Blog Archives
The Pressure of Testing
Tokyo Juku follows an eighteen-year-old student in Japan who, while studying all night in her cram school, discovers one of her teachers has been murdered, leading to an investigation into the education system. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The main inspiration comes from talking with my students. Their struggles inspired me to write about them. I teach at a university, so hearing from my seminar students about what they’ve been through really made me rethink the Japanese educational system from their perspective. One of the largest problems is the pressure of testing. Students hate tests. I mean, really hate them! My job entails evaluation, but more as individual feedback than standardized testing as social gatekeeping. Over the years, when I tell people that I teach at a university, they often cast their eyes down and mumble the name of their school, a little embarrassed at their past failings. Or, just the opposite, very proudly. That’s a sad reaction to what should be a life-transforming experience. In the novel, I wanted to take my students’ stories, my observations, and others’ experiences and condense them into the struggles of the main character, Mana. Like most Japanese, she has to learn how to navigate treacherous educational waters. As an educator and a writer, I’m on the side of improvement, but that’s easier said than done.
How has character development for Detective Hiroshi Shimizu changed for you through the series?
Hiroshi has evolved through the series. In the first novel, he had just returned from America and found the detective job through a connection. He works the job reluctantly but gradually finds he is pretty good at it, despite being resistant to crime scenes and the grittier aspects of the job. He reconnects with his college girlfriend, moves in with her, and they start a family in the latest novel. That idea of fatherhood causes him great anxiety because of what he’s seen behind the curtain. Does he want to bring a child into the world he’s glimpsed while working in homicide? But he has a knack for finding the pattern in the chaos of cases, and he’s needed.
Was it important for you to deliver a moral to readers, or was it circumstantial to deliver an effective novel?
An effective novel comes first. The moral is something that occurs in readers’ minds. I think if you push a moral or make themes too explicit, it takes away from the beautiful ambiguity of reading. As a writer, I can nudge readers in specific directions, but they will draw their own conclusions. So, if you push a moral without a compelling story, it comes across as preachy. Nobody likes that. Readers have their own reactions to the characters’ conflicts, which might yield a moral they take away, but it might also be something more complex—a conclusion or understanding that doesn’t fit into the frame of a moral. The conflicts and confusions of characters are at the heart of an effective story. I focus on that. My job as a writer is to keep them turning pages, thinking, and enjoying the ride.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Detective Hiroshi Shimizu and the direction of the next book?
The next book will focus on the tourist industry, which has really taken off in Japan. I have culture shock—or maybe reverse culture shock—in parts of the city swamped with visitors from abroad. That’s changing the city. I’m not against that, but the influx of tourists and tourist money has not been clearly planned for. And much of Japan is highly planned. Japan is internationalizing, in good and bad ways, so that Hiroshi will be needed even more with his English and accounting skills. He’s got plenty more cases to work on.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Eighteen-year-old Mana pulls an all-nighter at her juku, a private Japanese cram school that specializes in helping students pass the once-a-year exams. She failed the year before but feels sure she’ll get it the second time—if she can stay awake. The Japanese saying, “Four pass, five fail,” presses her to sleep just four hours a day, and study the rest.
When she wakes up in the middle of the night, head pillowed on her notes, she takes a break down the silent hallway. A light comes from an empty classroom, and still sleepy, she pushes open the door to discover something not covered in her textbooks. Her juku teacher, the one who got her going again, lies stabbed to death below the whiteboard, with the knife still in his chest and the AV table soaked in blood.
Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is called in, and though he’s usually the forensic accountant, not the lead detective, he’s put in charge of the case. With the help of colleagues old and new, he’s determined to find the killer before the media convicts the girl in the press, the new head of homicide pins it on her, or big money interests make her the scapegoat.
Hiroshi follows up on uncooperative witnesses, financial deceptions, and the sordid details of some teachers’ private lives. Even as he gets closer, the accumulating evidence feels meager amid the vastness of the education industry, and the pressures and profits of Japan’s incessant exams.
At the outset of the investigation, Hiroshi listens as an education ministry official lectures him on how education holds the nation together, but he soon discovers how it also pulls it apart, and how deadly a little learning can be.
Looking for Trouble
Looking for Trouble follows Maurice Hicks from his childhood in Baltimore through his early years in law enforcement. The book moves fast, almost breathless at times, as it shows a kid growing up in a rough world who somehow stays hopeful. It tracks his path from a paperboy with big dreams to a Marine and then to a police officer who ends up facing danger that feels unreal. The stories unfold with heat and sweat and fear and sometimes humor, and they paint a picture of a city that seems alive and angry and wounded all at once. What struck me most was the constant push and pull between survival and duty. The book never slows down. It grabs you at the start and keeps going.
The writing is blunt. It is raw in spots. It has a rhythm that feels like someone talking to you across a table late at night. The scenes inside the housing projects made my stomach knot. The tension builds so sharply that I kept catching my breath. At the same time, the author also slips in these little pieces of heart, small moments of gratitude or pride or humor that soften the edges. I liked that mix. It made the stories feel relatable. I found myself angry at the chaos around him, frustrated at the failures of systems that should have helped people, and surprised by how quickly small choices could turn dangerous. The book does not try to pretty anything up. It gives you the smoke and the noise and the fear straight up, and I respected that.
What stayed with me even more were the quieter reflections woven into the story. The author writes about the weight officers carry and the scars they collect along the way. He also writes about the people who shaped him, from family members to neighbors to teachers who saw more in him than he saw in himself. Those parts hit me hardest. They felt honest. They felt like memories he never stopped holding. I found myself thinking about how the environment shapes a person and how strength sometimes comes from the most unexpected places. The ideas here feel grounded. Nothing lofty. Nothing inflated. Just real life and the lessons scraped out of it.
I would recommend Looking for Trouble to readers who want a vivid, unfiltered look at police work, city life, and the long road a person walks to find purpose. It is a strong fit for people who enjoy memoirs that pull no punches and for readers curious about what it feels like to be inside the chaos instead of watching it from far away. The book is sharp, tense, and full of heart.
Pages: 535 | ASIN : B0C15B8JDB
Overlooked Corners of History
An Unsuitable Job follows the first woman detective in her Las Vegas agency, who is investigating the murder of a salesman at a hotel and encounters a dismissive attitude from those around her. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The idea came from my fascination with overlooked corners of history, especially those involving courageous women who quietly broke barriers. When I discovered the real-life Harvey Girls—young women trained to serve with precision and elegance across the American West—I saw the potential for a deeper story. Many of these women had grit and ambition but were often remembered only for their uniforms or smiles. I wondered: what if one of them refused to fade into the background? What if she stepped into a role no woman had held before—like that of a detective?
The hotel setting, inspired by the historic Castañeda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico, was the perfect place to explore class, gender, and secrecy. A grand old hotel invites both luxury and scandal—and that’s where Josie MacFarland steps in.
I found Josie to be an intriguing character, and I admired her determination to prove herself in a career dominated by men. What was your inspiration for this character?
Thank you—I admire her too. Josie is very close to my heart. She’s smart, observant, and deeply principled, but also shaped by the pressures of 1929: the Great Depression, limited choices for women, and expectations from her family. I gave her my own stubborn streak and added a longing for justice and belonging that I think many of us share.
She’s inspired in part by the women in my own family—strong, capable, and often under-recognized—and by the many female pioneers who were told they were “unsuitable” for one reason or another. Josie doesn’t just want a job; she wants to matter. And she wants to do it her own way.
How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing, or did it develop organically?
A bit of both. I began with a clear sense of the victim and the setting—who died, where, and why it would shake up the community. But the full mystery unraveled as I wrote. I’m a big believer in letting characters surprise me. Once I had Josie on the page, her instincts began to shape the investigation. Clues appeared I hadn’t planned for, and side characters revealed secrets I didn’t see coming.
Will this novel be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
Yes—this is the beginning of The Harvey House Mysteries, a new historical series set in the American Southwest during the late 1920s and early ’30s. Each book will feature Josie as the recurring protagonist. She’s now a “Harvey House Detective,” solving problems the company wants handled quietly—before the press or police get involved.
The next installment will take Josie deeper into the dusty corridors of power, family secrets, and crimes that echo far beyond one hotel room. I’m currently working on book two, and let’s just say: someone ends up dead in a very public place—and it’s not who anyone expected.
That’s part of the fun and challenge of writing a mystery. It needs a solid structure, but also room to breathe. I knew the ending early on, but the journey there? That unfolded like a case file opening in real time.
Author Links: Facebook | Website | GoodReads
1929 Las Vegas, New Mexico. When a man is murdered at the Castaneda Hotel, Josie MacFarland is given an impossible role: the first Harvey House Detective. Armed with only her determination, Josie faces a dismissive sheriff, the cold shoulder of old friends, and the hardships of the Great Depression.
She can either return home in disgrace—or fight to prove she belongs in a world determined to shut her out.
For readers of Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen, and Sulari Gentill.
The Diary of Vivienne – Is hope enough?
The Diary of Vivienne unfolds as a layered and haunting story. It follows a hidden journal discovered in the ruins of a future society that has scrubbed away its own painful past. The entries from Vivienne Rose, her partner Richard, and the ethereal teachings of Neferatu paint a world that swings between collapse and renewal. War tears through nations, faith shakes, and reforms itself, and ordinary people cling to hope as their only compass. The book wanders through violence, prophecy, political decay, and spiritual awakening, then suddenly shifts into a bright new age where humanity tries to forget what nearly destroyed it. The result is a narrative that asks, again and again, if hope can save us or if forgetting our darkness only guarantees its return.
I found myself caught between admiration and discomfort as Ashby moves from intimate confessions to sweeping political commentary. Sometimes the writing feels like a storm that refuses to settle. Other times it quiets into soft moments of grief or tenderness, especially when Vivienne speaks of her daughter or her friends. I loved those parts. They felt raw and human. But I kept circling back to the idea of Neferatu. His teachings land with a strange mix of poetry and severity. I felt drawn in, then pushed back out, unsure if I was reading wisdom or warning. That tension made the experience oddly addictive. I kept turning pages just to sit with that uncertainty.
The political edges of the book hit me differently. Ashby writes with open frustration about the collapse of governments, the decay of social trust, and the failures of institutions. Those sections made me pause because they echoed fears many people carry but rarely spell out so boldly. Sometimes I nodded along. Sometimes I winced. The diary style makes these passages feel personal rather than preachy. Still, the blend of prophecy, politics, mysticism, and dystopia can feel dizzying. But I liked the daring mix. The emotional swings, though, are what give the book its pulse. I felt alarm, sadness, wonder, and even hope that felt shaky but real.
I would recommend The Diary of Vivienne to readers who enjoy stories that blur the line between spiritual reflection and dystopian fiction. It fits anyone who likes a narrative that thinks out loud, pokes at uncomfortable ideas, and makes you question what you believe about society, faith, and the future. If you want a book that lingers in your mind long after you close it, this one will do just that.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0F6TFS5DG
The Grip of Grief
Out of Mind follows a woman rebuilding her life after trauma as the shadow of her violent ex closes in, drawing them into a tense collision neither can escape. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Two years ago, I published Snap Decision, the novel that precedes Out of Mind. The story ended on a cliffhanger that left readers eager for more, and their visceral responses played a significant role in inspiring the setup for Out of Mind. I still remember receiving emails from readers mentioning how they were “up all night” thinking about the ending and begging me to tell what happens next. With that, heartfelt and serious conversations with readers at various events about Paige and her life served as powerful inspiration. One woman actually growled at me for how I ended Snap Decision! Moments like that made me realize how deeply people connected with these characters and their journeys. It was only natural to continue with Paige and how she rebuilt her life.
Paige’s grief feels so tactile and intimate. Were any personal experiences or research sources especially influential in shaping that emotional texture?
First, thank you for those words. Like everyone, I’ve lost people very close to me. It is impossible to forget the grip of grief- it’s a feeling that never truly leaves. When I write, I am inside the skin of my characters which allows me to create authentic emotional depth and texture. Deep emotions pull in readers and get them to care about-and connect with- the characters. Additionally, emotional connection pushes the reader to find out what is going to happen and want to read more. People begged me to write a fifth novel. I happily obliged.
Max’s chapters are unsettling in a very controlled way. How did you balance showing his perspective without over-humanizing or glamorizing him?
Again, thank you for your words. First, Max is an unsettled character who did not deserve to be over humanized or glamorized. Because I glamorized him in Snap Decision, I knew I had to balance his perspective by constructing realistic flaws/weaknesses-such as greed- to culminate in his deserved ultimate fall from grace. Again, I inhabit my characters and walk through every scenario, hear every word to create a perspective fitting of who they are at heart.
The pacing tightens dramatically in the middle of the book. Did you always envision that rhythm, or did it evolve during revisions?
Truth be told, that rhythm truly evolved during revisions. As I worked to tighten the pace, I discovered that alternating between Paige’s and Max’s perspectives created a tense rhythm that kept the story moving swiftly and intensified the suspense at crucial points. For instance, shifting from Paige’s vulnerable moments directly into Max’s unsettling mindset allowed the tension to build naturally, as each perspective threw the other into sharper focus.
Often, the book seemed to write itself—the tension would pour out unexpectedly, especially when the characters began to take on lives of their own. As the characters developed outside my initial intentions, the suspense/tension was naturally amplified helping to create an emotionally charged story.
Author Links: Amazon | Website | GoodReads
Last year, Paige Buckley survived an unimaginable terror at the hands of a former lover. In search of safety, she relocates far from home under a new identity, hoping peace will finally come.
Driven by a flash of her former life across her television, Paige travels to Florida in search of friends who stood by her in a time of darkness. Unexpected reunions bring comfort and the spark of a new love offers a glimpse of a life she never thought she would see again.
However, fate is not done with her yet. Her new life soon begins to unravel in unforeseen ways as she learns the man who wanted her dead is in Florida and has her in his sights. Paige knows she must end this situation—for good—to protect herself and those she cares about before they all become victims.
An Emotionally Action-packed Odyssey
Changing Course Gracefully is a reflective travel journal that uses the PARQS Method to guide readers through emotional waves, cultural challenges, and moments of self-discovery with warmth, practicality, and calm. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Changing Course Gracefully is a reflective travel journal that uses PARQS™ to guide readers through emotional waves, cultural challenges, and moments of self-discovery with warmth, practicality, and calm.
For a long time, my life didn’t feel like a gentle “journey.” It felt more like an emotionally action-packed odyssey. I grew up in a highly restrictive religious environment, very cut off from the wider world. Travel wasn’t on the radar at all. When a wrong number led me to Joseph, who later became my partner and guide, my world cracked open. Traveling with Joseph and on my own, I went from my small neighborhood to all seven continents over the course of thirty years. On paper, that sounds glamorous—and it was many times—but more often I was moving through those countries with old “remote-control” beliefs still running the show.
Travel became my laboratory for self-trust. I noticed how often I overrode my own preferences to keep the peace, how quickly I went into autopilot in unfamiliar situations, and how long it took—usually after the trip—for the lessons to sink in. Even after building successful businesses and doing years of spiritual work, I still found myself unsure how to support myself in the very moments when I needed self-trust the most.
Changing Course Gracefully is my answer to that question—for myself first, and then for anyone who recognizes themselves in that pattern. I wanted a practical companion I could tuck into my day bag, open in a crowded airport, and actually use. PARQS and the prompts in this journal are distilled from years of lived experience across cultures, airports, hotel rooms, and honest conversations.
It was important for me to write this book because I know what it’s like to appear “put together” while feeling disconnected inside. I wanted to offer readers a way to pause, hear themselves more clearly, and begin building a quieter, steadier self-trust that travels home with them when the suitcase is unpacked.
What personal experience first sparked the creation of the PARQS Method, and when did you realize it could help others as much as it helped you?
PARQS™ didn’t arrive as a neat five-step framework. It grew out of a long stretch of feeling like I was constantly reacting—saying yes when I meant no, overriding my needs to keep the peace, and then feeling resentful or exhausted afterward. After one particularly draining season, I sat in my therapist’s office, and she asked me a simple question: “What do you want?” I opened my mouth and realized I didn’t have an answer. I could list what other people needed, what I “should” want, and what would keep things calm—but not what I actually wanted.
That moment shook me. It made me see how far I’d drifted from my own preferences, and how automatic my responses had become. From there, I started asking myself very basic questions in real time, especially while traveling: What do I prefer here? What am I aware of in my body? What is one right action I can take? What am I honestly asking myself? Can I meet myself with some level of self-acceptance instead of criticism?
Over time, those questions were organized into the five anchors that became PARQS: Preferences, Awareness, Right Action, Questions, and Self-Acceptance. I used them first as my own private checklist when I felt overwhelmed or disconnected. I realized PARQS could help others when people I shared it with started repeating it back to me—telling me they’d tried the “next right action” idea or had written down their preferences before a trip and felt completely different. That’s when I knew this wasn’t just my private scaffolding; it was a way other people could gently interrupt their own autopilot and come back to themselves, too.
How do you hope readers will integrate the PARQS Method into their everyday life, not just their journeys abroad?
I’d love for PARQS to become less of a ‘special occasion’ practice and more of a quiet companion readers can reach for on a Tuesday afternoon, not just on a flight to somewhere beautiful.
On the most practical level, I’d love for readers to use PARQS in small, ordinary moments: before they say yes to another commitment, while they’re sitting in the car outside a difficult appointment, or when they realize they’re scrolling their phone instead of resting. Taking sixty seconds to ask: “What are my preferences? What am I aware of right now? What is one right action I can take?” can change the tone of a day in ways that don’t look dramatic from the outside, but feel very different on the inside.
I think of PARQS as one way to build self-trust, a way to stay in conversation with yourself. Once readers are familiar with the prompts in the journal or digital companion, they don’t have to be sitting with the book to use them. They can jot a few lines in a notes app, check in mentally while making their morning coffee, or use a single letter—maybe “A” for Awareness—as a touchstone in moments of stress.
If readers walk away feeling empowered to pause, notice what’s true for them, and choose their next right actions with a bit more kindness and clarity, then PARQS has done its work far beyond the airport gate or train station
If you could add one new story or prompt based on your recent travels, what would it explore and why?
If I added a new prompt today, it would probably explore what I think of as “micro-course corrections”—those tiny, in-the-moment adjustments that don’t look like big decisions but quietly change the whole experience of a trip.
Recently, I’ve been paying more attention to the moments when I override myself in small ways: pushing through hunger because I don’t want to inconvenience anyone, skipping a quiet morning because I feel like I “should” see one more sight, or staying in a conversation that feels draining out of politeness. None of those choices are catastrophic, but they add up.
The prompt might ask:
Where did I override myself today?
What would a small course correction have looked like?
If I could replay one moment with more self-trust, what would I choose?
I’d want that story and prompt to remind readers that we don’t need a dramatic plot twist to “change course.” Often, it’s as simple as choosing to rest instead of rushing, saying “that’s enough for today,” or honoring a quiet preference that no one else will ever see but us. Those are the moments where self-trust is quietly built.
Author Links: X | Facebook | Website | GoodReads
Rose Dhu
Rose Dhu follows the disappearance of Dr. Janie O’Connor, a brilliant surgeon whose sudden vanishing rattles Savannah. Detective Frank Winger takes the case, and his search uncovers secrets that coil through old money, family loyalty, and violence hidden in plain sight. The story widens from a missing person case into something heavier. It becomes a portrait of power and the people crushed or remade by it. The final revelation, in which Janie reemerges alive under a new identity as Alice Tubman, lands like a quiet shock and changes the emotional color of everything that came before.
Scenes move quickly and often hit with surprising force. I felt pulled in by the atmosphere of Savannah. The place feels damp, shadowed, and tangled with history. Some chapters made me slow down because the emotional weight crept up on me. I found the depictions of trauma raw, but never careless. The book wants you to sit with pain, not look away. That kind of blunt honesty made me connect with Frank more than I expected. His flaws feel lived in. His memories of Afghanistan haunted me in ways I did not anticipate.
There were moments when the story’s intensity nearly overwhelmed its subtler pieces. Still, the ideas underneath the plot stayed with me. What people will sacrifice for those they love. What power looks like when twisted by entitlement. How a life can fracture and rebuild itself into something new. The book is bold about those questions. It pokes at uncomfortable truths, and I appreciate that kind of nerve. By the final pages, I caught myself rooting fiercely for Alice and for Frank.
Rose Dhu reads like a blend of Sharp Objects and Where the Crawdads Sing, only with a darker pulse and a tighter grip on the shadowy power games that shape a Southern town. I would recommend Rose Dhu to readers who enjoy mystery that leans into emotional depth, stories about moral gray zones, or Southern gothic settings with teeth.
Pages: 384 | ISBN : 1967510709
Finally Make Time For Fitness
Racing Against Time follows your journey from a defeated teenage runner to a 56-year-old endurance athlete, revealing how relentless effort, humility, and heart can reshape the aging curve and one’s sense of purpose. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In the first years after I got started in endurance sports, I read everything I could about running and triathlon. I especially enjoyed fitness memoirs. I found these to be a source of inspiration – convincing me that I could take on challenges that had always seemed out of reach. They were also filled with good practical advice, which was important to me during those early years when I was still so inexperienced.
Now, 15 years after I started on this fitness journey with a first 10K at age 48, I look back with amazement at how endurance sports have enhanced my life. They turned the decade of my 50s into one of discovery and adventure. And I credit my exposure to the world of ultramarathons and Ironman for much of my success in the challenging world of start-ups.
Writing Racing Against Time was my way of trying to do the same for others who are just getting started. Especially because I started so late (I ran my first 10K at age 48) and because I am not an especially fast runner, I hope my story can persuade others who are approaching mid-life and are concerned about their fitness to give endurance sports a try. I would love to see others experience the things I have in recent years – to surprise themselves, to gain confidence, and to find the joy in climbing new mountains in all spheres of life.
What finally pushed you to confront the sting of that first failed 10K after letting it simmer for thirty years?
It was a combination of things. My father had passed away the year before and that caused me to think about my own health and well-being. Before that, I had, like a lot of us, always pushed off to the future thoughts about getting serious about fitness – telling myself that I would start once I had more time. At age 48 and with my father’s passing still fresh in my mind, I decided that this was not something that I should put off any longer.
Around that same time, I met Jason Schwartz, who was only a few years younger than me and had recently started running. He had already progressed to the marathon and had really been transformed by the experience. That planted the idea that I should specifically consider making running a centerpiece of my effort to finally make time for fitness.
You write openly about fear, ego, and self-doubt. Was there a particular race or training cycle where those emotions almost stopped you?
I found the prospect of taking on a full Ironman race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) to be extraordinarily intimidating. For years I had entirely ruled it out as impossible for someone like me. When I did finally decide to take one on, it was only after years of training (including multiple marathons, my first two ultras, and a number of shorter distance triathlons) – and even then, I set the goal for some two years later so that I would have ample time to build up to it. For the entire period of training I was anxious about my ability to finish the race – yet at the same time excited and energized that I was chasing something that was challenging and that would have the potential to redefine me as an athlete and change me as a person.
If someone in mid-life feels stuck and overwhelmed, what is the smallest, most doable first step you hope they take after reading your book?
I would recommend taking the crucial mental step of deciding that the time to begin is now, and to make the firm commitment to yourself that you will train a specified number of days per week virtually no matter what – and to start today. The ideal number of days per week to train is 6. You can start with fewer if absolutely necessary (for example 3 or 4 days) – you should never let the perfect be the enemy of the good – but you need to start now and to be consistent. Over time you should try different fitness activities to find the one(s) that work best for you. It will take some amount of experimentation and you don’t need to have all the answers at the beginning.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
“Weiss’ work is a raw and honest commentary on the human condition and the need to squeeze everything out of life while pushing past perceived limits to live life as it’s meant to be lived—an adventure.”-US Review of Books
“A motivational sports memoir, Racing Against Time chronicles grueling endurance running accomplishments achieved in midlife.”-Clarion/Foreword Reviews
Winner, Gold Book Award – Literary Titan
LITERARY TITAN 