'Shogun Iemitsu: War and Romance in 17th Century Tokugawa Japan': Novel from World-Renowned Armor Expert Chronicles the Lives of Two Young Samurai in Feudal Japan

EDGEWATER, Md., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Zomber's path to become a published author and A&E and History Channel-featured historian has been a bumpy one. Falsely accused of mail fraud and imprisoned for years, he began to outline the blueprint of a historical fiction novel, Shogun Iemitsu: War and Romance in 17th Century Tokugawa Japan (published by iUniverse), on a subject Zomber is more than familiar with: Samurai culture and weaponry.

Zomber is a world-renowned historian and antique arms and armor expert, and wrote and produced a full-length documentary film to critical acclaim, The Soul of the Samurai. Zomber has owned weapons belonging to such prominent figures as George Washington and Simone Bolivar.

His finished work, Shogun Iemitsu, chronicles a day in the lives of two young samurai, Hideo and Kobiyashi. The province of Kyushu is a hotbed of discontent with the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the torrid summer heat has driven inhabitants -- including the samurai -- half mad. Hideo and Kobiyashi are in service of Lord Arima, who is secretly plotting a rebellion against the Tokugawa Shogunate. The events center around a festival during which a desirable samurai sword owned by the Shogun is to be tested on a helmet owned by Lord Arima, and the most important officials and dignitaries in Japan are in attendance. Within hours of waking, the two young samurai find themselves enmeshed in a whirlwind of conspiracy, murder, treason and love, all while preserving their honor as befits true adherence to Bushido, the way of the Samurai. Zomber writes:

"Mastery," thought Yamashita, "is to learn the dance of the universe and be a conscious part of it. No matter if you threw clay pots, shot arrows or forged samurai swords, a master knew he was a master when whatever he did was not an accomplishment but a way to enlightenment, when he accepted the praise of men politely but knew it meant no more than the buzz of a fly or the whine of a mosquito."

About the Author

Michael R. Zomber graduated cum laude from the University of Illinois with degrees in English and psychology and completed his masters in English Literature at UCLA. His wife encouraged him to begin writing screenplays, which formed the basis of several novels. Zomber has also written both a television series and full-length screenplay for Shogun Iemitsu, and enjoys traveling, film, boating, hiking, horseback riding and spending time with his wife and two children.

Zomber was falsely accused and convicted of mail fraud in 2006 by a U.S. Federal Court in Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he spent two years in a U.S. prison camp. Zomber used his time wisely inside, making the library open when it was supposed to, tutoring many prisoners to pass their GEDs, writing countless legal documents for those unable to, and penning seven novels and nonfiction books. In 2008, his conviction was unanimously reversed by the U.S. 3rd Circuit Appellate Court, in "the interest of justice."

Shogun Iemitsu: War and Romance in the 17th Century Tokugawa Japan

Available from: http://www.iuniverse.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com, and http://www.amazon.com

ISBN: 9781440155635 - 5 x 8 - Paperback - 368 pages - $20.95

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SOURCE iUniverse