Episode 6
Yamabushi by Steven R. Brill
I introduce Yamabushi, a historical novel set in Japan circa 1200 that follows a small clan of mountain warriors who endeavour to sustain a code of spiritual devotion and martial proficiency amid pervasive violence and upheaval. I interview Steven R. Brill, who explicates his creative impetus, the etymology and cultural resonance of the Yamabushi, and his intent to render quotidian life and resiliency as vividly as martial engagement. We present a compelling excerpt that situates General Toshiro Shoda on patrol, establishes the camaraderie and rituals of his troop, and introduces an assassination thread that propels narrative tension. I elucidate that the work is grounded in historical research yet remains a work of fiction, thereby offering readers both verisimilitude and narrative invention. We emphasize the book’s appeal to readers seeking samurai-era realities beyond cinematic cliché, including depictions of social stratification, survival practices, and lesser-known groups such as the Ama pearl divers. I note that the author has completed subsequent volumes, that the book is available on Amazon under Steven R. Brill, and that we encourage readers to procure the text and record substantive reviews. I welcome listeners to a focused conversation with Steven R. Brill about his novel Yamabushi. I describe the book as a meticulously researched historical narrative set in Japan circa 1200. I outline the central figures, especially General Toshiro Shoda, and I summarize the excerpt we hear: a winter patrol that shifts from calm ritual and comradeship to sudden violence when an assassin’s arrow strikes the camp. I emphasize the book’s balance of vivid action and careful attention to quotidian detail — food, medicine, training — and I note how the work resists cinematic cliché by grounding its mystical threads in lived reality. I explain why the story matters to readers who seek authenticity beyond stylized depictions of samurai life. I also relay the practical information Steven provided: Yamabushi is available on major retail platforms under his name, and readers who wish to follow his work may find the title on Amazon. I close by urging readers to consider the book for its layered portrayal of resilience in an unforgiving world, and I invite them to leave reviews and to engage with the author through the channels he maintains.
Takeaways:
- I describe Yamabushi as a novel set in Japan circa 1200 that balances nature, warfare, and spiritual practice for mountain warriors.
- We emphasize that the book focuses on ordinary people as well as warriors and shows daily life details beyond cinematic samurai tropes.
- I highlight the excerpt which introduces General Toshiro Shoda, his patrol, and the underlying assassination threat that creates narrative tension.
- We indicate that the novel is historically grounded but fictional, drawing on groups like ronin and Ama pearl divers to enrich authenticity.
- I note the author has completed a sequel and intends a generational series, and the book is available on Amazon for purchase.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Before we begin today's pitch, I want to thank Harford's Heart magazine for sponsoring this episode.
Harford's Heart has spent more than two decades highlighting the people, businesses, artists, and organizations that make Harford county such a vibrant place to live.
If you enjoy discovering local talent and staying connected to community events and stories, visit harfordsheart.com and explore the latest issue.
Welcome to the Author Pitch, where writers from around the world deliver a powerful pitch for their book and read a short excerpt in their own voice.
I'm your host, Rich Bennett, and today's guest is Stephen R. Brill, author of Yamabushi.
Yeah, first I got to ask you this.
How'd you come up with the title and tell everybody what it means, too?
Steven R. Brill:I read about a small clan of mountain warriors that he didn't mess with them.
You know, they would.
They would be itinerant wanderers sometimes.
And.
But they were master fighters.
They were.
They were.
They were great.
And so it always kind of stuck with me.
And so I thought, well, there's no stories out there about them other than they know they existed.
So I'm going to make up some stories for them.
And when I first started writing the book, I started it out with a birth scene where twins are born.
And I don't want to spoil it for you, but when my son edited, he said, you can't start it this way.
So you don't really get to that birth scene until about a half a dozen or seven or eight chapters in.
Rich Bennett:Oh, wow.
Steven R. Brill:So the book's been completely redone based on my son's understanding of how to write.
But, wow.
Now there's actually an organization, it's called Shugyo in Japan that if you Google Yamabuchi, they're going to pop up everywhere because they encourage people to come there and do their aesthetic, their training, their ritual, Shinto Buddhism training.
Oh, wow.
And so that's mostly what Yamabushi's out there.
Every now and then, I'll see it pop up in a novel, but nobody's really done this.
Rich Bennett:Not like you have.
Steven R. Brill:No.
Rich Bennett:Okay.
Steven R. Brill:And I was always afraid over all these years, I was always like, someone's gonna write a book and use the name, it's gonna ruin it.
Well, thank God you did it first.
I agree.
Rich Bennett:All right, now I'm gonna go ahead and step up to the plate and let you pitch.
So give listeners a tight, high impact overview.
What the book is, who it's for, why it matters, and what makes it unique besides the fact that you Wrote it.
Steven R. Brill:Okay.
set in Japan around the year:It's during the time before firearms changed warfare.
Life was deeply connected to nature, but also incredibly dangerous.
You've got warlords, pirates, natural disasters, and in the middle of all that, a small clan of mountain warriors trying to live by a code of spiritual devotion and martial skill to offset these injustices.
The story follows both warriors and everyday men and women from birth to adulthood, through peaceful times and deadly periods.
They are all trying to survive in a very unstable world.
It's really for anyone, any age, who's interested in the samurai era but wants more than just sword fights.
If you're intrigued by what life felt like back then, how people survived, trained, and struggled, you'll connect with it.
A lot of what we think we know about samurai culture comes from movies, but these were real people dealing with real pressures.
This book looks at how ordinary people lived in that system, how a world full of dangers led to some extraordinary skills.
At its core, it's about resilience, even when everything seems to be working against you.
It's fiction, but it's built on real history.
How people lived, worked, and survived.
Day to day.
You will see how everyone's lives connect, from powerful warriors to.
To ordinary villagers.
And even the antagonist isn't purely evil.
He's just trying to bring order to chaos from the opposite side.
There's also this thread of nature and spirituality that almost feels mystical, but it's grounded enough that you are never pulled out of the reality of the world.
Rich Bennett:I have a funny feeling when you read this excerpt, I am going to see in my mind Japan like I've never experienced it before, because when I was over there, it was mid-80s.
Wait a minute.
Steven R. Brill:No.
Rich Bennett:Yeah, wait a minute.
God, yeah.
84, I guess, which.
And you still had a lot of customs back then.
Steven R. Brill:You still did today.
Rich Bennett: but this is like circa, what,: Steven R. Brill:Yes.
Rich Bennett:So a lot of stuff that I saw in 84 was not there yet.
So this.
All right.
I'm really looking forward to this.
All right.
All right, let's go ahead and hear the excerpt that you brought for us today.
Go ahead and take your time, settle in, and whenever you're ready, the floor is all yours.
Steven R. Brill:Padded horses, hooves, crunch, snow.
Their blankets, along with the cloaks of their samurai riders, muffled the sounds of their plated armor bouncing.
A gray stallion extended his stride a avoiding a rut in the crisp, clean cover of white.
Above in the saddle, chin resting on his chest, the rider's sleeping head Bounced.
The spirited animal snorted.
Steamy breath escaped his mouth as his eyes opened.
What is it, Kiba?
Shoda shivered, unconsciously checking his swords, shifting up and down in his obi with each step.
Letting go of the reins, he removed his antlered helmet and brushed off the powdery snow, wiped frozen drippings from his mustache, and shook the crystals from his cape.
Reaching forward, he patted his horse's neck and brushed the snow from his tangled mane.
I hope you are not too cold, my friend, he said, taking the reins back in hand.
We have been through many winters, and I trust the kami will give us many more.
But not in this cold.
He laughed.
He wondered how many years he and Kiba would continue to serve together.
It was their 13th winter, patrolling the lands under Lord Hiroshi's protection.
His troops circuited the countryside, assisting villages and towns to rebuild after the earthquakes.
They offered security and taught the local constables how to protect from marauding forces.
Mostly orphaned children who became bandits, though sometimes more dangerous, organized bands of ronin.
Masterless samurai.
Mouth wide open, Shoda savored the serenity of the first snowflakes of the year on his tongue.
The stallion beneath him breathed hard, steamy, warm air escaping each nostril straddled by Captains Saromura and Anami.
He said, you wouldn't know.
Spring is almost upon us.
Anami pointed to the west.
We can stop at Lake Ogawara for the night.
Kipa's sharp ears heard the twang of a bowstring, and he pulled back in time to avoid an arrow flying in, missing Shoda.
It lodged in the neck of Hioki Saramura.
A second arrow deflected off of Shoda's armor, redirecting it behind him, ripping across Arata Yakusho's cheek and wedging between his head and helmet, taking off part of his ear.
Breaking rank, the samurai near him quickly dismounted.
Assuming ready positions, they all quickly strung their bows and formed a protective circle around Shoda and the perimeter, looking for attackers.
Every other warrior knocked an arrow or had spears or swords at the ready.
The arrow deflected upward, called out shoda, check for covered holes in the ground.
The bowman may be closer than you think.
And he commanded in a loud, clear voice, don't forget, I want that bowman alive.
Arata handed the arrow to Shoda.
This is the second time he has struck today, he said, retying his headband tightly against what remained of his ear.
Scooping up a handful of snow, he put pressure on the wound.
Why is this person trying so hard to kill you?
My Lord, only Kiba's quick reaction and your armor have kept you safe.
Holding the Barbed Stealer arrowhead, his fingers glided down the bamboo shaft to the Triple Peacock.
Fletching, Shoda pushed it through his obi alongside his sword.
Mounting their horses, they fell back into formation and moved out.
I, Anami, took his position next to Shota.
General, he could be a Guild assassin.
No, it is just a bowman.
And it is personal.
General, your helmet emblazoned with two golden horns draws attention to you.
If you wore a Jingasa as we do, you wouldn't be such an obvious target.
Hi.
I do create a target of myself.
Shoda grinned, puffing out his chest and tapping on the metal breastplate he wore.
He brushed newly fallen snow off his arm.
Guards.
My Kabuki is the only way for our people to spot me on the battlefield.
It also spares one of them getting killed from a lightning strike, as I am a much better target.
He chortled.
That bowman and others trying to kill you isn't enough for you?
Hanami joked.
Shota smiled to himself, enjoying a sense of camaraderie among his men.
Reaching Lake Ogawata, picket lines were set up and the horses were tethered.
The guards set out, fired.
Wood was gathered and sapling shelters were quickly erected.
Captain Satomura's body was removed from his horse and respectfully laid down.
His swords were placed on top of his chest before covering him with his hooded sleeping cloak.
An owl hooted.
A Honshu wolf howled.
Shota observed his people working in silence.
They knew their routines.
No one spoke unnecessarily until they were done setting up camp.
Cinder box kits were removed from belts and fires lit.
The men gathered around, reaching their hands out for warmth.
Circling the largest of the campfires, the samurai recited a prayer for the dead comrade.
The snow stopped.
The men chatted amiably as the heat from the fires dried their fur.
Lined boots warmed their feet and melted.
The ice formed in their armor.
Shoda looked up as he spoke.
His warm breath created little bursts of steam.
Tomorrow we continue patrolling.
We are on time to meet Yoshitsune for the inauguration of Lord Hiroshi.
Ronin should have no concerns entering our domain.
As long as they don't make trouble.
I don't want them thinking we are targeting them just because they are masterless.
Who knows, someday we may be them.
Eating rice balls and reheated broiled trout, they discuss the day and tease Arata about his new scars.
Now the geisha will think you are a brave warrior and want to pillow with you.
They joked we should start calling you One Ear.
Arata smiled, cupping his hand over his good ear.
I can still hear you.
But that's all right.
I'll keep the pretty women.
You can have the rest.
Laughing, the men broke off the sentries wrapped their blankets, standing cold but alert.
Shota approached Arata as he looked around the camp.
I slept in my saddle earlier, so I will be with the first shift.
What if the bowman is out there?
Asked Errata.
Then she is cold and needs to eat and sleep.
She will be back, but not tonight.
Unless she wants to use our fires to keep warm.
Keeping ice against the side of his face, Arata asked curiously.
She Shoda tipped his head, shifted his swords, pulled the arrow from his obi and held it above his eyes, gazing to the moon, his fingers gliding up and down the shaft of the peacock fletched arrow.
Within the camp, a horse snorted, ears perked.
It looked in the direction deeper in the woods where, hidden from view, sunken dark eyes with scraggly ice encrusted beards looked into the samurai camp.
Many had only threadbare blankets held over torn ragged clothes, their sandaled feet wrapped in cloth offering little protection from the ankle deep snow.
Crouched on a wide branch high in a tree behind a small band of ruffians, a lone pair of sleepy eyes watched, hooking bow and quiver on a branch.
She leaned back against the trunk, pulled a straw rank cover over her head, and was soon asleep.
Rich Bennett:Wow.
I caught on to that when he said she it's like, okay, who in the world did he make mad to where she's coming after him?
But the whole Steve, I'm ready to watch the movie now.
Steven R. Brill:I am too.
Rich Bennett:Oh my God.
Steven R. Brill:When I first, when I first wrote this, people that read it said, this is a movie.
Yeah, and my wife's reaction was, you're writing it too much like a screenplay.
It's supposed to be a book.
And I didn't really understand the differences that well because in my mind, it's a movie.
Rich Bennett:Yeah, you're writing what you're seeing.
Steven R. Brill:So I needed help.
Between my wife editing, my son proofing, I needed help to keep it in a book form, to keep the story flowing.
Rich Bennett:I'm hooked already.
What made you choose that particular excerpt?
Steven R. Brill:So this scene introduces one of the key figures, General Toshiro Shoda.
You see him on patrol with his troops and you get a sense of their bond, but there's also tension.
He knows someone close to him is out there trying to assassinate him.
So it's this mix of calm, trust, and underlying danger that brings everything together.
Rich Bennett:I gotta read it.
I gotta read it to find out why he.
Why this woman is so upset with him.
Steven R. Brill:You're gonna love it.
Rich Bennett:I. I have a fight.
Oh, no.
I'm not even gonna.
I'm not even gonna try.
Did I ask you what you hope readers feel after finishing it?
Steven R. Brill:No.
We can do that next.
Rich Bennett:Okay, go ahead.
Steven R. Brill:That's next.
Okay.
What the readers can expect is a full range of experiences, from peaceful, grounded moments to sudden, life threatening ones.
There are deep relationships, too, both loving and hostile.
And you get a sense of how people from different classes saw and treated each other.
You'll also experience the details of everyday life.
The food, the medicine, the traditions.
And you'll meet groups you don't always hear about, like women pearl divers who had to learn to defend themselves.
Or wandering bushi, also known as ronin, basically displaced soldiers who could either help you or completely disrupt your life.
It's a world that's incredibly beautiful, but also very unforgiving.
And by the end, you'll feel like you've lived in it.
Rich Bennett:Women pearl divers.
Steven R. Brill:Yeah, the Ama.
Ama.
Yeah, they still do that in Japan.
They could hold.
Some of them could hold their breaths up to 10 minutes.
Rich Bennett:Wow.
Steven R. Brill:Watch the movie My Teacher, the Octopus on Netflix.
Rich Bennett:The one you told me.
Okay.
Steven R. Brill:It doesn't have pearl divers in it,.
Rich Bennett:But you learn something about it.
Steven R. Brill:You learn about how long someone can hold your breath.
Rich Bennett:Okay.
Steven R. Brill:Yeah.
Rich Bennett:All right.
So, Steve, this is a very hard question.
What's next for you as an author?
Steven R. Brill:I have actually finished the next book, the sequel.
Rich Bennett:Nice.
Steven R. Brill:And the trilogy and the fourth book.
It's a series, and I am a good way into the fifth book.
My goal originally, when I thought about writing this, was that it's going to be generational and go from, oh, wow, the family to their children to the grandchildren.
Right.
You know, on down.
Up until modern times.
Rich Bennett:Oh, I love that.
But that changed.
Or is it still.
That's still your goal?
Steven R. Brill:It changed a little bit, but I don't want to throw out any spoilers.
Rich Bennett:Okay.
Well, it just means you're going to come on again to read the other books when they're ready.
Steven R. Brill:You are?
Rich Bennett:Wow.
Steven R. Brill:Yeah, but it's.
It's all there.
Rich Bennett:All right, so where could people actually purchase the book and follow you?
Because I know you're not on social media, right?
Steven R. Brill:No, I'm not.
Well, I actually, I do have a website.
Rich Bennett:Okay.
Which is important.
Steven R. Brill:And my.
I can be reached at yama brill77mail.com that is Y A M A B R I L lmail.com if anyone's interested, after they read the book, if they want to chat.
Rich Bennett:What's the website?
Steven R. Brill:Oh, it's on.
It's on Amazon.com.
Rich Bennett:Oh, okay.
Steven R. Brill:So, yeah, just type in Yamabushi and you have to put in my name, right?
Stephen R. Brill, and it'll pop right up.
Rich Bennett:All right.
Those of you listening when you look on Amazon, make sure you can actually follow him on Amazon too.
And this way, when the next book comes out, all the other books come out, you're notified so you know to go ahead and purchase the book.
And you know what I'm going to say.
Once you order the book and you read it, make sure you leave a full review.
Not just on Amazon.
Leave a full review on Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, everywhere you can find or wherever you can leave a review.
Steven R. Brill:Thank you.
Rich Bennett:Take a photo of yourself reading the book or holding the book up.
I know.
Even though Stephen's not on social media, post it on social media and tell people.
And put add the link to to Amazon too, so people can purchase it.
Steve, is there anything you'd like to add?
Steven R. Brill:Thank you very much.
I think you just said it all.
Rich Bennett:My pleasure.
Thanks for listening to the author pitch.
I'm Rich Bennett, and until next time, keep turning pages and discovering new voices.
