A Leyland man will release a brand-new samurai-western novel, after being mentored by one of Hollywood’s most prominent screenwriters.
Tom Watts
Tom Watts, 32, worked three jobs to pay for writing lessons with John Truby, who wrote three episodes of 21 Jump Street and was the co-writer for Disneynature documentary film African Cats.
Now, he’s penned Devils Never Die: A Wild West Samurai Epic – a novel set in 1866 California, where a Japanese warrior fights alongside a cowboy and a Navajo to bring his family’s killer to justice.
The novel will be published in print on Amazon on 18 April, but the eBook is currently available for pre-order here. An audiobook version will be available later in 2026.
The adventures of a young samurai in 1900’s US
The fictional story follows Katsuchiyo – a young, inexperienced samurai – who’s family is slaughtered by a rogue warlord who flees to the United States.
To follow the killer in this strange land – Katsuchiyo must forge unlikely alliances with an unruly gunslinger and a formidable native tracker.
But the murderer thrives in the chaos of post-civil war America. And the deeper Katsuchiyo ventures into the frontier, the more he risks becoming the very monster he seeks to destroy.
After graduating from the University of Manchester top of his class with a First-Class degree in Drama and Screen Studies, Tom struggled to find employment and instead found solace in writing.
Tom worked several jobs to fund his writing lessons
Tom worked in the NHS, as a bartender and in community radio at the same time, in order to afford screenwriting lessons from Hollywood legend Truby.
In 2022, he pitched an original short horror story idea at the highly competitive 2000ad talent search competition in Harrogate, beating 13 other applicants in front of a live audience and a panel of comic book legends, including Leah Moore, John Reppion and Al Ewing. His first-ever short story was then published in the iconic 2000ad science-fiction comic book.
Last year, he published his debut novel All Dead Men – a zombie-thriller set in the Lake District, and included real-world locations like Bowness, Ambleside, and Troutbeck Bridge. It reached No.9 on Amazon’s bestseller supernatural horror chart – alongside Stephen King and Bram Stoker.
Now publishing his second novel
But now, Tom is thrilled to be publishing his second full-length novel, saying:
I’ve always been inspired to write pulse-pounding action-thrillers, thanks to my father reading them to me as a child.
But I’ve also always loved martial arts movies – especially those starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Hong Kong action cinema. They even inspired me to learn fighting for myself – and I achieved my black belt in karate at thirteen years old.
Combining my love of storytelling, my passion for combat sports – and my deep research into samurai culture, the US Civil war, and legendary Wild West outlaws has been a real blast.
Now, after four years of writing, I can’t wait for readers to enjoy the non-stop thrill ride that is Devils Never Die!
Devils Never Die: A Wild West Samurai Epic
He came for revenge. He found a war.
Japan, 1866. As the Edo period collapses and foreign ships choke the harbours for the first time in over 200 years, young samurai Ito Katsuchiyo prepares to prove his worth in the coming bloodshed. But when his family is slaughtered by a rogue samurai warlord, his path of honour is replaced by a mission of vengeance.
The hunt leads him across the ocean to a brutal and unfamiliar land: The United States of America.
To survive, Katsuchiyo must forge unlikely alliances with an unruly gunslinger and a formidable native tracker.
But his enemy thrives in this chaos. And the deeper Katsuchiyo ventures into the frontier, the more he risks becoming the very monster he seeks to destroy.
Outnumbered and outgunned, will Katsuchiyo hold to the samurai code? Or trade honour for the only justice this savage land understands?
Perfect for fans of The Last Samurai and Deadwood.
Devils Never Die: A Wild West samurai Epic will launch on Friday 7 March on Amazon – and is available to pre-order in eBook and print here.
