Just a small update for today for a lazy, but not actually lazy Sunday. Added another social media icon to the menu. The book has finally appeared on Goodreads. There are no reviews as of yet (not surprising), but hey, if you were one of the few who both bought and read my debut, perhaps you’d be willing to leave a review there (or on the Amazon page for that matter).
And when I say review, I don’t assume to mean a positive one. If you liked it, great. If you hated it, that’s fine too. If you thought was good in places, bad in others, and “Meh” in chunks, then that’s fair. It’s not for me, really. Reviews are for other readers, so whether you loved it or loathed it, if you want others to find it or avoid it, those reviews matter.
Okay, so I’ve not been shy about calling my debut book a “Ghibli-inspired fantasy” and indeed I have a deep love and respect for what Miyazaki as a creator and what Studio Ghibli has done for both animation in Japan and worldwide. It’s not a stretch to say that you don’t watch a Ghibli film but rather you experience it.
My first experience with Ghibli was in 1997 when Princess Mononoke was released. I was a freshman in college and my circle of geeky friends made the two-hour drive to the one small, independent theater (which ironically was in the neighborhood where I would find myself living with my then fiancé ten years later) to see the much-hyped cinematic experience. It did not disappoint.
And in years that followed, I tried to hunt down and watch every Ghibli film that was available, mostly through the Disney/Miramax releases, but a few were some truly awful lost dubs. Yes, the first time I saw Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was New Line Cinema’s Warriors of the Wind dub, which I would not recommend.
But my love of anime didn’t begin with Ghibli and it dates back much further. As a young child in the 1980’s, I was a die-hard fan of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, though 5-year-old me had no idea that the show originated from Japan or that it was actually called Beast King GoLion. As far as he knew, all cartoons were made in the same cartoon factory and they drew Scooby Doo & Inspector Gadget right alongside my favorite cat-themed giant robot.
My first true exposure to anime as a medium from another country and culture was in 1994 and my best friend brought over a VHS tape he’d recorded from what was then The Sci-Fi Channel during their special week-long “Animation Festival” hosted by Ralph Bakshi (of Cool World, Fritz the Cat, and Lord of the Rings fame). What the tape contained was four hours of Japanese anime that would start me on a 30+ year journey into a fandom that that has enriched my life in many unexpected and unusual ways. The specific anime that was that tape? Masamune Shirow’s Dominion: Tank Police.
Even 30+ years later, that dubbed opening still kicks seventeen kinds of ass and It’s one of the few titles in my collection where I prefer the English soundtrack over the original Japanese. Sadly, the series itself is badly dated in the sense that at the time it was created, over-militarized police who blatantly ignore both suspect’s and civilians’ procedural (and human) rights was supposed to be a dark satire. Now, it’s kinda… ugggggghhhhh.
But still, it was what kickstarted what would become a lifelong fandom for me, and I would spend the next three decades evolving from a teenaged Weeb (though that term did not actually exist at the time I was one) to a full-fledged Old-Taku. And if I hadn’t watched it, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch Princess Mononoke, and if hadn’t watched that and fell in love with Studio Ghibli, then I wouldn’t have written the debut novel that I did. So, to recap: animated movies about hyper-violent cops in tanks –> sweet, coming of age story about friendship, feelings, and food porn.
Hey, I never said it was a particularly straight path.
I’m going to end this little trip down memory lane here. I plan to pick this up again later to talk about some particular favorite anime series and films I’ve loved (and may have inspired my writing), as well as how this fandom has impacted my life. Hope you’ll come back for that next leg of the journey.
Webpage note: I have disabled comments on this and future posts. I was getting too many crypto spams, and when got one for a pro-suicide website, I was thinking that maybe there are better ways for people to tell me that they have thoughts about what I’m writing here. So, if you like my content, hit me up on BlueSky @infinitesquirrels.bsky.social.
The day is finally here! If you’ve been holding off on venturing into the world of Litia and meeting Riv and Sam, then now is your chance to do it at a great discount! The E-book version of Tales of a Stranger Sister is on sale for .99¢ USD from now until the end of April 10th!
And to celebrate both the promotion and my first month as a self-published author, I’ve also published my first batch of BONUS MATERIAL for Tales! So, if you’ve bought (and hopefully read) my novel, and found yourself wondering just what the origins of that card game they all enjoy are, then check out the history and rules of Poor Man’s Fortune.
Welcome to April, folks! That means one thing! #IndieApril is here! Time to support Indie and Self-published Authors by loading up your various devices with the interesting and unique books. Warmer weather is almost here, so maybe grab a book or dozen to enjoy under a tree by a babbling stream, on the beach, or in a gently swaying hammock.
Like, for example, the awesomely amazing books by my amazingly awesome editor and spouse, S.E. Robertson/ C.A. Moss. They have created two wonderful and unique worlds that you will lose yourself in and love the experience. If you like character-focused stories about the people most fantasy novels tend to relegate to the background, then The Healersseries is must-read. If you long for new take on the isekai formula with a diverse cast, fairy tale aesthetic, and not a single mention of levels or harems, then the How I Became a Therapist in Another World series is an absolute treat to read.
And that’s just one of the many Indie Authors out in universe putting out amazing work for readers like you to enjoy. Hey, wait a sec… I’M also an Indie Self-published author with a hopefully unique and interesting book, and it, coincidentally, just happens to be going on sale beginning this weekend!
That’s right! From April 4th to April 10th, the digital version of Tales of a Stranger Sister is only 99¢! That’s a 66% savings! If you’ve been on the fence about trying a debut novel from a new author, maybe now’s the time to give it a shot? Emotions and Feelings! Non-power-fantasy Isekai! Ghibli-vibes! Food Porn! All for the same price as an AriZona Iced Tea!
Okay, enough about the sale, let’s talk about… um, sales…
April 1st also marks one-month since I officially published my debut novel. So, how did I do as a newly self-published author with no promotional experience and a book in a unique genre niche? Well, let me pull out the ol’ TI-82 and crunch some numbers…
Four.
Four copies sold.
Look, from the moment I hit the “Publish” button, I was unsure if I would ever sell A copy of this book, and now, for reasons that still elude me, I’m averaging a book a week sold. In a world that loves to shit all over tiny achievements, I will treat this as the win it is. Feel free to laugh at the tiny writer and his pocket change, but I’m still gonna go buy me a sundae this weekend from the most awesome ice cream shop under an overpass and enjoy the F outta of the fruits of my labor.
Now, back to working on the next one. Maybe by this time next year, I’ll be able to get sprinkles on my sundae, too.
