my mind, she sat there, yelling at me, telling me the scene sucked. And the way I had written her character sucked. And because they sucked, the whole book to that point sucked. Massively.

She wasn’t very polite about it.

I realized, to my horror, that she was right. Continue reading Character Mutiny, Pt. II — The Author Strikes Back

Bright Eyes Complete!

I’ve written nearly sixty-eight thousand words of Bright Eyes, the sequel to Risuko.

The most satisfying word of all to write? Continue reading Bright Eyes Complete!

Character Mutiny: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Bright Eyes

ETA: BRIGHT EYES LIVES!

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