Weekly Winners and High Concept

We have winners at SOS Aloha!

Lisa Cach's GREAT AUNT SOPHIA'S LESSONS FOR BOMBSHELLS

- Cathy P. is the winner!

RIMPAC 2012
- Winnie is the winner! 

Kari Lee Townsend and CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL
- Martha is the winner!

 Lauren Clark and DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE
- Betty Hamilton is the winner!

Barbara Freethy and THE WAY BACK HOME
- Shannon is the winner!

Elisabeth Barrett and DEEP AUTUMN HEAT

- Stacie D. and Tina are the winners!

Alma Katsu and THE RECKONING
- Erin is the winner! 

Winners - please send your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

My family was also a winner on Saturday as BATTLESHIP came to the base theater!  Of course we attended an off base theater during opening day weekend ... but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to watch it one more time on the big screen.   I found it just as compelling even though I knew was was coming ... I was even teary eyed when the old salts "reported for duty" on the Mighty Mo.   

BATTLESHIP'S director, Peter Berg, responded to the movie's poor performance (at this link):

With "Battleship," he said, the scale of the movie simply overwhelmed everything else. "It was a movie that I tried as hard as I could to get inside of. But the concept is so big and powerful, and the money is so big and so powerful, that the movie is going to run away with itself."

High concept.   They are buzz words at writing conferences.   What is high concept?    From Lori Wilde on Romance University (at this link),

The purpose of a high concept is to succinctly deliver your ideas to an editor or agent, but what is it exactly? There are five central components to the high concept.

1) It’s different.

2) It’s universal.

3) It has instant emotional appeal.

4) You can immediately visualize the entire story.

5) It can be stated in one sentence.

BATTLESHIP'S high concept in one sentence:  

A self destructive twenty something becomes an 

"officer and gentleman" after fighting aliens.

It appealed to my military family ... but it didn't appeal to the American public.   I always seem to be on the opposite side of popular opinion.   How about you ... do you have a favorite book, film or TV show that was not well received?   One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, July 7, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

BATTLESHIP kicks off RIMPAC on the Mighty Mo.

Coming in July - Freedom to Read!

July - 'Ike aku, 'ike mai, kokua aku kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohana 'ohana.
Recognize others, be recognized, help others, be helped; such is a family relationship.

7/1: Weekly winners
7/2: Suzanne Jenkins' PAM OF BABYLON
7/3: Connie Mason and Mia Marlowe, LORD OF FIRE AND ICE
7/4: Jeanette Murray's THE OFFICER SAYS "I DO"
7/5: Amanda Usen's LUSCIOUS
7/6: Pamela Clare's DEFIANT
7/7: Sarah Anderson's A MAN OF PRIVILEGE
7/8: Weekly winners
7/9: Marquita Valentine
7/10: Linda Ferguson's STAYING GROUNDED IN SHIFTING SAND
7/11: Open
7/12: Tara Neale's Sergeant Mike's Miracle Tour
7/13: Elf from the Reading Addict
7/14: Michael J. Sullivan and HEIR OF NOVRON
7/15: Weekly winners
7/16: Kati R from ROMANCING RAKES FOR THE LOVE OF ROMANCE
7/17: Jill Shalvis' AT LAST
7/18: Tawna Fenske's GETTING DUMPED - SCHULTZ SISTERS MYSTERY
7/19: CH Admirand's JESSE
7/20: Danielle from RAMBLINGS FROM THIS CHICK
7/21: Scott Eagan from Greyhaus Literary Agency
7/22: Weekly winners
7/23: Pride and Pyramids: Mr. Darcy in Egypt by Amanda Grange and Jacqueline Webb
7/24: Flying to LA!
Diane Gaston's A NOT SO RESPECTBLE GENTLEMAN
7/25: RWA: Librarians' Day and Literacy Signing
Mary Wine's A LADY CAN NEVER BEE TOO CURIOUS7/26: RWA in Anaheim
Kathyrne Kennedy's ENCHANTING THE LADY
7/27: RWA in Anaheim
Amelia Gray's A Little Mischief
7/28: RITA and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony 
On this date in history ...
7/29: Traveling home from LA!
Weekly winners
7/30: Jodi Thomas' WILD TEXAS ROSE
7/31: Mia Marlowe's TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL

Coming in the future ...
8/1: Jennifer Haymore's PLEASURES OF A TEMPTED LADY
8/2: Open
8/3: Wendy Holden's MARRYING UP
8/4: Coast Guard's birthday
8/5: Nancy Lee Badger's SECRET LOVE MATCH 
8/6: Julia Stuart's THE PIGEON PIE MYSTERY
8/7: Forever Romance as Darkness Falls:  Cynthia Garner and Kendra Leigh Castle link
8/8: Open
8/9: Julie Ann Walker's HELL ON WHEELS
8/10: Open
8/11: Open
8/12: Weekly winners
8/13: Georgette Heyer's 110th Birthday with Sourcebooks
8/14: Open
8/15: Mary Carter's THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU
8/16: Open
8/17: Open
8/18: Open
8/19: Weekly winners
8/20: Hawaii Statehood Day
8/21: Open
8/22: Robin Kaye's CALL ME WILD
8/23: Anthology, BORN TO BITE, with Hannah Howell, Erica Ridley, and Diana Cosby
8/24: Duke's Day
8/25: Open
8/26: Weekly winenrs
8/27: Mary Wine's A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS
8/28: ML Buchman's I OWN THE DAWN
Christie Craig's BLAME IT ON TEXAS
8/29: Jillian Stone's A DANGEROUS LIAISON WITH DETECTIVE LEWIS 
8/30: Open
8/31: Open


9/8: CC Humphreys' A PLACE CALLED ARMAGEDDON
9/11: Elisabeth Barrett's BLAZE OF WINTER
9/17: Shana Galen's WHEN YOU GIVE A DUKE A DIAMOND
9/26:  Bec McMaster's 


11/5:  Susanna Fraser's AN INFAMOUS MARRIAGE


To be scheduled:
Victoria Roberts' TEMPTATION IN A KILT (9/1)
Elizabeth Chadwick's A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE (9/1)
Iris Anthony's THE RUINS OF LACE (10/1)
Macy Beckett's SULTRY WITH A TWIST (10/1)
Grace Burrowes' LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT (10/1)
Mary Wine's THE TROUBLE WITH HIGHLANDERS (10/1)
Megan Mulry's A ROYAL PAIN (11/1)

Aloha to Jeff Abbott and THE LAST MINUTE

Over at The Reading Reviewer, I spotlighted "that magic moment" from BURN NOTICE at this link.   Several characters from BURN NOTICE are former CIA agents ... and so is Sam Capra in Jeff Abbott's upcoming novel, THE LAST MINUTE:


Sam Capra must commit an impossible assassination--or he will lose the only person in the world who matters to him . . . 

Sam Capra has one reason to live: to rescue his baby son from the people who abducted him. An ex-CIA agent, Sam now owns bars around the world as cover for his real mission-working undercover for a secret network as mysterious as it is powerful, while using his skills to find his child.

Now the kidnappers have offered a deadly deal: they'll surrender Sam's child...if Sam finds and murders the one man who can expose them. Teaming up with a desperate young mother whose daughter is also missing, Sam tracks his prey-and his son-across the country in a dangerous race against time, and must unravel a deadly conspiracy if he's to rescue the only person in the world that matters to him.

Jenna Kaye was a former CIA analyst helping H50
until she turned spy for Wo Fat.

I am currently reading THE LAST MINUTE -  a thriller that is taking me outside my comfort zone.   In honor of THE LAST MINUTE, I am giving away a Hawaiian spy kit * to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about spies - do you have a favorite fictional character?

Mine is Bond.  James Bond.  From the SPY WHO LOVED ME.

Roger Moore as Bond and Barbara Bach as
Russian Agent XXX in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, July 7, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

*  What is a Hawaiian spy kit?  I can't tell you .... 

I spy Danno taking surfing lessons!

Aloha to Alma Katsu and THE RECKONING

My family is away on Kaua'i, where the locals proudly claim that Kamehameha never conquered their island.  The last chief, Kaumuali'i, avoided a reckoning with the ambitious warrior through a peace treaty.  Some would say that Kamehameha had supernatural powers ...

Sprouting Horn Blowhole on Kaua'i

... Alma Katsu is celebrating the release of her second novel, THE RECKNONING, in her the supernatural triology:

Lanore McIlvrae is the kind of woman who will do anything for love. Including imprisoning the man who loves her behind a wall of brick and stone.

She had no choice but to entomb Adair, her nemesis, to save Jonathan, the boy she grew up with in a remote Maine town in the early 1800s and the man she thought she would be with forever. But Adair had other plans for her. He used his mysterious, otherworldly powers to give her eternal life, but Lanore learned too late that there was a price for this gift: to spend eternity with him. And though he is handsome and charming, behind Adair’s seductive façade is the stuff of nightmares. He is a monster in the flesh, and he wants Lanore to love him for all of time.

Now, two hundred years after imprisoning Adair, Lanore is trying to atone for her sins. She has given away the treasures she’s collected over her many lifetimes in order to purge her past and clear the way for a future with her new lover, Luke Findley. But, while viewing these items at an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Lanore suddenly is aware that the thing she’s been dreading for two hundred years has caught up to her: Adair has escaped from his prison. He’s free— and he will come looking for her. And she has no idea how she will save herself.

With the stunningly imaginative storytelling and rich characterizations that fascinated readers worldwide and made The Taker a singular and memorable literary debut and an international sensation, Alma Katsu once again delivers “a powerful evocation of the dark side of romantic love” (Publishers Weekly) in her breathtaking new novel.

I posted my review of THE RECKONING on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.  I am giving away a print copy of THE RECKONING to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about a "treasure" you have admired in a museum.

I was awed by the endless treasures in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.   

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Alma and her books, check out her website at almakatsu.com.

Aloha to Elisabeth Barrett and DEEP AUTUMN HEAT

Today Elisabeth Barrett is my guest to celebrate the release of DEEP AUTUMN HEAT!

First of all, I’d like to give a warm aloha to Kim. I’m thrilled to be visiting today as I continue on my blog tour for my debut novel, Deep Autumn Heat! The book is set on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and is the story of two stubborn chefs who can’t help but fall in love. Star Harbor, the fictional town at the heart of the novel, plays a prominent role, and Boston also makes a cameo appearance. There was a very particular reason I set the book in New England: I grew up there.


I know that Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on Earth (I’m sure Kim would call it the most beautiful place on Earth), but for me, growing up in New England was a dream come true.


Let’s start with the people. New Englanders are very real. (Please keep in mind that I’m speaking from my experiences living in small town Connecticut—your mileage may vary). At first, the locals can be guarded, and sometimes even a bit gruff. It can take time for them to open up, but once you get to know them, they are warm and loyal. I appreciate their lack of airs, and their willingness to tell it like it is. In Star Harbor (a small waterfront town), many of the locals, especially those who are Star Harbor born and bred, are as much fixtures of the town as, say, the town hall. 

Next, let’s move on to the scenery. New England in any season is gorgeous (Woods! Water! Wildflowers!), but my favorite season is actually fall (the backdrop for Deep Autumn Heat). I love the damp smell of the fallen leaves following a rainstorm. I love the crisp air stinging my cheeks as I walk through an orchard filled with ripe McIntosh apples. I love the aroma of wood smoke at dusk on a chilly night. And I love the leaves in all their glory – crimson, flame, and even lemon yellow. No matter how many times I’ve seen the hills bedecked in autumnal splendor, it still takes my breath away. In each Star Harbor novel, the seasons are evocatively described, and in Deep Autumn Heat, I wanted readers to feel like they were really in the heart of fall and harvest season.


Finally, let’s move on to the food. New England is famous for it. For example, did you know that in 1895, the hamburger was invented at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut? Aside from ground beef, what other things does New England have in abundance? Fruit and seafood, of course! No wonder that some of the region’s specialties involve one of these two categories. Here are some of my favorites: apple pie, blueberry crumble, strawberry shortcake, clam chowder, boiled lobster, lobster rolls, and birch beer! Food also plays a huge part in Deep Autumn Heat. The heroine, Lexie Meyers, bakes a fabulous coconut cake, and in one pivotal scene, the hero, Sebastian, challenges Lexie to a cook-off where they make New England-style crab cakes.


In my humble opinion, the charms and beauty of New England are unsurpassed, and I know why: to me, New England will always be home. 

About Deep Autumn Heat:

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.


Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge.


Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.


Pre-order Deep Autumn Heat: Kindle | Nook | ITunes | Other Formats 

About Elisabeth:


Raised in a sleepy little Connecticut town, Elisabeth draws on her upbringing to write small-town romances. Her summers spent living and working on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard were the inspiration for the Star Harbor series, which kicks off with Deep Autumn Heat (coming July 2012) and continues with Blaze of Winter (coming September 2012). Currently, Elisabeth lives in Northern California with her husband and three children, but she thinks New England is the loveliest place in the world. Find her online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


How about a Giveaway?


One commenter on my blog will be randomly selected to win a NetGalley preview of Deep Autumn Heat. Contest ends July 3rd at midnight (EDT).You’ll need a NetGalley account, and to answer the question below:


What do you think is the most beautiful place in the world?

Mahalo, Elisabeth, for sharing New England with us!  My first assignment in the Air Force took me to Boston - this Florida girl loved it!  Your post brought back wonderful memories!   I'd like to share my love for New England by adding to the giveaway - a second commenter wins a ecopy of DEEP AUTUMN HEAT from me.   

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Aloha to Barbara Freethy and THE WAY BACK HOME

My family is away on Kauai - we plan to paddle up the Wailua River.   Another river is the focal point in Barbara Freethy's new novel, THE WAY BACK HOME:


In the small California town of River Rock, the river is always there—sometimes unpredictable and wild, sometimes a source of comfort, always a part of life. Bestselling author Barbara Freethy will capture your heart with an emotional story about love, family . . . and fighting for what matters most.

Ex-Marine Gabe Ryder is fulfilling the last request of his best friend, Rob, who was killed in a firefight during their final days of service. He promised to help Rob’s family— especially Rob’s twin sister, Alicia—with their struggling river rafting business. Gabe has a hidden past with Alicia, though. She’s the woman who taught him that love might exist, yet he walked away from her.

Alicia has more than enough on her plate with her brother’s death, her father’s injury from a tragic rafting accident, the entire town turning against them, and a series of dangerous attacks on her business. She doesn’t need this rugged loner who broke her heart. But passion flares between them, and this time, they can’t walk away. Alicia can’t help wondering: did Rob really send Gabe to watch over her—or did he want her to show Gabe the way home?

I posted my review of THE WAY BACK HOME on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.   I am giving away a print copy of THE WAY BACK HOME to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about a river near you - does it play a part in your life?

The only river in Hawaii is the Wailua River.   It is considered sacred and hosts several heiau (temples).

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Barbara and her books, check out her website at barbarafreethy.com.  

I met Barbara (middle) at RT in 2011.

Aloha to Lauren Clark and DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE

I am currently planning our family's visit to Maui for Fall Break.  The Valley Isle offers swimming with turtles, sunrise on Haleakala, snorkeling in a sunken volcano, and the Road to Hana.

Oh, the Road to Hana.  

It offers unparalled views of waterfalls along its coast hugging road. So it is known more as "the journey" rather than "the destination". I found this to be the same of Lauren Clark's DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE:

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.

With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.

Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

I posted my four star review on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link. To celebrate DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE, I am giving away a Hawaiian Hospitality gift pack. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about what you like from the Deep South - sweet tea? pecan pie? bar-b-que ribs?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Lauren and her books, check out her webstite at laurenclarkbooks.com.

Aloha to Kari Lee Townsend and CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL

In Hawaii, we have ti leaves.  From the Dole Plantation at this link,

The ti plant isn’t “tea” at all, but a member of the lily family with a distinctive cluster of large, glossy, dark green leaves on a stalk that can grow up to ten feet high. Ti is a “canoe plant,” or one of the few plants the first Hawaiians brought thousands of miles across open ocean to their new home. The leaves and roots of this important plant appeared everywhere in ancient Hawaiian life. If it rained, you might put on a ti leaf cloak. You might have eaten food cooked inside the strong, flexible leaves, or been blessed with a ti leaf in a sacred ceremony.

On the mainland, Sunny Meadows uses tea leaves, crystal balls, and other apparatus in Kari Lee Townsend's THE FORTUNE TELLER MYSTERY series.   Kari is celebrating the release of the second book in the series, CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL.  This cozy mystery author joins me for a cozy chat ...

Kim:  You wrote in your bio: Trust me, people, my life is my material. So, who inspired the fortune teller in your life?

Kari:  No one, really. I've always been fascinated with fortune telling. It just seems so mysterious, a bit scary, yet exciting. I've always wanted to know more about all the different fortune-telling tools, that's why I'm having so much fun focusing each book on a different tool and sharing what I find out with my readers.

Madam Simza Heron tells Sherlock Holmes
his fortune in GAME OF SHADOWS ...

Kim:  What's your experience with fortune tellers? Have you had a reading?

Kari:  When I was younger, I went to a tea leaf reader. Her reading was so spot on, I was hooked then and there. I also had a past-life reading done which was really cool, and again, spot on. the reading totally made sense and explained a lot about the person I am today.

... then she danced with him!

Kim:  Tell us about CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL!

Kari:  Tempest in the Tea Leaves was the first book in the series, and in that book, the town librarian is murdered and Sunny becomes the number one suspect. She has to try to clear her name and save her business or her fresh start in the small upstate NY town of Divinity will be over before it ever gets started. In book two, Corpse in the Crystal Ball, Detective Mitch Stone's ex-girlfriend comes to town and winds up dead, leaving him as the number one suspect this time around. He has to step aside and let Sunny try to solve the case and clear his name this time, but that doesn't sit too well with him because he still thinks she's a quack. Yet neither can deny sparks fly when they are around each other.

Kim:  What's next for Kari Lee Townsend?

Kari:  Well, I just finished Trouble in the Tarot and am beginning to plot Peril in the Palm. I also have a teen superhero series out as well as romances written under the name Kari Lee Harmon. Not to mention there's a paranormal romance brewing around in there as well. Good thing I love what I do :-)

Even James Bond had his cards read by
Jane Seymour in LIVE AND LET DIE.

Mahalo, Kari, for visiting us at SOS Aloha!  I posted my review of CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.  I am giving away a print copy of CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about fortune tellers - do you have any experience with tea leaves, crystal balls, tarot cards, etc.?   


Several authors read tarot cards and one "read" them for me at RWA 2010 in Orlando.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Kari and her books, check out her website at karileetownsend.com.

Weekly Winners and RIMPAC 2012

We have winners at SOS Aloha!


Trooping the Colours with the Regency Rockstars!
- Meljprincess wins her choice of autographed book from Kieran Kramer or Vicky Dreiling!

 Beginnings of Classic Thrillers

- Catherine Lee wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Special Sourcebooks Giveaway - THE LAST ROMANOV by Dora Levy Mossanen
- Debby is the winner!

Linda Schroeder's ARTISTS AND THIEVES

- Maureen is the winner!

Aloha to Cats!
- Donna S. wins a book choice from my conventions stash.

Laurel McKee's ONE NAUGHTY NIGHT

- Jeanne M. is the winner!

Barbara Delinsky and Ebook Reissues

- Na is the winner of her choice from Barbara's ebook reissues:

Bonnie Rae and NETHER BOUND

- Tina is the winner!

Winners - please claim your prizes by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

BATTLESHIP takes place during RIMPAC.

Pearl Harbor is a winner by hosting RIMPAC 2012.  From its website at this link,

Held every two years by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), RIMPAC 2012 is a multinational maritime exercise that takes place in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

This year's RIMPAC exercise, the 23rd in the series that began in 1971, is scheduled from June 27 to August 7, with an opening reception scheduled for June 29 and closing reception August 3. Twenty-two nations, 42 surface ships, 6 submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate. Units from Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, and the United States will participate. Military personnel from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Republic of Philippines, Thailand, Tonga and the United Kingdom will also participate. The countries of Bangladesh, Brunei, Brazil, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka have been invited as observers.

RIMPAC is a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans.

If  you could volunteer as an escort officer, which country would you like to meet?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.   Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll publish the winner on Sunday, July 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

BATTLESHIP shot footage during RIMPAC 2010.

Aloha to Lisa Cach and GREAT AUNT SOPHIA'S LESSONS FOR BOMBSHELLS

I've met many Hawaiian aunties ... but none like Lisa Cach's GREAT AUNT SOPHIA'S LESSONS FOR BOMBSHELLS:


A Ph.D. in sex appeal ?

Grace Cavanaugh is hell-bent on proving her Women’s Studies dissertation thesis that beauty only leads to misery. And what better research subject than her great-aunt Sophia, a former B-movie star? Now eighty-five and facing surgery, Sophia has asked Grace for company. . . .

Grace imagines a helpless, lonely old woman, forced to turn to a great-niece she barely knows. Instead she finds the aging diva holding court in a Pebble Beach mansion, oozing a bombshell-itude—arthritis and wrinkles be damned—that captivates every male in sight. To Grace’s dismay, her greataunt decides a perfect distraction would be transforming the frumpy feminist into a femme fatale who purrs for her suitors . . . or devours them. She ordains classes in everything from carb cutting to lingerie, culminating in a challenging final exam. The newly svelte Grace must test her wiles—on both devilishly handsome and morally corrupt Declan and sensitive but painfully awkward Dr. Andrew.

Newly unleashed desires—and the discovery of a closely held family secret— threaten the bookworm-turned-babe’s entire feminist upbringing. Her thesis gone sadly awry, Grace wonders if her great-aunt is right: Will trusting her heart lead her to find beauty in the most unexpected places?

I posted my review of GREAT AUNT SOPHIA'S LESSONS FOR BOMBSHELLS on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.   I am giving away a print copy of GREAT AUNT SOPHIA'S LESSONS FOR BOMBSHELLS.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about family members - have they taught you anything?   My Granny in England taught me to appreciate the small things in life.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Lisa and her books, check out her website at lisacach.com.

Aloha to Bonnie Rae and NETHER BOUND - Author Interview

I'm a bit partial to cats ... and cats who own authors.  Please join me in welcoming cat lover and debut author Bonnie Rae!  From her bio,

Bonnie Rae spent her early childhood in the sunny state of California. At the time, she was an only child with a very large imagination. Thanks to her Grandmother, the love of reading books started at a very young age. Every walk to the grocery store meant an ice cream cone and a new Little Golden Book. Through books, Bonnie learned you could be transported into other worlds. The addiction was instant.

Kim:  In Hawaii, we see those star studded commercials for California. What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

Bonnie:  First, I want to thank you for having me be a part of your blog today. This is a great honor! And thank you to your readers for taking the time to read this post. You are all very kind.

In our area we are in a valley with the ocean a little west from us and often have very foggy mornings. My favorite sight is to witness the marine layer of fog inching its way across our town and covering some of the peaks of our mountains. I love writing during that time, it is very inspiring for me. My favorite sound, the waves crashing on the shore, I love the beach. Smell, hands down, the ocean.

Kim:  Who or what helped you write a book and self-publish it?

Bonnie:  Many things help me write a book. I am inspired everyday by all kinds of things and people. But, when it comes to the self-publishing part, my husband has helped tremendously. He is the kindest, most patient, and loving man. I can say that he took this journey with me and helps me learn new things every day. When I am frustrated or waver in having faith in myself, he is always there to calm me down and keep me sane.

Kim:  Why YA? Why YA paranormal?

Bonnie:  I think I was always a closet YA writer. I would write all these books and try to convince myself that I was heading in the direction of adult science fiction. My best friend kindly pointed out one day that all of my characters in all of my books were seventeen or under. From that day forward I have embraced writing YA, and proudly. I really love writing about kids growing into their own person and finding out just how strong they can really be. As for paranormal, I have always been sweet on vampires, ghosts, angels, and demons. Basically, if it goes “bump” in the night, I write it! I love the suspense and the possibility that there are other realms out there we just can’t see with the human eye.

Kim:  Tell us about the Nether Series and Book 1, NETHER BOUND?

Bonnie:  What it all comes down to with the Nether Series is the bond of sisterly love. One character makes a very irrevocable sacrifice in order to save her younger sister. Throughout the books readers get to see these sisters grow very far apart and have very different beliefs. The war between Heaven and Hell force them to rage war on one another, and in the end will the undying bond of family love keep them safe and help them find a way back to one another or tear them apart even further? Both female characters are very strong in their own right, and that is exactly what I wanted. I have read too many YA novels in the last few years with really weak female main characters. They can’t seem to function without a boy in their life, and have frail voices when it comes to taking control of their lives. I wanted to show teenage girls that it’s okay to be strong on your own. Yes, life can be rough, but with determination and faith they can overcome all hardships. And with Nether Bound, the first book in the series, you see that right away with my main character. This poor girl goes through a lot. I mean I really put her through the ringer. She has to make some really hard decisions, and some of them aren’t always right. Of course, we can only learn from our mistakes, and sometimes we learn some very hard and valuable lessons that help us to become stronger individuals in the end.

Kim:  What's next for Bonnie Rae?

Bonnie:  Right now I am currently finishing up the first draft of the second book in the Nether Trilogy, Nether Soul. I am planning its e-book release in the beginning of August. I am also working on putting Nether Bound in print. And while I am doing all of that I am trying to finish up an adult contemporary romance I started two years ago. I guess you could say my plate is pretty full!

Fiery lava flowing into the Pacific Ocean 

Mahalo, Bonnie, for joining us at SOS Aloha!  My son "reviewed" NETHER BOUND at this link.   I am giving away an electronic copy of NETHER BOUND to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your "first" book - as a child, teen, or even adult.   I don't recall my first book, but I do remember that I was instantly attracted to Nancy Drew!

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Bonnie Rae and her books, including links to purchase, check out her website at bonnieraebooks.com.