The Jade Lioness

There are some secondary characters who just cry out for a book of their own and Temperance Marston (the cousin of Midori, heroine of The Gilded Fan) was definitely one of those.  Her story, The Jade Lioness, which is the final part of my Japanese trilogy, is now available as an ebook, with the paperback coming in October.

Set in 17^th century Japan, the story features Temperance’s adventures after the end of the English Civil War.  Having heard so much about her cousin’s country of birth, Temperance wants to see it for herself, but she hasn’t quite realised how restricted foreigners are in the exotic empire of Japan. In fact, they don’t get to even set foot on the mainland!

For an impetuous young woman like Temperance, that is intolerable and she takes matters into her own hands.  And that’s when she meets Kazuo …  Here is a short excerpt showing what happens:-

The Jade Lioness, excerpt:-

‘By all the gods, a water sprite in broad daylight!’

The voice, low pitched but strong, carried across the water and made Temperance flip to an upright position instantly while she searched for its source. She found it on a large, flat rock on one side of the bay, where a young man stood gazing at her with an astonished expression that swiftly changed to one of delight. He leaned forward for a better view and Temperance reacted instinctively by covering her chest with her hands and attempting to tread water at the same time. Her insides turned cold with fear and she cast an anxious glance towards the shore where her clothes lay discarded, so near yet impossible to retrieve. She’d been so careful before removing them, making sure she was alone, but now suddenly here was this intruder.

‘Hanarero! Go away,’ she ordered, too shocked to care whether she sounded rude or not.

The young man’s eyebrows rose. ‘You can speak?’

‘Of course I can speak.’ Her Japanese was far from perfect, but she could make herself understood well enough even if the finer nuances of grammar still eluded her. ‘Now leave, please, this is a private bay.’ She had no idea whether it was or not, but the lie was worth a try.

He looked around slowly. ‘I was under the impression that this stretch of the coast was wild, no matter which daimyo owns it. But perhaps it is reserved for water sprites?’

‘Yes, no, I mean … oh, please, just leave.’ Temperance tried to imbue her words with imperious command to hide the fact that she was panicking, but it didn’t have any effect. The young man smiled and shook his head. He seemed very much at ease and Temperance realised it would have been better if she’d kept quiet.

‘If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay for a while. It’s not every day I come across a water sprite, and one who talks to me no less.’

Was it a trick of the sun, or were his eyes twinkling? Temperance wasn’t sure, but she suspected the latter.

‘Please, won’t you tell me why you are here?’ he continued. ‘Are you the guardian of this bay? Is there something special, perhaps holy, about it, or are you one of the unfortunates who have drowned hereabouts?’

‘I am not a water sprite, as I’m sure you are fully aware. I am a perfectly normal human being and if you are an honourable man, you will turn around and walk away now. I shall dive under the water and when I come up again, I expect you to be gone.’ She turned and did just that, hoping against hope that the man would do as she asked without arguing further.

Having spent her entire life living next to the sea, Temperance was an expert swimmer and could hold her breath for a long time, thus giving the man ample opportunity to leave. When she surfaced at last, she was much further out than before and resolutely stared out to sea for a while to give him even more time to depart. She heard nothing, so she finally turned around to make sure he’d gone. She had to put up a hand against the glare of the sunlight in order to scan the shore and a sigh of relief escaped her when there was no sign of him. The feeling of dread subsided.

‘Phew, that was close,’ she muttered, then gave a little shriek as the man’s head suddenly popped out of the water not three feet away from her. Her heart went into panic mode again.

‘I thought I would join you instead.’ He smiled. ‘That way you don’t have to feel embarrassed.’ He looked pointedly at her hands, which she had raised automatically to shield her near-nakedness from his view.

Temperance stared at him, momentarily lost for words, then scowled fiercely while trying to put some distance between them. ‘How on earth did you reach that conclusion?’

He followed. ‘Well, if we are both without clothes, you are not at a disadvantage.’

‘But you are a man and I’m a …’

‘Female, yes I know.’ He grinned. ‘Surely you have bathed with other people before? Or do water sprites not mix with humans?’

‘For the last time, I’m not a spirit of any kind and no, I am not in the habit of bathing with others, especially not men. Why do you think I’m here in this bay by myself?’

‘I was hoping you would tell me that. If you’re not a magical creature, what pray, are you? And why is your speech so strange?’

The man was staring at her hair now, the silvery blonde strands that floated all around her shimmering in the sunlight even when wet. She noticed him studying her blue eyes with an expression of fascination too. Anger took hold of her, pushing the fear aside temporarily. He was teasing her again, he had to be.

‘I’m a foreigner, as you must know, still trying to master your language, and I am not allowed to mix with your people. We gai-jins have to remain on the island of Dejima and not set foot on Japanese soil. I was desperate for a swim, so I borrowed a rowing boat before first light and made my way here. There, are you satisfied now? I warn you, if you are thinking of reporting me to the authorities, I will not come willingly.’

‘Why would I want to do that?’ His grin broadened. ‘I’m a ronin.’

‘An outlaw? Dear God …’

Christina xx

Buy links:-
Kindle UK
Kindle US

http://christinacourtenay.com/

The Island of Dejima

I’ve previously blogged about the British traders who went to Japan in the early 1600s – hardy people whose courage you can’t but admire.  However, for various reasons their trading post didn’t last very long in that particular place while other nations flourished, in particular the Dutch.  As I’m currently working on a story set in Japan in 1648, I’ve been going over the notes I made when I was lucky enough to visit the site where these foreigners had their base from 1641 onwards – the island of Dejima in Nagasaki, a truly fascinating place!

It wasn’t an island in the traditional sense, as it was man-made and in the shape of a Japanese fan, constructed especially for the purpose of housing foreign traders (at first for the Portuguese).  Set in Nagasaki’s harbour, it could only be reached via a small bridge and a gate which was guarded at all times.  There was a sea gate on one side where goods could be loaded onto small boats and taken out to the large European ships, but when not in use, this gate was kept closed.

Me in front of the Dejima model

Apart from some trade with the Chinese, Japan was closed to the outside world for about 200 years and by 1641, the Dutch traders were the only Europeans who were allowed any contact with the Japanese at all.  The Japanese ruler – the Shogun – had decided to evict all other foreigners and the Portuguese had been the last to leave in 1639.  Mostly, this was all due to the Shogun’s mistrust of Christianity – any Christians found were executed in various hideous ways – but the Dutch seem to have steered clear of anything to do with religion and so they were allowed to stay.  This permission came at a price though – they were only allowed a foothold on Dejima and couldn’t cross over onto the mainland of Japan except if they were specially invited, and for the journeys to Edo which the Chief Factor had to make from time to time to pay his respect to the Shogun.

Dejima's "Main Street"

At only approximately one hundred and thirty by eighty-odd yards, the island must have seemed very small to the people who were forced to stay there year in and year out.  My heroine yearns to set foot on the mainland, which was tantalisingly close across only twenty yards of water, but most of the foreigners did so very rarely.  I found it hard to imagine being cooped up like that without feeling as though you were in a prison, but perhaps people were more patient back then and didn’t find it as irksome as we would now?

When Japan was finally opened up to the rest of the world in the mid 1800’s, Dejima was abandoned and in time it merged with the rest of Nagasaki by means of reclaimed land.  It is now a designated site of historical importance and work has been going on for many years to restore it, with some of the buildings reconstructed.  When I visited, tourists were able to go into what used to be the Chief Factor’s residence – the most imposing building, and some of the store houses.  To help you visualise what it had all once looked like, there was a scaled down model of the whole island.

My visit was brief and I would love to go back again one day, but for anyone thinking of going to Japan, I can thoroughly recommend a stop-over in Nagasaki to see this fascinating historical site!

Christina x

 

Clothes and Desperate Remedies

As an author, my working wardrobe seems to consist mostly of comfortable clothes like tracksuit bottoms with T-shirts. It’s one of the perks of working from home and whenever I think back on my days as a secretary, I’m really grateful not to have to put on smart skirts and jackets every day. In the last few weeks I seem to have done a lot of dressing up though. Not just to go to parties or events, but also period costume and this weekend, a regional costume from Sweden. And actually, it’s been great fun!

It started with a request from the organiser of this year’s Festival of Romance (held in Bedford at the beginning of November). She wanted all the authors of historical novels to dress up in period costume for an evening of readings. At first, I was going to put on a kimono, since the heroine of my latest historical novel is half Japanese, but this was something I had already done previously so I began to think that perhaps it was time for something different.

I thought I’d try my hand at making a new costume and found someone who sold patterns of clothing from the 1640s (the era my book was set in). However, my sewing skills are limited at best and the more I looked at these patterns, the more I realised this was never going to happen, at least not in time for the Festival. Desperate measures were called for – I enlisted the help of a lovely seamstress who promised to do it for me.

The result was all I could have wished for and as I put on my costume I was very grateful I hadn’t attempted it on my own. I can’t say the outfit was flattering and the bodice was very tight and somewhat restricting, but I really felt like I had stepped back in time and could thoroughly empathise with my half-Japanese heroine who had to get used to English clothes instead of the lovely silk kimonos she’d always worn before.

Strangely enough, the Swedish regional costume I’ve been wearing this weekend for another event, is very similar to the historical one. The main difference is that the bodice is looser and the skirt a bit shorter. But I guess it goes to show that clothing for ordinary women in Europe didn’t really change all that much through the ages until the advent of factory made clothes. It was only the upper class ladies whose fashions varied dramatically.

From desperate measures to Desperate Remedies – the third of my Regency novellas is now available as an e-book (either alone or together with the previous two). Here is a short blurb:-

She would never forget the day her heart broke …

Lexie Holloway falls desperately in love with the devastatingly handsome Earl of Synley after a brief encounter at a ball. But Synley is already engaged to be married and scandal surrounds his unlikely match with the aging, but incredibly wealthy, Lady Catherine Downes.

Heartbroken, Lexie resolves to remain a spinster and allows circumstance to carry her far away from England to a new life in Italy. However, the dashing Earl is never far from her thoughts.

Years later, she returns home to find that much has changed – including the marital status of Synley. Whilst the once notorious Earl is a reformed character, the problems caused by his first marriage continue to plague him and it appears that his life may be in danger.

Can Lexie help Synley outwit those who wish to harm him and rekindle the flame ignited all those years ago, or will her associations with the Earl bring her nothing but trouble?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Desperate-Remedies-Choc-Christina-Courtenay-ebook/dp/B00FF9V3JI/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385150283&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Regency-Collection-Christina-Courtenay-Choc-ebook/dp/B00GOA6FNQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385150283&sr=1-6

Christina x
www.christinacourtenay.com

The English in Japan

Nagasaki now

This year is the 400^th anniversary of the first establishment of trade relations with Japan (or the ‘Japonish nation’ as the English called it then).  The English ship the Clove left our shores in January 1611 and arrived in Japan over two years later, in June 1613 – a very long journey even by their standards.

The expedition was led by a man called John Saris who brought with him letters and presents from King James I to the Japanese ruler.  The king’s letter was addressed to “The Emperor of Japan” and calls him a “mightie prince”, but what he didn’t know was that the man who would eventually read it wasn’t the emperor at all, but the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.  The emperor at the time was a mere puppet and the Shogun had all the power.  I’m assuming he received the presents as well!

The English were very lucky in that there was already a compatriot of theirs living in Japan – Will Adams.  He was originally from Gillingham in Kent and had been apprenticed to a shipbuilder at the age of 12.  He later served on Queen Elizabeth I’s ships as master and pilot, and spent about twelve years working for the so called Barbary Merchants, but then he wanted to experience new things and signed on with the Dutch.  He arrived in Japan as a pilot on board the ship Liefde in the year 1600 and against all the odds, managed to establish himself there.  He was trusted by the Shogun, was given a small estate, married a Japanese woman (even though he was already married in England) and had children.  He stayed in Japan until his death in 1620.

Drawing © Josceline Fenton

When John Saris arrived in 1613 he therefore had the perfect opportunity to establish his so called ‘factory’ (trading post) and prosper with the help of a man with lots of local knowledge and experience.  Adams helped him translate King James’s letter and arranged an audience with the Shogun, who granted permission to trade and gave the Englishman gifts in return.  He even allowed the English East India Company’s ships the freedom to enter any port and to settle wherever they wanted.  But Saris didn’t listen to Adams' advice and from then on his venture was doomed.  He tried to establish a factory at Hirado, an island outside Nagasaki, but it didn’t work out and had to be abandoned in 1623.  From 1630-1853 Japan was closed to all nations except the Dutch.

Last week I visited the British Library in London where they had a mini exhibition about the English in Japan.  I was thrilled to see the actual letter from King James I, as well as a letter written by Will Adams himself to some English traders in Bantam, Java, in 1611.  Adams was obviously an educated man as he wrote fluently (although his handwriting was so messy I couldn’t make it out).  There were also two contemporary maps of Hirado/Nagasaki and the sea route to the capital Edo, one of them beautifully illustrated in the Japanese style.  It was especially interesting for me to see these as I visited Nagasaki when doing research for my novel The Gilded Fan and I couldn’t help but wonder what the English sailors made of it.  I found it fascinating and exotic in the 21^st century, but how much more so must it have been for the men in 1613?  It’s an amazing place!

Christina

www.christinacourtenay.com

 

The Gilded Fan – only 99p for Kindle right now http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gilded-Fan-Choc-Lit-ebook/dp/B00AN9NX1G/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379357497&sr=1-5

Double the Romance

The beginning of 2013 has been a busy time for me, with two books released in e-book format within the first week of the year! 

First of all, my new full-length novel The Gilded Fan came out.  It’s the sequel to The Scarlet Kimono, although it can be read as a stand-alone, and both novels are set in the 17^th century, partly in Japan and partly in England.  The heroine of The Gilded Fan is the daughter of a Japanese warlord and an Englishwoman, and as a half foreigner she is forced to flee the country of her birth when the Shogun (ruler) decides to evict anyone with foreign blood.

She considers England a barbaric country and I had great fun writing about her arrival in Plymouth.  And although she thinks she has overcome the worst of her problems when she is welcomed by her mother’s relatives, she doesn’t realise that things are about to get much worse – the English Civil War is just starting!

Here is the blurb:-

How do you start a new life, leaving behind all you love?

It’s 1641, and when Midori Kumashiro, the orphaned daughter of a warlord, is told she has to leave Japan or die, she has no choice but to flee to England. Midori is trained in the arts of war, but is that enough to help her survive a journey, with a lecherous crew and an attractive captain she doesn’t trust?

Having come to Nagasaki to trade, the last thing Captain Nico Noordholt wants is a female passenger, especially a beautiful one. How can he protect her from his crew when he can’t keep his own eyes off her?

During their journey, Nico and Midori form a tentative bond, but they both have secrets that can change everything. When they arrive in England, a civil war is brewing, and only by standing together can they hope to survive …

(It will be published in paperback on 7th February.)

My other new release for Kindle was Once Bitten, Twice Shy, a Regency novella, which was previously published by My Weekly Pocket Novels and Linford Romance.  It features a hero who has sworn never to marry again and I have to admit I loved writing about a heroine who might make him change his mind!

Here is the blurb for that:-

Once was more than enough!

Jason Warwycke, Marquess of Wyckeham, has vowed never to wed again after his disastrous first marriage, which left him with nothing but a tarnished reputation and a rather unfortunate nickname − ‘Lord Wicked’. 

That is, until he sets eyes on Ianthe Templeton …

Ianthe lives in the shadow of her beautiful twin sister, Serena and longs to escape the “mindless entertainments” she is forced to endure in London. She soon finds herself captivated by the enigmatic Wyckeham and tempted by his promises of a new life in the idyllic English countryside …

But can Wyckeham and Ianthe overcome the malicious schemes of spiteful siblings and evil stepmothers to find wedded bliss? Or will Wyckeham discover, all too painfully, that the past has come back to bite him for a second time?

Christina

www.christinacourtenay.com