Bestselling author Eric Madeen has announced that his travel book, Asian Trail Mix: True Tales From Borneo To Japan, will be available as a free ebook on October 3 and 4, 2026. The promotion, revealed in a recent press release, allows readers to download the book at no cost from Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/stores/Eric-Madeen/author/B08VGRNJVW. This limited-time offer provides an accessible entry point to Madeen's work, which has been praised for its vivid and immersive storytelling.
Asian Trail Mix scales down the sprawl of Asia by focusing on the unique and revelatory in gemmy prose. The book offers up-close and personal encounters, such as the razzmatazz of novice monks at play in northern Laos, bonding with hustling pedicab drivers in Ho Chi Minh City, and rainforests blazed on gutsy treks across Borneo and Thailand's Elephant Island. It also explores novel aspects of Japanese culture. Served up nice and spicy, the collection is slathered across 12 rocking-it essays plus a tall tale at its glorious ending, making for a baker's dozen of sumptuousness.
Readers have responded enthusiastically to the book. One reviewer said, "The writing is lush and emotive. It contains images and turns of phrase that will stay with you." Another commented, "Mr. Madeen has a knack for taking one into the depths of a country and introducing the reader to fascinating customs and interesting characters. Five stars!" A third reviewer noted, "The author has a discerning eye for subjects of local interest at each of the intervening destinations, and truly commendable is how he's able to draw out characters, getting their riveting stories while sketching remarkable details on the Asian trail. Eric Madeen, an American based in Japan, is clearly fueled with high-energy. It's a rush to keep up with him, both on and off trail, either way transcribed in a voice that's more than a language function but the sum totality of this writer's experiences and means of expression. Madeen has been there and proof is in his prose."
The free ebook promotion is significant for several reasons. It introduces Madeen's travel writing to a broader audience, potentially attracting new readers who might otherwise hesitate to purchase the book. In an era where digital reading is increasingly popular, offering a free ebook can generate buzz and drive sales of his other works. Moreover, the promotion highlights the ongoing relevance of travel literature, especially as readers seek to explore different cultures from the comfort of their homes. Madeen's background as an associate professor of modern literature at Tokyo City University and an adjunct professor at Keio University adds academic credibility to his observations, making the book not only entertaining but also insightful.
Madeen is the author of six books, including Water Drumming In The Soul, Tokyo-ing!, Tennis Clubbed, Snubbed and Rubbity-Dub Dubbed, and Massage World. His writing has been published widely in outlets such as Time, Asia Week, The East, Daily Yomiuri, Tokyo Journal, Kyoto Journal, Metropolis, Mississippi Review, ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan, Peace Corps Worldwide, Japanophile, Yomimono, The Pretentious Idea, Tombstone Epitaph, and several anthologies and academic journals. His seminal essay "Under Western and Eastern Eyes" was jointly published by the Ministry of Education of the Western Federation, Russia, and the Joseph Conrad Foundation, USA. He has been featured in numerous radio interviews and print media, and he once worked as a copywriter for Dentsu, the world's largest ad agency at the time, for clients including Mazda, Subaru, Canon, Konica, Nikko Hotels International, and Sony.
For those interested in learning more about Eric Madeen and his works, additional information is available on his website at https://ericmadeen.org/. This free ebook event is a valuable opportunity for readers to discover a compelling voice in travel writing and to experience the sights, sounds, and stories of Asia through Madeen's eyes.
