Poppy Kuroki: One Hundred Words a Day Is Better Than None
Poppy Kuroki was born in Scotland and has been living in Japan since 2014. She loves video games, cooking, and adding books to her ever-growing TBR. She lives in a beautiful town by the beach in Kanagawa with her son. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, and Instagram.
In this interview, Poppy discusses how a desire to meet her ancestors helped inspire her new historical romantasy, Gate to Kagoshima, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Poppy Kuroki
Literary agent: Edwina de Charnace, MMB Creative
Book title: Gate to Kagoshima
Publisher: Oneworld Publications (U.K.), Harper Perennial (U.S.)
Release date: June 6, 2024 U.K.; September 24, 2024 (e-book, U.S.); and January 28, 2025 (paperback, U.S.)
Genre/category: Historical romantasy
Elevator pitch: While in Japan researching her ancestry, a strange typhoon sends Isla MacKenzie back to 1877, the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion, the war that ended the samurai class. Why is Isla here? Will she ever get home, and can she possibly try to save the young samurai she has grown to care for?
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What prompted you to write this book?
I’ve always loved history. Shrines and temples in Japan hold a certain sense of wonder and magic that I could never put into words. I always wondered what it would be like to meet my ancestors, to see how they lived and where I came from, which is explored in the book. Samurai are also so interesting to study, and I wanted to write about history blended with a love that transcends time and culture.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took me about a year to write, though I was taking breaks because I had my son. I have fond memories of him sleeping in the sling against my chest while I was writing. I had no idea what would become of the story, but when someone close to me encouraged me to query, I decided to follow my lifelong dream of being traditionally published. Two months later, I met my terrific agent Edwina, and it’s been a dream.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
The publishing process was just terrific. The team was so kind and enthusiastic, and things like seeing early drafts of the cover and talking editing with Jenny, my editor, were so much fun. We had a great conversation about editing and how much goes into it.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I loved studying the history of the Satsuma Rebellion. I visited Kagoshima and took a tour detailing the battle and the real-life characters who are featured in the story, to get it as historically accurate as possible.
People tend to imagine samurai as armor-clad, noble warriors, but I wanted to portray them as people too, with fears and senses of humor. By the time of the Satsuma Rebellion, most of the samurai didn’t actually wear armor, since they didn’t protect them from gunfire. They also used cannons and guns more than swords. Perhaps it’s not as romantic as a portrayal of a battlefield of horse-riding warriors with their swords aloft, but it’s how they really fought and died.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope they’ll enjoy learning about this piece of history. Maybe it will inspire people to visit Kagoshima and trace the steps of the people who lived there.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Write a little bit every day, even if you don’t feel like you want to. One hundred words a day is better than none, and you can increase the number of words you do each day. Don’t worry about it being perfect the first time, the first draft can be as messy as you like because nobody else is going to see it. Most importantly, have fun!
