It’s been quite some time since I’ve done an author corner, but I still love finding out more about the authors of books I’ve loved or want to read. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a book I saw everywhere in the bookish community at the beginning of this year. It has a stunning cover and an amazing concept for a story.
I got to interview Samantha for today’s post and I’ll tell you about Water Moon as well. Keep on reading to find out more!
Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?
On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.
Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.
Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.
Step into the captivating and romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable adventure – perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, Erin Morgenstern and Before the Coffee Gets Cold!
What inspired you to write Water Moon?
The seed for the magical pawnshop in the book was planted during a trip to Ninenzaka street in the historical district of Kyoto. Strolling down this cobbled road and admiring the well-preserved houses along it made me feel like I was stepping back in time. I walked into one of these houses and was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a modern coffeeshop. I decided at that moment that I wanted to capture that feeling of being transported into some place completely unexpected in a book. The idea for the actual story would come later during the pandemic when I saw how pawnshops were lifelines for so many people. It made me think about how the items that were brought to these pawnshops weren’t just objects, but representations of the choices and circumstances that led their owners to the pawnshop. And since it was the pandemic and I was living in a country that had one of the world’s longest and strictest lockdowns, I also thought a lot about the freedom I used to take for granted and the value of being able to make choices for myself.
What has been the favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
I’m incredibly happy that I’ve been able to “begin again.” Water Moon is my fifth book, but it feels like my debut. My actual debut sold in 2009 and came out in 2011. Since then, I’ve experienced everything from my imprint shutting down to having to part ways with my agent of ten years. I’m glad that my stories are finding their way to readers even if I’m not sparkly or new.
If you were a character in Water Moon, what kind of character would you be?
Keishin! I wrote him so that I could experience the world of Water Moon through his eyes. Curiosity is a writer’s most important tool and he has loads of it.
Describe Water Moon in five words or less.
Long answer to “what if?”
What is your favorite quote from Water Moon?
“Life is about finding joy in the space between where you came from and where you are going.”
Could you give us 5 random facts about Water Moon (think the story, writing, publishing, anything that comes to mind)?
- Water Moon is my first attempt at writing a full-on fantasy.
- In the first draft of Water Moon, it was Hana who came to our world and not Keishin who visited Hana’s. It was written this way because the thought of writing a portal fantasy terrified me.
- Water Moon sat with my former agent for one year before I decided that the book probably wasn’t the best fit for her.
- To find a new agent, I had to start querying again the year before I turned 50.
- I had never watched a Studio Ghibli movie until my agent pitched Water Moon as a Ghibli-esque book. Keishin’s love for the studio and its films was a quirk I decided on purely based on research. I can now say, however, that I am a Spirited Away fan.
