SOS Aloha

Guest Review - Lara Adrian's DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT

2012-01-28T01:17:00.000-08:00

Renee, Nadja, and Ivy

This past week, I ventured out with two other military spouses who are published authors - check out our trip at this link. During our drive to Ka'ena Point, we chatted about Lara Adrian's DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT. In fact, Nadja reviewed it for me and here it is:

DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

Midnight Breed Series, book 10

I really liked and enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it. ClearlyLara Adrian is doing something right, though: DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT is book 10 inher popular series after all. I understand that the book was meant to be thelast in the series, but Adrian was contracted for two more, which may begin anew arc with the younger characters or next generation.

If you like tall warrior-vampires who wear black and live insecret compounds, then this book, and series, is for you. If you’re intovampires shuttered away during daylight hours who protect the fragile peacebetween humans and the predators who’d like to nibble on them, then you’llenjoy Adrian’s books.

I did.

The issues I had with this book partly stem from the factthat I haven’t read the nine books preceding DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT. It’s toughto write the tenth book in a series about a tight group of people withouthaving a new reader trip over unknown characters left and right. Keeping thewarriors and their mates straight almost required post-it notes (especiallysince they seemed to travel in packs and rarely step out in ones or twos). Iwas far more interested in the two protagonists, Sterling Chase and TaviaFairchild, than their friends and family, but I understand that fans of theseries want to reconnect with “their” characters.

The two characters that did stand out to me were Rio,because he was physically flawed (no small feat when surrounded by all theseawesome males) and Gideon, the geek (I can’t help it, I’m attracted to a man’smind). I’d love to read Gideon’s story, but I’m afraid he’ll switch intowarrior mode and then just become one of the many.

Now there’s a fresh take on vampires I’d love to seedeveloped into a new series: the geek who rescues his damsel from behind akeyboard. Naturally he’ll be tall and handsome, but I’d really rather not havehim wear black or combat boots.

One thing that didn’t work for me was the Bloodlust.Throughout the book Chase struggles with his addiction to blood. Bloodlust to avampire appears to be what binge-eating is to a human. Afraid he won’t be ableto stop feeding (and thus killing the blood donor), Chase choses to starvehimself instead. This didn’t work for me at all. The willpower versus appetitestruggle is a classic, of course; as is the vampire’s fear that he’ll hurt aninnocent. This classic trope is sliding into cliché territory. As the majorityof dieters know, the easiest way to avoid binging is to have regular snacks.

When Tavia finally convinces Chase that he needs blood, heimmediately beats himself up for not stopping after a few swallows. Come on,buddy, you’ve been shot (repeatedly) and knifed and starved and bled, ofcourse, you’re thirsty.

Chase wasn’t the first to almost succumb to Bloodlust, whichmade me wonder why these guys didn’t have a system to deal with the occasionaloverwhelming need/want for blood. If you don’t trust yourself to stop feedingbefore killing the donor, bring a buddy who’ll stop you in time. You’ve beenaround for a few hundred years, and you know how important it is to not leavecorpses in your wake, but you haven’t secured a regular source of food yet?

I had no issues with Dragos, the villain. He was thestandard megalomaniac out to rule the world. I skipped a few of his pages.Since DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT is the climactic book in the series, Dragos finallymet his match, i.e. he was ashed. The ending worked for me, but I have afeeling regular readers and long-time fans of the series would have liked tosee a grander end to Dragos. It was too quick, too easy, too over and donewith.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. The writing was flawless.Lara Adrian knows what she’s doing, no doubt about it. It’s difficult to dockher points for world building events that were set in motion many years ago inbook 1 of the series when vampire angst over feedings wasn’t cliché yet.

B+

Mahalo, Nadja, for your review! I am giving away another copy of Book 1, KISS OF MIDNIGHT, to one randomly selected commenters. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about series - are you willing to jump into the middle of one? Or do you read the backlist first before reading the newest release?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, February 4, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Friday, Feburary 5.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Makaha Cave - home of the shapeshifting shark

Aloha to Victoria Alexander and MY WICKED LITTLE LIES

2012-01-27T00:38:00.000-08:00

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.

~Catherine Douzel

Victoria Alexander is like a cup of tea - warming, comforting, and fulfilling. Today's post explores my love affair with Victoria Alexander's books.

First book I read from Victoria Alexander: THE HUSBAND LIST (at this link). It introduced me to Victoria's humor and her entertaining Effington Family.

Favorite book before her recent release: THE LADY IN QUESTION (at this link). Favorite passage from this book (contains spoiler):

"Calm? You wish me to be calm! Bloody hell, my housekeeper just killed my husband! I've married my butler, and all of my servants are spies! Spies! " Fury shot from her eyes. "I shall never be calm again."

My husband's favorite book from Victoria: THE PRINCE'S BRIDE (at this link). He read it while waiting for me - he chuckled at the heroine's reluctance to wear glasses!

Entertaining meal with Victoria: At the 2011 RT Booklovers' Convention - from my blog (at this link).

Cathy Maxwell and I joined Victoria Alexander for lunch. The home baked cookies were literally "hot" items which disappeared quickly from the buffet. We mentioned it to a passing sous chef who delivered a tray just out of the oven for us ... talk about personal service! Victoria shared tidbits about her upcoming books ... I can hardly kiss and tell. But I did squeal with glee (and so will you).

Dressed as a Saucy Siren

And one of those books was MY WICKED LITTLE LIES - available January 31:

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater has it all—a genteel Victoria life replete with loving husband, ball gowns and elegant parties. No one, including the man she married, suspects that she was once “Eve”, a spy for England’s most enigmatic intelligence agency. Summoned for one final assignment, the excitement of her former life and memories of her mysterious, flirtatious boss “Sir” prove too tempting . . .

Adrian Hadley Attwater is a respectable, dignified gentleman. But even the most proper gentlemen have secrets of their own. Secrets from the rest of the world, from their families, from their wives. Secrets that have a price. Now, as the veil of secrecy frays, a tantalizing game of cat and mouse will test the bounds of unfailing love . . .

You can read my thoughts on MY WICKED LITTLE LIES on Goodreads at this link. I am giving away a print copy of MY WICKED LITTLE LIES to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. What do you enjoy for an afternoon treat - tea or coffee? sweet or salty?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

The Langham
london.langhamhotels.com

To learn more about Victoria, check out her website at this link.

To learn more about Sinful Family Secrets series, check out Victoria's interview with Helena, the Dowager Countess of Waterston, at this link. Naturally, Victoria served tea.

To reserve your room at the The Langham, use this link (I recommend Room 327). For afternoon tea, use this link.

Afternoon tea at The Langham
londonhotelsinsight.com

Aloha to Binnie Syril Braunstein - Author, Publicist, and Friend to the Romance Community

2012-01-26T02:06:00.000-08:00

Cullinan Diamond
mostinterestingfacts.com

On this date in 1905, Thomas Evan Powell discovered the Cullinan Diamond, weighing 3106 carats, near Pretoria. The Cullinan was presented to King Edward VII for his birthday. It is now mounted in the Sceptre with the Cross as part of the British Crown Jewels.

The Crown Jewels of Romance!
Binnie is in the back row, second from left.

Today's guest is a special gem to the romance community - Binnie Syril Braunstein. She joins for me for a cozy chat!

Kim: You live in the Baltimore area - can you share your favorite sight, sound, and smell?|

Binnie: My favorite sight is the Washington Monument - Baltimore's monument, that is - on Mt. Vernon Square.

My favorite sound is the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra!

My favorite smell is the enticing aroma coming out of the stacks at McCormick's (in Baltimore County).

Mt Vernon Square
freelargephotos.com

Kim: You kindly sent me several of your romance books during my R&R. Can you tell us about your books and your path to publishing?

Binnie: One day, on the way to my job as a librarian, I heard words in my head: "He was ugly. Very ugly." I didn't know who was ugly, or why, but I scribbled down some notes when I got to work. Eventually, I had written a short story, which later turned into a modern version of "Beauty and the Beast," with the theme, "I love you the way you are." It was eventually published as a short story in Woman's World, along with quite a few others. My second book also started out as a short story, but was eventually published as my first book, The Color of Love. After that, my first short story, which had turned into the book of my heart, was published as Out of the Darkness. The third book, Baby Love, was published later. All three books are set in Baltimore.

Kim: You also write other forms of fiction - what are they and what inspires them?

Binnie: I've written many short stories, 49 of which have been published. The first one was a Christmas story about a woman slated to spend Christmas alone... and then encounters unexpected company. My second published story was about a single mom and the guy across the hall, set against the background of a New York blackout. It was called, "Once Upon a Time, There Was a Purple Dragon."

I wrote a couple of dog stories, both about couples where one person loved dogs, but the other wasn't so easy to convince. One story dealt with a woman expecting to spend New Year's Eve alone: "Champagne for One." And one of my favorite stories was about a woman so tired of the singles scene that when a man calls up and asks her for a date, she turns him down. But she then agrees to "phone dates." As you can tell, I love the short story format! All of my short stories except one were romances.

I've also written poetry. My writing career really started out when I wrote six poems dedicated to a friend who had died. I designed the book, had it typeset, copies printed, and copyrighted it, and gave copies to my late friend's family. The day the book went to the printer, those fateful words, "He was ugly, very ugly," came into my head.

Kim: You also branched out into other areas of publishing, namely publicity. What are the challenges and rewards with fast-changing social media?

Binnie: I started out doing publicity for myself and branched out when a fellow romance author asked me to help her. One of the challenges is that each author I work with is different, wanting different things. Typically, I custom design plans for each author, all the while keeping to my mantra, "Champagne publicity on a lemonade budget."

Kim; If a reader is interested in your writing, or an author is interested in your services, how can they contact you?

Binnie: My books are available on the out of print market, in places like Paperback Swap, etc. An author who is interested in my publicity service, Press Kit Communications, can contact me via email: BSBGC@aol.com.

Glorious Baltimore!

Mahalo, Binnie, for joining us today at SOS Aloha! I know I will see many of Binnie's clients at RT in Chicago. I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Have you ever reacted to an idea that popped into your head?

I met Binnie at an idea that popped into my head - the Fort Meade Old Fashioned Tea Party (at this link).

Sally MacKenzie (left), Diane Gaston (right)
and me at the tea party!

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

The Cullinan Diamond atop the sceptre.

Aloha to Sabrina Jeffries and A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS

2012-01-25T00:40:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1890, Nellie Bly completed her round the world journey in 72 days. I wonder if she experienced the same adventures of Sabrina Jeffries, albeit a hundred years apart. From Sabrina's bio,

If having a colorful life turns you into a novelist, then I had no choice but to become a writer. My whole life changed when my parents decided to be missionaries to Thailand (when I was seven). Before I was eighteen, I’d eaten chicken heads and jellyfish, been chased by a baby elephant, seen countless cobras and pythons, had the entire series of rabies shots (yes, the ones in the stomach with those lo-o-o-ng needles) and played in rain forests and rubber plantations.

Nellie Bly during WWI
nellieblyonline.com

Likewise, Sabrina's new release, A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS, might be an apt title for Nellie Bly - she discarded traditional topics for female writers such as fashion and gardening. Instead, Nellie reported on female factory workers, served as a foreign correspondent in Mexico, an entered an insane asylum undercover.

A Regency Lady
(Countess of Blessington)

Alas, Sabrina's Lady Celia didn't take such drastic measures, but she does challenge society, her Gran, and even Mr. Pinter in A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS:

With two months left to find a husband to fulfill her grandmother’s ultimatum, Lady Celia Sharpe sets her sights on three eligible bachelors. Becoming betrothed to one of these wealthy, high-ranking men will surely prove her capable of getting married, so hopefully the wedding itself won’t be necessary for Celia and her siblings to receive their inheritance. Step two of her audacious plan is hiring the dangerously compelling Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter to investigate the three men she’s chosen. But with Lady Celia bedeviling Jackson’s days and nights, the last thing he wants is to help her find a husband. And when she recalls shadowed memories that lead his investigation into her parents’ mysterious deaths in a new direction—putting her in danger—Jackson realizes the only man he wants Celia to marry is himself!

A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS is book five in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. While I was sad for the series to end, Sabrina hints that we'll see a familiar character, Pierce Waverly, in the near future. Check out my review of A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS at this link.

I am giving away a print copy of A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about an adventure in your life - across town or across country!

One of the most unique adventures my children have encountered here is Hawaii is sleeping overnight on board the USS Missouri!

Mighty Mo!

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Sabrina and her books, check out her website at www.sabrinajeffries.com.

Aloha to Alexia Fraser and MEMORIES OF MOM

2012-01-23T17:52:00.001-08:00

Today I welcome Alexia Fraser, debut author of the beautiful memoir, MEMORIES OF MOM:

Memories of Mom (M.O.M.) is a poignant story about an extraordinary mother, written by a daughter who loved and cared for her during her last lap of life. This story is written from the heart, and will inspire love and affection in millions of daughters and sons who will someday be caring for their elderly parents or loved ones. The driving force behind her writing this book is to preserve and share the loving memories of her mom.

From Alexia's bio,

Alexia Elizabeth Smart-Fraser was born in the beautiful island of Jamaica. After marrying her high school sweetheart Edward, she migrated to the United States .... As well, Alexia Fraser has written and produced three original non-fiction one act plays both off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. “The Ryans,” “Dope the Endeavor” and “Blind Trust.” Her fourth play “Our God is Awesome” is not yet produced, but will be in the near future.

caribbeanbeachfun.com

Kim: We like tropical islands here at SOS Aloha. Can you share your favorite sight, sound, and smell of Jamaica?

Alexia: My favorite sight is the lush vegetation bathing in Jamaica’s abundant sunshine against the backdrop of its turquoise seas. My favorite sound is Jamaica’s culture infused reggae music with its characteristically heavy bass line. My favorite smell is the aroma of freshly jerked chicken wafting through Jamaica’s warm, tropical breezes.

nyctourist.com

Kim: I am curious the path you took to write and produce acts for off Broadway - how did it happen?

Alexia: I would audition for plays but no meaningful roles came my way. I decided to take matters into my own hands and scripted plays that I could have a role in. It was risky. It was costly. And what if nobody came. Well, they came. And they came in droves!

travelandfoodnotes.com

Kim: Tell us about MEMORIES OF MOM - what was the hardest part to write?

Alexia: It was most difficult to write about the memory of my mother lying close to death in the ICU with all those machines hooked-up to her. I thought to myself, was I being selfish by having her on the respirator? Was I prolonging her suffering and the inevitable? I did not want to let go but I had such an overwhelming sense of peace when she was allowed to pass with dignity and grace.

nytimes.com

Kim: What's next for Alexia Fraser?

Alexia: I have some ideas percolating. The book about my journey with my daughter through the world of dance. A possible play about an awesome GOD. But first things first. My focus right now is to make “Memories of Mom” a New York Times bestseller.

Thank you very much SOS Aloha for having me.

This is a sample ... not the actual gift!
maunaloa.com

Mahalo, Alexia, for sharing with us. I am giving away a Hawaiian gift pack, one that you can share with your family, to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about a special memory for your family. I remember every Christmas my English granny would visit us in Florida. She always brought an extra large Toblerone bar for me!

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Alexia and MEMORIES OF MOM, check out her website at www.alexiafraser.blogspot.com.

Aloha to Mia Marlowe and SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER

2012-01-23T00:38:00.000-08:00

We are two days away from Burns Night in Scotland.

Sigh.

Scotland.

Let's get a head start on the celebration by welcoming Mia Marlowe, coauthor of SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER.

Kim: You wrote in your bio that you'd rather have an adventure than a new sofa. Your bio also includes 10 “fun facts,” including surfing in Hawaii, riding an elephant, and moving more times than mortal should. If I didn't know better, I would think you are a military spouse! What did you learn about yourself after these adventures?

Mia: Mostly I learned that I am genetically programmed to seek out new experiences. I’m also always up for a new challenge. This has been terrific for my writing. Nothing is ever wasted on a writer. We store up experiences and emotions (good and bad) and bequeath them to our literary children later.

The Out of Towners by Jack Vettriano
Vettriano hails from Fife, Scotland.

Kim: On your website, www.miamarlowe.com, you explain how you connected with Connie Mason. I am curious how two authors write a book together. Can you give a glimpse into the process?

Mia: Since Connie is the senior author for this project, she picked the setting and time period. She’d written Scottish romances before, but Sins of the Highlander is my first foray into the world of kilted heroes. I dove into the research with abandon and came away loving these honorable rogues. Our voices are actually pretty similar. It was noted by several reviewers when my debut title first came out. Since our voices and preferences for adventurous, sensual stories are so in sync, the partnership has been very harmonious.

Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in Linlithgow Palace
historic-scotland.gov.uk

Kim: The reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, is a fascinating time in Scottish history. What resources did you use for this time period?

Mia: The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots by Graham was very helpful. And of course, we used the internet. How did authors research without Google? I used the BBC site (at this link), for a look at clothing of the period I went with this link, a page by a cultural anthropologist. We needed a map for this story since our hero and heroine were traveling for much of it, so we used this link. You may notice I’m not citing Wikipedia. It may be a good place to start, but unless I can corroborate details from another source, I don’t trust it implicitly.

Vettrianos' THE SINGING BUTLER

Kim: From your bio, your daughter replied, “Well, of course, my mom can do it. She's a Renaissance woman. She can do anything!” I love that you have taught your daughter to recognize such strength! I believe the Scots also embrace “Renaissance” qualities. What draws you to them? Does your hero or heroine demonstrate any “Renaissance” qualities?

Mia: I can’t take credit for my kids. They are simply terrific despite me.

The whole idea of a “Renaissance” mind-set is that all the disciplines are interrelated. That’s why you had artists/scholars who were also warriors, statesmen and scientists. Nowadays we say someone is a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” In the Renaissance, that was the ideal. The fully actualized man knew a bit about everything and could shine in all. My hero Rob is a warrior and clan leader, but he also has a poet’s heart, even if he isn’t able to verbalize it often.

Kim: What’s next for Mia Marlowe?

Mia: My next release is coming February 28th. It’s Touch of a Rogue, the second book in my Touch of Seduction series. Don’t worry. You don’t have to read them in order. My hero Jacob Preston has the “gift of touch,” the ability to glean secret information when he touches metal objects. It’s a helpful oddity when it comes to solving mysteries, but a handicap at dinner parties. Silverware is so very chatty. If you’d like a taste of this story, please visit my website at this link.

Connie Mason and I have another release coming this summer called Lord of Fire and Ice and we’re currently working on a new Regency-set series called The Royal Rakes. Readers who loved Connie’s Rogues will also love this new trio of stories.

While you’re on my website, be sure to enter my website contest at this link. The Grand Prize is a new Kindle! You’ll also be automatically signed up for my newsletter so you’ll be notified when my new books come out.

;-) I love connecting with readers and would be happy to see you on Facebook (at this link) and Twitter (at this link) too!

Here’s a question to get the conversation going today: What do you think about a basically good character doing something bad—like abducting someone against their will?

Delacroix's ABDUCTION OF REBECCA

Mahalo, Mia, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Sourcebooks is giving away two print copies of SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER:

SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER
BY CONNIE MASON & MIA MARLOWE

IN STORES JANUARY 2012

Abduction...

Never had Elspeth Stewart imagined her wedding would be interrupted by a dark-haired stranger charging in on a black stallion, scooping her into his arms, and carrying her off across the wild Scottish highlands. Pressed against his hard chest and nestled between his trong thighs, she ought to have feared for her life. But her captor silenced all protests with a soul-searing kiss, giving Elspeth a glimpse of the pain behind his passion—a pain only she could ease.

Obsession...

“Mad Rob” MacLaren thought stealing his rival’s bride-to-be was the prefect revenge. But Rob never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would awaken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, he longed to introduce the luscious Elspeth to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his, and only his, forever.

With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join together—body, breath and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the Sins of the Highlander.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Connie Mason is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels. She was named Storyteller of the Year in 1990 and received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews in 1994. She currently lives in Florida. Mia Marlowe is a highly acclaimed new voice in romance whose debut novel released in Spring 2011 from Kensington. She lives in Boston, MA. Together, they are working on a new Regency romance series for Sourcebooks Casablanca, the first of which will be in stores in Fall 2012. For more information, please visit www.conniemason.com, www.miamarlowe.com and follow Mia on Twitter @Mia_Marlowe.

To enter the giveaway,

1. Answer Mia's question, What do you think about a basically good character doing something bad—like abducting someone against their will?

2. Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to North American Residents only. But I will give away a copy to one international readers (winner's choice of format).

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Burns Night, check out this website.

The snowdrop and primrose our woodlands adorn,

and violets bathe in the wet o' the morn.

Robert Burns

Everyone celebrates Burns Night in Scotland!
waterfrontnursery.co.uk

Aloha to Amanda Usen and SCRUMPTIOUS

2012-01-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of the TOP CHEF franchise - it is now broadcasting its 9th season from Texas on Bravo (at this link). The killer - the chefs have no written recipes! They do everything, including dishes they've never made, from memory. I wonder how today's guest would fare at Top Chef! Please join me in welcoming debut author of "food romance", Amanda Usen! From her bio,

When I grew up... I was going to be a poet. After receiving a BA in English and Psychology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, I applied to the top three poetry writing MFA programs in the country.

*clears throat*

I didn't get in to any of them.

But while I was waiting for those acceptance letters, I learned how to throw a mean dinner party. All the time I should have spent disciplining myself to write I spent cooking and baking. After a year or so of working on the line in a splendid Nashville restaurant and making the danish in a traditional French bakery, I decided to go to culinary school instead. I met my husband at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY on the very first day of class. After that I was too happy to write soul-torturing poetry, so I began to write what I've always loved to read - romance. I give my characters the life I hope to live... happily ever after with great snacks.

Kim: Tell us about Western New York- your favorite sight, sound, and smell.

Amanda: The people are my favorite thing about WNY. It’s a greatplace to live, and I’m glad we settled here after we got New Orleans out of our systems. My favoritesight is the daffodils blooming after our harsh winters. The thundering soundof Niagara Falls is awesome. My favorite scent is the smell of homegrowntomatoes. My husband gardens, and if we have ripe, heirloom tomatoes, then thatmeans we are in the middle of summer, a very fine time in WNY!

St. Germain's Bakery in Honolulu

Kim: After reading your bio, I am now hungry for a"danish in the traditional French bakery". Can you tellus one misconception eaters may have about culinary school?

Amanda: I’m hungry for that pecan danish every day of my life! Itwas my job to glaze them when they came out of the oven. If I close my eyes, Ican still smell warm apricot glaze mixed with the rich scent of butter, brownsugar and nuts. *sigh* I think the consensus on culinary school is prettyaccurate – you can learn to cook anything. My husband and I mastered the basiccooking methods and had resources available to research and experiment with allkinds of food.

Frasier and Roz when the brothers opened their
own restaurant ....

Kim: Do you draw upon psychology and poetry towrite romance? Do you favor Jung or Freud? (I'm thinking of the ongoingfeud between Frasier and Niles) Who is your favorite poet and what is your favorite poem?

Amanda: I draw on everything I’ve ever learned to write romance. I’mglad I majored in psychology because it helps me develop motivation for mycharacters. But as for Jung, I probably spent more time thinking about thecollective unconscious while reading Jean Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear seriesthan in college. I’d have to go with Freud because the concept of the id, egoand superego really stuck with me. That ongoing feud between Frasier and Niles is rooted insibling rivalry, right? And since it goes back to jealousy over their mother’sattention and Frasier’s accomplishments, I think that’s TWO for Freud!

Mypoetry background comes into play when I’m searching for the perfect word ortrying to make words flow in a way that is pleasing to the eye, ear and brain. Myfavorite poem is Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art.” I love it so much, my highschool BFF gave me the framed print when I sold SCRUMPTIOUS. My favorite poetwill forever be Mark Jarman, director of creative writing at Vanderbilt University,where I did my undergrad. He encouraged my interest in poetry and helped mefind my voice. I don’t often write poetry anymore, but I credit him withhelping me give form and beauty to all that college angst.

... Niles and Daphne on opening night.

Kim: Tell us about SCRUMPTIOUS!

Amanda: Scrumptious is a hot chef romance about a travelingchef-for-hire and a love e’m and leave ‘em pastry chef.

Here’s the blurb:

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks.But if he thinks he's going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he's denserthan a thick slice of chocolate ripple cheesecake. Marly has invested too muchof her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else—especiallya cocky-as-all-get-out superstar chef. But there's no denying the man knows howto light her fire. Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling theburn?

I gave Joe a piece of every hot chef I’ve ever met and thencreated a woman who could keep up with him in the kitchen…and everywhere else.

Kim: What's next forAmanda Usen?

Amanda: Edits for LUSCIOUS, the sequel to SCRUMPTIOUS, are almostcomplete and I’m working on the third book in the series. Readers will findthemselves in the heat of a Western New Yorkkitchen with a temperamental Italian chef and the bad boy intent on seducingher away from the stove.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today. I had agreat time answering your questions! Too bad it couldn’t have been in person –I dream of visiting Hawaii.Someday…

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto made a
guest appearance on Hawaii Five O.

Mahalo, Amanda, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Hawaii offers scrumptious food, scenery, and Alex O'Loughlin (who could have been SCRUMPTIOUS' cover model).

I am giving away Alex, er, SCRUMPTIOUS to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about what is scrumptious to you - French pastry? Hawaiian malasada? Alex O'Loughlin? Scott Caan?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winners on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Amanda and SCRUMPTIOUS, check out her website at www.amandausen.com.

Wo Fat and McGarrett square off over tea.
Both are scrumptious!

Links, Survey, and Weekly Winners

2012-01-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

Bellows Beach

Aloha! I am "camping" at Bellows Beach as you read this blog. Actually, I am staying in a cottage as the Scouts camp. Oh, the life of a mom!

Life is not too hard as I continue to post pictures around Hawaii at ALOHA ON MY MIND at this link. It is a weekly blog with a giveaway (book choice from convention stash).

I also reflect upon life at CELEBRATE LITTLE VICTORIES at this link. It is a daily post and I invite you to share!

Sailing on Pearl Harbor Channel

My buddy Cathy Maxwell reminded me to take the Avon Consumer Survey at this link. Just finished it ... how about you?

We have winners at SOS Aloha!

Jenn LeBlanc's THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, new serial novel
- Karen is the winner!

Humor with the Pink Panther, book choice from convention stash
- Marlene is the winner!

Linda Wisdom's A DEMON DOES IT BETTER
- June and Na are the winners!

Victoria Connelly's DREAMING OF MR. DARCY
- Liz is the winner!

Fiona Ingram's THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB
- Barbara is the winner!

Rebecca York's book covers
- Dorothy is the winner!

Michael Draper's SPLATTERED BLOOD
- Chrissy is the winner!

Let's go back to camping - love it or loathe it? Do you have a funny story? One randomly selected commenter will win a book choice from my convention stash. This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Camping at the beach has some benefits ...
... these teens created a mermaid!

Aloha to Lara Adrian and DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT

2012-01-21T00:29:00.000-08:00

This week I received a surprise in the mail ... an advance copy of Lara Adrian's DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT, Book 10 in her Midnight Breed Series:

In the dark of night, a blood war escalates within the hidden world of the Breed. After existing in secret for many long centuries, maintaining a fragile peace with the humans who walk beside them unaware, a single act of retaliation has put the entire vampire nation at risk of discovery. It falls to the Order--a cadre of Breed warriors pledged to protect their own and humankind alike--to stop Dragos, the power-mad vampire at the center of the conflict, before his push for domination can explode into catastrophe.

At the center of the Order’s quest is Sterling Chase, once a morally rigid enforcer of Breed law, now a warrior fallen from grace, whose biggest battle is the one he wages against his own savage nature. With addiction beckoning him toward eternal darkness, Chase’s path to redemption has never seemed more out of reach--until he finds himself drawn to a beautiful young woman who may be something much more than she seems . . .

I was curious about the tremendous talent behind this successful series. From Lara's bio,

As a child, Lara Adrian used to sleep with the covers up around her neck, afraid she might become the midnight prey of deadly vampires. Later on, under the influence of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice, she had to wonder if her fear wasn't actually something else: a secret desire to walk in a darker world, to live a dangerous and sensual dream with a man of seductive, preternatural power. It is that twining of fear and desire that fuels Lara's own fantasies today, and the idea that she explores in her New York Times bestselling Midnight Breed series of vampire romance novels from Bantam Dell Books.

The Court of Henry VIII ... what happens after midnight?

With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, Lara Adrian lives with her husband in New England, surrounded by centuries-old graveyards, hip urban comforts, and the endless inspiration of the broody Atlantic Ocean.

General Meade, a descendant of a Mayflower passenger,
defeated General Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Perhaps he could challenge Dragos.

I am camping with the Boy Scouts at Bellows Beach this weekend. Actually, I am staying in a cottage while they do Boy Scout things, like sleep in tents. I shall crack open DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT as the Pacific rivals the Atlantic in broodiness. Look for review soon! Meanwhile, I am giving away a print copy of Book 1, KISS OF MIDNIGHT, to one randomly selected commenter:

INSATIABLE DESIRE. ENDLESS SEDUCTION. ONE TOUCH IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle's deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night--or this man--is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed--a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind--and the unwitting humans existing alongside them--from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed's formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all . . . .

To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about thrillers - can you sleep after reading one? Do you hear things that go bump in the night? Do you need to read something light as your next book?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Lara, and view an amazing book trailer, log onto her website at www.laraadrian.com.

Bellows Beach looks serene ...
... but it holds a few mysteries, too!

Aloha to Michael Draper and SPLATTERED BLOOD

2012-01-19T23:56:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1887, the US Senate approved the Navy's lease of Pearl Harbor from the Kingdom of Hawaii. 123 years later, Pearl Harbor is the premiere home port, No Ka Oi, as the gateway to the Pacific.

What does today's trivia have to do with today's guest? One never knows what is at the end of a chosen path. Today's guest is Michael Draper, Air Force veteran, Amazon reviewer, and debut mystery author recommended to me by Mary Gramlich, the Reading Reviewer. From his bio,

Michael A. Draper holds a master's degree in teaching from Saint Michael's College in Vermont. He spent four years in the Air Force, achieving the rank of captain. Currently in the field of life insurance and retirement planning, Mr. Draper found a great deal of inspiration for this novel while working with law enforcement personnel.

Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest
sierraclub.org

Kim: Aloha, Michael! You live in New England. What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

Michael: My favorite thing is the fall foliage. I attended college in upper Vermont where I'd see the Green Mountains outside my window or while going around the campus. The beautiful afternoon colors as the sun hit the mountains, and the snow topped mountains themselves were a memory I've cherished and to see the colors change so beautifully in Connecticut has been a joy.

Connecticut Foliage
leafpeepers.com

Kim: What prompted you to write reviews on Amazon? What are your favorite genres? What trends have you noticed?

Michael: I've been a mystery fan and book collector for years and I would read reviews by others. Eventually, I thought I had something to add to those reviews so began posting them myself. The trend in writing has been all of the paranormal books out there today. In the old days, it was mostly Stephen King and Dean Koontz with this genre but today, it is the choice of so many young readers. It's good to see that something has brought so many younger readers back to books.

Kim: Who or what has influenced your writing?

Michael: My influence as an author has been James Lee Burke. One of the very few writers who has received an Edgar Award for mystery novels.

Kim: Tell us about your debut novel, SPLATTERED BLOOD? How much of your own experience in life insurance and retirement planning is in this book?

Michael: Very little of my own experience is in "Splattered Blood." However, I've been a financial advisor to many law enforcement personnel through the years and I would hear so many wonderful stories about the things they encountered in their jobs, I incorporated a fictionalized part of some of those stories here.

It was fun to think of a financial advisor having an adventure of finding a killer but he was accompanied by a Rambo type character who took care of most of the rough stuff.

Kim: What's next for Mike Draper?

Michael: I'm semi retired as a financial planner and half way through a second novel with the same characters.

I found a picture of the NY Highlanders ...
... but they played baseball, not basketball.

Mahalo, Michael for your military service and your visit today! I am giving away a print copy of SPLATTERED BLOOD to one randomly selected commenter:

THE CHIEF OF INTERNAL SECURITY for New England's professional basketball team, the Highlanders, is found dead in his office, with a suicide note and conflicting evidence of foul play. Refusing to believe he would have had reason to kill himself, and frustrated with the slowness of the police force's progress on the case, Johnny's widow, Roseanne, and best friend, Randy, launch a renegade investigation of their own. Aided by Roseanne's brother Graham, a fiercely protective loose cannon, they dig up evidence that Johnny, just previous to the date of his death, was running his own undercover investigation into the drug overdose of a star player for the Highlanders. The amateur detectives find themselves mixed up with a ruthless gang of mobsters, many of whom are responsible for the drug trade-and a string of violent murders - from Washington, D.C. to Boston. When their quest takes a gruesome and deadly turn, the three wonder if they're in over their heads. A gritty tale in the vein of Dennis Lehane and Robert B. Parker, Splattered Blood keeps readers guessing,with suspense and retribution on every page.

To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about mysteries -what do you look for in a good mystery?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 21, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Check out Mary's review (and giveaway) of SPLATTERED BLOOD at this link.

Highlanders? Did I read Highlanders?
You know I have to post a picture of Highlanders!
42nd Royal Highland Regiment Signalling Unit, c. 1898

Aloha to Rebecca York, DARK MOON, CHAINED, AMBUSHED, and book covers

2012-01-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

Aloha! Rebecca York, an award winning author and long time supporter of SOS America, is my guest today .... sit back, relax, and soak up Rebecca's venture into the indie market.

Maybe youcan’t tell a book by its cover. But thecover’s either going to attract you or turn you off. Which is why it’s a vital selling tool forwriters going indie.

You’lloften hear writers say that the cover gods smiled on them for a particularbook. Or they’ll say they hate thecover. With indie books, you can haveexactly what you want or think you want.

For my newDECORAH SECURITY series, I gave considerable thought to each cover. Two worked the way I wanted. I ended up reconsidering one.

I came awayfrom the 2010 Novelists Inc. writer’s conference in St. Pete Beach, Florida,knowing I should enter the indie market. Most writers with my track record have a long backlist they can publish. I didn’t because Harlequin holds the rightsto so many of my books. And all of myBerkley books are still in print in e-book format.

That meantI had to write new material if I wanted to go indie. Since I love writing series, I decided toinvent DECORAH SECURITY, a detective agency where many of the agents haveparanormal powers or take on paranormal cases.

I wanted tolaunch with more than one title, so I conceived a short story, a novella, and anovel. I started writing the novel, DARKMOON, first, as a transition from my Berkley titles. It’s about two Decorah agents, Cole Marshalland Emma Richards, sent undercover to rescue the daughter of a millionairebeing held captive on an ocean liner whose owner has turned the ship into apalace for kinky pleasure.

Emmadoesn’t know Cole is a werewolf who’s going to make her his lifemate. And neither of them can fight the sexualattraction building between them. Canthey complete their mission before the owner of the ship discovers theiridentities and has them killed? And whathappens after the bad guys capture them naked?

I knew thecover of this book would be important, and I’m lucky that I have a good friend,Patricia Rosemoor, who’s a cover designer as well as a writer. (Her rates are on her Web site at: http://patriciarosemoor.com/PRPortfolio.html.) I told her I wanted to duplicate theconcept for my Berkley werewolf books.

She found afont that was pretty close to the font on my Berkley books. We knew we wanted my name and the title to belarge so they’d show up on a thumbnail version.

Then weworked together on that cover, using a shot I found on Jimmy Thomas’s SupportRomance Web site. Only we took out thebig machine gun he was holding, reversed the image, and cut the hair falling inhis face. After I had Jimmy locked down,I found a wolf picture that would work for the background.

We neededone more thing, which was an emblem or a flash so the Decorah books would beinstantly recognizable. I named theseries after the Decorah, Iowa, eagles’ nest that I spent so much time watchinglast spring and summer on a webcam. After I found a very patriotic looking goldeagle coin that would work for the series symbol, Patricia designed the emblem.

The nextcover we did was for AMBUSHED, a short story in which hero Jordan Stone has asixth sense for danger. He’s going toneed it to save the life of federal witness Elizabeth Bannerman. But he’s notonly fighting the terrorists out to prevent Elizabeth from testifying. He’s also fighting his notion of right andwrong, which could prevent him from giving in to his attraction for Elizabeth.

For thecover, I wanted to depict Jordan and Elizabeth, but it’s hard to find a pictureof an attractive man and a woman together who aren’t smiling. In fact, finding people you want to use atall in the right pose is not easy, which is why so many covers use parts offaces and bodies.

I discovered just the right picture forAMBUSHED on Big Stock. The woman’s blondand the man’s dark-haired, like my characters, but I would have changed theirhair color in the story to go with that picture.

Keeping the look similar, we used the samefont for my name and the title.

The coverof CHAINED, the novella in the set, was more problematic. Originally I was thinking I’d make the hero avery sexy ghost. But how do you have ahappy-ever-after with a phantom? I thinkI came up with an elegant solution, which I’m not going to give away.

I usedJimmy Thomas again, and the picture I found with a rope coiled over hisshoulder looked good with my Southwest setting. Because the story is paranormal, I asked Patricia to show Jimmy in thesky, with clouds visible through him. Itwas a reasonable idea, and we tried to get it right. But I was never entirely satisfied.

The goodnews is that with indie e-book publishing, you can redo the cover–or the story,for that matter.

After Christmas, Patricia went back to thedrawing board with a concept of her own, and I’m delighted with theresults. You see Jimmy standing on thecover, then ghost images behind him. And the scene is a much richer showcase forthe Southwest setting.

I don’tknow Photoshop. But I do feel I hadconsiderable input into my covers. Helping design them was a learning experience that I’ll carry over intofuture books in the series. And it was alot more satisfying than being given a cover by my publisher–one I might loveor hate.

How do youfeel about covers? Are they an importantelement in your selecting a book?

IMAGES AND URLS FOR REBECCA YORK BLOG

DARK MOON Cover

Amazon.com:
Link

BN.com:
Link

CHAINED Cover (First Try)

CHAINED Cover (Final)

Amazon.com:

Link

BN.com:

Link

AMBUSHED Cover

Amazon.com:

Link

BN.com:

Link

Jack Lord provides security in 1960s Hawaii ....

Mahalo, Rebecca, for joining us today at SOS Aloha! I am giving away a ecopy of one of the three books mentioned in today's blog - winner's choice. To enter the giveaway,

1. Answer Rebecca's question above.

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 21, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

.... Scott Caan and Alex O'Loughlin in 2010s Hawaii.

Aloha to Fiona Ingram and THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB

2012-01-17T23:23:00.000-08:00

When I was a 'tween, King Tut and his entourage toured the United States. He made a brief stop in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he enchanted me with his treasures. Egypt fascinates all ages and all nations - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte and Fiona Ingram, children's author of THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB. From Fiona's bio,

I used to walk down to College House with one foot in the gutter of the path, so that I could continue reading and not walk into a tree or something.

I'll have to remember that trick! Please join me in welcoming Fiona Ingram!

Kim: We appreciate international travel at my blog ... tell us about where you live in South Africa - your favorite sight, smell, and sound.

Fiona: I was born in Durban which is a seaside city on the east coast of South Africa. I am quite a globetrotter and was lucky to go overseas for fun several times while still a University student. I then won scholarships to study in London and Paris, so by the time I got back home it was quite alien to me. It was hard to settle down. I now live in Johannesburg which is a huge city and not at all like Durban. However, it is very cultural with many international shows to enchant an ex-performer like me. It is also an incredibly green city and I love the number of trees everywhere. I love the smell of rain on the grass, and the birds calling – we seem to have so many birds here! Possibly because (clever little creatures that they are) they know all city dwellers are big softies and will always put out fruit and bread for them. South Africa has fantastic weather, vast open spaces, many beautiful landscapes and such a variety of scenery. From golden beaches to craggy mountain tops, to rolling savannah plains, it seems we have it all.

Durban's coast
South Africa Tourism Board

Kim: I am curious about your time in London and Paris - what did you learn from Drama and Mime that you can apply to journalism and fiction?

Fiona: I began my literary and drama career aged ten when my four brothers and I would adapt stories into plays which we would perform for my obliging and long suffering parents. From then on words and images seemed to be intertwined for me. I saw the story as I read, and I became an incredible bookworm. I discovered drama at University and won an amazing overseas scholarship to study drama in London and mime in Paris. Performance is essentially creating a visual story that comes alive and plays itself out for an audience. In the same way, writing a fiction story captures all those movements, sensations and emotions, and compresses them into words. The magic about all this is that each reader will experience the sights, sounds and emotions in their own way. I also love film and find when I write I can ‘see’ each scene unfolding as if I am watching a film of my own work. In journalism you have to move your readers to an opinion, an action or an emotion. Without diving into the intensity of the story, be it political, social or economic, how can one move the readers to action or a decision? Life is a drama that plays out every day. One cannot be indifferent to it.

Mime in Paris
Paris Tourism Board

Kim: What are the rewards and challenges of journalism?

Fiona: The rewards come when you write about an injustice that is ultimately righted, or a person in need is rescued at last, or someone who has achieved is finally recognized. The challenges come in trying to get something done about all these things. There are so many people out there with problems or situations that need correcting that it is hard to get a foot in the door and say, ‘My story deserves to be printed.’ I have covered some very interesting topics and find that my experiences in investigating issues are good grounding for research in writing my books.

Egyptian sunset
Egyptian Tourism Board

Kim: What inspired you to focus on juvenile fiction?

Fiona: It was a complete accident. I went to Egypt with my mom and two nephews and decided to write a short story for them to remember their trip. The short story ballooned into a book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, which exploded into a book series, Chronicles of the Stone. I have written other books, historical fiction. However those are for fun. The main focus of my writing is my juvenile book series, and since I have recently signed a movie option with a British movie company, I am forging ahead with the remaining books in the series.

Kim: Tell us about The Chronicle of Stones series.

Fiona: As I wrote the first book, I created the mythology around the Seven Stones. These ancient stones, having been set as fine jewels would obviously have been destined for the hands of rulers, either as weapons or decorations of office. The First Stone of Power has been found and is drawing the others towards it. Each stone carries a particular history with it, relating to the place where it is discovered. For example: the sacred scarab belonged to the Egyptian Scarab King; the second stone was set in a sword, Excalibur, which finally ended up in the hands of Arthur, the Dark Age warrior and hero-king of Britain. Each stone is almost frozen in time, its place of discovery being the last place it ended up before being lost. After their adventure in Egypt and the discovery of the First Stone of Power, it is inevitable that Justin and Adam embark on a series of journeys to locate the remaining Six Stones of Power that have been scattered and lost throughout the ancient world.

Tintagel Castle - legendary birthplace of King Arthur
Cornwall Tourism

I did not know there would be a sequel until I neared completion of Book One. By then the mythology and prehistory of the adventure had solidified. I chose seven books because seven is such a mystical number. In Book Two, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, the heroes discover ancient clues that they are able to use to begin to see the path their quest will take. The boys discover a strange inscription and a picture that helps them create a spiritual and physical map for what faces them. They are also joined by a girl, about their own ages, who is being fostered by their aunt. This also changes the relationships in the subsequent books and creates many interesting angles.

Edzna archaeological site in Campeche,
Mexican Tourist Board

Naturally there must be an end in sight and there is. The heroes travel to seven different locations which involve them in finding each Stone of Power, but embroil them in a secondary plot that relates directly to the country e.g. in Book Two (The Search for the Stone of Excalibur) the ambitious Florian Boldwood, Keeper of Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has a hidden agenda that draws him into Dr. Khalid’s plans, and places Britain in grave danger. In Book Three, set in Mexico (The Temple of the Crystal Time-Keeper), they come up against a madman bent on holding the world to ransom by threatening ecological destruction. There are always underlying, important issues that complement the plot. The heroes already know that their arch-enemy Dr. Khalid is not the main player in the whole scenario. He is merely the hatchet man. Their adversary is far bigger and more sinister than they can imagine. It is only in the final adventure, which takes place in Timbuktu, a haven for the preservation of hundreds of thousands of ancient scrolls, that they are faced with the final showdown. They must prevent Dr. Khalid and his master uniting the Seven Stones of Power with the Stone of Fire, thus opening the Book of Thoth and discovering the secrets of the universe … can they do it? (Or should I be asking … can I do it? I am about to begin Book Three and cannot wait to jet off to an exotic and mysterious location filled with ancient monuments and lost cities…)

Mahalo, Fiona, for sharing your world with us! I am giving away a print copy of THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB to one randomly selected commenter:

Cousins Justin and Adam are ecstatic about accompanying their aunt to Egypt. Both love adventure and know the work of James Kinnaird, an archaeologist searching for the tomb of an ancient Egyptian ruler, the Scarab King. Some dismiss the tomb as legend, but Justin and Adam believe differently.

From the moment their plane lands, Justin and Adam bounce from one mysterious event to another, starting from the moment a street peddler gives Adam an ancient scarab. Dr. Khalid, head of the department of antiquities and research at the Egyptian Museum, shows excessive interest in the cousins and their relic. Then, when the boys learn that James Kinnaird is missing, they realize something sinister is afoot.

Kidnapped and taken across the desert, the boys are plunged into serious danger and chased by ruthless enemies. Dr. Khalid will stop at nothing to discover the Scarab King's tomb and claim its treasures. But he has underestimated the boys' ingenuity.

Join Justin and Adam as they evade their captors and unravel the secrets of the Scarab King. Relying on their wits, courage, and each other, the boys must solve the mystery of the sacred scarab and rescue James Kinnaird before time runs out.

Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara
Egypt Tourism Board

To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Egypt - what fascinates you about it?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 21, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Fiona and her books, check out her website at www.fionaingram.com.

Read my review of THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB at this link.

This is one of my favorite photos on the Internet -
a female Marine on camel!
akinoluna.com

Crave the Heat Blog Tour - Leia Rice and THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS

2012-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

Crave the Heat Blog Tour has raised the temperature to a new level ... joining us today is Leia Rice - a woman after my own heart. From her bio,

Leia Rice is an avid lover of everything Parisian, Ancient Grecian and Ancient Roman. She wishes that women would still wear the pretty dresses and petticoats that they did back in the 18th century, but she’s well aware how much of a pain they must have been.

Leia writes historical fiction, romance and erotica in these areas, because she cannot get enough of each respective time period.

Currently, Leia resides in Maryland with her wonderful husband her doggie, Sailor.

Kim: I agree about being a lover of everything Parisian, Grecian, and Roman! Can you share a special thing (sight, sound, smell, experience) from Paris, Greece, and Rome?

Leia: Yes! I have a picture here taken at the Palatino in Rome. After taking a sweltering hot, four hour train ride from Florence to Rome, I got to the Palatino just before it was going to close, and just before the rain came. I was able to get this amazing shot, and it's one of my favorites. I edited it myself!

(my regrets that my blog does not do this picture justice)

Palatino during the day from Wikipedia

Kim: Where do you find your research when you are not traveling to Paris, Greece, and Rome?

Leia: I usually scour the internet, or I find information from other books. The best way to get to know your time period is to read other books from it. Other authors find out so many neat things, and everyone has something different to lend. It's great when you learn something new.

My family's favorite act at Ren Fest - Fight School with real swords!
www.freewebs.com/fightschool101

Kim: Do you have an 18th century dress? If yes, when do you wear it? How about the Maryland Renaissance Festival - do you eat, drink and be merry?

Leia: I wish I did, but no, I don't. I have never been to the MD Ren Faire, but I've been to the PA Ren Faire several times, and I love it each time I go back. It's a nice little break from real life, you know?

Albannach is amazing - we have three CDs!
www.albannachmusic.com

Kim: Yes, I know! My husband and I love the Maryland Renaissance Fair where we discovered the Scottish Tribal Band, Albannach - they play with rebel attitude! Speaking of rebels, tell us about THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS!

Leia: Well, since I based THE QUEEN'S CONSORT around a Lady's Maid of Marie Antoinette, I wanted to find another angle from which to base THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS. I decided to go with a revolutionary's point of view, but to mix a little bit of Royalist action in there as well. What we get from this formula is a naughty barmaid, Mariette, who has to entertain two different men in order to secure herself during an unreliable time. It was really fun to write, and I hope it's even more fun to read!

Kim: What's next for Leia Rice?

Leia: I've been paying a lot of attention to my YA series, LUMINOSITY, which is written under my pen name, Stephanie Thomas. It's certainly a change of pace, and has been very challenging and refreshing to write. You can check out my other self at www.stephaniethomasbooks.com.

Mahalo, Leia, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Readers, turn up the heat with Leia's THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS:

Barmaid Mariette hates that she’s had to resort to giving favors to men for a few extra francs, but everyone is scrambling for money with the revolution boiling out of control. Even so, Mariette enjoys her illicit activities—particularly when she meets Rene, a caring, handsome patron whom she desires even more than his coin.

But Mariette has also caught the eye of a revolutionary who makes her share his bed and one of his missions. A mission that plunges Mariette deeper into the revolution when she’s tasked with seducing a rich lord and Rene at the same time….

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Leia Rice and her books, check out her website at www.leiarice.com.

Speaking of revolutions, on this date in 1893, US businessmen overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. To learn more about the Hawaiian revolution, log onto www.hawaiilibertychronicles.com.

Sailors from the USS Boston in Honolulu.

Aloha to Victoria Connelly and DREAMING OF MR. DARCY

2012-01-17T00:17:00.000-08:00

I'd love to have the same fairy god mother as British author Victoria Connelly. From her bio,

Victoria Connelly was brought up in Norfolk and studied English literature at Worcester University before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire. After getting married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales, she moved to London where she lives with her artist husband and a mad springer spaniel. She has three novels published in Germany and the first, Flights of Angels, was made into a film. Victoria and her husband flew out to Berlin to see it being filmed and got to be extras in it. Her first novel in the UK, Molly's Millions, is a romantic comedy about a lottery winner who gives it all away.

Hmmm .... married in a medieval castle! Being an extra in a movie based on your own book! And a series set in the world of Austen addicts! That series is:

A WEEKEND WITH MR. DARCY, from Sourcebooks at this link:

Surrounded by appalling exes and fawning students, the only thing keeping professor Katherine Roberts sane is Jane Austen and her personal secret love for racy Regency romance novels. She thinks the Jane Austen Addicts conference in the English countryside is the perfect opportunity to escape her chaotic life and finally relax...

DREAMING OF MR. DARCY, now available from Sourcebooks at this link:

Fledging illustrator and Darcy fanatic Kay Ashton settles in the seaside town of Lyme to finish her book, The Illustrated Darcy, when a film company arrives to make a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Kay is soon falling for the handsome bad boy actor playing Captain Wentworth, but it's the quiet screenwriter Adam Craig who has more in common with her beloved Mr. Darcy. Though still healing from a broken heart, Adam finds himself unexpectedly in love with Kay. But it will take more than good intentions to convince her that her real happy ending is with him.

MR. DARCY FOREVER, coming in April 2012 from Sourcebooks at this link:

Estranged sisters Sarah and Mia Castle have spent a lifetime fighting over the men in their lives. They finally begin to make amends at the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England. During the festival, the sisters realize that they can't bear to be apart. They discover that their sisterhood forms a bond stronger than their mutual connection as Jane Austen addicts. And in true Jane Austen fashion, they each begin to lose their hearts to dashing gentlemen.

I enjoy Jane Austen's books and the BBC productions based on them. I do not consider myself a die hard Austen fan but I am a die hard Anglophile. For that reason, I enjoyed DREAMING OF MR. DARCY - it touched upon British culture that enchants me. Check out my review of DREAMING OF MR. DARCY at this link. I am giving away a print copy of DREAMING OF MR. DARCY to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about a dream you would like to pursue - opening a B&B? Illustrating your favorite area? Falling in love with an Englishman?

Mine is to live in the UK after my last child graduates from college.

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 21, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Victoria and her books, log onto her website at www.victoriaconnelly.com.

Maybe hubby and I can renew our vows at Drumtochty Castle -
hubby would appreciate the lion statues!
drumtochtyunlimited.com

Crave the Heat Blog Tour with Laura Kaye's IN THE SERVICE OF THE KING

2012-01-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

Continuing the Crave the Heat Blog Tour, please join me in welcoming Laura Kaye. From her bio,

Since awakening, Laura’s inner muse has insisted on making up for lost time by whispering ideas for new stories and new characters into her ear faster than she can write them—but she wouldn’t have it any other way! A published non-fiction author, Laura’s “real” work as an historian and training as an archaeologist help her create vivid and accurate portrayals of other times and places. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Kim: Tell us about your part of Maryland - your favorite sight, smell andsound!

Laura: Ooh, what a fun question! And thanks so much for hosting me!I live right on the Chesapeake Bay. The waterhas always called to me, and living on the Bay just eases a part of my soul, Ithink. I love the rolling sound of the gentle waves against the sandy littlebeach of the inlet by my house. I love the way the moon sparkles a line ofdiamonds across the surface at night. And I lovethe smell of sea air on the breeze.

I’ve never been to Hawaii—it’s on my bucket list!

Chesapeake Bay
wjla.com

Kim: I am curious about your archaeologist training - where didyou accomplish it? Can you share any stories from a dig?

Laura: I received my archaeological training while attendinggraduate school at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.That whole coastal area, from Jamestown to Williamsburg to Yorktownis jam-packed with both prehistoric and historical archaeological sites, soit’s a great place to learn and to practice archaeology. I’m a colonialhistorian by training, and archaeology provides an invaluable additional sourceof evidence about the past from a time when not everyone could write or leavewritten records.

The two sites I helped excavate that have stuck with me themost are: 1) a 17^th century site where enslaved people lived overseveral generations. The in-ground remains of their houses still had a lot ofintegrity and the artifacts were plentiful for sites that early. At the veryend of the dig, as backhoes rumbled at the edge of the site ready to build ahousing development, we discovered a slave cemetery. The developers were nonetoo happy about that. 2) the original 1607 Jamestownfort on Jamestown Island. I dug there twosummers, including the summer we found the palisade line to the fort whichdefinitively disproved the decades-long assumption that James Fort had long agoeroded into the James River. The 16^thcentury European and Indian artifacts on that site were fascinating and willtake decades to fully analyze.

Jamestown archaeological dig.
news.nationalgeographic.com

Kim: Can you share a snippet from a family story involvingparanormal creatures?

Laura: Oh, so many to choose from! My own personal most strikingghost story occurred when I was about 17. My mom and I lived on the main streetof a small town next to two elderly sisters, one of whom had been in thehospital for a few weeks. I left the house to run an errand into town, and cut throughour back yard, only to find the previously ill sister, Miss Betty, walking upthe back yard. I said “hi,” happy to see her home and better, and she smiledand kept on walking. When I got home again, I told my mom Miss Betty was homeand must’ve been better, and my mom stared at me a long minute, then said,“Laur, that can’t be possible. Miss Patty just called to tell me Miss Bettydied this morning at the hospital.” True. Story.

Kim: Tell us about the Hearts of Anemoi series - what inspiredit?

Laura: I didn’t realize it was going to be a series at first,though I’m so excited it is! I was very interested in exploring a charactersuffering under the weight of a deep grief she just couldn’t let go, and that’show North of Need’s story started.But when I realized that the hero, Owen, was a snow god come to life, thatopened the door for other similar gods to be at work in the world, too, andthat gave birth to the series.

Kim: What's next for Laura Kaye?

Laura: Oh, so many things! The first book in my Vampire Warrior Kingsseries, Inthe Service of the King, releases on February 1. The second book in myAnemoi series, West of Want, releasesin April. And then the second book in my Vampire Warrior Kings series will comeout some time this summer. I have several different projects I’m writing rightnow, so stayed tune because there’s more, more, more to come!

In the Service of theKing:

Kael, Warrior King of the Vampires, loathes the Night of theProffering. He needs the blood of either his mate or a human virgin to maintainhis strength, but hasn't enjoyed the ritual since he lost his mate centuriesago. Kael doesn't want a new companion, yet his resolve is tested when he layseyes on his new offering, Shayla McKinnon. He is drawn to Shayla's beauty andpoise...and the submission she offers. She is eager to give him anything hewishes, including her innocence, to please him. Will Kael give in to theiroverwhelming desire--even if it means risking Shayla's life?

About Laura:

Voted BreakoutAuthor of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is thebestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts inDarkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, ForeverFreed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and Northof Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was namedGraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and wonSizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, andcute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Buy Laura's Books

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Mahalo, Laura, for visiting us at SOS Aloha! I love the title IN THE SERVICE OF THE KING and I know readers will love the story!

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Hawaii had a King and still has paranormal elements!

Aloha to Linda Wisdom and A DEMON DOES IT BETTER

2012-01-16T02:48:00.000-08:00

Nobody does it better than the Coast Guard. They rescue hikers, swimmers, boaters .... and a retired Coast Guard Chief is my go-to-man when I need help with the Library Friends. No matter how deep we are in books, Norm makes me laugh. It must be a Coastie thing.

Linda Wisdom also makes me laugh. She's married to a Coast Guard veteran while she is a romance veteran. In fact, it was RWA that brought her to Hawaii in 1995. She climbed Diamond Head with Lynn Michaels, naming designer shoes as they ascended to the top: an unpaved path, 74 moderate steps, a tunnel, 99 steep steps, then a spiral staircase of 33 more steps to an observation platform built in 1908. I don't know that many designer shoes but it is worth the trip! You can sneak a peak at Linda's humor from my interview with her at this link.

Linda wanted to take advantage of the MLK weekend sales on designer shoes, so I interviewed her heroine, Lili, from her new release, A DEMON DOES IT BETTER:

A madhouse is not place for a curious witch…

After more than a century, Doctor Lili Carter, witch healer extraordinaire, has returned to San Francisco and taken a job at Crying Souls Hospital and Asylum, where something peculiar and wicked I shappening. Patients are disappearing, and Lili wants to know why.

And double dangerous for a demon…

Lili finds herself undeniably attracted to perhaps the most mysterious patient of all—a demented but seriously sexy demon named Jared.

What’s behind the gorgeous chameleon demon’s late-night escapades?

Before long, Lili and Jared are investigating each other—and creating a whole new kind of magic.

San Francisco's Chinatown

Kim: What is your favorite sight, smell, and sound of San Francisco?

Lili: There are so many! I love visiting Inderman, our supernatural plane, since it offers many things you wouldn’t find in the city. But I’d have to say Chinatown, even if I remember the Chinatown in the 1800s and early 1900s. The spices in the air, the sensation you’re living in the Orient.

Women nurses of yesterday ....

Kim: How did you educate (or arm) yourself to work at the Crying Souls Hospital and Asylum?

Lili: I had worked at Bethlem Hospital also known as Bedlam in London in 1633. It was my first experience working with the mentally tortured.

Even then it didn’t make it any easier.

... and women doctors today!

Kim: What attracted you to Jared?

Lili: Look at him! The man is sex on the hoof! When I first saw him my body was doing the internal happy dance. He was tall, dark, sexy and even more. But there was also something I could sense inside that called to me. No, not that. :} More that we were two halves of a whole.

Kim: What do you do in your off time to relax from the job stress? Have you read any of your creator’s other romance novels?

Lili: I don’t have a lot of free time. But when I do I love walking along the beach. There’s something about the water that’s soothing. And fun to drag Cleo along since the cat absolutely hates water. I also enjoy getting together with my friends.

Yes, I have read her books. Aren’t they wonderful? It’s also fun to see how she relates their histories.

Cleo is a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
(Cleo is reincarnated as a cat in A DEMON DOES IT BETTER)

Kim: Do you know what is next for your creator, Linda Wisdom?

Lili: I know she’s regained the rights to almost all of her backlist romances and is putting them up as ebooks. Plus a Jazz/Nick novella titled Hotel Hex will be up and Thea’s book, Guns ‘N Hexes, will be an ebook soon. And more to follow. I told her I’ll keep her in free medical care.

Mahalo, Lili, for joining us! You may give Linda free medical care, but Linda has given readers many hours of romance. From her bio,

Linda Wisdom has published more than 80 novels with 13 million copies sold worldwide including traditional, paranormal, humor, action/adventure romance, and romantic suspense. Her bestselling books have been nominated for RT Book Reviews awards and the Romance Writers of America Rita Award. She lives with her husband in Murrieta, California. For more information, please visit www.LindaWisdom.com.

Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of A DEMON DOES IT BETTER today! To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about humor in books - who or what makes you laugh?

2. Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to North American residents only. But I will giveaway one copy to an international reader.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 21. 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Check out my review of A DEMON DOES IT BETTER at this link.

To learn more about Diamond Head, check out this link.

Linda (left) and Lynn (right) in Hawaii

Crave the Heat Blog Tour with Stephanie Draven's THE FEVER & THE FURY

2012-01-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

This week Stephanie Draven, Laura Kaye, and Leia Rice are cooking up some spicy fun as part of their CRAVE THE HEAT Blog Tour. I know Stephanie Draven has the fever ... Raven Fever as the Poe's birds defeated the Houston Texans to advance to the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. There will be fury if the Ravens miss the SuperBowl in Indianapolis.

Stephanie has another reason to celebrate - her latest release, THE FEVER & THE FURY, is garnering rave reviews from paranormal fans at this link.

She's already killed him twice this week.

Phaedra, a fury, is bound to make Lieutenant Luke Lazaros atone for his supposed crime, but her usual method of inflicting pain doesn't work very well on a phoenix with the power to be reborn every time he dies. However, each rebirth leaves him with an overwhelming need for sex. Phaedra's new plan: to drive Luke mad with desire....

But Phaedra has never touched anyone—even herself—except to cause pain. She's an innocent when it comes to pleasure...but Luke isn't. His touch is a revelation, arousing a passion in Phaedra that is as delicious as it is terrifying. For no matter how much she wants Luke, giving herself to a man risks awakening her goddess's wrath....

The Ravens beat the Phoenix, er, Arizona Cardinals in regular season.

Stephanie wants to give you a reason to celebrate, too! Below is an excerpt from THE FEVER & THE FURY. Good thing the Ravens didn't play in Phoenix ....

To learn more about Stephanie Draven,

1. Check out my interview with her at this link.

2. Check out my spotlight on her at this link.

3. Check out her website at www.stephaniedraven.com.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii
(I have tickets to the ProBowl)

Excerpt:The Fever & The Fury

StephanieDraven

She'd already killed him twicethis week.

Monday, the harpy bitch grabbedthe wheel just as he was making a tight turn on a cliff-side highway. The carjumped the barrier and exploded in a fiery crash of glass and twisted metal atthe bottom of Moraca Canyon.

On Wednesday morning, he'dchanced taking a shower and she dropped a hair dryer in with him, sending adeadly shock through his wet body.

It wasn't even the weekend andshe was already trying to kill him a third time.

Luke had awakened to the sinuous slide of her body atop hisand, for one groggy moment, he'd enjoyed the carnal sensation of a woman in bedwith him. Then her knee came crushing down on his windpipe.

Now Luke thrashed upon the mattress,grabbing at her supple thighs, trying to throw her off. The curve of her breast brushed his arm, hermoist lips parted and she clutched at his face as if she were going to draw himinto an intimate embrace…just before fingernails like talons cut his flesh tobloody ribbons.

Or at least that's what it feltlike.

With the lightest touch, shecould put an ordinary mortal man in complete agony. But he wasn't an ordinarymortal man and she should have known better than to touch him.

"Atone," the fury demanded,her voice driving needles of agony into his spine. “Atone!”

Luke was desperate enough toconsider it. Anything to get rid of her. Anything to make the pain stop.Anything that might relieve him of the memories that haunted him. The blood inthe sand and all the lies…

Take the money, Luke. There'llbe more where that came from.

His traitorous lips parted in surrender, ready to tell thefury whatever she wanted to hear, but then he felt his square jaw clench tightin stubborn refusal. No. Screw atonement and regret. Luke would rather dieagain.

Her lithe legs wrapped around his waist like a vise. Theywere locked together as tightly as lovers and in blind suffering he banged theback of his skull on the headboard. It started like a fever, a sexual rush ofheat that seared its way through his veins, pulsing through his hammeringheart, racing to his groin.

Damn it. He liked thisvilla, but he'd burn the place down to get free of her if he had to. Sparksleaped from his fingertips to the bedsheets and the scent of scorched linenrose to his nostrils. The fire would obey him—it was the one goddamned thing inhis life he still had any control over—so Luke made the fire rise higher,engulfing them both in a flash of flames and searing pain.

His bones went white-hot, moltenbeneath his skin, and he screamed. He was turning to ash. He was burning hertoo, burning her alive. He could have held onto her. He could have forced herto share his torment to the bitter end, but he flung her away. And her tumblingbody was the last thing he saw before he died….

Phaedra was accustomed to inflictingpain, not suffering it. But now every cell in her body screamed in protest asher burned skin rose up in blisters. She was immortal. She could never die.That didn't mean she couldn't feel pain, and making this man miserable hadsomehow become her own personal torment.

She lay dazed in agony on thefloor, smoke filling her lungs while Lieutenant Luke Lazaros burned alivebefore her very eyes. Gods of Olympus, he was stubborn. He should havebroken by now, but he was only getting more unmanageable. None of the men she'dbeen sent to torture had ever been so obstinate. Then again, she'd never beenunleashed upon a phoenix before.

In the light of the cracklingblaze, Phaedra's blistered body healed, new pink flesh knitting over the oldwith miraculous speed, and it occurred to her that the fire alarm wasn'tshrieking. A quick glance up at the scorched ceiling told her that he'ddisabled it. That he'd planned for this exact circumstance. He was handy thatway. Good with modern gadgets. And a born strategist. He'd started anticipatingher. Adapting…

All at once, the conflagration onthe bed extinguished itself and a burst of air dusted her with Luke's charredhuman remains. A bit of stagecraft on his part.

Of course, she'd seen him do this before—rise from the ashesas a new man, his dark curly hair cut in sharp military style, his name andblood type displayed upon frayed patches on his desert fatigues. A backpackfull of cash in his right hand.

This was how he looked the moment he was war-forged. Theinstant he stopped being an ordinary mortal man and became a monster. But asmany times as she watched him die, she couldn't enjoy it. Watching him now, shetook no satisfaction in his shudder of revulsion at the feel of a new body thatwasn't his own. Nor did it encourage her to see the half hostile, half hauntedlook in his eyes as he tried to remember himself. Shaking his head as if tofasten upon his old memories, he caught her look of dismay and gave a darksmile-that-was-not-a-smile.

"What's the matter?” Luke asked. “Didn't expect me tobe so hot in bed?"

Given that she was clutching theburned and blackened remains of her clothing against her body, Phaedra didn'tappreciate the sexual innuendo. It didn't surprise her though. Every time thelieutenant was reborn, he battled overwhelming hunger. He'd be ravenous now,for food, drink…sex.

Still, he grabbed one of hiswhite dress shirts from a drawer and tossed it to her. "Here. You can wearthis."

The gallant gesture was starklyout of place considering their situation. Phaedra eyed her nemesis as shefastened the buttons, disconcerted by his scent on the shirt and how it mingledwith the perfume of her newly healed skin. "Does this mean you're ready tobe redeemed, Luke Lazaros?"

"Just means I was brought upright," Luke said through his teeth. "And that an officer falls backon his training in a crisis. Or maybe I've just always fantasized about a leggywoman wearing nothing but my shirt. Until I get rid of you, I might as wellimprove the scenery."

"How many times must we gothrough this?" Phaedra asked, ignoring the predatory glare in his eyes.She rose to her feet. She was tall, but he was taller. She was hard-bodied andimposing; even before they felt the torture of her touch, most men had thesense to cower. But not this man. "There is no getting rid of me,Lieutenant. Once a fury is unleashed upon a criminal, she's unbreakably boundto him until he atones or is driven to insanity."

"I'm not a criminal,"Luke snapped. "And I will find a way to be rid of you."

I hope you do find a way,Phaedra thought. Because she was every bit as stuck with him as he was withher.

Hunger hollowed out Luke'sstomach. He was thirsty too, having gulped down only a few swallows of waterbefore the fury tried to drive the drinking glass into his face. Now he wasalso shaking with need: a desire for food and a more primal need to buryhimself deeply inside a woman, to work his aching hands over mounds of softskin and to tease quivering flesh beneath his lips. To find, in someone else'sbody, some sweet relief from the strange torments of being reborn…

But there would be no relief forhim until he could get rid of the fury; the needs of his new body would have towait. At least, that's what he told himself, again and again, as he packed hisbag, making ready to go. He abandoned the burned villa, leaving enough cash forthe landlord to make repairs, then headed for the coast, where he knew therewas a witch that the locals swore would help anyone get rid of a hex.

And if the fury wasn't a hex,what was she?

The old-fashioned door of theshop in Budva announced his presence with a bell. At the counter, abored-looking beauty with bleached hair looked up at him from under thickmascara and smiled.

"I—I'm…I'm looking for awitch," he said, taking in the leather-bound volumes scattered amidstancient trinkets. Cobwebs draped the corners of the wood-paneled shop andcrystals dangled from a strange spiral staircase. Once, he'd have dismissed itall as New Age bullshit, but that was before he'd died a thousand fiery deaths.

"You want Zene," thegirl said unhelpfully. "But she's gone. Lives in France now. Tellsfortunes. Makes big money."

Great, Luke thought."What about you?"

The girl laughed, painted lipscurled in red glee. "Do I look like witch?"

Luke fumbled for a reply, becausehe was pretty sure he wouldn't know what witches were supposed to look like. Hehadn't believed that the fury was a fury either until she brushed his hand andshot a thousand bullets of pain into him.

"New management," thegirl said. "Now we sell antiques and books of arcana."

Well, at least there was that.It'd been an old book from a shop like this one in which he'd uncovered theclues that told him he was a phoenix and that the taste he always craved butcouldn’t identify was actually frankincense. Since then, he'd stockpiled enoughof the stuff to start his own hippy commune. It helped to relax him, helped tamehis restless inner animal. But the frankincense hadn't done shit to helphim escape the fury.

He told the pretty Slavic girlwhat he was looking for.

"I have book like thatupstairs. I get for you," she said, big rouged cheeks dimpling in aflirtatious smile.

Oh, she shouldn't flirt with him.Not in his state. It tugged at his fraying self-control. When he'd been a youngmilitary officer with a career ahead of him, there hadn't been much room in hislife for relationships, but Luke had always had an easy time bedding women.Never took more than he was offered; never promised more than he could give.Now he was a fugitive and couldn't even trust a girl with his real name.

Hell, for that matter, he wasn'teven sure he could trust himself. Death and rebirth had awakened his everyappetite to such a fever pitch that he was all pent-up need. He found himselfogling the shopgirl as she climbed the stairs. It was quite a view. All perkycurves and seductive sway. He wanted to peel that skirt down over her hips andsee if her bare ass was the heart shape that its outlines suggested.

"A book isn't going to helpyou," the fury said, jarring him from his fantasy.

Fuck, he hated when shejust appeared out of thin air. Luke turned to glare at his own personal demon, whowas perched on the edge of a table. She'd healed up since their last encounterand must have gone shopping in the netherworld because now she was wearingskintight black jeans and tall leather boots that gave a sexy emphasis to herlong legs.

It worried him that he noticedthose legs; he must really be in a bad way if he was starting to find herattractive. The fury was some kind of dark, pitiless goddess with sloe eyes anda killer body, but he never knew when she'd fly at him with deadly intent. In fact,as she fingered an antique letter opener—one with a rusty edge—he realized thatshe was probably contemplating her next attack.

"Why don't you give it arest," Luke said, bracing himself against the dusty counter. "Takethe day off. You can always kill me again in the morning."

The fury flipped her dark hairover her shoulder and the corner of her mouth kicked up in a rueful smile. Wasit possible she was tiring of this too? She sighed a come-hither sigh, thensaid, "I'm starting to think that killing you isn't the best way to getyou to repent."

===

About the Author:

Stephanie Draven is amulti-published award-nominated author of myth-inspired paranormal romance.Writing for HQN Nocturne, Stephanie’s Mythica series asks the question: Whatif the monsters of ancient mythology still walked the earth...and what if youfound out that you were one of them? Currently a denizen of Baltimore, thatcity of ravens and purple night skies, Stephanie lives there with her favoritenocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. Andwhen she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.

Buy Stephanie’s Books

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Links, Weekly Winners, and The Pink Panther

2012-01-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

Aloha! Join me in cyber space:

- Aloha on My Mind, join me for a tour around Hawaii at:
www.alohaonmymind.blogspot.com

- Celebrate Little Victories, inspired by Mary Gramlich, join me in recognzing the good things that happen daily:
www.celebratelittlevictories.blogspot.com

We have winners at SOS Aloha!

Jenna McCormick's NO LIMITS

- Stacie D., Tammy S., Black Roze, Sheree, Danielle G., Estella, Maria D., Mary, Heather, and Catherine Lee.

Something on the Horizon - book choice from convention stash

- Johanna is the winner!

KT Grant's XAVIER'S LOVING ARMS

- Carol L. is the winner!

Alix Rickloff's HEIR OF DANGER

- Erin is the winner!

Christie Craig's MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MAMA

- Claudia is the winner!

Braxton Cosby's THE STAR CROSSED SAGA: PROTOSTAR

- Barbara is the winner!

Patricia Rice's THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC

- BN100 and Linda are the winners from Sourcebooks!

- Pam is the international winner!

Winners - please confirm you would like to receive your book by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Tonight my family was a winner as we watch REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER - my kids laughed with delight at the physical comedy. Perhaps you are wondering why we were watching a vintage movie.

Cato, Clouseau, and Dyan Cannon in a politically incorrect movie!

Back in May, a gray kitten wandered into our open garage door. We named him Zane (as in Zane Grey). As soon as he was old enough to fend for himself with our other two cats, we let him out of the cage. Looking for excitement, Zane began to stalk the other cats. I nicknamed him Cato from the Pink Panther movies. My mother in law recently sent us the complete set of Pink Panther movies so my children could see Cato in action ... and viola, a night of laughter!

Zane keeps growing!

What makes you laugh? One randomly selected commenter will win a book choice from my convention stash. This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments open through Saturday, January 21. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Let's all smile more often!

Aloha to Jenn LeBlanc and THE WICKED BLOG TOUR

2012-01-14T02:13:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Welcome to the next stop in the WICKED Blog tour! *smooch*

Last week I told my readers on Facebook that I was trying to write a bunch of blogs for the tour and I needed to know what they wanted to learn. I got some GREAT questions, so I decided to do a little interview style post with readers. I answered some of the questions over on the Book Savvy Babe blog yesterday, and one reader had so many good questions, she is getting a post all to herself.

So without further ado, my interview with Pamela!

Pamela: Which comes first, the writing or photography? Do you envision the images in your head (what the characters are doing, wearing, etc.) THEN write the scene to match or vice versa?

With my first book, THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, the writing was first. I had NO IDEA it was giong to end up an illustrated romance, so I never thought about images as I was writing. However, there were times that I could see the scenes so vividly that when I did come to the decision to illustrate I knew exactly what scenes were the most important to me.

My next book, BETWEEN A FRIEND AND FOREVER is different because I know I will illustrate it. So while I am writing I have that in mind, but at the same time the characters and the story are really driving the writing. I don’t have much control over what happens, I DO have control over their costumes though and I have changed a few things as I’ve written in order to handle costuming. I figure that isn’t too much of a compromise, right?

Pamela: Which photographers have inspired you?
If you could photo illustrate another author's book, which would it be?

There are actually a few. Delilah Marvelle, because she would be a challenge, her heroes and heroines are so smart and wicked, it makes me crazy I love them so much. Pamela Clare because her heroes are just so damnably honorable and swoonworthy, Julie Anne Long because her stories are so rich and passionate. I have actually illustrated a novella for another author. It wasn’t commissioned or anything, but I loved the story SO MUCH that I just had to shoot it, just like fanfic, photography style. That was for Tiffany Reisz, her stories about Daniel. I just love that librarian dom hottie so much it makes me nuts. Would you like to see one?

Here ya go:

Anywhoo...I recently started doing cover art for romance novels which is SO MUCH FUN, it isn’t the full on illustrated story but it still speaks to my heart and I love it, and love to see what these aazing designers can do with my images.

Pamela: If you could only have ONE profession, of your choosing, would you choose writing or photography?

I could never give up photography, I was born a photographer, it isn’t merely what I do, it’s who I am and since I can also tell stories with my camera if I had to choose, photography would be it. There really isn’t a choice, though I would be sad because writing is so amazing.

Pamela: Has Guy's back tattoo been completed?
If so...if I stand on one leg and cluck like a chicken, would you take a pic of it and post it for me?

First let me say this; you need to come join my Facebook page because we are just a crazy bunch of girls. To answer the question...LMAO! PAMELA! No it isn’t yet finished, but the moment it is I will shoot the heck out of it and post it up JUST FOR YOU. “Cause that’s the kinda girl I am. *mauh*

No idea what we’re talking about? Let me SHOW you. But first, last summer I met Guy, he is this GORGEOUS man, and just the absolute sweetest bone geek I’ve ever met. And when I say bone geek I mean PALEONTOLOGIST. Yup. Actual BONE geek. Anywhoo, I hadn’t seen him for a couple months and brought him in for a shoot and as I removed his shirt this AMAZING back piece came into view right before my eyes:

Talk about a holy *swoon* moment! So there it is. But, I have a better picture of Guy for you:

This was my favoritie from that shoot.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!! And thank you SO MUCH Pamela for such fabulous questions!! I had a great time.

Where to find me: Twitter | Facebook | Author Site | Blog | Tumblr (NSFW)
And please come find me! I LOVE to chat with readers!

Blurb:

A woman out of time.

A man stifled by propriety.

A nemesis determined to take her away.

A brother to the rescue.

How will a powerful Duke deal with a woman who doesn't know her place? How will a woman used to the 21st century survive in time where she is considered property?

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.

How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely.

Where to get the books:

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE

FREEDOM : Part one brings Francine to the world of the Duke of Roxleigh, clashing worlds in first installment of the completely revised novel, with all new material.

Available now from these ebook retailers:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

FOUND : Part two finds Francine in the world of the Duke of Roxleigh. The clashing of worlds in first installment of the completely revised novel continues as Francine finds her footing, discovers secrets about her elusive host, and learns more about herself than she ever thought possible.

Available now from these ebook retailers:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

TAKEN : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Three

Part THREE brings Francine and Gideon closer than they ever imagined possible, until the unimaginable tears them apart. What will Gideon do if he loses her, this time, forever?

Coming January 17, 2012

RUINATION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Four

Part FOUR is full of revelations, celebrations, protestations and one surprise that will have you holding your breath for the final chapters. What has Perry done?

Coming January 31, 2012

SUBMISSION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Five

Perry leaves Roxleigh House without a backward glance only to be tossed headlong into one of the most difficult trials of his life. How will he protect the very thing he is dedicated to pursuing? How will a man dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure survive a woman who refuses to relent, when he knows he cannot have her.

Coming February 14, 2012

RETRIBUTION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Six

Perry must find the woman who has managed to capture his heart, then he must find a way to keep her. Someone else is on the hunt, someone from her past who doesn’t appreciate that she still lives and breaths.

Coming February 28, 2012

NOW it’s your turn, ask me anything! Thank you for stopping by, one lucky commenter will win a full copy of the six-part serial novel as it is released. You will ALSO be entered in the grand prize #WICKEDblog tour, which will be given away on March 1, 2012. Do not forget to include your email address in your comment or you can’t be entered into the grand prize drawing.

Rules can be found HERE. A full list of all the posts in the tour can be found HERE.

Aloha to Patricia Rice and THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC

2012-01-13T00:07:00.000-08:00

The first book blog I discovered was the Word Wenches, www.wordwenches.com, "Eight historical authors plotting the present, writing about the past, ... and improvising the rest." I've had the opportunity to hobnob with these uber talented writers. Today, I offer you that opportunity with the incomparable Patricia Rice. From her bio,

With five million books in print and New York Times and USA Today’s bestseller lists under her belt, Patricia Rice’s emotionally-charged contemporary and historical romances have won RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice and Career Achievement Awards and have been honored as Romance Writers of America RITA finalists in the historical, regency and contemporary categories. A former CPA, Patricia Rice currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, please visit www.patriciarice.com or follow her on Twitter, @Patricia_Rice.

Kim: Tell us about St. Louis – what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

Patricia: Oh wow, tough one! The arch against the downtown skyline has to be my favorite sight. It’s different no matter when I view it—with sun, clouds, sunset, fireworks, glorious. Sound—possibly the variety of blues they play everywhere, on the street, at festivals, in the bars. That Mississippi delta sound dates back decades but the passion behind it is eternal. Smell—well, I can’t say it’s my favorite but St Louis is known for its beer and the smell of hops is distinctive!

Kim: You are a member of the distinguished blog, Word Wenches. How did the Word Wenches come about? Can you share a favorite moment from the blog?

Patricia: We’re distinguished? Cool. I’ll have to tell the others. Wenches aren’t usually distinguished, or even aristocratic, as you might be able to tell by our origin—we were too lazy to blog alone and decided if we had a bunch of people, we could pretend we were doing promo, and have jolly fun while we’re at it. Several of us were already good friends and we just kept building on that, bringing in our favorite historical authors whenever someone had to drop out, until we now have an international group.

Marcus Stone's Love at First Sight

We are an amazingly congenial, and perhaps partially insane, group. Hard to tell what our favorite moment is—the naked wench blog? That was a lesson in unity! I think there were six or seven of us way back then and we were talking behind the scenes about how people thought about nudity over the centuries. Then we had the brilliant idea to pull all our e-mails together in a joint blog. I stupidly agreed to format the “essay” and then I let everyone edit the result. Have you ever seen six or seven writers edit a single piece of work? Just don’t go there. The fact that the blog survived the process permanently bonded our friendships.

Jacques-Louis David's Portrait of Madame Récamier
She's not quite naked but still scandalous.

Kim: You write a wide range of books. How do you interchange between genres?

Patricia: Being insane… it’s not difficult. I read across a huge variety of genres. I cut my teeth on literary works. Heck, I was reading Chekov at age 10 because I’d run out of books to read and that’s what was in the house. With a mind like that, how could I do less than try everything? And Mary Jo Putney tells me I have a Uranian nature—I like change. I get bored easily. So diving into a new genre excites me no end.

Simon Vouet, The Muses Urania and Calliope, c. 1634

Kim: Tell us about your new magical contemporary romance, The Lure of Song and Magic?

Patricia: I ended my Georgian Magic series after book six because I wanted to go out with a bang, and I hope I succeeded with Magic Man. (Sourcebooks will be reissuing the whole series—Merely Magic is already out and Must Be Magic will be out this spring) But readers kept asking about the progeny of these eccentric couples, and I have to admit, I really wanted to see what happened if a logical Ives male was born with an illogical Malcolm psychic talent. But because of contractual obligations, I couldn’t write about the next generation. Which, naturally, stirred my creativity. So I spent several years toying with the idea of a contemporary Malcolm/Ives generation. When I hit upon a Malcolm with a siren talent, I was off and running. Those of you familiar with the historical series, I hope you’ll see the Malcolm gift running through my maddening Oswins, who have a strong streak of pragmatic Ives in their ancestry. They’re conflicted any way you look at it!

Kim: What’s next for Patricia Rice?

Patricia: I’m following the lure of different genres… So my next print book will be urban fantasy under a pseudonym. But I’ve written the next contemporary Magic book and I’ve resurrected the sequel to The Marquess. The English Heiress (known to readers as Michael’s book) is a historical romance that was purchased and paid for and never printed way back in the 90s. I had to restore old document files and heavily revise and edit for today’s audience, but with luck, I’ll e-publish it through Book View Café this summer to keep my historical readers happy. I’m also working on a new historical series, but that’s further down the road. Keep an eye on my website at www.patriciarice.com or my facebook page at
www.facebook.com/OfficialPatriciaRice for all the latest news!

It is pure magic during the Kamehameha Schools' Song Contest.

Mahalo, Patricia, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC to randomly selected commenters:

THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC BY PATRICIA RICE – IN STORES JANUARY 2012

Her voice was a curse…
When Dylan “Oz” Oswin’s son is kidnapped, the high-powered producer will do anything to get him back. Desperately following an anonymous tip, he seeks help from a former child singing sensation called Syrene, only to find she’s vowed never to sing again. Immune to her voice but not her charm, Oz is convinced she holds the key to his son’s disappearance—and he’ll stop at nothing to make her break her vow.

Only he can make her sing…
She knows the devastation her talent can bring. There’s more than a child’s life at stake, but Syrene cannot unleash her dangerous siren’s voice upon the world, even for a man who is impossible to deny…

To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about music - what is your favorite? I'm stuck on '80s hair bands.

2. Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to North American residents only. I'll giveaway a copy of THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC to one international reader (winner's choice of print or ecopy).

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

I would like to add a personal note about Patricia Rice. I met her during the 2008 RT Booklovers' Convention in Pittsburgh. She, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh, and Nicole Jordan participated in an intimate chat with readers. After the chat, Patricia and Mary Jo invited me for coffee and extended the invitation to my father, Jack Adams. At that point, he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. He came to visit me in Baltimore when my mother needed a break. Since I was scheduled to attend RT, he became an honored guest of Kathryn Falk. He enjoyed conversation with Patricia, Mary Jo, and the veterans at the SOS Military Mixer. Today is the first anniversary of his death. As I reflect upon his last years, I appreciate that Patricia was so kind to him.

Left to Right:
George Small, WWII Veteran
Frank Lowe, Vietnam War Veteran
Steely McBeam, Navy Veteran
Jack Adams, Korean Era Veteran
Tony Marshall, Active Duty Army
Chris Lowe, Active Duty Air Force

Aloha to Braxton Cosby and THE STAR CROSSED SAGA: PROTOSTAR

2012-01-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

Aloha! If you are having difficulty leaving a comment, send the comment to me at sos.aloha@yahoo.com. I'll post it for you. I don't know why you may be experiencing problems - I've had a few reports from other readers. I encourage you to use Google Chrome as an Internet Explorer.

On this day in 2005, DEEP IMPACT launched from Cape Canaveral to study the composition of the interior of Comet 9P/Tempel.

Image of DEEP IMPACT smashing into the comet.

On this day in 2007, Comet C/2006P1 became the brightest comet in more than 40 years.

Comet C/2006P1 captured at ISAC2007

Hence, we have a space spotlight today on Braxton Cosby's THE STAR CROSSED SAGE: PROTOSTAR:

It Starts With Choice! What would you choose: love or irrefutable duty? On the brink of Civil War, the Torrian Alliance continues with its mission to obliterate Star-children across the universe in order to suppress an intergalactic evil. Following the recommendations of his Council, King Gregorio Derry has agreed to send his only son on a mission to restore honor to his family. Bounty Hunter Prince William Derry has crossed thousands of light-years to planet Earth in order to fulfill this age old prophetic practice.

The quiet days of Madisonburg, Tennessee are officially over as Sydney Elaine now knows the full meaning of the phrase 'Be careful what you wish for' when she is confronted by this strange visitor. As an unforeseeable event delays his assassination, William decides to study his target more closely and begins to form a 'connection' with Sydney that challenges his inner being. But this conflict is the least of his problems, as a conspiracy back on his home planet Fabricius threatens the lives of those he loves and his father's royal legacy. Along with that, he must unravel a hidden menace on Earth that threatens both his and Sydney's safety. Will William be able to complete his mission or will he choose love, sacrificing everything he stands for?

The author is equally intriguing:

Braxton A. Cosby is a dreamer with a vision of continuously evolving and maximizing the untapped potential of the human spirit. Braxton received a lot of his inspiration from watching the accomplishments and exploits of his famous uncle, comedic legend Bill Cosby. A physical therapist by background, Braxton received his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate from the University of Miami, where he competed in track and field. Braxton's fascination of science grew into an obsession of Sci-fi and on one unassuming Sunday, this self-proclaimed romantic decided to pursue a 'calling' to create a new genre of writing- Sci-Fance. Braxton lives in Georgia with his wife and two children. He believes that everyone should pursue joy that surpasses all understanding and live each day as if it were the last.

I am giving away a print copy of THE STAR CROSSED SAGA: PROTOSTAR to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about space exploration or science fiction.

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Braxton, check out his website at this link.

Also check out my review of THE STAR CROSSED SAGA: PROTOSTAR on Goodreads at this link.

International Observatories atop Mauna Kea
on the Big Island of Hawaii

Aloha to Christie Craig and MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MAMA

2012-01-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

I have another day off with Christie Craig as my guest! She is celebrating the release of her ebook, MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MAMA:

BEING A MAMA IS HARD. BUT THE JOB’S EVEN TOUGHER WHEN YOU’RE DEAD…
Cali McKay’s mama isn’t ready to pass over to the “other side” yet. Her unlucky-in-love daughter needs her now more than ever. Before Mama can chain-smoke her way to heaven, she’s gotta make sure Cali’s ex deadbeat boyfriend doesn’t get her daughter killed.

GRIEF SUCKS. LOVE HEALS…
Cali lost her mom to cancer. Detective Brit Lowell, lost his partner to murder. Now he’s in the mood to take down some dirtbags and Cali’s ex just happens to be a dirtbag leaving a trail of dead bodies behind him. Can Brit trust this beautiful woman to help take down her ex? Can Cali look past this sexy cop’s hard exterior to trust him with her heart? Can life get any crazier when Mama starts meddling from the grave? Only one thing is for sure–none of it will matter, unless they catch a killer before the killer catches them.

FIRST TIME AVAILABLE IN WIDE RELEASE!

Thirteen things you’ll learn from reading Murder, Mayhem and Mama:

1) Grief sucks. Love heals.

2) Believe it or not, sometimes mama does know best. Even when she’s dead.

3) Painting your toenails is equivalent to a happy pill.

4) Sometimes there’s a hell of lot more to our dreams than we think.

5) When a tough guy resorts to sniffing a girl’s sweater that she left behind, he might as well give up the bachelor pad, he’s on the road to falling in love.

6) A guy who offers you a shoulder during a meltdown and doesn’t try to cop a feel, just may be a keeper.

7) When a guy says all he wants to do is sleep with you, he might not be talking sex, you might just be his answer to insomnia. Then again, he’ll probably want sex when he’s had some sleep.

8) When all else fells, try saying the magic words: please and thank you. It’s a manner thing.

9) Be leery of opening your boyfriends medicine cabinet, it’s not just what you might find, but what might fall out and bounce right into the toilet. Explaining how his 36 pack of condoms got wet could be embarrassing.

10) While being a better bitch isn’t something we should aspire to, learning to stand up for oneself is definitely goal worthy.

11) Sharing food off each other’s plate could lead to sharing a toothbrush. And after that, all bets, and possibly the clothes, are coming off.

12) Bad habits die hard. Then again, the sergeant general doesn’t say anything about smoking after you’re dead. Just ask Mama.

13) Take a man’s favorite leather jacket, and he might offer you his heart to get it back.

Thirteen is a lucky number for Cali, Brit, and Mama! They are exclusively available at Barnes and Noble at this link. After Feb. 10th, MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MAMA will be available at Amazon, Smashwords, and other e-tailers.

Christie is giving away an ecopy of MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MAMA to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Christie's list - do any apply to you? On my first date with my future husband, he shared is French Fries ... and now we live in Paradise with two boys and three cats!

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To see the characters in action, check out the book trailer at this link.

To learn more about Christie, her books, and her humor, check out her website at www.christie-craig.com.

"Mama" reminds me of Sharon Gless on Burn Notice.
Cigarette in hand, she seeks to bring Michael and Fiona together.
www.smokingsides.com

Aloha to Alix Rickloff and HEIR OF DANGER

2012-01-10T00:17:00.000-08:00

I've had back- to-back visitors for six weeks. My Fey Godmother, Alix Rickloff, has given me the night off with a guest post!

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

Ahhh, January. Dull, dismal, blah weather, weeks withnothing on the calendar, and only one holiday which thankfully does not involvemeals, family visits, gifts, or more than a single day off school. And evenbetter…it leads into February which is exactly the same if not ickier andduller and then comes wonderful beautiful March where the weather may beslightly warmer but certainly not enough to tempt me for long periodsand—Yay!—still no holidays.

Nothing in these three months to distract, delay, or draw mefrom my desk and my computer and my writing.

Spring is tough. Sports begin; swimming, lacrosse.Weeknights grow busy with practices and weekends are spent traveling to games.Spring break disrupts my normal routine and even if kids aren’t knocking on myoffice door, just having them in the house is enough to distract me.

Kilronan Castle for a Spring Wedding!
www.irishweddingvenues.com

Summer hits, and the kids are home from school. It’s threemonths of minutes caught here and there as I play taxi driver and socialsecretary. Plus there’s the pool and the beach and vacations and camps. Is itany wonder “butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard” becomes a hard resolution to keep?

Fall rolls in, and writing is steady. Chapters roll off myfingers and into my hard drive, but it’s jammed between soccer and schoolappointments and newly restarted community meetings. There’s a birthday to plan,chores indoors and out as we prepare for the coming cold, and, of course,football to watch. Then comes Halloween, and suddenly Thanksgiving is bearingdown with meals to prepare and purchase, family obligations, and the specter ofthe holidays looming in the not too distant future.

Need I explain about Christmas? I think not. We’ve all justlived through it. We’re all wearing the same slightly dazed wide-eyed, muddledexpression; a combination of over stimulation, lack of sleep, and way too muchsugar.

And so we come to January. Sweet, beautiful, quiet January.A writer’s paradise of empty days that roll one into another with nodistractions and nothing to pull us away from our desks and our works inprogress.

Kilronan Castle in snow
www.tripadvisor.com

I need these precious weeks to pull myself together. I savorthe slow drip of icy, gray days and long silent hours spent curled on my couchin front of my fire, just me, my cat, and my cast of characters wonderingwhat’s going to happen to them next.

Are you still recovering from the holiday rush? Catching upon lost sleep? Packing away the decorations? Throwing out the last few boxes?Finding space in your crammed closets for the new gifts you just received?

What do you love best about these winter months? The fun ofskiing or the calm of cocoa and warm fires? Write and let me know!

Inside Kilronan Castle - the armor reminds us of turbulent times.
blog.travelpod.com

Mahalo, Alix, for reminding us it is the most wonderful time of the year! It is also wonderful because Alix is celebrating the release of HEIR OF DANGER - the third book in her HEIRS OF KILRONAN trilogy:

A man too dangerous to live. . .

After seven years outrunning enemies, friends, and his own soul-crushing memories, Brendan Douglas is risking everything on a desperate mission. He has vowed to thwart the evil mage Máelodor’s plans to unlock the past and reshape the future . . . unfortunately the precious treasure that is the key to success lies with a woman he jilted seven years before.

A woman determined to find a life of her own. . .

When her golden-eyed childhood hero abandoned her at the altar—disappearing in a storm of magic and mayhem, destruction, betrayal, and disaster—Elisabeth Fitzgerald struggled to overcome her humiliation and loss. Finally, she has found a new fiancé and a comfortable future. Then, the one man she thought she would never see again appears—among her wedding guests. Brendan Douglas has returned.

An inescapable destiny. . .

It’s not just that Elisabeth is promised to another; Brendan knows he is drawing her into terrible danger. But he cannot resist the bewitching, brave, wholly unexpected woman his youthful nemesis has become. He promised to sacrifice everything, but is he willing to sacrifice Elisabeth?

I am giving away a print copy of HEIR OF DANGER to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about what you love about this time of year!

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Alix and her books, including links to purchase, log onto her website at www.alixrickloff.com.

Check out my review of HEIR OF DANGER on Goodreads at this link.

Aloha to KT Grant and XAVIER'S LOVING ARMS

2012-01-09T02:35:00.000-08:00

KT Grant is one of the most enthusiastic authors I know! It is my pleasure to welcome her as she celebrates the release of XAVIER'S LOVING ARMS. Please join me in presenting a lei to her!

www.tikimaster.com

Kim: Let’s start with New Jersey - what is your favorite sight, smell, and sound?

KT: Since I’m a native New Jerseyan, born and raised, nothing says New Jersey to me than the beach in the summer or in the fall when it’s just cool enough where you have to wear a sweater or a hoodie in order to go for a walk in the park and enjoy the changing of the leaves on the trees. New Jersey experiences all the four seasons and when I think of the East Coast, I think of New Jersey. I can’t think of anywhere else that has a metropolitan city less than 30 miles away, the shore less than 90 minutes away and acres of farmland and wooded areas in under an hour where you can go hiking or buy fresh produce.

www.visitusa.com

Kim: I came to know you as a blogger. And now I follow you as an author. How did you discover romance? How did you become a blogger and author?

KT: I first found about the romance genre when my mother handed me a copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind the summer of my thirteen birthday. I was then hooked for life and proceeded to read every Harlequin category romance my library had, including any books that had covers with a man and a woman embracing. Romance is the reason I picked up classic literature, including other genres. Books are as important to me as the air I breathe. Without them, I would be a shell of a person.

I became a blogger officially about four years ago. One of the main reasons was because of My Space where I would post blogs. People started to read them and recommended I start my own blog. After gaining the confidence by commenting on other blogs and websites, I started Babbling about Books, and More in October 2008 (at this link). Blogging helped me again gain the confidence to start writing fiction and a two years after I started blogging, I published my first book under the name, KT Grant, www.ktgrant.com.

Cat in box ...

Kim: Your review a wide variety of genres and write several, too. In fact, you describe your books as "out of the box" romances. How do you define "out of the box"? What inspires your books?

KT: I think of an “out of the box” read is a character or a story that’s not the normal or the stereotypical founded in books being published. I want to write characters that are different and walk to the beat of their own drum (much like me). It’s hard to say what inspires me to write a specific type of story. An idea pops in my head of a person and I create a story and let it evolve until I have to get it down on paper.

Kim: Tell us about your new book, LOVING XAVIER'S ARMS (oops, that must be my Freudian mistake as I am loving Xavier).

KT: Xavier’s Loving Arms is the third book in my Sweet & Sinful series, published by Decadent Publishing (at this link). These books all take place in a city on the East Coast and deals with body images. My first two heroines are woman are considered “curvy” or in some opinions, overweight. In Xavier’s Loving Arms, my heroine, Becca Price on the surface looks perfect. She has low self-esteem because she used to be overweight and turned to destructive mean to lose the weight such as binging and purging, as well as starving herself. When Xavier’s Loving Arms begins she’s in a bad place emotionally and mentally because she feels the whole world is falling apart around her and the only way to control her life is to fall back on those destructive influences and turn to people who helped her down this unstable path. She meets Xavier Marks, a handsome, kind and generous business man who has just gotten out of a bad breakup. When he meets Becca, he’s smitten and wants to make her smile and laugh. Poor Xavier has a lot cut out for him because Becca isn’t going to fall into his arms. Xavier may just be my favorite hero I’ve written so far. He’s dreamy ;)

Diamond Head is dreamy ....

Kim: What's next for KT Grant?

KT: My next release comes out on February 14, a Contemporary M/M romance from Decadent Romance called A Bid for Love that’s part of their popular 1 Night Stand series at this link. I also have a Lesbian twist on the Cinderella fairy tale coming in the early summer from Ravenous Romance and I’m working on a slew of other projects I hope to published this year and beyond!

Mahalo, KT, for returning to Hawaii! I am giving away a ecopy of XAVIER'S LOVING ARMS (in which you will be LOVING XAVIER'S ARMS) to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about "out of the box" romances - what would you like to see more of and less of in the romance genre?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Check out my review of XAVIER'S LOVING ARMS on Goodreads at this link.

Links, News, and Weekly Winners!

2012-01-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Surfers and Diamond Head

Aloha! We've had back to back visitors for six weeks. My mother - the last visitor - flew home last Wednesday. I posted several of our adventures at ALOHA ON MY MIND, primarily so her friends in Florida and England could enjoy the photos:

- Shangri La, Doris Duke's estate with Islamic Art at this link.

- Hanaiakamalama, Queen Emma's Summer Palace at this link.

- Aulani, Disney's resort in Ko Olina at this link.

- Bellows Beach at this link.

- Byodo In Temple at this link.

- Military sites around Oahu at this link.

- Kualoa Ranch movie tour at this link.

- Punchbowl, Diamond Head, and Honolulu Views at this link.

- Historic Hotels in Waikiki Beach at this link.

- Hale Koa Luau at this link.

Each post has a giveaway - a 2012 Hawaiian Calendars. Winners can trade calendar for book choice from convention stash. Comments open through Tuesday, January 10. I'll post the winners on Wednesday, January 11.

View from WWII bunker on Kualoa Ranch

Mary Gramlich, the Reading Reviewer, is starting a new job this week! She asked me to guest blog Monday through Friday as she focuses on this transition. Let's wish Mary the best!

While Mary's away, the readers will play! The schedule is:

Monday, January 9: Michael Craft and THE MACGUFFIN (thriller)

Tuesday, January 10: Carol Nelson Douglas and VIRTUAL VIRGIN (paranormal)

Wednesday, January 11: Pamela Clare and SURRENDER (historical)

Thursday, January 12: Freya North and SECRETS (British contemporary)

Friday, January 13: Anne Elizabeth's THE PENDULUM (graphic novel)

Join us at www.marygramlich.blogspot.com!

Bellows Beach

We have winners at SOS Aloha!

The Closer, part 2, Cliffhangers - winner's choice from convention stash

- Black Roze is the winner!

The Closer

New Year's Resolutions - winner's choice from convention stash

- Artemis is the winner!

Kualoa Ranch

Forever's PS I LOVE YOU tour with Rochelle Alers and Sherrill Bodine:

- Cathy, Chey, and Maureen are winners!

- International winners are Sue and Helen!

Anne Gracie's BRIDE BY MISTAKE:

- Diane D. is the winner!

Cooper Lawrence's THE YOGA CLUB:

- Debby is the winner!

CH Admirand's TYLER:

- June and Winnie are the winners!

- The international winner is Renee!

Japanese picture frame from the Byodo In:

- Jane is the winner!

Byodo In Temple

English gift pack in honor of Ann Summerville:

- Jeanne M. is the winner!

Winners - please confirm you would like to receive your book/prize by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Ann's picture of Cornwall

I am also a winner - I just booked my flight to Chicago in April. What's in Chicago?

- Barbara Vey's Reader Appreciation on Tuesday, April 10 at this link. Her event includes 38 authors - 7 who will be riding with me from Chicago to Milwaukee ... won't that be a great blog post!

- RT Booklovers' Convention at this link. I coordinate the SOS Military Tribute ... and I'll be blogging about this in the coming months.

Do you have something special on the horizon? One randomly selected commenter will win a book choice from my convention stash. This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Halona Beach - From Here to Eternity

Aloha to Jenna McCormick and NO LIMITS

2012-01-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1927, AT&T began trans-Atlantic telephone service between New York and London using radio transmission. It cost of $75 for the first three minutes.

Today, $75 buys monthly cell service. I wonder what $75 will buy in the future?

Fantasy author Jenna McCormick takes a peek into the future with her new release, NO LIMITS:

No Limits: Coming in January 1, 2012 from Kensington Aphrodisia

All Genevieve Luzon wants is to be loved by one man, a seemingly impossible task in New-New York City at the start of the twenty second century. Sure, she can buy sex as easily as order a pizza on a Friday night, but finding a forever kind of love among her self-centered peers is no easy feat for the unemployed off-world vacation coordinator. When an old friend offers her the position of secret shopper to test out the male prostitutes, Gen can’t think of a good reason to refuse. Hell, if she can’t find Mr. Right, she might as well try on a sampler of Mr. Right Nows.

Yet the perks of her new position don’t compare to the strange attraction she has, not for one of the prostitutes, but a candle that seems to warm places of her she never knew existed. When a man appears out of the flame, Gen is sure she's found the one. Rhys is an empath, made a slave by the Illustra Corporation and he’s everything Gen could ever want. Except available. Because Rhys is on a mission. One that might claim his life. He must try to free his people, consequences be damned. Now, Gen must choose between turning her back on the only man she’s ever loved and the monumental task he has set for himself. Should she risk her life fighting a war hidden from polite society against those who wish to control us all?

Is love really worth fighting for?

Leave no man behind ...

One line stood out, Because Rhys is on a mission. One that might claim his life. Jenna writes from experience as she is the alter ego of Jennifer L. Hart - Navy spouse and author of several military themed books. From Jenna's bio,

A little fantasy goes a long way....

Born on Sanibel Island somewhere between the fifth and seventh bottle of Rosa Regale, Jenna McCormick writes big girl romance with a touch of out of this world fantasy. Her hobbies include scouring the Internet for the perfect pair of boots and stirring up trouble, much to the dismay of her alter ego, mystery writer Jennifer L. Hart.

Sanibel Island

Jennifer has been a generous supporter of SOS Aloha ... and Jenna matches that support by giving away 10 print copies of NO LIMITS! To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about the future - what do you predict will be new and improved?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers - thanks, Jenna!

3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winners on Saturday, January 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Jenna McCormick, check out her website at www.authorjennamac.com.