Charlie's Tokyo West Blog

Sincere Apologies

I see that the video link that I put in my block was something National Geographic held the rights to. I was not aware of this because it was in a tweet and was a Youtube video, which are mostly free access. As an author, I would be the first to say things should only be used with permission (despite the fact that a number of my articles appear on the web without permission). My apologies. And all the proceeds of A Matter of Tea will still go to the victims of the quake and tsunami.

charlie

The way it was

This video is 45 minutes long, and it takes you once again through the experience of Japan's recent earthquake and tsunami disaster. Nearly 40,000 dead or missing. 300 miles of seacoast devastated. 150,000 homes and buildings destroyed. 25,000 households driven out of their abodes by radiation. A disaster like this comes along once in a thousand years (last one was in the 9th century). 

If you'd like to help me help out here in Japan. Spend a dollar and buy a copy of A Matter of Tea. Hundreds of people have purchased the book, and I hope the word will continue to get around.

http://chucktyrell-outlawjournal.blogspot.com

Interview on Book Life Now

This is a shortened URL, not a spam. Jeremy has put up the first part of an interview with me on Book Life Now. Have a read. Part 2 tomorrow.

http://tinyurl.com/3peffmk


Charlie

Buy a book. Help quake victims in Japan

Young Ryo Ishikawa, Japan's 19-year-old golf phenomenon pledged all his winnings in 2011 to the victims of Japan's 3/11 earthquake and once-in-a-thousand-years tsunami. He says the pledge will make him work harder.

Masayoshi Son, founder of Softbank, may be Japan's richest man. He pledged 10 billion yen from his own pocket and his salary for the rest of his life.

I can't match these stars. All I can do is write. So I put together a collection of short stories set in Japan and asked Publishing by Rebecca Vickery to publish them. The book, A Matter of Tea, contains the story that won the 2010 Oaxaca International Literature Contest, and others. It has the first chapter of the Chronicles of the Dark Mirror, too. And it only costs US 99 cents.

At first, A Matter of Tea will be an eBook, available on Smashwords and other online retailers for 99 cents. Later a print version will also be available. I'll keep you updated.

My pledge. All the income, for me and for my publisher, will go to help the victims of Japan's fearsome earthquake. I promise it will get to the victims and will not disappear into the salary envelope of any charitable organization. I'll post the numbers and what was done with the donations.

At the moment, the book may not be up yet. Keep trying. It will be at www.smashwords.com very soon.