Q: What was your inspiration for writing JK Haru?
A: Originally I was writing 18+ web novels aimed at men, and JK Haru was my attempt at writing something for women. I suppose I was inspired by the novels I had been writing up until then. My intention was to write something coming from the other direction.
Q: Were you surprised to hear that your work was going to get translated?
A: Yes, I was. I read the email from my editor at Hayakawa twice thinking, “JK Haru?” It was a bit tricky to even get it published in Japan, so I thought, wow, this company is a real challenger (laughs).
Q: What characters did you enjoy writing about the most? Was there a character that was difficult to write?
A: The one who was most fun to write was Haru, of course!
There were so many tight spots that I think only she could have made it through. And Chiba. He’s a really great character.
The hardest was the silver-haired man. He’s Haru’s opposite. In order to keep Haru spunky as she moves around him, I ordered him to stay put throughout.
Q: What books did you like to read when you were a child and what are some of your favorite books and/or authors to read now?
A: My first hero was Doraemon. My imagination came out of his 4-D Pocket.
In my teens I read Shinichi Hoshi, Osamu Dazai, Ryu Murakami, Haruki Murakami, and western SF and mysteries. We also passed Shonen Jump and other comics around at school.
I’m a fan of the Japanese authors Kotaro Isaka and Honobu Yonezawa. I’m also into Chinese Wuxia novels.
Recently I started reading Carlo Zen’s The Saga of Tanya the Evil. It’s interesting!
Q: Would you like to say something to the English readers out there?
A: Thanks for reading this interview. I hope you’ll read the book through to the end—I think you’ll enjoy it. Let’s meet up at Blue Cat Nocturne with Haru, Chiba, Sumo, and Kiyori!