After devoting almost 30 years as a martial arts practitioner/instructor and writing non-fiction/educational materials, L.T. Suzuki quite literally began her journey in the realm of fantasy on a personal dare. This dare was further provoked at a martial arts seminar, where the author was the only female instructor. Women participating approached her, stating they never knew women could really fight until they saw this diminutive female in action. Asked why they were led to believe this, she was told: "It is in our upbringing, our culture and in the books we read." This resulted in a trip to the local bookstore where, to the author's chagrin, a vast majority of books featuring strong female characters portrayed them as evil or bestowed with supernatural powers in order to take on their adversaries. Driven by a desire to create a role model her daughter could truly relate to and admire, Suzuki fashioned a fantasy world that strays from the Xena Warrior Princess/Buffy the Vampire Slayer styled heroine. Incorporating her experiences in martial arts and in federal law enforcement at a time when women were just breaking into this field, the author created Nayla Treeborn: a warrior woman with no super powers, but instead is forced to use her wit, ingenuity and training in the warrior arts to survive. Half-human/half-Elf, she is shunned by one race and denied by the other. Drawn into the male-dominated realm of warriorship, she struggles to carve a place in a world that is far from accepting. The Imago Fantasy Series spans over nine novels. This female warrior and an ensemble cast of characters draw the readers into a world where heroes must also face personal demons; Elves are built for war; the Wizards are wise, but far from infallible and yes; even the good guys meet an untimely demise!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Although I did not win the broad category of genre fiction, I entered the Writers Digest International Book Contest because the judging is conducted by published authors and they promised a critique/review for every book entered.

They rated "Imago Book 3: A Warrior's Tale" on a scale of 1 to 5 for plot, character development, grammar and cover design (1 being poor and 5 being excellent) a rating of 5 in all the categories.

Judge's comments include: "This is one of the best fantasies I've ever read. The characters are believable and the mythological world described in such a way that it seems like a real place. The dialogue is realistic and easy to follow. I particularly like the maps of Imago and the key to pronunciation of the important names.This is a well written and produced book.Take the time to talk about your book on all the fantasy listserves. I believe libraries and social and service groups would enjoy hearing about how you came to write your books..." For the complete Writers Digest review and other books reviews, please visit my official website: www.imagobooks.ca

I have studied martial arts for over 25 years, both Karate and Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, but devoting most of my studies and teaching to Taijutsu. It is a traditional form of martial arts that evolved over hundreds of years from 6 samurai schools and 3 schools of ninjutsu and headed by Dr. Maasaki Hatsumi. Hatsumi Sensei, the grandmaster of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is considered a national living treasure by the people of Japan for keeping this warrior art and traditions alive.
Much of the fighting techniques found in the Imago series are based on this ancient warrior art.

I wrote my first documentary/biography that was aired on the Biography Channel last year! It was quite different from writing fantasy and I'm hoping to do more in the future.