Hawaii Five O: Mo'o 'olelo Pu - TV Review

Mo'o 'olelo Pu - Sharing Traditions:

When Kono goes on a solo outrigger trip around the Hawaiian islands in honor of her mother, she hits a patch of wild weather and must fight to stay alive. As Five-0 searches for Kono, they investigate a man busted for cooking meth who claims he received a threat on his son’s life if he didn’t continue making the drug.

Mo'o 'olelo Pu opens on Bellows Beach - a stretch of ocean front land own by the federal government.  I posted pictures on my travel blog here and here.  Bellows Beach was a favorite hideaway when I lived in Hawaii ... so this episode is off to a great start.  

Each segment of this episode opens with an appropriate quote, including surfing icon and swimming champion, Duke Kahanamoku, "Out of the water, I am nothing."

The H50 gang comes out to wish bon voyage to Kono on Bellows Beach.  Kono's father also brings her mother, stricken by an aneurysm, to bid Kono farewell.  We learn that Kono is making this voyage in honor of her mother, who made the voyage herself from Oahu to Molokai (it is 26 miles between the two closest points of each island).     

Shortly after Kono's departure, she encounters bad weather which capsizes her wa'a - an outrigger canoe.  She is able to rescue her satellite phone, a bag of sand, and her paddleboard (she places her phone in the bag for the sand to dry it out). Over the next few hours, Kono struggles to stay aboard her paddleboard.  She has flashbacks to her mother teaching her to surf,  "You’re going to get knocked off your board many times…the only thing that matters is you get back up."  

Once the weather passes, Kono reads the stars, including Na hiku (the Big Dipper), Hokupa'a (the North Star), and 'Iwa Keli'i (Cassiopeia).  In the morning, she hallucinates her mother is also in the water, leading her leading her back to land.   Kono realizes she is imagining her mother and breaks down in anger.  

She is forced to spend one more night on the water but notices her satellite phone is finally dry.  She is able to reach Chin Ho before more bad weather disconnects the call.  Steve asks the Coast Guard to launch a search. When the commander delays an aerial search due to the weather, Steve replies, "I will go."   Ultimately, the weather passes, the helicopters launch, but the H50 team is unable to locate Kono.  Instead, Kono paddles her way to shore by the morning.  The episode ends with the H50 team receiving a call that Kono is safe.

Hawaii Five O (link) tweeted trivia during the broadcast:

Kawika's prayer "hele e ka wa'a" translates to "in strength to the canoe on its journey across the ocean." #H50

Kawika is performing the pi kai blessing, a purification ceremony for newly-made wa'a involving ti leaf and salt water. #H50

The momoa,the hull of the wa’a, is a nonfunctional feature of the canoe believed 2 serve as a seat for a paddler’s ancestral spirit. #H50

Paddlers on the Hokule'a, a 60ft double-hulled wa'a, replicated the voyage made by ancient Polynesians b/n Tahiti & Hawaii in 1975. #H50

The shark god Kamohoali'i in Hawaiian mythology guided lost canoes back to land #H50

Ian Neville-Niel, who plays the chopper pilot, is a real coast guard helicopter pilot #H50 

This episode was all about Kono.   The director showcased her dedication to Hawaiian traditions and her inner strength when she needed it.   Mo'o 'olelo Pu is now my third favorite episode, just behind the Pilot (link) and Ho'onani Makuakane - Honor Thy Father (tribute to December 7, 1941, link).   

Watch Mo'o 'olelo Pu  on cbs.com (link) or on demand.   

May is National Military Appreciation Month.  For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Do you have sea legs?  I do not.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

This episode reminded me of Eddi Aikau, a legendary surfer and lifeguard at Waimea Beach Park.  I posted pictures on my travel blog at this link with a special tribute to Eddie.   Because Eddie would go.

May is National Military Appreciation Month - WAY OF THE WARRIOR Anthology from Sourcebooks

 

Check out this special anthology from Sourcebooks:

Suzanne Brockmann on “Home Fire Inferno”

I write about a SEAL team, so my military heroes tend to show up in a rather large group! And although Home Fire Inferno focuses on Navy SEAL Dan Gillman (whose wife, Jenn, is about to have a baby!), you’ll also see quite a bit of Izzy Zanella, along with Mark Jenkins, Jay Lopez, and the inimitable Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok. Readers will also get to meet the SEAL with the face of a serial killer and the intriguing nickname HoboMofo . . . who happens to live with his mother and his ten-year-old daughter. But all the SEALs in this story would be in full agreement that family is the one word answer to the question “What is your military hero/ine most excited about returning to after active duty?”

Honoring love and family is a long-held tradition in the U.S. Navy. A ritual called the First Kiss is still practiced for ships returning to their homeports. (Google “US Navy first kiss tradition” to see pictures that will brighten your day!) All married sailors, officer and enlisted alike, can take part in a lottery in which the winner is the first to disembark, greet, and kiss his or her spouse after many months away from home. It’s a huge deal, with boatloads of ceremony involved. This is the big, bad U.S. Navy, part of the most powerful military force in the world. But everyone—from admirals to seamen recruits—unabashedly recognize that the most important part of their homecoming lies in the arms of the men and women waiting for them.

Julie Ann Walker on “Hot As Hell”

Despite running missions to the ass ends of the earth, Navy SEAL Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright from Hot as Hell is a family man at heart. Born and raised in Atlantic City, he longs for the sea when he’s conducting sorties in the desert. Hankers for the boardwalk when he’s belly deep in some bog in the jungle. And craves a slice of Tony Bologney’s pizza when he’d eaten one-too-many MREs – meals ready to eat – to count. So when Michael gets time off from missiles and mayhem, you can bet your bottom dollar he races home to be with his two brothers and his mother and father. Together, they make a night of pizza, walks along the boardwalk, salt water taffy, and some tossing of the dice at one of Atlantic City’s seaside casinos. It’s a bit of normalcy in a life that’s otherwise filled by the extraordinary. A bit of fun in a world Michael knows can be full of horror and woe. A bit of life to go along with so much death. Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright lives for those moments, for those homecomings. They’re what he fights for…

Catherine Mann on “In Plain Sight”

Tech Sergeant Gavin “Bubbles” Novak isn’t known for a sparkling wit, but his steely eyed focus on the job has made him the go-to guy in the most stressful of pararescue missions. Until a fateful military mission leaves him blind and ends his Air Force career. With nowhere else to go, he returns to his small Kentucky hometown with his seeing-eye dog and takes a job as a 9-1-1 operator. His first day on the job brings a voice from the past, the only woman who has ever blasted through that tough shell to reach his soul - his high school sweetheart Stacie Curry. She’s being stalked by her abusive ex-husband and he’s broken into her home.

Stacie Curry thought she made the safe choice in marrying the hometown boy rather than leaving with brooding outsider Gavin. But her decision has led to a nightmare existence. Since her divorce, she is stalked and terrorized by her ex. When she calls 9-1-1, she’s stunned to hear Gavin’s deep voice on the other end of the line. And when she sees him face to face afterward, she’s shocked – and heartbroken – to learn he’s blind. But she soon finds Gavin will let nothing stand in the way of protecting her.

Learning to overcome the loss of his sight and his Air Force career, Gavin comes to her rescue, protecting her, helping expose her ex … and rekindling their old romance with a blazing-hot flame.

Tina Wainscott on “Beauty and the Marine”

Once the gorgeous golden boy of his small Georgia town, Marine Griff Tate returned home scarred from an explosion in Afghanistan. Now, the only people he sees are his family and the out-of-towners he takes hunting and fishing on their private acreage. Griff thinks that all he wants is to be with his family in the comfort of the woods in which he spent his youth. He can barely look at himself in the mirror—how can he expect a woman to want to wake up to his ugly mug every morning? But even a battle-scarred veteran needs love … even if he doesn’t know it!

Anne Elizabeth on “SEALed with Passion”

Navy SEAL LT Cmdr Jonah Melo has his feet back on American soil. That's when the itchy-need begins--to get back into the action and/or to fill his time with something useful. Luckily, he's got an opportunity to jump in and do a building project for the Wounded Warriors. This particular house is special because it's going to be the home of his long-time friend Kevin Toms. Melo has participated in a lot of builds before, but seeing his buddy in a home that enables his happiness and mobility is going to top the list of experiences. If only he could be as blessed in love as he is in friendship.

M.L. Buchman on “NSDQ”

U.S. Army Captain Lois Lang knows only one thing, flying combat search-and-rescue helicopters into the heart of the battlezone and getting her people back out. And when a CSAR mission gone wrong forces her to make the ultimate sacrifice—for her it isn’t a choice. Her crew and the wounded they’ve recovered always come first.

But the battle that awaits her will test her limits. She can learn to walk again, but she must discover the strength to face what to do when she can’t fly.

Kate SeRine on “Torn”

During his deployment, the thing that kept Joe Dawson going was the thought of returning home to Sadie—his best friend since childhood and the woman he’s been in love with for as long as he can remember. But a mission gone wrong has left him scarred—both inside and out. And when he and Sadie finally share an unexpected moment of passion, Joe has a hard time believing that Sadie could have feelings for the damaged man he has become and worries that her heart is being ruled by pity and not love.

Those doubts are compounded now that he’s set to resume his duty as a deputy sheriff. With his father and three brothers already making names for themselves with successful law enforcement careers, the pressure’s on, leaving Joe torn between honoring the family tradition and leaving behind the only career he’s ever known outside the military.

Lea Griffith on her inspiration for “War Games”

There are many things I could tell you about my stepfather. He married a wonderful woman with a tiny, 6 year old girl from a previous marriage who still wondered why her daddy couldn’t be a daddy—and then he became a stepfather and helped raise her. A strict disciplinarian he nevertheless was giving to a fault. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War. (Side note: he refused to call it a “conflict”. He always said, “When people kill people like we killed people that’s a goddamn war.” Finally, I guess I’d tell you he was one of the most tortured souls I have ever known. In the midst of his torment, the nightmares and flashbacks, the anger that always simmered just below the surface there was a strength to be admired and it is that strength that makes him one of my heroes.

My stepdad was born and raised in a little town called Tennille, Georgia. It’s nothing but country with field after field of corn and cotton and country folk living a simple life. When young men came of age they either went into the family business of cotton and corn or they went into the service and this is the route William Thomas Howell, Jr. took. He entered the Air Force and lost any innocence he might have once had running tactical rescue and recovery missions in Vietnam of which he would say nothing about. I remember asking him what war was like and he refused to answer. Then one day when he was talking about Vietnam—not the war, mind you, but the country itself—I asked him what he missed the most about home when he was “in country”. He smiled and for some reason my gut clenched and I remember wishing I hadn’t asked the question. But then he answered and I had to smile with him. “Lightning bugs,” he said. “Lightning bugs and Coca Cola.”

My stepdad passed away almost nine years ago. He has missed the births of several of his grandchildren and the marriage of one of his children. But in the midst of his loss, he left a legacy that includes perseverance, giving and most of all a love of Coca Cola.

Oh, and the lightning bugs. I cannot forget the tiny bugs with the “lights in their butts”. It seems the smallest bug made a light big enough for my stepdad to yearn for. They make me smile every time spring comes. And yes, because he made me smile with his longing for lightning bugs I taught my girls how to catch them and put them in a mason jar for a little while before you release them. This more than anything else has helped me remember him.

The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2002 and provides a wide range of programs and services to veterans and service members who have survived physical or mental injury during their brave service to our nation. Get involved or register for programs and benefits for yourself and your family online at woundedwarriorproject.org.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble 

iBooks
IndieBound

Sourcebooks is hosting a special giveaway at this link.

Suzanne Brockmann

Suz Brockmann is the award-winning author of over fifty books, and is widely recognized as one of the leading voices in romantic suspense. Her work has earned her repeated appearances on the New York Times bestseller list, as well as numerous awards, including Romance Writers of America's #1 Favorite Book of the Year and two RITA awards.

suzannebrockmann.com
facebook.com/SuzanneBrockmannBooks
twitter.com/SuzBrockmann

Julie Ann Walker

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

julieannwalker.com

facebook.com/jawalkerauthor
twitter.com/JAWalkerAuthor

Catherine Mann
USA Today bestselling author Catherine Mann specializes in military romances with over 50 books in print. A RITA winner, she has also won the Bookseller's Best Award. Catherine's books have been widely released internationally including in Great Britain, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Iceland, Australia, and Japan. She lives with her husband, who is a combat veteran and retired Air Force Colonel, near Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

catherinemann.com
facebook.com/CatherineMannAuthor
twitter.com/catherinemann1

Tina Wainscott

Tina Wainscott has always loved the combination of suspenseful chills and romantic thrills. She's published fifteen romantic suspense novels, as well as ten paranormal romances as Jaime Rush. Losing her nephew, a Marine, in the war made her realize that our military men are really the perfect heroes. Not only during the war but afterward as they try to stitch their lives and souls together once they're home.

tinawainscott.com
facebook.com/tinawainscottbooks
twitter.com/Tina_Wainscott

Anne Elizabeth

New York Times bestselling author Anne Elizabeth is an award-winning romance author and comic creator. With a BS in business and MS in communications from Boston University, she is a regular presenter at conventions as well as a member of The Author’s Guild and Romance Writers of America. Anne lives with her husband, a retired Navy SEAL, in the mountains above San Diego.

anneelizabeth.net
facebook.com/aeauthorfanpage
twitter.com/AEAnneElizabeth

M.L. Buchman

M. L. Buchman has over 30 novels in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year” and Booklist “Top 10 of the Year.” He also writes thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world. He is now making his living as a full-time writer on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife.

mlbuchman.com
facebook.com/mlbuchman
twitter.com/mlbuchman

Kate SeRine

Kate SeRine (pronounced "serene") is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it's no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project.

kateserine.com
facebook.com/kateserine
twitter.com/kateserine

Lea Griffith

Lea Griffith began sneaking to read her mother’s romance novels at a young age. She cut her teeth on the greats: McNaught, Woodiwiss, and Garwood. She still consumes every romance book she can put her hands on, but now she writes her own. When not working as a Practice Manager for an Internal Medicine Physician, you’ll find her at her keyboard, writing. She loves romance and nothing is off-limits when it comes to her muse. Lea lives in rural Georgia with her husband, three teenage daughters, two dogs, a cat, and a Betta fish named Coddy George.

leagriffith.com
facebook.com/LeaGriffithWrites
twitter.com/LeaGriffith

Weekly Winners

This weekend was a winner with Lei Day (May 1), Kentucky Derby (May 2), and an emotional H50 episode - review to come.

We have winners at SOS Aloha:

Kate Angell's NO ONE LIKE YOU
- Linda wins a book choice from my convention stash. 

Wednesday's Warriors - Coin Challenge

- Mary P. wins a book choice from my convention stash.

\

From my travel blog, Barbara Vey's Reader Appreciation Luncheon
- LSU wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Winners, please claim your prize by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Beth Ciotta

Beth Ciotta and her sister Elle J. Rossi are two more hosts at the SOS America Military Tribute (link).  They are also singing the National Anthem.  From Beth's bio,

It's not surprising that I gravitated toward a career in the arts. But rather than nurturing my writing, I pursued a career as a singer. I started singing professionally at age 14. Fresh out of high school, I went 'on the road' performing in hotel lounges and nightclubs six nights a week, fifty weeks (more or less) a year for eight years. During my travels, I met the love of my life and joined his band. We performed together for several years, settling in Atlantic City where he eventually left the stage to become a highly skilled audio/visual technician--a sensible job. I, on the other hand, morphed into a variety performer, working the casinos as a character actress, singer, dance motivator and emcee. Yup. Quirky.

The desire to perform burned strong and sustained me for more than twenty-five years before ebbing to a dull flicker. An artist without passion is a frightening thing (for the artist anyway.)

Out of the blue I started reading romance novels and experienced an epiphany. This was what I was supposed to be doing! Writing love stories! That was in 1994 and I have never looked back. I first published in 2002 under the pseudonym, CB Scott, along with my then writing partner, Cynthia Valero. After three published novels as CB Scott, I branched out with my first solo novel—JINXED—in 2004 and since then have published eleven more novels under my name, with several more on the way. 

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”—C.S. Lewis

Mahalo, Beth, for answering the call to support the SOS America Military Tribute.  Learn more about Beth and her books at bethciotta.com.  I'll spotlight Elle on May 21 here at SOS Aloha - I scheduled the table hostesses in alphabetical order :)

For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1.  If you could sing, what would you sing?  I can't sing, but if I could, I would sing with the Sweet Adelines ... my husband is a Barbershop singer. 

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

May is National Military Appreciation Month

Joint Color Guard
www.defense.gov

5/1: May is National Appreciation Month with Leah Marie Brown
5/2: SOS America Military Tribute - Elizabeth Boyle
5/3: SOS America Military Tribute - Beth Ciotta
5/4: SOS America Military Tribute -  WAY OF THE WARRIOR
5/5: SOS America Military Tribute - Chanel Cleeton
5/6: SOS America Military Tribute - Paige Tyler
plus State of Romance - New Mexico
5/7: SOS America Military Tribute - Elizabeth Essex
5/8: SOS America Military Tribute - Emmy Curtis
5/9: SOS America Military Tribute - Sharon Hamilton
5/10: SOS America Military Tribute - Elle James
5/11: SOS America Military Tribute - Sabrina Jeffries
5/12: SOS America Military Tribute - Cat Johnson
5/13: SOS America Military Tribute - Kennedy Layne
plus State of Romance - Nebraska
5/14: SOS America Military Tribute - Merline Lovelace
5/15: SOS America Military Tribute - Ophelia London
5/16: SOS America Military Tribute - Siera London
5/17: SOS America Military Tribute - Sally MacKenzie
5/18: SOS America Military Tribute - Lindsay McKenna
5/19: SOS America Military Tribute - Crista McHugh 
5/20: SOS America Military Tribute - Angel Payne
plus State of Romance - Idaho
5/21: SOS America Military Tribute - Elle J Rossi
5/22: SOS America Military Tribute - Susan Stoker
5/23: SOS America Military Tribute - Rebecca Yarros
5/24: SOS America Military Tribute - Kara Braden
5/25: SOS America Military Tribute - Jackson Young
5/26: SOS America Military Tribute - Ella Quinn
5/27: SOS America Military Tribute - Lea Griffith
plus State of Romance - North and South Dakotas
5/28: SOS America Military Tribute - Julie Rowe
5/29: SOS America Military Tribute - Julie Ann Walker
5/30: SOS America Military Tribute - Jamie Rae 
5/31: SOS America Military Tribute - Donna Michaels 

6/1: SOS America Military Tribute - Mahalo to the donors: Avon Romance, St. Martin's Press, Randi Alexander, Diana Cosby, Anne Elizabeth, Gail Hart, Lorraine Heath, Elizabeth Hoyt, Elizabeth Langston, and Susan Ann Wall
6/2: L.A. Kornetsky's CLAWED
6/3: State of Romance - Colorado
6/4: Leslie Wells' KEEP DANCING
6/5: Sharon Sala's I'LL STAND BY YOU
6/6: Jessica James' MEANT TO BE
6/7: Weekly Winners
6/8: Rosanna Bittner's OUTLAW HEARTS
6/9: Isabel Cooper's NIGHT OF HIGHLAND DRAGON
plus Jenna Jaxon's ONLY MARRIAGE WILL DO
6/10: State of Romance - Maine
plus Mia Marlowe's NEVER RESIST A RAKE
6/11: King Kamehameha Day
6/12: Karida Clarke
6/13: Trooping of the Colors
6/14: Weekly Winners
6/15: Debra Holt's HIS COUNTRY BRIDE
6/16: Julie Rowe's DEADLY STRAIN
6/17: State of Romance - Puerto Rico
6/18: Victoria Vane's SHARP SHOOTER
6/19: Emily Greenwood's THE BEAUTIFUL ONE
6/20: Celebrate Little Victories
6/21: Weekly Winners
6/22: Debra Holt's HIS COUNTRY BRIDE
6/23: Maya Banks' SAFE AT LAST
6/24: State of Romance - Scotland
6/25: Heather Boyd's AN IMPROPER PROPOSAL
6/26: Rhonda Shaw's CAUGHT
6/27: Celebrate Little Victories
6/28: Weekly Winners
6/29: Rosanne Bittner's DO NOT FORSAKE ME
6/30: Reserved 

7/1: Wednesday's Warriors
7/2: Reserved 
7/3: Reserved
7/4: Celebrate Little Victories
7/5: Weekly Winners
7/6: Adrienne Giordano's THE DETECTIVE
7/7: Reserved
7/8: Wednesday's Warriors
7/9: Julie Ann Walker's HELL OR HIGH WATER
7/10: Terry Spear's SEAL WOLF HUNTING
7/11: Celebrate Little Victories
7/12: Weekly Winners
7/13: Michele Summer's NOT SO NEW IN TOWN
7/14: Open
7/15: Wednesday's Warriors
7/16: Open
7/17: Samantha Grace's THE BEST OF BOTH ROGUES
7/18: Celebrate Little Victories
7/19: Weekly Winners
7/20: Open
7/21: Open
7/22: Wednesday's Warriors
7/23: Open
7/24: Open
7/25: Celebrate Little Victories
7/26: Weekly Winners
7/27: Open
7/28: Open
7/29: Wednesday's Warriors
7/30: Open
7/31: Open

8/25: Jodi Thomas' RANSOM CANYON

11/3:  Debra Holt's MERCY'S RESCUE

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Elizabeth Boyle

I invited Elizabeth Boyle to serve as a table hostess for the SOS America Military Tribute on May 14, 2015, in Dallas (link).   From her bio,

According to her family, Elizabeth Boyle has always been a storyteller. That is if you count the far-fetched tales she used to make up about her imaginary cow, John Clapper, or the fictitious accounts she’d conjure as to who exactly broke the cookie jar. So it was no surprise to them when Elizabeth’s first novel, Brazen Angel arrived on the scene with a great splash, snagging the Dell Diamond Debut Award (snapshot of the winning moment at left) and went on to win the Romance Writers of America RITA for Best First Book.

In addition to writing, Elizabeth loves gardening, knitting, reading, traveling, exploring tea shops and trying to find low-fat recipes that taste like something her grandmothers would have made. When not writing, Elizabeth chases after her two active sons, or as she likes to call them, her “heroes-in-training.” She lives in Seattle with her husband Terry, and considers her hectic life the best slice of heaven one could ever wish for.

I invited Elizabeth based on the acknowledgement in her latest release, THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE:

To the Skyway VFW Post 9530 and to Chad Hassesberoek.  For all your kindness and dedication to the special needs Boy Scout Troop 419.  They are blessed to have your example and leadership in their lives.  For your generosity of time and sponsorship, as well as the brave service you have given to our country, I thank you.

I was touched by Elizabeth's words ... and reminded that military families continue to serve long after they hang up their dog tags.  THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE features a Regency hero with PTSD.  It is the best book I have read this year - link to my review:

She has no desire for love...

As she arrives in Mayfair, Louisa Tempest is horrified when her incorrigible cat bolts from the carriage and dashes into a neighbor's house, where she comes face-to-face with the reclusive Viscount Wakefield. But even more dismaying than his foul temper is the disarray in which she finds his home. Convinced his demeanor would improve if his household were in order, Louisa resolves to put everything to rights.

...until she meets the viscount who lives down the lane.

Much to his chagrin, Wakefield finds it impossible to keep the meddling Louisa out of his home, invading his daily life with her "improvements," and his nights with the tempting desires she sparks inside him. Wounded in the war, he's scorned society ever since his return . . . until Louisa opens the door to his heart and convinces him to give love a second chance.

Congratulations to Elizabeth - THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE will receive the RT Bookreviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Love & Laughter Historical Romance in Dallas. 

I am excited for Elizabeth's next release, MAD ABOUT THE MAJOR, available June 2 from Avon Impulse:  

The pampered daughter of a duke…

Lady Arabella Tremont has spent her entire life protected and overshadowed by her restrictive father. But she is a Tremont, after all, and the morning after she is nearly ruined at a ball by a handsome stranger, Arabella’s father demands she make an arranged match with the heir to a dukedom. In desperation, Arabella takes matters into her own hands.

Takes a London holiday with the most unsuitable of chaperones…

Major Kingsley is in London to avoid his parents’ dreadful house party. To his surprise he runs into the enticing—and unforgettable—minx he met at a ball the previous night. Arabella, or Birdie, as he knows her, insists he owes her three favors—for he’s put her in a terrible pinch. Kingsley agrees, if only to delay his trip home and because the notion of spending the day with this enchanting bit of muslin is too tempting to resist. But all too quickly he discovers Arabella’s requests are hardly what he expected…

Mahalo, Elizabeth, for your support of military families!  

Sailor in period uniform from
USS Constitution - Old Ironsides

For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize with books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1.  What makes you laugh?

2.  Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Elizabeth Boyle and her books at elizabethboyle.com.

Also check out my interview on her website at this link.

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Leah Marie Brown and FAKING IT

In 1999, Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month to recognize the service and sacrifice of those in uniform.  I have dedicated May to spotlighting authors connected to the military.  Today we welcome Air Force veteran and Kensington author Leah Marie Brown.  From her bio,

I am an American writer with a penchant for Paris and all things pink!

Before writing novels, I worked as a print journalist for a Pulitzer prize winning newspaper and served in the United States Air Force as a Radio and Television Broadcaster.

An avid traveler, I have had adventures and mishaps from London to Tokyo, which I write about on my blog, On Life, Love & Accidental Adventures, and in my contemporary romantic series, The It Girls.

I was once a collector of truly useless bric-a-brac and cheesy tee-shirts. My cheesiest? A tee with a cartoon Jesus riding a surf board and the words, "And on the eighth day, Jesus went surfing in Greece."

Today, I prefer to gather friendships and memories as travel souvenirs. 

Kim:  Thank you for your service in the USAF! What did you learn from active duty that you can apply to your writing career?

LMB:  Wow! That's a good question. I learned a lot of during my tour in the United States Air Force, like the true meaning of sacrifice, patriotism, and respect. I also learned:

If you slip the base tailor twenty bucks, she will nip your Blues in at the waist a little to give you something resembling a female figure.  Singing I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am to yourself in a Cockney accent while standing in formation might not keep you from passing out, but helps makes the time pass quicker.

In a pinch, two packs of the earplugs issued on Space A flights can be fashioned into a temporary cork for a half-consumed bottle of champagne.  Birth Control Glasses are not an effective means of contraception.  Those might seem like ridiculous lessons, but it's really about finding the humor in any situation. Having a sense of humor has been vitally important in my writing career - to keep me buoyed during the difficult times and to help me savor the good times. Have a good sense of humor is important in developing resilience, and resilience is a necessary characteristic for being a writer.

Kim:  Paris, London, and Tokyo - you are a travel name dropper!  Can you share a funny moment from your international travels?

LMB:  Am I? A travel name dropper? Yikes. I met another travel name dropper when I was in Ireland earlier this year. We spent a lovely hour in a pub in Kenmare talking about our experiences in Italy, Scotland and Panama. (Did you see how I dropped five more place names in two sentences? Clearly it's a problem I need to address.) 

At the risk of being called a travel anecdote dropper, I must confess to having many ridiculous stories. I am a bit of an accidental tourist - bumping along, pushing the boundaries, taking risks in the spirit of joie de vivre - which means I come home with a lot of outrageous tales (all of them true, though some of the embellished a wee bit for affect because I am Irish.)

I was detained by Buckingham Palace Guards on suspicion of being a terrorist. It was really quite ridiculous. I am a five-foot-four, overly chatty, super-conspicuous blonde who dresses in bright "NOTICE ME" pink. I don't skulk in darkened corners or try to blend in. To make matters worse, when the guards burst through our hotel room door (I was traveling with my best friend, fellow writer, Cindy Miles), I began blathering like an idiot - making poorly timed, nervous jokes about Prince William and telling the lead guard he looked like Basil Rathbone (the British actor who played Sherlock Holmes in the old black and white movies). He was not amused. How we escaped being thrown into a cell just for my nervous prattling is still a mystery. I write about this episode in Finding It, book two in the It Girls series.

Kim:  Tell us about FAKING IT - what inspired it? 

LMB:  Faking It is a contemporary romance. I like to refer to it as a chick lit book, but I know that is not a popular name for the genre anymore. Nevertheless, it is a humorous novel about female empowerment and growth. Vivia Perpetua Grant was a fun character to create because she is young, always-in-her-head, wears rose-colored-glasses, and suffers from a bit of verbal incontinence when she is nervous (sound like anyone else we know?). A lot of the book comes from my travels with my two best friends.

The line, "I've told more than one man I was a virgin" came to me one day while I was running (okay, fast walking) on the treadmill. I was intrigued by the idea of a character who lied about her virginity, her motivation for the lie, the consequences of the lie, and what happened after she was exposed. I wrote the first two chapters of Vivia's story and then went back to writing historical romances. Vivia, the Perpetual Virgin, was stuck on a file on my computer for six years before I dug her out and fleshed her out. I was in a bit of a slump, bummed because editors didn't want French Revolution set romance novels, when my best friend said, "You're funny, Girl. Write funny. What about that perpetual virgin story? Write that." So, I took her advice and tried to write funny. Hopefully, I succeeded.

Kim:  What's next for Leah Marie Brown? 

LMB:  Another trip (I won't drop the name). Another mishap. Another book. Repeat.  Thank you for the interview.

Mahalo, Leah, for kicking off National Military Appreciation Month!   Leah is celebrating the release of FAKING IT, Book 1 in the It Girls series):

Vivia Grant couldn’t be happier. She has her dream job and is about to marry her dream man. Does it really matter that she’s led him to believe she’s a virgin? After all, being in love makes every experience feel like the first time anyway! But an unexpected encounter with an ex-lover is about to expose her embarrassing lie…

When Vivia’s fiancé discovers the truth, he ends their engagement—via text—and uses his connections to get her fired. Unemployed and heartbroken, Vivia begins planning her new future—as a homeless spinster. But her best friend has a better idea. They’ll skip the Ben & Jerry’s binge and go on Vivia’s honeymoon instead. Two weeks cycling through Provence and Tuscany, with Luc de Caumont, a sexy French bike guide. Too bad Vivia’s not a big fan of biking. And she’s abysmal at languages. Will she fib her way through the adventure, or finally learn to love herself—and Luc—flaws and all?

For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch  of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Do you like biking?   I like biking on flat surfaces, such as the Netherlands!

2.  Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winners on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Leah and her books at leahmariebrown.com.

Coming in September 2015