THE YEAR OF THE BARBARIAN - Ann Boyles - One Free Book

Dear Readers, for our first interview in the new year and new decade is the debut novel of a special woman. Ann has won several awards on her way to publication. I’m thrilled to be able to introduce her and her novel to you.

Welcome, Ann. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

The female protagonist, Sumi, resembles me a lot. She has a natural reserve she must overcome to satisfy her longings for adventure and a greater purpose in life. Without a meaningful relationship with God, I would have that same powerful yearning. Also, the characters’ relationships include my notions of how romance blossoms in people’s lives.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I guess petting a wild monkey in Japan was pretty quirky. At least, my friend yelled for me to stop so I wouldn’t get bitten.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I discovered I could write nonfiction in high school when a teacher and a newspaper reporter praised my work, but for many years I didn’t do much writing other than lesson plans and curriculum development. Becoming a finalist and then winner in two fiction contests encouraged me in my efforts to write stories.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My enjoyment depends more on the quality of the writing than on the genre, so I have a huge range. My favorite genres, however, are historical/historical romance and nonfiction biographies.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I read the Bible and pray every morning. However, I often get swept up in the multitude of tasks. Then I have to remember God’s presence and to take things one step at a time. I’m thankful each day is a new one.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Since the stories are set in Japan, I consulted Japanese friends about suitable names for samurai, servants, and officials for the series’ time period. Finding names that weren’t too difficult for American readers complicated the choices. I wanted a classic type of name for the American protagonist and settled on John Cardiff. The capital city of Wales is Cardiff, so it’s an old British-sounding name.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Through the years, I’ve cherished the ability to relate well to international students, and that gift helped me develop the Intensive English programs at two universities and write tales with an international setting.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I’d be a dog because I would have a decent chance of getting a good, warm home with nice humans. Today’s chilly, damp weather may be influencing me.

What is your favorite food?

It’s hard to narrow it down because I haven’t met a dessert I didn’t like. Right now, I’ll say ice cream and the Japanese soft, rice-ball candies but that could change with the next meal.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

When a friend at a high school reunion read an early draft of mine, she kindly told me I had to find a critique group. I soon learned that I was trying to write fiction like a nonfiction writer. Since I didn’t know anything about writing fiction, I had to revise my first story each time I learned a new skill—an astronomical number of times.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Year of the Barbarian, set in mid-nineteen century Japan, is the first book in the Dragonfly Trilogy. Sumi Taguchi, a samurai’s daughter, eagerly anticipates the arrival of foreigners from the West and the end of Japan’s centuries-long isolation from the world. She hopes these foreigners—if they turn out to be truly civilized—will bring answers to life’s troublesome riddles. But to be free to meet these newcomers, she must first avoid a nightmarish betrothal and the fallout from her rash curiosity.

The young New York merchant, John Cardiff, risks his inheritance by sailing to the far side of the world. His fascination with Japan leads to a dangerous trading venture. As trouble mounts, he dreads the shipwreck not only of his ship but also of his life.

Please give us the first page of the book.

July 1855 (Year of the Rabbit), Nagasaki, Japan

A hungry mosquito flew under the hem of Sumi Taguchi’s kimono and attacked her ankle. She dared not swat it while old Suzuki-sensei, her tutor, knelt ramrod straight on the cushion opposite her, expounding the virtues found in the Tale of the Heike.

“With true samurai spirit, Lady Nii took the seven-year-old Emperor’s arm and propelled both of them off the ship and into the foaming sea.” A hint of enthusiasm colored his recitation. “Emperor Antoku’s mother leapt in after them, intending to save her son’s life, not his honor.”

 

The mosquito bite itched, but Sumi held firm. She would not lick her lips. She would not sway. And she would not allow a muscle’s quiver. If she concentrated on the fascinating account, she’d forget the urge to scratch. She was sure of it.

Suzuki closed the worn text and bowed. “I shall continue the history next week when the young student is able to concentrate.” He clamped his lips together.

“Sumimasen,” she apologized, her heart plummeting. She’d kept her eyes cast down and had held perfectly still. How did her tutor know that her mind wandered for a second?

Waiting a week to find out if the three drowned in the sea was disappointing, but worse was this newest failure. Now that she had turned fourteen, the standards for a samurai’s daughter rose impossibly high. In the last lesson, she had left out two phrases from her long recitation. In the lesson before that, Suzuki-sensei scolded her for asking a foolish question about whether women could be samurai in the Western countries. And in the prior weeks? Countless mistakes.

“Perhaps fresh air will improve your mind.” Suzuki’s knees creaked as he rose. “I shall observe your progress with your weapon.” He gestured toward the open panel and walked down the hall leading to her home’s back garden, his slight limp betraying his age of more than sixty years.

Following at a respectful distance, Sumi held her breath as they approached the closed panel leading to her grandfather’s room. Would her lapse be reported to the Eldest?

Suzuki hesitated a moment, then walked on, the tatami emitting soft puffs as he crossed them.

She practically tiptoed the rest of the way to the garden.

At Suzuki’s word, she grasped the lacquered black shaft of the naginata, a smooth, long spear ending in a curved steel blade, and then waited for his next order.

“Pick the ripest pear. Not one leaf with it.”

Squinting at the bright sky, she studied the nearby tree. The yellowest pear nestled close to the top on an inner bough. She’d never be able to avoid striking the branch. Yet she had to try.

Careful not to entangle a wisp of her long hair, she made a quick thrust at the pear. Amazingly, she hit it, but a twig full of leaves accompanied it into Suzuki’s outstretched hand.

“How many hours did you practice last week?” An icy politeness frosted his words.

“Seven hours. One . . . one each day.” She’d practiced early each morning before the summer heat siphoned her energy, and had endured the chore before breakfast, half-starved.

“Two hours a day this week, and three the next if you do no better. The spear must become an extension of your arm.”

Sumi bowed her assent. At that rate, no pear or branch would be left on the wretched tree. Maybe she could do imaginary battle with leaves instead of fruit, while melting under the sun.

Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

https://elizabethannboyles.com

Thank you, Ann, for sharing this new book with my readers and me. I’m eager to read the rest of the story.

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