Shogakukan releases Snakeskin Shamisen in Japan! The cover is wild—even crazier than the one for Gasa-Gasa Girl. Also, the fourth Mas Arai book, The Hana War, has been sold to a new publisher, Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's. And last of all, the short film Naomi wrote for the Japanese American National Museum, "Mamo's Weeds," will be screened as part of the 24th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 3 at the Directors Guild of America!

A Note from Naomi

May 2008

Go, Gasa-Gasa Girl, Go!

The movie "Speed Racer" may be opening in a town near you, but I have one better for you—the mass market paperback release of Gasa-Gasa Girl on May 19. It has a spiffy new cover to reflect the theme of gasa-gasa, to be in constant movement.

Gasa-Gasa Girl takes place in New York City, and appropriately enough, I'll be starting May off in the Big Apple as well. In honor of the release, I'm launching a Gasa-Gasa Girl Fan Club for those who love Mas Arai and want to be kept abreast of new books, short stories, and films that I'm working on.

Members of the Gasa-Gasa Girl Fan Club will receive:

• an autographed Gasa-Gasa Girl bookmark
• a Gasa-Gasa Girl button
• regular e-updates, including details of my upcoming middle-grade book, 1001 Cranes
• opportunities to meet Naomi and other fans on the road
• chances to win occasional freebies

All who are interested should e-mail me their name, snail-mail and e-mail addresses to bachi (at) naomihirahara.com.

You can also purchase Gasa-Gasa Girl gear with a design by my friend Amy Ota. Do you have a gasa-gasa girl in your life? Then buy that apron, messenger bag, maternity top, T-shirt, or onesie. She'll love it. Just go to http://www.cafepress.com/gasagasagirl

The book season, with the L.A. Times Festival of Books, Book Expo, and the American Library Association convention, is upon us. So, yes, I'm gasa-gasa right now, but loving every minute of it!

Happy May.

Naomi

p.s. Naomi and Mas have joined the high-tech social networking era!

There's a Gasa-Gasa Girl Fan Club group on Facebook now. If you're a Facebook member, you can join here.

And Mas has a myspace page now. If you like him, be his friend!

Archived Notes

Monthly Serial:

Follow Naomi's monthly thriller serial, The Nihongo Papers, on Discovernikkei.org.

Mas Arai in Japan:

Gasa-Gasa Girl (left) Japanese edition Published by Shogakukan in February 2008 Snakeskin Shamisen (right) Japanese edition Published by Shogakukan in May 2008

Mas Arai Mysteries:

Snakeskin Shamisen is the winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original Novel!

Short Stories:

Los Angeles Noir featuring "Number 19" by Naomi Hirahara Published April 2007 A Hell of a Woman featuring "The Chirashi Covenant" by Naomi Hirahara Published December 2007

Photo of Naomi by Mario G. Reyes

©2006-08 by Naomi Hirahara. Web site by interbridge.