Weekly Winners, Christmas in October, and Operation Holiday Card

The Road to Hana, Maui

We have winners at SOS Aloha:

Celebrate Little Victories - Lisa Renee Jones in print!

- Marjory wins a Hawaiian calendar! 

Lisa Becker's CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY

- Linda win a Hawaiian calendar!

Jamie Quaid's BOYFRIEND FROM HELL:

- CBails wins an autographed book from Jamie!

Bec Mcmaster's KISS OF STEEL

- Melody May wins a print copy from Sourcebooks!

In the Pink with Avon Romance - Avon Addict Profile

- Elizabeth H. wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Hester Browne's THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS

- Betty H. wins a Hawaiian "Royal" Souvenir.

Karen Kelley's WHERE THERE'S A WILL

- Leann wins a Hawaiian calendar.

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

This week my family is off to Maui for Fall Break!  I have a handful of holiday themed books to read ... which I will feature this week at SOS Aloha!  Speaking of the holidays, we're going to do something different for Operation Holiday Card.   My husband is currently in Korea for a year.  While we expect him home for the holidays, other personnel without families remain in Korea.   If you would like to send one (or more) cards, please contact me at sos.aloha@yahoo.com for more information.    

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

From Haleakala looking down to the Pacific.

Celebrate Little Victories - National Public Lands Day

September 29 is National Public Lands Day (at this link).  Here are on Pearl Harbor, the Scouts are removing an invasive week by the harbor and planting Native Hawaiian species.

This past week, I enjoyed the public lands at Bellows Beach ....  

  

... so did this man and his dog ...

... and this mom and her keiki!

Above is my keiki ... how was your week?   

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Aloha to Karen Kelley and WHERE THERE'S A WILL

As you can imagine, I have a great relationship with the clerks at the base post office - I keep them in the black with my book giveaways!   Today's guest, Karen Kelley, had a different kind of relationship.  From her bio (at this link),

It didn't take me long to discover how things worked in the publishing world. You write a book, you mail it off, you get rejected, you write another book. I did this for six years until one day I talked my husband into mailing my manuscript for me. I couldn't take one more look of pity from the postal workers. Being the loving husband that he is, Karl mailed Bachelor Party to Hilary Sares at Kensington to be considered for the Precious Gem line on a Tuesday. On Friday of that same week, Hilary called to offer a contract.

Wow! Wouldn't it be great if everything in life was that easy? Publishing can be a rocky road with lots of highs and lows but, oh, what a fun trip! I love writing.

When I'm not writing, I love doing crafts, and I'll try just about anything. At present, I'm scrapbooking and making necklaces. The necklaces are amateur at best but I'm hoping to improve over time. We'll see :)

I'm country all the way. I love antiques, embroidered scarves, crocheted doilies and quilts. 

Jodi made this quilt, which I auctioned
at SOS Aloha to benefit Navy Seal Families

Kim:  What sustained you through the six years of "write, mail, reject"?

Karen:  Easy, my husband and children. Their encouragement kept me believing I would get published. I would probably also have to say that I had to write. Every time I wanted to give up another story idea would come along. I don't think any writer can completely stop writing. The stories are always there.

Kim:  Crafts! What crafts would your characters enjoy?

Karen:  LOL I think the nephilim would do something with silver. I can picture them heating the metal and shaping it. Destiny maybe cooking since she was a demon in training in Where There's Smoke. She's used to the heat.

In Where There's A Will Haley has no self confidence, but Ryder would probably teach her how to make something out of the silver he heated.

Hot lava looks like silver.

Kim:  We are nosy here at SOS Aloha - what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of where you live?

Karen:  Sight:  my back yard. I love sitting on the back porch when it's cool and watching the birds. Sound: Early in the morning I hear the train in the distance. I don't know, there's something peaceful about the whistle blowing. Smell: New mown grass. It seems like everyone in our neighborhood mows their lawn on the same day. I love the smell of new mown grass.

I offer you nene instead of swans!

Kim:  Tell us about WHERE THERE'S A WILL - what inspired?

Karen:  One of my favorite storylines has always been the ugly duckling who turns into a beautiful swan so in Where There’s A Will I played around with that theme. Haley, the heroine, lives her day to day dreary life with no hope of change until she does a week’s worth of work for a coworker that she has a crush on. When he tells her that he owes her dinner, she gathers her courage and accepts.

She spends all day getting ready—then waits, and waits, but he doesn’t show. That night she cries herself to sleep and prays for a miracle. The next morning a handsome nephilim (half angel/half man) rings her doorbell and promises to give her the miracle she’s been waiting for. She promptly slams the door in his face.

The nephilim don't live by the same rules as your average angel and Ryder isn't one to walk away from a challenge. Haley is definitely a challenge.

Haley may be a challenge ... but so is another
heavenly body - Halley's Comet!
Wikipedia

Kim:  What's next for Karen Kelley?

Karen:  Dillon's story will be out in June and I'm currently working on putting together Hunter's story. After that, who knows? I can say one thing, there will always be stories.

Mahalo, Karen, for joining us on Aloha Friday!  To celebrate WHERE THERE'S A WILL, I am giving away a Hawaiian calender - winner's choice of gorgeous landscape or gorgeous men - to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  What would you wish for yourself if a half angel/half man rang your door - be selfish!   Don't ask for world peace - I'll asked the full angel for that.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Karen and her books, check out her website at authorkarenkelley.com.

Aloha to Hester Browne and THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS

On this day in 1006, William the Conqueror sailed from the Somme River to begin the Norman Conquest of England.   This singular event would ultimately shape the Royal Houses of Europe.   

A panel from the Bayeux Tapestry, capturing the events
of the Norman Conquest (Wikipedia)

British author Hester Browne creates her own kingdom for her modern fairy tale, THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS:

She’s a green-fingered gardener. He’s a blue-blooded banker. Can the Queen of Spades really make it work with the Prince of Diamonds?

If Amy Wilde’s new boyfriend, Leo, treats her like a queen, that’s because he’s secretly a prince himself: Leopold William Victor Wolfsburg of Nirona, the ninth most eligible royal bachelor in the world. Amy soon discovers that dating an heir to a throne has many charms—intimate dinners, glittering galas, and a dazzling new wardrobe with tiaras to match. But there are also drawbacks: imagine the anxiety of meeting your boyfriend’s parents multiplied by “riding in a private jet,” “staying in a castle,” and “discussing the line of succession over lunch.” Not to mention the sudden press interest in your very un-royal family. Amy would do anything for Leo, but is finding her Prince Charming worth the price of losing herself?

Amy would love the flowers in Hawaii!

I loved this book!  I posted my five star review of THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS on Goodreads at this link.   I'll post my review on Amazon when it is published on October 2 at this link.  To celebrate THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS, I am giving away a Hawaiian "Royal" souvenir to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.   If Amy is the Queen of Spades (because she is a gardener), what are you?  I'm the Baroness of Blogging!   

Suggestions for titles - Empress, Queen, Princess, Duchess, Marchioness, Countess, Baroness, Lady, Dame, Honorable, etc.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Hester and her books, check out her website at hesterbrowne.com. 

In the Pink with Avon Romance - Avon Addict Profile

I love to share books ... and I want to share my Avon Addict status with you!  Here's the questions I received from Avon's PR team to update my profile ... how would you answer them?

· Picture or Avatar

I hate pictures of myself (waiting to loose those pesky pounds)  ... so I prefer an avatar of pictures I take around Hawaii.

· Hometown

Do military personnel have home towns?  We own a condo in Safety Harbor, Florida ... but my heart is firmly planted here in Pearl Harbor.

· Favorite Avon Author

That's like asking which is your favorite child!  My default is Cathy Maxwell, Navy veteran and inspiring friend who shares my love of chocolate!

Anne Elizabeth caught us eating
chocolate ice cream at RT/Chicago!

· Favorite Romance (ever)

I offer you a Hawaiian legend of lovers.  From Lehua Ukulele (at this link),

One day Pele, the goddess of the volcano, met a handsome young man named Ohia. She desired to have him as her sweetheart. He confessed that he already was in love with another young girl, Lehua. This enraged Pele and she used her magical powers to transform the young man into the ugly Ohia tree. Lehua was terribly sad and pleaded with Pele to return the young man back to his human form. Pele refused so Lehua begged the gods to help her to be reunited with Ohia. Instead of changing Ohia back to a human, the gods transformed Lehua into a lovely red blossom to adorn the Ohia tree. Now when anyone picks a Lehua blossom, it will rain because the lovers have been separated.

· If your life were a romance novel – it’s title would be?

Borrowing from Jimmy Buffet, 

Blogging Away Again in Hula-Ville.  

or 

Cheeseburger in Paradise - Drive Thru Dining While Daddy's Away in Korea. 

How about you ... would you like to share some of your answers to these questions?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash, loaded with Avon Romances!  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Aloha to Bec McMaster and KISS OF STEEL

On this day in 1580, Sir Frances Drake sailed the Golden Hind home to Plymouth, England, finishing his circumnavigation of the Earth.   His route , however, did not offer him the opportunity to see Australia's beauty as he sailed through Indonesia from the Pacific to Indian Oceans.   Today's guest, Bec McMaster, will give us a glimpse of Australia's beauty as we celebrate her new paranormal steampunk novel, KISS OF STEEL.

Grampians Mountains (Wikipedia)

Kim:  Aloha to my fellow Pacific Rimmer! Tell us about Victoria - what are your favorite sight, sound, and smell? 

Bec:  Hi! And thanks for having me! I live in a small country town in Victoria, Australia, near the Grampians mountain range. On the weekends and during Summer my boyfriend and I will often go for a drive out to Halls gap – which is the main tourist town – and either go for a bushwalk to the top of the Pinnacles or stroll around the town eating homemade ice cream from one of the shops. You have to be careful with the local kangaroos however, as they’re a cheeky mob and are prone to stealing any carelessly-held waffle cone. As to my favourite smell? I think that ice cream shop can be smelt for miles. 

Wikipedia

Kim:  Love your reference to “all the movies in their heads” in your bio on your website (at this link).   How did you make the leap from reading romance to writing romance?

Bec:  I can never remember a time when I haven’t written – although the quality of the stories has definitely improved over time. My first major love was fantasy, and it wasn’t until I read my first romance novel at sixteen that I realized what was missing from a lot of the fantasy I read – or why I loved certain romance-centric fantasy novels. Of course, it was just a step then from writing epic fantasy to writing romance. As to the ‘movies in my head’ quote – that’s honestly how I see it when I write. 

Manchu Pichu (Wikipedia)

Kim:  I also read that you’re “Addicted to travel.” Where would you like to visit next? If you had no restrictions, where would you set your next romance novel?

Bec:  My mum has a milestone birthday coming up next year and wants to trek Machu Pichu for it. She and I have always wanted to do most of the great walks in the world, so it will hopefully be our first together. Last year she did the Kokoda trek in Papua New Guinea to raise money for breast cancer, which is a very tough trek and somewhat close to home for many Australians as it’s where one of our most famous battles was fought. I’m so proud of her for that one so Machu Pichu would be great to do together.

If I had no restrictions about where to set a novel? Tough choice – or too many choices! Maybe Egypt? I love the era when Europeans were ‘discovering’ all of the Egyptians temples and treasures. Plus there is so much myth to play with in regards to Egypt. 

The Giza Pyramids (Wikipedia)

Kim:  Tell us about your London Steampunk Series and Book 1, KISS OF STEEL!

Bec:  The London Steampunk series is set in the Victorian era time-wise, although it’s a very different Victorian London to what actually existed. In my steam-fuelled world, a virus came out of the far-east and changed the face of the London aristocracy. Men infect themselves at fifteen with the craving virus which changes them into blue bloods – faster, stronger and invulnerable to disease, although with one large side effect. The craving for blood.

In this dark world, my heroine Honoria is on the run from a powerful blue blood Duke who would kill to get his hands on her secrets. Forced to flee to the rookeries, the only one she can turn to for protection is Blade, the self-proclaimed Devil of Whitechapel and a rogue blue blood. Honoria could be Blade’s perfect revenge against the duke, or the very salvation he never dared dream of. 

Whitechapel in 1905 (Wikipedia)

Kim:  What's next for Bec McMaster?

Bec:  Heart of Iron, featuring Blade’s verwulfen lieutenant Will and Honoria’s sister Lena, is due out in May 2013. Considered little more than a slave-without-a-collar to the ruling blue bloods, Will is forced to enter their world when he finds a coded letter on Lena – the same code he found on a pair of humans who burned down the blue blood’s draining factories. Determined to make a difference in her world, Lena is only just realizing how much trouble she has gotten herself into when Will forces his protection on her. Years ago he rejected her after a single heart-stopping kiss and the last thing Lena wants is Will following her around. She may not get a choice however, when a dangerous plot sweeps the pair of them up, involving an attack on the Queen herself. 

Wikipedia

Mahalo, Bec, for joining us at SOS Aloha!  Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of KISS OF STEEL to one randomly selected commenter.

KISS OF STEEL BY BEC MCMASTER – IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2012

A brilliantly creative debut where vampires, werewolves, and clockwork creatures roam the mist–shrouded streets of London...

When Nowhere is Safe

Most people avoid the dreaded Whitecapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. For more information, please visit www.becmcmaster.com or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster. 

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about an exotic place you would like to visit - Manchu Pichu?   Papua New Guinea?  Pearl Harbor?

2.  Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to US readers ... I'll giveaway a Hawaiian "steampunk" souvenir to one international reader.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

We have steam in Hawaii ... I am not punking you!

Aloha to Jamie Quaid and BOYFRIEND FROM HELL

What Sets the Saturn’s Daughter Series Apart 

Although this is my first appearance here as Jamie Quaid, I’ve visited before as my romance alter ego, and I’m delighted to be invited again! Kim and I go waaaaay back.

Today, though, I’m writing under a pseudonym because this series is definitely not romance, and I don’t want anyone going into it with the assumption that there’s a love story. Yes, there are some hunky male characters, but one of them is dead, another is evil, and the live one is morally ambivalent. At some point in the series, Tina may have to make choices. She’s not there yet. She will, I promise, always have a happy ending all her own.

I’ve been reading fantasy for years and fell in love with the courageous heroines of urban fantasy when I first started reading Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, and Carrie Vaughn. But the fangs and fur fantasy didn’t capture my imagination sufficiently for me to put finger to keyboard. Or pen to paper, since I often doodle ideas by hand.

But then one day while riding through cornfields—you have utterly no idea how quickly cornfields can reduce me to an unconscious trance—I had a vision of a woman wishing her alpha male boyfriend to hell and of him smashing his car into a wall in consequence. There was something exceedingly satisfying in that scene, and I needed to know more.

Out of that idle moment grew the idea for the Saturn’s Daughter series. In a brainstorming session with my buddies, I decided I wanted my heroine to be a lawyer bent on justice for those who couldn’t otherwise obtain it. That set the story in fantasy territory right there! But when one of my friends said that Saturn was associated with justice, we were off and running.

So far, no gods or planets have been involved in the actual story, although if Tina should ever reach her personal Armageddon, I make no promises! In this first book, she learns she has almost reached the age of Saturn’s transit, she’s developing weird powers, and can be rewarded for wielding them. But without a rule book, she’s at something of a loss. If wishing a man to hell earns her gorgeous hair, can she kill a rapist and wish for a law degree? How about if she just smacks the creep following her? Because there are a lot of uglies between her and her goal of becoming a lawyer.

Unfortunately, being able to damn a man to hell doesn’t mean she’s safe walking down the street. And she has a lawyer’s rational fear that bribing Satan with souls could have unforeseen consequences.

Once Tina’s normal world is turned upside-down, she sees her Baltimore home in a whole new light. Yes, she knows the environmentally hazardous Zone where she works is peculiar—the buildings glow blue neon at night and Dumpsters have a tendency to cavort in alleys. She doesn’t realize how peculiar until she’s forced to take cover in Chesty’s pole-dancing bar from the men in limos stalking her. That’s when her life becomes really interesting.

Instead of meeting werewolves and vampires, Tina talks to her dead boyfriend in mirrors, befriends a shapeshifting bobcat, learns to blow up car tires with her mind, and meets another Saturn’s Daughter who…ummm…has met with some unfortunately chimp-like consequences for her serial killer tendencies. With the help of her new friends from the Zone, Tina might even survive a murderous senator in time to take her final exams, if she’s really lucky.

So maybe I have a little fur, and if bobcats count, a few fangs. But this series is seriously bent in a whole new direction! Are you interested in new urban fantasy directions?

Perhaps Tina would appreciate the beauty of the
Temple of Saturn  (Wikipedia).

Mahalo, Jamie, for visiting us at SOS Aloha!  Jamie is giving away a signed copy of BOYFRIEND FROM HELL to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,  answer Jamie's question, "Are you interested in a new urban fantasy direction?"   Comments are open through Saturday, September 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Jaime and her book, including links to purchase, check out her website at  www.jamiequaid.com.  

Galileo first observed Saturn's rings in 1610 (Wikipedia).

Aloha to Lisa Becker and CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY

Online Dating Inspired Click: An Online Love Story

By Lisa Becker

I first met my husband while wearing my pajamas. Really! No, we weren't at some kinky singles party. I was sitting comfortably in my apartment and he was hanging out in his. But, I will never forget his email introduction via an online dating service, which invited me to check out his profile. It was sweet, endearing and intriguing enough for me to log on to learn more about him. After a week of emails, followed by a week of phone calls, we met for our first date - a traditional dinner and movie outing. Even before I opened the door to greet him, I knew he was "the one." Considering he lived 30 miles away, I'm not certain our paths would have typically crossed. But after 11 years together - including 9 years of marriage (which in Los Angeles is apparently no small feat!) and two beautiful daughters, I have no doubt he is my soul mate.

After my now-husband and I met online, I was recalling some of the hilarious experiences that I had during the whole online dating experience. How could I forget the guy who started every story (no joke!) with “My buddies and I were out drinking one night.” I decided to capture some of them in writing and, from there and based loosely on my own experiences, my novel Click: An Online Love Story emerged. The entire story is told in emails between our heroine, Renee Greene, her three best friends and the gentlemen suitors she meets online. The format felt like a modern way to tell the story that fit the topic, and allowed readers to develop an intimate relationship with the characters.

Clearly, I’m a big fan of online dating and find it to be a useful tool for young professionals who are busy working and finding it difficult to make the right connection at the gym, bar, coffee shop or grocery aisle. I say, people today are “married” to their cell phones and laptops, so why not use that technology to really get married, right?

While Click doesn’t end with a wedding (sorry for the spoiler!), during Renee’s road to happiness, we find many advantages to online dating. My five favorite are:

· On Your Own Terms – Online dating provides a relaxed, anytime and on your own terms experience. Share as little or as much information as you want. Avoid people you are not interested in. Communicate at your convenience. But, don’t send a message at 2:30 am. Nothing smacks more of desperation than an email from someone trolling the Internet for a date in the wee hours of the morning.

· Multi-Tasking Enabled – Flirt while filing your taxes. Chat and trim your nails. Meet a mate while making breakfast. It’s a well-known fact that women are great multi-taskers. Take full advantage of that skill. As Shelley, the over-sexed character in Click says to the about-to-try-online-dating Renee, “A whole host of hot and horny single men that I can review, chat with, judge and mock – all while sitting in my office looking very busy. Maybe I should give it a try myself.”

· Trade the “Meat Market” for the “Meet Market” – Now you can avoid the “meat market” scene of bars and clubs and instead enjoy a “meet market” – an international bazaar (but let’s hope not too bizarre) of prospective mates. The Internet allows you to make an online introduction to thousands if not millions of people around the world. So, if you want to meet someone in Katmandu, well then, can do!

· Save Time, Money and Energy – Let’s face it. Dating isn’t cheap. It takes time, money and, likely your most valuable and scarce resource, energy. With the “try before you buy” environment of online dating, you don’t have to meet for a drink, grab a coffee or sit through a long dinner only to discover there’s no physical attraction, you have nothing in common, conversation is lacking, etc.

· Rejection Made Easy – In Click, Renee gets an email from someone halfway across the world looking to meet someone willing to move for him. After sending a polite and diplomatic “thanks but no thanks” email message, she proclaims to her friend, “It’s so much easier to reject someone over that Internet than in real life. Score one for online dating!” While rejection is easier for both parties when done online, it’s important to remember that people still have feelings.

As I've said many times before, if it happened for me, there's hope for you. So log on and take a chance. To purchase Click, please click here. To follow updates on Click and share your stories about online dating, visit the Click Facebook fan page.

The ladies from SEX IN THE CITY share their dating stories ...

Mahalo, Lisa, for joining us at SOS Aloha! I posted my review of CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link. I am giving away a Hawaiian calendar to keep track of your "dates" - for PTA meetings, soccer games, or dentist appointments. To enter the giveaway,

1. Do you type on the computer ... or do you hen peck? I type ... and my kids' henpecking drives me bananas! 

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, September 29, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

These wahine (women) are available for Hawaiian blessings
... for dating prospects?

Weekly winners and H50 Season 3 Premiere

cbs.com

We have winners at SOS Aloha ... home of H50 fans!

Eryn LaPlant's BENEATH THE WALL

- Susan is the winner!

Shana Galen's WHEN YOU GIVE A DUKE A DIAMOND

- LSU is the winner!

Emma Lang's BRODY

- Estella is the winner! 

Hau`oli Lā Hānau - USAF's 65th Birthday!

- Carol L. is the winner!

Laura Levine's DEATH OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH

- Christina is the winner!

Avon Addicts Swag:

- Molly is the winner!

Mike J. Krentz's RIVEN DAWN: A Flagship Novel

- Monica is the winner!

Sandy Blair's THE KING'S MISTRESS

- Terri is the winner!

Waikiki is the winner tonight as it hots "Sunset on the Beach" with the H5O Season 3 premiere! Steve finds his mother ... while his enemy finds freedom. The broadcast premiere is Monday, September 23, 10 pm EST. Five hours later, it will broadcast here in Hawaii. You'll know where I'll be!

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

A mother's homecoming on Hawaii Five O
cbs.com