Charles Kowalski & Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts
Charles Kowalski is making a dramatic switch in his writing, from contemporary political thrillers to middle grade fantasy set in 17th century Japan.
Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts, published by Excalibur Books in Japan, where Charles lives today, was launched in August to terrific reviews. A sequel is already in the works.
Simon Grey hoped that a long sea voyage would provide some relief from his “gift” of seeing ghosts everywhere on land. Instead, he finds that his ability draws him into the shadowy world of yokai, the spirits and monsters that roam Japan by night. Together with the mysterious Oyuki, daughter of an English sailor-turned-samurai, Simon must earn the yokai‘s trust and help, while staying one step ahead of the Shogun’s guards and an evil sorcerer determined to discover the “secret” of Simon’s powers.
On the podcast, Charles talks about what inspired his decision to write middle grade fiction and tells us about the work and research that went into his setting and characters. Charles attended the Colorado Gold conference in September and presented a workshop on the secrets of writing suspense so we also asked him to give us a quick overview of his approach, which can be applied to any genre.
Charles Kowalski’s website
Intro music by Moby Gratis
Outro music by Dan-o-Songs
For suggestions about content or to comment on the show, email Mark Stevens. Also feel free to leave a comment about the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast provider.
Host Mark Stevens: http://www.writermarkstevens.com