Ren continues my Teahouse Mysteries series. I have plans for 2 more books within this series. As the middle book in Mameko’s character arc, it aims at developing a hinge that forces Mameko to reflect on her actions. While each book offers a standalone mystery, I weave hooks into each novel that the others tie into, sometimes tying off some of these character threads. At least, that is my intention. How well I succeed in that is for readers to judge. One of the most difficult, and essential, lessons writers need to learn is how their work belongs to the readers once it is released. The writer has no control over how people read and receive your work. The second most difficult lesson for writers is learning to separate themselves from their work. Writers are not their writing. But this lesson is difficult to learn because many readers also conflate the two. But I’m getting off topic.
The drafts of all the books have been finished for several years. It’s a matter of refining them and then running them through the usual publishing grinder. I had planned to released Ren last year, but I put that on hold to work with Bloomsbury to release Be Kind;Rewind!. Publishing a book can be a long, several-year process!
Here’s the blurb for Ren:
After receiving a dire letter about her geiko sister, Mameko travels to the hot spring town mentioned in the letter. There, she meets with her sister’s lover, the geisha Tomiyo, and learns about her sister’s mysterious death. To uncover the truth, Mameko decides to involve herself with the hot spring geisha that ply the former resort town. Soon, the town’s undercurrents threaten to drown Mameko just as they had drowned her sister. With only her friend Chizuru to help, Mameko finds herself confronting not only the town’s dark secrets and manipulations but also her own limitations and regrets.
The town’s lord has grand plans to restore the area to its former prosperity, and he has limited tolerance for anyone who stands in his way. Mameko and Chizuru visit the town just as he begins his final plan to take over the remaining holdouts. Mameko’s sister and Tomiyo had been entangled in his plans. Mameko, with her Gion geiko training, offers a powerful new piece for the game he plays.
But the lord isn’t the only one interested in using Mameko as a game piece. The hot spring geiko also grow tired of the uncertainty in their lives, and they quietly look for a new leader to mediate between them and the town’s lord. Mameko offers a promising option. But they also know that their current leader won’t be replaced without a fight.
