I'm Still Here (+ a KFAI Interview)
I'm sorry for the *radio* silence. Ha, ha... ha.
A Delayed Thank-You
This is very old news at this point, and the actual candy has been gone for a while now, but when The Yomigaeri Tunnel released, my mother gifted me a heart-shaped container of custom M&Ms, each with the name of the book on one side of each candy. Not to be mushy (and eye-rollingly punny), but it really was one of the sweetest gifts ever.
Working through The Yomigaeri Tunnel was really difficult. I’m very lucky to have received so much support from my family and friends, especially my parents, who have had to endure more breakdowns than any parent should ever have to witness.
Roundups: The Yomigaeri Tunnel
I’m late to the game here, but I just wanted to thank some writers and publications for mentioning my work:
Reactor included The Yomigaeri Tunnel in the article “Most Anticipated Young Adult SFF/H for July & August 2025.”
Publishers Weekly featured The Yomigaeri Tunnel alongside other PW-starred children’s and YA books, which… I mean, I still can’t believe it got a star.
TeenTix’s Kylie Lippe wrote a very kind review, “Resonant Themes Echo Through Imaginative Storytelling,” about The Yomigaeri Tunnel:
“An enjoyable and healing read . . . The Yomigaeri Tunnel is woven with a fabric of hope that I want to wrap myself in.”
Jill Shiraki, who mentioned The Lost Souls of Benzaiten when it first released, wrote about The Yomigaeri Tunnel for the Nichi Bei News.
Unafraid to tackle the tough stuff, Murashige makes sure the reader knows that we are not alone.
Roundups: The Lost Souls of Benzaiten
This past summer, I stopped by my local library and gave a few paperback copies of The Lost Souls of Benzaiten to my wonderful librarian, Jan, who then ran a giveaway for teens during the library’s summer reading program.
I loved giveaways when I was younger, especially bookish ones, so I’m grateful to Jan and the library for helping me pay it forward.
I’m also grateful to local writer Lee Tonouchi, also known as “Da Pidgin Guerrilla,” who very kindly featured The Lost Souls of Benzaiten alongside books from other Hawai‘i-based writers. Please check out his work and all the books featured below. :)
If You Want to Hear Me Fumble My Words…
When The Lost Souls of Benzaiten released last year, I was lucky enough to have an interview (and, frankly, just a nice, unrecorded talk) with Erik Zimmerman from Write On! Radio on KFAI 90.3 FM, stationed in Minnesota.
I was very nervous for the interview, but Erik Zimmerman was so kind, and his questions were amazingly thoughtful. If you want to check out the interview about The Lost Souls of Benzaiten, you can listen here.
Now that The Yomigaeri Tunnel has released, we got to speak again. It aired live earlier today, but you can hear a playback of our interview in the second part of the episode here. Before speaking to me, Erik Zimmerman had a discussion on the literary and bookselling scene with Dr. Terresa Hardaway, the owner of Blackbird Revolt and Black Garnet Books.
I highly recommend listening to KFAI’s Write On! program. I’m so grateful to the staff and to the Soho team for reaching out to KFAI.
I think that’s about all I have to say. As always, thank you so much for reading. I’m here, despite everything, and I’m happy you are too.