Today we welcome Walt Mussell to our blog for Friday Fiction.
Walt also has a special on reader platforms for Australian and New Zealand readers. (see info at the bottom of the post).
Can you tell us something others may not know about you?
I once sat behind Sophia Loren on an airplane. She was the last to board and wore one of the wide-brimmed hats where the edge bends down and covers half of your face. Couldn’t hide her identity. She’s too unmistakeable.
As a child did you have a favourite book or author?
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
Did any of your favourite authors growing up influenced you?
Not yet, but my most recent work was time travel, and I’m hoping to go a little further with fantasy elements while retaining Christian elements.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I used to write a newsletter for a college alumni group. People loved it and suggested I should be a writer. This got me thinking I could do it.
Outside reading and writing do you have any hobbies or passions?
I have two sons, one in college and one who is out of college but still at home. Enjoying their company before they are out of the house for good is my passion.
Where did you get the inspirations for The Samurai’s Heart and The Samurai’s Honor?
In the 17th-19th centuries, the Japanese government destroyed all objects showing any hint of Christianity. However, the government allowed a cross tile to be openly displayed at Himeji Castle. The cross has been there since the 16th century. Officially, no one knows why, though it’s suspected it was allowed to honor a former castle lord. The Samurai’s Heart was inspired by the cross tile.
The Samurai’s Honor, which is the prequel to The Samurai’s Heart, was inspired by a comment from a friend in Japan who said that there was one historical error in The Samurai’s Heart. I wrote The Samurai’s Honor to address the error.
Can you tell us a little about The Samurai’s Heart?
In The Samurai’s Heart, the heroine has to find a man to marry into her family and carry on the family’s swordsmith craft. The best choice is her father’s apprentice, but the heroine is a Christian and wants a Christian husband, difficult as Christianity is banned. The apprentice/hero is the prodigal son of a high-ranking samurai at Himeji Castle. He believes Christianity dangerous, but must protect the heroine as it is his Master’s daughter. The hero’s greatest desire is to reconcile with his father, difficult as samurai must enforce the ban.
In The Samurai’s Honor, the heroine from The Samurai’s Heart is a pre-teen girl who discovers a plot against a famous samurai, putting herself at risk of death.
What do you hope readers take out of these books?
When I started entering contests, I would often get comments from judges saying they had no idea Christianity ever existed in Japan. I want to introduce readers to that. If they are interested, I have videos on YouTube detailing Japan’s Christian Century (1549-1650), which shows how Japan was the jewel of Far East missionary efforts and then became as forbidden as the Garden of Eden, being driven underground under penalty of death. (Search for “Walt Mussell” to locate me. Please follow me on YouTube, as I will be redoing the current posted series.)
I also hope they pick up some Japanese history. There are notes in the back of all of my books, detailing the historical facts.
Did you get to visit the places the book set to do some research?
Not for research. I lived in Japan for four years in the 90s and am familiar with the places I write about. However, my last visit to Japan was in 2008, and I wasn’t published until nearly a decade later. I do a lot of internet research.
Will there be more books in the series?
Yes, the sequel to The Samurai’s Heart has been written, but I’m still editing it. It is set in Osaka and called The Samurai’s Soul. There’s one more book after that called The Samurai’s Strength. It is set in Kyoto.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I do presentations on Japan’s Christian Century for church and civic groups. There are more details on my website, but I would be happy to do virtual presentations for interested groups. The presentation is free.
A fun question. If you could have a meal with any 3 living people in the world who would you choose and why?
First, I’d want to do it separately, so three meals. 😊 The historian in me wants to sit down with both Stephen Turnbull, the foremost expert on Japanese history in the western world, and Bettany Hughes, an Ancient and Classical historian who I see a lot on TV. After that, it would likely be basketball legend Charles Barkley. I don’t watch much pro basketball. (I like college basketball.) However, we attended the same university and I missed seeing him play in college by one year. “Sir Charles,” as he is known, is hilarious and many of my fellow alumni would love to meet him.
Finally, can you tell us about your latest release. Where can buy the book and where can we find you on the web?
My latest release is A Second Chance. It’s a novella that I refer to as Quantum Leap meets Shogun, as my heroine goes back in time to medieval Japan to right a wrong that was committed in the past. It is available as an ebook on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and other platforms. Kobo is currently doing a special in Australia and New Zealand only, pricing it at $0.99. The book is also available in paperback at most sources. A blurb is below.
Kira Sakamichi is trying to establish a career before her mother’s interference sentences her to a relationship. But when a drive to meet her mother’s latest selection ends with her crashing into a lake, Kira wakes up in 16th century Japan, part of a samurai’s household and mother to the samurai’s 6-y.o. son. When battle actions lead to the samurai’s condemnation, it is decided that the household will share the samurai’s fate. Only by understanding duty and family can she and her son survive.
Also, my website is www.waltmussell.com. People can subscribe to my newsletter by contacting me at my website. Subscribers receive a free copy of The Samurai’s Honor.
My book, The Samurai’s Heart, is set in Himeji Castle. It is actually sold at the Himeji Castle gift shop, which, for me, is the biggest honor the book has received.
That’s so cool in it’s in the bookshop! What an honour.
The books sound very interesting. Hadn’t heard about the Japanese Christian period, fascinating.
Thanks for stopping by Dienece. I hadn’t heard either. We did have a couple of friends who were missionaries post WW2.
Dienece, not a lot of people know about it. A former pastor mine once referred to Japanese Christians from this time period as the great unknown martyrs. I’m hopeful that I can spread the word. I used to do presentations for church groups, but Covid shut down my doing those live. I’m now setting up live and virtual presentations at libraries.
Dienece, a former pastor of mine used to refer to Japanese Christians from this time period as the great unknown martyrs. It’s unbelievable that so few people have heard about them. Through my writing and my presentation, I hope to get the word spread.
Jenny, thank you for having me.
I look forward to reading these. We have been hosting Japanese students and adults for about 45 years. We have really enjoyed this and enjoyed learning more of their culture. We also led a youth exchange to Japan in January, 1982, visiting several different areas with home stays which we really enjoyed. I also did some studies in Japanese language. Thank you for this interesting interview.
Heather, I hope you enjoy the books.
My wife and I discussed home stays once years ago. Our biggest concern was that since she is a native speaker and cooks Japanese food for dinner several times a week that it might detract from the student’s visit to the US.
January is an interesting time to be visiting Japan. Where in Japan did you visit?
Hi Walt, Thanks for visiting with us. Your series sounds fascinating and I’ve added your novella to my TBR list. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Narelle