Interview with Laura Joh Rowland

Last week I read Laura Joh Rowland's newest novel featuring her 18th century samurai detective, Sano Ichiro. It was my first time reading Rowland and I enjoyed this unusual historical mystery. I'm thrilled to share this interview with Rowland, who talks about her writing, this series, and what she does when not reading. Be sure to enter the giveaway for a copy of The Shogun's Daughter ! What was the plot of your very first piece of fiction? It was a short story about a group of idealistic hippies who go into a forest to found a utopian commune. Lightning strikes, a tree falls on the leaders head, and goodbye commune. (This was when I was in high school, in the 1970’s.) Do you have any writing rituals or routines? I go for a walk every morning and figure out what I’m going to write that day. Thinking is easier when my body is moving. When I get home, I have 5-6 pages planned out. Was The Shogun’s Daughter the original title of your book? Yes. It fi