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Tag: SJ Pajonas

CRASH LAND ON KURAI by SJ Pajonas Book Blitz

I’m very excited for the release of CRASH LAND ON KURAI by SJ Pajonas, one of my absolute favorite sci-fi authors. Don’t forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the post. Welcome, SJ!

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This book blitz is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 19 till 20 July. See the tour schedule here.

Crash Land on KuraiCrash Land on Kurai (Hikoboshi #1)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction, Action Adventure, Space Opera
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 18 July, 2017

Blurb:
Yumi Minamoto has the shortest fuse on the ship. She’s just whipped a bully and been confined to quarters, but she’s not staying there. A disgraced journalist trying to clear her name, her job is to document the mission to the Hikoboshi system, and she’s determined to get it right, despite all the trouble she causes. But when unknown vessels fire on their ship, and Yumi’s life pod crash lands on a dying moon, she’s separated from her family and friends, and her mission falls to pieces. Now she must navigate the unfamiliar and deadly terrain, deal with a society she doesn’t understand, and try to stay alive until rescue comes… if it ever does.

Crash Land on Kurai is the first book in the Hikoboshi Series, an action adventure, space opera series that explores the worlds settled by the Japanese who fled Earth a century ago. Culture, history, technology, and swords clash in a fast-paced future society on the brink of war.

You can find Crash Land on Kurai on Goodreads

Excerpt:

In the silence, a time when I was ten years old pops into my head. I was out for a hike with Kazuo, a few friends, and the family dog. Everything was off about this day. I’d gotten into a huge fight with my mom in the morning, over something stupid and insignificant. I can’t even remember what it was now. So, when I left to head out with everybody, I was in a really piss poor mood.

I hung back at the tail end of the hike, not wanting to talk to anybody about anything, just being angry about the world, my family, everything. Only the dog, Kohi-chan, was willing to spend time with me, probably because I would throw his stick whenever he wanted. Come to think of it, I was mad about some injustice involving my brothers. Since they were boys, they got all the praise in the family. That was always the way. Mom and Kazuo humored me, but even then, I was expected to fall in line.

Anyway, so there I was at the back of the trail, not paying attention. I was staring out into the forest, watching the birds, and being angry at myself and my family, when out of nowhere came a giant boar, barreling down on me. I screamed and ran as fast as I could away from it, Kohi-chan running to Kazuo, and then suddenly I was at the bottom of a gulch. I don’t remember seeing the edge of the cliff, nor my feet slipping and falling out from underneath me. Just one moment I was on my feet and running, and the next, I was lying on top of a pile of rocks with a broken arm.

That’s what falling from the sky in a life pod is like. One moment, I’m looking into the ship, the doors are closing, and I’m strapping myself in. The next, we crash land, the life pod skipping over the ground and tumbling end over end, and then everything is silent.

Read the first four chapters of Crash Land on Kurai! Get your sample here from Instafreebie!

You can buy Crash Land on Kurai here on Amazon
The book is available to read with Kindle Unlimited

Check out these teaser images for Crash Land on Kurai!

Crash Land on Kurai Teaser #1

Crash Land on Kurai Teaser #2

Crash Land on Kurai Teaser #3

SJ PajonasAbout the Author:
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. They have no pets. Yet. When it comes to her work, expect the unexpected. She doesn’t write anything typical. Find her online at http://www.spajonas.com.

You can find and contact SJ Pajonas here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Tumblr
Instagram
Youtube
Wattpad
Bookbub
Amazon

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway during the book blitz of Crash Land on Kurai. These are the prizes you can win:
– 2 winners will get a US$10 Amazon.com gift card and a Nogiku Series Omnibus ebook delivered via BookFunnel (valued at US$13)
– 1 winner will win a Nogiku Series Omnibus ebook delivered via BookFunnel (valued at US$13)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Japan’s Increasing Elderly Population from SJ Pajonas author of THE DAYDREAMER DETECTIVE BRAVES THE WINTER

Today is my stop during the blog tour for THE DAYDREAMER DETECTIVE BRAVES THE WINTER by SJ Pajonas. This tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and runs from July 11-15 (view the complete tour schedule here). There’s a tour wide giveaway at the bottom of this post, and the first book book in the Daydreamer Detective series is free right now! We’ve got all kinds of goodies from SJ, so let’s give her a big welcome!

The Daydreamer Detective Braves The Winter banner

Japan’s Increasing Elderly Population

by SJ Pajonas

In THE DAYDREAMER DETECTIVE BRAVES THE WINTER, Mei is in a bind. She needs some income, just enough for a few meals per week and bus fare, but she’s not sure how to go about getting a job. She’s been applying to jobs for weeks and not seeing any results. Then one day it comes to her while soaking in the baths! An opportunity both to help the elderly and make some money for herself. She starts an elder care business with the help of her friend Akiko and gets to work finding clients. I’ve watched the elderly situation in Japan with much fascination and interest over the last few years, and I knew I wanted to make it a part of this series. But not many people understand just how precarious the situation is in Japan right now, so let’s talk about how the circumstances of prosperity, war, and recession brought the elderly to the forefront of Japan’s concerns.

You’ve heard of the Baby Boom, right? In the United States, the Baby Boom generation are all the babies that were born after World War 2 in the 1940s, and right now, these people are in their late 60s and early 70s. My parents are part of the Baby Boom generation and they’re loving life in retirement. But the Baby Boom did not happen in Japan in the 1940s after the war, it happened before the war when Japan was prospering during the very late Meiji Period that ended in 1912 and the early Taishō period before World War 2 (this time is also known as pre-Shōwa era). This was a good time in Japanese history, when they finally had a central government, stable utilities like clean water, electricity, and a thriving economy. And people there had babies, lots of them. Fast forward 90 years, and now in 2016 many of these people are still around since the Japanese live very long, healthy lives. They’ve made the entire population of Japan top-heavy, with fewer babies being born since the economic recession in Japan in the 1990s. Now the elderly population in Japan is expected to reach almost 25.2% by 2020. Let me say that again. By the time the Summer Olympics comes to Japan, twenty-five percent will be elderly.

If you need to know one thing about Japan, it’s that work is everything to them. Working at home, on a farm, in an office, being a craftsperson, or any other number of careers is the number one priority, with family coming in a VERY close second. In the post-war period, Japan’s retirement age was 55, but many people worked well into their 60s and 70s either because they loved it or they needed the money. Now that generation is in their 80s, 90s, and 100s and needs support from children or the government until their time on Earth has ended. With a dedicated workforce that hardly ever takes time off, how are the children able to care for elderly parents?

Japanese Man-Elderly

Let’s face it, many cannot take the time off of work to care for elderly parents so they turn to retirement homes for help. But because the population is so top-heavy, many facilities are both overrun and understaffed. Innovation must take over! And with things like workshare programs, more part-time positions, government assistance for those training to help in elder care, and even new robots that will unburden care givers, Japan is in a race against time to get this situation sorted out.

It’s my hope that by the time 2020 rolls around, Japan will have this situation under control. With much of the workforce focused on this problem, we must hope for the best!

Start this series for free!
The Daydreamer Detective, the first book in this series is free for a limited time! You can grab your copy of The Daydreamer Detective for free on Amazon, B&N, Kobo and iBooks!

The Daydreamer Detective Braves the WinterThe Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter (Miso Cozy Mysteries #2)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Mystery/ Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 7 July 2016

Blurb:
December has set in and just when the rural town of Chikata is recovering from one murder, Mei and her new boyfriend, Yasahiro, find their friend, Etsuko, dead in her apartment. Etsuko was sweet and talented, and now everyone suspects her longtime boyfriend killed her. Mei doesn’t believe it, though, and she vows to help solve the crime.

But Mei has more to think about than murder. With the barn gone and their vegetable stores destroyed, she and her mother are down to their last canned goods and no money for heat. Mei’s mom is fortunate to find work, but Mei must fend for herself, get a job, and keep their financial situation a secret from Yasahiro. In pursuit of paying work, she stumbles onto a new witness to the crime, and before long, the dead woman’s secret life unravels before everyone’s eyes. Half-starving and out of her element, Mei is on thin ice, and it’s going to take a whole lot of ingenuity and quick thinking to solve the crime before the killer gets to her as well.

You can find The Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter on Goodreads

You can buy The Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter here:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iBooks

Excerpt:
“Bye, Chef-san!” The men and women who worked in the kitchen filed out the door, waving and calling goodbye, and walking through the empty restaurant. I caught a glimpse of Ana buttoning her coat to go outside before the door swung closed.

Yasahiro waved to them and turned back to me. He sighed, and brushing his fingers on the side of my face, said, “Here come the clouds.”

“What?” I was breathless every time he touched me.

“There’s a famous photographer, I’ve forgotten his name, who took thousands of photos of Mount Fuji throughout his entire life. He used to say he was in love with Mount Fuji, going so far as to call it Fuji-ko, like the mountain was his wife.” Yasahiro pulled over another stool to sit next to me, and I turned to face him. “He would say, ‘I married such a fickle woman because I can never tell what mood Fuji-ko will be in today.’” Yasahiro’s lips quirked. “I saw that painting of Mount Fuji in the bathhouse, and I just knew that you painted that fickle mountain because you identified with it. Cloudy and misty one moment. Clear and bright, shining like a diamond another.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

He took my hand in his. “It’s a compliment. I like complex women. I like that you keep me on my toes, that you don’t take anything for granted. I never know what to expect with you, at least not yet. I hope to have lots more time to learn all your little quirks.” He leaned into me, and I stayed very still, absolutely shocked by his words. I’d never been compared to Mount Fuji, our greatest national treasure, and I didn’t feel I deserved that kind of a compliment. He dragged his nose along my cheek to my ear and kissed to my jawline. I scrunched up and smiled, giggling at the contact.

The Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter teaser 1

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The First book in the series:
The Daydreamer DetectiveThe Daydreamer Detective (Miso Cozy Mysteries #1)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Mystery/ Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 31 march 2016

Blurb:
Luck? Forget it. Mei Yamagawa is fresh out of it. She’s just been downsized from her 3rd job in five years and her bank account is dry. Now, to keep her head above water, she must leave Tokyo and move back to her rural Japanese hometown. And there’s nothing worse than having to face your old rivals and ex-boyfriends as a failure while starting life over as a farm girl.

But when her best friend’s father is murdered, and her best friend is named the main suspect, Mei turns her daydreaming ways towards solving the crime. Between dates disguised as lunches with the town’s hottest bachelor chef, searching for clues, and harvesting sweet potatoes, Mei has a lot of non-paying work cut out for her.

Will she catch the killer before her bad luck turns worse? Or will she fry in the fire with the rest of her dreams of success?

You can find The Daydreamer Detective on Goodreads

You can get your free copy of The Daydreamer Detective here:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iBooks

The Daydreamer Detective teaser 3

The Daydreamer Detective teaser 4

SJ PajonasAbout the Author:
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. They have no pets. Yet. When it comes to her work, expect the unexpected. She doesn’t write anything typical. Find her online at http://www.spajonas.com.

You can find and contact SJ Pajonas here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Tumblr
Instagram
Youtube
Wattpad
Amazon

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter. One winner will win a bundle of S. J. Pajonas ebooks. Including: Removed, Revealed, Washing Statue Wanderlust, and The Daydreamer Detective.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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New Covers for the Nogiku Series by SJ Pajonas!

Today is the cover reveal for the Nogiku series by SJ Pajonas. The whole series has new covers! The covers are designed by Najla Qamber Designs. This cover reveal is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.

Check out all five covers:

The Nogiku series

The Nogiku Summer Sale!

The Nogiku series Summer sale

Start The Nogiku Series for free with Removed!
RemovedRemoved (The Nogiku series #1)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction / Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
The year is 3103, and the Earth is dying. One of the last remaining pockets of survivors are preparing for the inevitable future — they either find a way off the planet or be left behind to die.

Sanaa Griffin is ripped from the job she always loved and reassigned to work for the mysterious Mark Sakai. Her task: spy on the corrupt leaders of the city who are playing politics and pulling strings in the hopes of earning a ticket on the next ship leaving a planet now in its final death throes. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.

Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger. With the help of Jiro, a man who teaches her self defense while stealing her heart, Sanaa realizes Mark Sakai is holding back important truths about her life, her job, and her family. Learning the truth may put all of humanity in jeopardy as the great exodus from Earth begins.

REMOVED is the first book in a captivating post-apocalyptic series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Removed on Goodreads

You can get your free copy of Removed here:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

Later books in the series:
ReleasedReleased (The Nogiku series #2)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction / Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
Left in the desert to recuperate from her injuries, Sanaa Itami paces the floors and contemplates her mistakes. She trusted too easily, and now people she loved are dead, killed at the hands of men coming to assassinate her. Sanaa feels beaten, but life awaits her at home. While her city recovers from the devastating earthquake, negotiations for Sanaa’s future continue. New allies must be made, new friendships brokered, new skills acquired — at all costs.

Life at the top of the chain is complicated and lonely, though. With all her friendships rocky and uncertain, Sanaa must learn to trust others again more than she’s willing. Who is left holding a grudge? And will the new family Sanaa has found with Jiro support or betray her?

RELEASED, Book TWO of the Nogiku Series, is the second book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

Links for Released:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

ReunitedReunited (The Nogiku series #3)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction / Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
Yūsei has surprises for Sanaa Itami. The long trip across the stars ends with Mark Sakai delivering bad news from orbit over their new home, and there’s no turning back or moving on. Despite all their misgivings, this is where they will have to stay.

Sanaa, Jiro, and the rest of Earth’s settlers move into a coastal town and stick to their plans to live the colonization life they dreamed of. But Sanaa’s existence won’t be kept secret from her enemies for long. Kazuo promised he would see her in another life, on another world, and he aims to keep his word. Now she will face those who want their revenge and make new enemies while dispensing with old ones on her journey across the fascinating and unfamiliar landscape of Yūsei.

REUNITED, Book THREE of the Nogiku Series, is the third book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

Links for Reunited:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

ReclaimedReclaimed (The Nogiku series #4)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction / Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
On the road and gaining ground against Fujiwara, Sanaa and her team find the local population hesitant to accept them. Charm and bribes can only get the colonists so far, and no matter what Sanaa does, she is not welcomed amongst the men and women of Yūsei. When Sanaa is denied help again, she reaches out to a Northern clan, the Odas, and bargains for a secret technology that will give her an incredible advantage but comes at a steep price.

Being on the road means leaving Yamato undefended, though, and when enemies strike, they leave everything in chaos. With Sanaa and Jiro sacrificing all their time and effort to keeping their home secure, they both must give up nearly everything to save the colonization, their future together, and reclaim Yūsei for its people.

Family lines collide, secrets are finally spoken, and the freedom of Yūsei is in the hands of one woman determined to find equality and justice for everyone on the planet.

RECLAIMED, Book FOUR of the Nogiku Series, is the FINAL book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

Links for Reclaimed:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

RevealedRevealed (The Nogiku series #5)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction / Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
Come back to the Nogiku world with Jiro Itō and Mark Sakai as they live the events of REMOVED from their perspective. Secrets, lies, and cover-ups are all in a day’s work for Jiro and Mark, but when Sanaa Griffin enters their world, truths emerge, plans fall by the wayside, and enemies come out of the shadows. How does Mark veer so far off course while training Sanaa? And how does Jiro win back his family’s loyalty after losing their trust? If you loved the Nogiku Series, REVEALED will uncover the details behind all the action and reveal the future life of Sanaa and Jiro on Yūsei. Don’t miss this companion novel to the four books of The Nogiku Series!

Links for Revealed:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

SJ PajonasAbout the Author:
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. They have no pets. Yet. When it comes to her work, expect the unexpected. She doesn’t write anything typical. Find her online at http://www.spajonas.com.

You can find and contact SJ Pajonas here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Tumblr
Instagram
Youtube
Wattpad
Amazon

Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of The Nogiku series. One winner will win A Bundle of S. J. Pajonas ebooks, which will include: Removed, Released, Mamachari Matchmaker and The Daydreamer Detective.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Top-5 Japanese Mysteries from S.J. Pajonas Author of THE DAYDREAMER DETECTIVE

I’m so happy to be able to share a top-five list and an excerpt of THE DAYDREAMER DETECTIVE by S.J. Pajonas with you all today. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 4 till 8 April, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway and let’s give a big welcome to S.J.!

The daydreamer Detective banner

Since I’m writing a mystery set in Japan for an English-speaking audience (The Daydreamer Detective, out on March 31, 2016!), I thought it might be fun to share my favorite Japanese mysteries, written about Japan or by Japanese authors. If there’s one thing to know about Japan before getting into their mysteries, it’s that they can be pretty graphic and gory. The first few I read were a bit disturbing, but I also couldn’t help but be drawn in by the stories. Maybe there’ll be a few here, you’d be interested in!
  1. Out by Natsuo Kirino – This is the quintessential Japanese mystery book because it’s based on actual events that occurred in Japan in the 1990s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inokashira_Park_dismemberment_incident This actually happened in my favorite park in Tokyo, Inokashira Park in Kichijoji, and I have since written this park into one of my other novels Summer Haikus (but I was carefull to never mention the incident in that romance!) Anyway, body parts were found in trash bags in the garbage cans in this park and the murder was never solved. Since this murder happened, garbage cans have been removed from the park, and you have to take your trash with you when you leave. Out is murder mystery that uses this same technique to dispose of the body, but that’s only one little twisted piece of the puzzle. I promise you will never look at bento boxes the same way again.
  2. All She Was Worth by Miyuki Miyabe – If you want a real look into Japanese culture, this is a good place to start. The crimes in this novel are mostly missing persons and credit troubles including theft, but you get the chance to see how the Japanese society is laid out and works so that people can game or move around in the system. I found this book fascinating for all the twists and turns along the way to the big reveal.
  3. A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami – These two books comes as a pair and the mystery in them is both supernatural and not. As usual, Murakami draws from his background in magical realism to create a fantastical, other-worldly setting without leaving Tokyo. Who is the man in the sheep suit and what does he want? These books drew me in and captured me completely.
  4. The Dragon Scroll (Akitada Mysteries) by I. J. Parker – The Dragon Scroll is only the first book in a 15+ book series that takes place in ancient Japan. I’ve read the first five or six books in this series and really loved them. They’re not only clever mysteries but also give good insight into Japan’s past and the rules, cultures, and castes that shaped that time.
  5. Shinju (San Ichiro Novels) by Laura Joh Rowland – This is the one book on this list I haven’t read but has been on my Kindle waiting for me for a while. It comes very highly rated and talked about from friends, so I’m excited to start it. It also gives a lot of insight into Japanese culture and societal norms, along with a tragic murder of two people drowned in a river together. This is also a first book in a long series, so there’s plenty of reading material here!
These are only a taste of MANY mysteries set in Japan. Other authors you may want to consider in your search would be: Seicho Matsumoto, Keigo Higashino, Barry Lancet, and Sujata Massey (who writes the Rei Shimura Mysteries).

The Daydreamer DetectiveThe Daydreamer Detective (Miso Cozy Mysteries #1)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Mystery/ Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 31 march 2016

Luck? Forget it. Mei Yamagawa is fresh out of it. She’s just been downsized from her 3rd job in five years and her bank account is dry. Now, to keep her head above water, she must leave Tokyo and move back to her rural Japanese hometown. And there’s nothing worse than having to face your old rivals and ex-boyfriends as a failure while starting life over as a farm girl.

But when her best friend’s father is murdered, and her best friend is named the main suspect, Mei turns her daydreaming ways towards solving the crime. Between dates disguised as lunches with the town’s hottest bachelor chef, searching for clues, and harvesting sweet potatoes, Mei has a lot of non-paying work cut out for her.

Will she catch the killer before her bad luck turns worse? Or will she fry in the fire with the rest of her dreams of success?

You can find The Daydreamer Detective on Goodreads

You can buy The Daydreamer Detective here:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iBooks

Excerpt:

Every time I went into the barn during harvesting, I avoided the loft, but at the end of the week, I was finally ready to climb up there and inspect the remains of my past. The stairs creaked as I ascended into the dusty space above the tractor we used in the spring. On the right, under the window, sat the old couch I used to sit on and read, the spot where Tama and I slept together for the first and many times after. A plastic tarp covered it, and I could imagine the upholstery underneath was pristine. Mom was pretty thorough about taking care of this place. My old canvasses, some half drawn on or painted, others blank, leaned against the adjacent wall, next to my easel and tackle boxes of paints. On the left, Mom’s fire-proof file cabinets sat against the wall, carrying her precious documents and other things she needed to run the farm.

The Mount Fuji painting used to take up the space to the rear of my canvasses, but the wide wall stood empty, begging to be filled. I grabbed the top tackle box and popped it open. Tubes of acrylic paint lined the top tray, like I’d left them in there yesterday. Several were unopened and moved when I squeezed them, but a few had seized up. Wow. I was lucky! I’d heard acrylic paint could last ten years or more, especially if they were kept in the fridge, but the temperature fluctuated up here and I expected worse.

I flipped through the few canvasses left and placed one on the easel. I had scratched a few hasty pencil sketches onto it, but nothing seemed familiar. Hmmm. I turned the canvas around 180 degrees and there! Yes. I had planned to paint a lake with a torii gate and a mountain in the background. I never understood this about myself. I loved modern life. I loved my phone, my computer, and the city. Yet, when it came to painting, I only ever wanted to capture the world in its splendor, natural and real. I didn’t paint people. I didn’t paint animals. I hadn’t tried abstract or modern, though I loved to look at both. I was attracted the most to natural landscapes.

I was a host of perplexing contradictions.

The Daydreamer Detective teaser 1

The Daydreamer Detective teaser 2

The Daydreamer Detective teaser 3

 

SJ PajonasAbout the Author:
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. They have no pets. Yet. When it comes to her work, expect the unexpected. She doesn’t write anything typical. Find her online at http://www.spajonas.com.

You can find and contact SJ Pajonas here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Tumblr
Instagram
Youtube
Wattpad
Amazon

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Daydreamer. There will be two winners:
– One US Resident will win: One paperback copy of Adult Coloring Book Japan, One Signed Copy of The Daydreamer Detective, One signed copy of Removed, and a surprise flavor of Pocky!
– One International Resident will win: One ebook copy of The Daydreamer Detective, One ebook copy of Removed, and One ebook of each Rice Cooker Revenge, Washing Statue Wanderlust, and Mamachari Matchmaker

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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