The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber A. Logan + Author Interview

Book Details:

​Book Title:  The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber A. Logan
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  336 pages
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher:  CamCat Books
Release date:  Nov 15, 2022
Content Rating:  PG. The book is clean, without excessive swearing, no sexual content or graphic violent scenes, etc.  

Book Description:

Cracked doesn’t always mean broken.

Grieving her mother’s death, Mari Lennox travels to Kyoto, Japan to take photographs of Yanagi Inn for a client. As she explores the inn and its grounds, her camera captures striking images, uncovering layers of mystery shrouding the old resort—including an overgrown, secret garden on a forbidden island. But then eerie weeping no one else in the inn seems to hear starts keeping her awake at night.

​Despite the warnings of the staff, Mari searches the deep recesses of the old building to discover the source of the ghostly sound, only to realize that her own family’s history is tied to the inn, its mysterious, forlorn garden . . . and the secrets it holds.

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Author Interview with Amber A Logan

How did you do research for your book?

Since a lot of the writing/editing of The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn was done during the COVID-19 pandemic, I unfortunately couldn’t travel to Japan this time for research. While I’ve been to Japan many times and have had the privilege of visiting Japanese gardens around the world, I spent a lot of time doing research on ryokans and gardens for this book. There are so many lovely photography books about Japanese gardens and traditional architecture, which really gave me inspiration. I also watched movies and videos online, trying to get a sense for the sounds Mari would experience walking through the gardens. Photography was also a major part of the book, so I did research on photography and had a photographer friend read over all my camera details for accuracy. I also hired a Japanese cultural sensitivity reader to read the whole novel and provide feedback, which was invaluable.

What is your next project?

Another retelling set in Japan! I am writing a retelling of an old book called The Haunted Woman by David Lindsay. It’s a story about a woman who discovers a strange staircase in an old house, and when she climbs the stairs and comes back down she can’t remember what transpired upstairs. 

Which was the hardest character to write?

I think I always find my main characters the hardest to write, probably because I feel like they have to be the most fully-formed and fleshed out. I also tend to write single POV novels, so I have to really focus in on one voice. So Mari was definitely the trickiest character for me. In earlier drafts, my editor thought Mari was too unpleasant and I actually had to temper her a bit. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from readers now saying that they really related to Mari and thought she was a compelling character, so I’m hoping that means the edits were successful!  

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

As much as I’d like to think it’d be fun to go back to the Renaissance, I’ve spent too many years working in a Renaissance Festival and think the reality would actually be very uncomfortable. So I think I’d have to go with 1960’s London. I’m a huge Beatles fan, and the idea of experiencing the early days of Beatlemania sounds absolutely thrilling. I could absolutely be one of those girls in the audience screaming and crying over John Lennon. 

How long have you been writing?

I started writing poetry and weird little vignettes and short stories as a teenager, but it’s only been in the past five years or so that I’ve transitioned to novels, which I now adore. I never thought I’d have the patience for such a long form, but now that I’ve started, I’m addicted. I think perhaps my younger self wouldn’t have been able to—I had to wait until I was in my 30s to get started, perhaps. 

Meet the Author:

Amber A. Logan is a university instructor, freelance editor, and author of speculative fiction living in Kansas with her husband and two children—Fox and Willow. In addition to her degrees in Psychology, Liberal Arts, and International Relations, Amber holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

Win a physical copy ofThe Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn (2 winners) (USA only) (ends Nov 21)

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