The Grand Finale—And What's Next!

"...I just finished Shimura Trouble and felt that I had to let you know how much I enjoyed the book. I read it all in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Once I came to the end, despite feeling a bit disappointed that this seems to be the last Shimura book, I was excited and energized and still am, as if I'm on a drug high or something. I think this is my favorite and am glad that all of the books are so strong, especially since so many authors seem to burn out after the third or fourth in a series. Thank you so much for Rei and opening up Asian culture, especially Japanese, to the masses. I found a lot to relate to, as an Asian myself, and thoroughly enjoyed all the books..."
Excerpt from an email by Melanie

I am sharing this email with you, because Melanie is right. I wrote Shimura Trouble intending it to be the last of Rei Shimura's adventures. You deserve to know that, and why.

My original US publisher, HarperCollins, gave me unconditional support for a decade. Because of your efforts to spread the word, sales figures grew with each book; however, the numbers were never close to any kind of bestseller list, except in Finland (thank you, Helsinki!). My American publisher passed on Book 10 just as Book 9, Girl in a Box, was published. My initial reaction was, how could poor Rei end her life in print standing in a hotel bathroom trying to read a cryptic love note? She needed resolution. I soldiered on and finished the book. My agent connected with a good UK publisher, Severn House, who are publishing Shimura Trouble simultaneously in the US and England.

It turned out to be quite symbolic that Book 10 was set in Hawaii, a floating world perfectly spaced between California and Japan. Hawaii is the location Rei was looking for all along: a place that is happily Asian, and confidently American, without needing to explain itself to anyone! Rei couldn't see the green flash during sunsets in her past, but she can see the truth about life here. And because Rei's in the right place at last, I have a delicious stretch of time to write my next novel. This is the "big book" I've been musing about for the last eight years, a book that will involve all the strands of my own heritage: India, Germany and England, yet is far from autobiographical. The best way to describe my current work is a historical suspense novel set in pre-Independence India, narrated by an unforgettable, strong heroine. There will be plenty of interesting cultural details ranging from the fashions of the day to architecture and food—and you know you can count on me for a serious love story! There may be some Hindi and Bengali words in the text that are new to you, but I promise to explain thing, just as in the Japan series. Because I am starting from scratch, with a new setting and new heroine, this book is going to take some time to write, but I'm not impatient. The research is a pleasure. Picture Rei quizzing her father about his family's early 20th century history over a pot of good tea, and you can understand the time I'm enjoying right now with my own father, who lives just a few miles away. And my Bengali and Gujarati relatives are just the jumping off point—I'm currently studying two Indian languages, reading Indian history, and making plans to return to Calcutta for my fourth visit, a maiden voyage in which I arrive not just as a foreign-returned cousin, but as a writer.

This is a happy time for me, having completed a series that I am proud of, and undertaking a new venture that is both risky and thrilling. If you haven't done so already, sign up for the website newsletter to hear when the new book is published, and in the meantime—enjoy Rei, and please understand how thankful I am to you for following her career and mine.

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All content © 1998-2010 Sujata Massey.
Photo of Sujata by Jim Burger.