Maikel Yarimizu
@maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
310 followers 760 following 2K posts
Living, writing, and gaming in Japan RPGamer resident Japan-dude Happy father of two Always in the middle of a #writing project of some sort
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maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Announcing the release of the latest side story in "Princesses of the Pizza Parlor":

Brisket and Bravery - The Redemption of Princess Isabel: Part 4

Adventure! Witchcraft! Fairy Tale Peril! Romance!

#ttrpg #TTRPGKids #YAFantasy

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...
Cover for "Brisket and Bravery - The Redemption of Princess Isabel: Part 4" by Maikel Yarimizu

Cover art by Astrid Vujnovic

Protagonist Isabel is facing off against a weirdly yarn-ish cat monster with potential love interest Foxglove (in her tricorne and fox mask) at her side.
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Most of my sci-fi stuff is on the 'to publish soon-ish', lol

Definitely next year, tho
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Dangit, neither of my books this year are science fiction
(tho one has all the elements of multiple sci-fi B-movies, it's still technically fantasy)

I don't suppose there's a fantasy-specific equivalent?
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
I'm curious about the process they used to come up with a name, tbh
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Oops, never did the #selfpublishing #sales #report for September

OK, figuring the exchange rates...
...

...

That comes to 16 grocery store bottled latte drinks
It should be 17, but we've had a general price rise and everything's a few yen more >_<;

30 cans of Mt. Dew, but I'd fear for my health
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
st1ka.bsky.social
I am covering EVERY First Person Shooter EVER made in Japan.

From 1985 to 2025, that's over 40 years and 70 games of gaming history.

Link: youtu.be/F80Cl6WzBNo?...

This was without a doubt the most ambitious video I've ever made.
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
So... less Big Brother and more Mr. Beast?
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
It incentivized a civilian surveillance state with the promise of big rewards for assistance in catching the volunteer fugitive, who was never supposed to be more than just a guy who really needed the cash, but who was now caught in a system that needed him to last just long enough for the ratings.
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Whereas the book was about the commodification of suffering and desperation. 'The Running Man' was just one of a hundred+ shows the company was producing. Another example given was basically 'The Biggest Loser' without the ethical or legal oversight
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Except, that's more what the first movie was about: creating a circus-style gladiatorial arena to execute folks who "deserve" it, while encouraging the populace to cheer on the larger than life characters of the executioners

Innately corrupt, state-sanctioned, "thus to criminals"
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
It will be interesting to see how they adapt it, since as I recall, the original book was strangely prescient about some aspects of reality TV that wouldn't exist for another two decades or so

Not that the crazed TV game show take wasn't fun, but it wasn't necessarily accurate to the book, either
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
michaelspearwater.bsky.social
#WIPSnips for Oct. 13, and some characters are 'push'-ing their luck a little too far

The heroine of this #upcoming #creaturefeature is finding nearly-ex-boyfriends more annoying to deal with than things that go bump in the night
an excerpt from "Monsters Among Us : Teenage Wasteland" by Michael Spearwater
The word 'push' is highlighted
--

	“And the rumor?” she pressed. Her eyes were stabbing at him.
	“Um…” He had this nervous pose sometimes, where he folded both his arms behind his back and somehow reached up to scratch the nape of his neck at the same time. “I… didn’t actually say it that way, or at all. Um, I was still a bit sore that morning, y’know, but I couldn’t really explain it to the guys. Like, where to even start? So they had fun making their own guesses and… and… I didn’t say no to any of ‘em. The whole team came up with the final product, I guess you could say.”
	She stared at him, daring him to say more, but he maintained his embarrassed silence. The sigh that departed her lungs was only the ghost of her annoyance, given limited voice in the world, but it still made him jump. “I can imagine that, unfortunately,” she said.
	“So you’ll forgive me?” He practically bounced at the thought.
	“I’ll keep it under consideration,” she said. “That much pissed-off ain’t vanishing so easily. But.” Regina extended a hand. “Make peace, not war, and all that.”
	“I thought it was ‘Make love, not war’?” And that damn grin was back.
	“Don’t push your luck.”
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Normally I'd be tempted to argue the semantic difference between sentience and sapience, but...

Nah, barely sentient (i.e. practically a vegetable) is appropriate here...
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
badambulist.bsky.social
put trans women in your fiction. don’t be a fucking coward.
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
michaelspearwater.bsky.social
For #selfpromosaturday, it'd be nice if someone took a look at this one

I know my marketing skill stats have a negative value, but it'd still be nice to see

#romantasy #travelogue #needreaders
michaelspearwater.bsky.social
My author's copy is in!
My #romantasy #travelogue, A Wager for Wanderlust, is ready and waiting, available 7/31!

This title is something of a departure for me, including a new pen name for less child-friendly material

#AskMeAnything? (If you feel like it?)

www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBZMX7MP
Front cover of "A Wager for Wanderlust" by Michael Spearwater
cover art by LykosVTuber

It shows an artistically messy gentleman's desk with sketches of fantastical nudes, a pocket watch, various writing implements, etc.

In the background there are statues and portraits, a bookshelf, and books on the floor Back cover of "A Wager for Wanderlust" by Michael Spearwater
cover art by LykosVTuber

It shows a gentleman's personal office with various navigational implements, artwork, a letter, and books strewn across the floor. A frilly pink item of lady's apparel can be seen on the floor near the spine of the book
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
To quote a great artist:

Numb me, drill me, floss me, bill me...
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Still updating!
Making progress thru Canto IV (out of XI written so far)

#mermaids #selfpromosaturday #royalroad
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
And finally (I have too much stuff for #selfpromosaturday, really!), there's this story updating currently on Royal Road

Mer Manoa, my deep-sea #mermaid epic tetralogy.
Just a little more to write before it's done!
(a lot more to update on RR, tho)

www.royalroad.com/fiction/1153...
illustration by Astrid Vujnovic

A mermaid warrior wields a wicked-edged spear. She is mostly green with blue flukes and highlights
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Gotta keep up the #selfpromosaturday!

Whipping it into shape with a #LitRPG #metroidvania adventure

Srsly, it was a lot of fun to write, and a lot of fun to read as well

Hit weak point for massive damage!
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
For #selfpromosaturday!

Vainglorious: Long Is the Night, a #metroidvania inspired #LitRPG experience with #B-movie aesthetics and #LGBTQ themes

print & print replica ebook: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV5SFC87

reflowable text ebook: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F48CPRK5/
Front cover for Vainglorious: Long Is the Night, paperback edition!

Features a whip-wielding protagonist in a movie archaeologist Halloween costume, with a castle and a vampire antagonist in the background
Front cover for Vainglorious: Long Is the Night, ebook edition!

Features a whip-wielding protagonist in a movie archaeologist Halloween costume, with a castle and a vampire antagonist in the background
Content Warning: Strong Female Protagonist; Frequent LGBTQ+ Themes; Obscure Game References and Memes; Weak Points Struck for Massive Damage
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
I saw a calculation that found that reading ~2660 pages on Kindle Unlimited was enough to give enough in royalties that it cost Amazon your entire subscription fee for the month

So... guess what series has around 2600 pages or so to read thru? Anyone fancy costing the 'Zon money?

#YAfantasy #ttrpg
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
It's #selfpromosaturday!
How about a #YAFantasy #TTRPGkids series about life in and out of character around the gaming table?

Princesses of the Pizza Parlor, now with 13 episodes, 5 side stories, and an indulgently long summer camp paralogue

www.amazon.com/Princesses-o...
A collage of all the episodes and side stories of Princess of the Pizza Parlor through Episode 11

There's a "Coming Soon" panel in the bottom right that needs to be updated, since there's been two more episodes and two more side stories since then
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
Who doesn't like cute animal stories?

Still working on a second collection!

Need to work on the illustrations sometime soon...

#selfpromosaturday #folktales #animals
maikelyarimizu.bsky.social
More #selfpromosaturday!

Like #animals?
Like #folktales?
Like random #Japanese stuff?

"Tanuki as a Teapot and Other Japanese Tales" is available in print and ebook!

Illustrated by me because no one told me I couldn't!

www.amazon.com/Tanuki-Teapo...
"...unlike pottery, tanuki were distinctly not fireproof..."

Sketchy drawing of a tanuki hiding as a teapot, who discovered this truth about fire the hard way
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
maejpg.bsky.social
I’m open to make her an adopt, if anyone is interested you can DM me
maejpg.bsky.social
Unfinished character design that never went anywhere
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
bassoonysu.bsky.social
As is always correct and in accordance with all the laws of the internet, I just watched Tom Holland's epic Lip Sync Battle performance, and now I am sharing it with all of you so you can do the same.
Lip Sync Battle - Tom Holland
YouTube video by Comedy Central Latinoamérica
youtu.be
Reposted by Maikel Yarimizu
ttrpgkids.com
Today, I get to share an interview with Jim Johnson about the Star Trek Adventures TTRPG from @modiphius.bsky.social!

We chat about working on an IP, how STA embodies the core of Trek, and its community connection.

Read on here!
https://loom.ly/CA6Hqo0
Interview with Jim Johnson on Star Trek Adventures

graphics show a cartoon version of Jim Johnson in a Star Trek captain's uniform next to the cover of Star Trek Adventures