Weekly Winners and H50 Rerun - Ka 'alapahi Nui (Big Lie)

Happy Halloween! Jane, Janice, and Christy win a book choice from my convention stash. Winners - please send your mailing addres sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

I was a winner on Saturday with a rerun of Hawaii Five O - 
Ka 'alapahi Nui (Big Lie):

The team questions members of a stunt biker gang when a killer escapes by jumping his motorcycle from roof to roof; the team prepares for Tough Mudder.

I recall this episode from last year (Season 6, Episode 5) - Baltimore was plagued by bikers interrupting traffic to showboat in the streets.  H50 took the story one step further with the crime of the week - a biker killed a father preparing for a deposition against a Samoan gang.  The H50 investigate if the Samoans hired the assassin .... or is there something darker in the victim's life?  The action - bikers fleeing H50 - showcased Oahu's unique elevated highways, lush landscape, and endless sunshine.

cbs.com

I enjoyed the secondary plot - Steve, Danno, Chin Ho, and Kono trained to compete as a team in the Tough Mudder competition. Tough Mudder is an actual series of competitions - from its website (link),

Probably the toughest event on the planet

Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile mud and obstacle course designed to drag you out of your comfort zone by testing your physical strength, stamina, and mental grit. With no podiums, winners, or clocks to race against, it’s not about how fast you can cross the finish line. Rather, it’s a challenge that emphasizes teamwork, camaraderie, and accomplishing something almost as tough as you are.

It reminds me of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Kaneohe's Swamp Romp (link).  When I volunteered at the Hickam Thrift Shop, I often helped shoppers look for combat uniforms (BDUs) and combat boots for this event.

 mcbhawaii.com

The banter between the H50 team was entertaining - each character played their part (Steve was gun ho, Danno was whining, etc).  The episode ended with scenes of them working together as a team to over come the obstacles and finish the race.  Perhaps I'm idealist, but I would like to see our country working as a team.

cbs.com

What did you do over the weekend?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Sunday, November 6, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Monday, November 7, here at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Halloween Reads - Laura Childs, FRILL KILL, and THE JASMINE MOON MURDER

Our church recently hosted a yard sale where I bought a box of books, including a mish mash of cozy mysteries.  I first dove into Laura Childs' FRILL KILL, Book 5 in the Scrapbooking Mystery series:

With Halloween barely a week away, things are spookier than ever in New Orleans. A party at Juju Voodoo draws a fabulous throng, and Carmela's friend Ava has hired a sexy tarot card reader named Giovanni to work the crowd. What he doesn't foretell is that on her way home, Carmela will discover the body of a beautiful model behind a Dumpster--and be attacked herself!

FRILL KILL was an easy read, even for jumping into the fifth book in a series. I enjoyed celebrating Halloween in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  Although I do not partake in scrapbooking, I appreciated how Childs shared the characters' enthusiasm for their creative outlet.  

I also found Laura Childs' THE JASMINE MOON MURDER, Book 5 in the Tea Shop Mystery series (perhaps five is my lucky number):

The traditional Ghost Crawl in Charleston's Jasmine Cemetery is an annual autumn event. Under a full moon, amateur actors attired in Civil War-era costumes re-enact historic scenes with a flourish of pageantry and pomp. But as stage lights flicker and dim, and actors appear and disappear among ghostly gravestones, something goes terribly wrong. Dr. Jasper Davis, Jory Davis's uncle, clutches his chest in pain and collapses. Even though the paramedics arrive moments later, Theodosia soon learns that their heroic efforts were in vain. For nothing could have revived Jury's uncle from a mysterious and toxic does of Fentanyl!

Again, I jumped right into the middle of series and felt right at home with the characters as they sipped tea in historic Charleston. In fact, the tea culture may have overshadowed the weaker mystery. THE JASMINE MOON MURDER was still an entertaining read as I enjoyed the Southern charm oozing from the cobblestone streets, antebellum houses, and Battery promenade.  I am ready to visit Charleston and even stroll through the Jasmine cemetery ... with a cup of tea as a reward!

Laura Childs is prolific writer.  From her bio (link), 

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

www.charlestonfootprints.com

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Can you recommend a favorite read with a Halloween theme?  I loved Laura Levine's DEATH OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH (link) - a laugh out loud cozy mystery from the creator of Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereals.

2. Given the shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3. Comments are open through Sunday, October 30.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Diane Kelly and ABOVE THE PAW (Paw Enforcement Book 5) - Book Review

The crime-fighting duo of Megan Luz and her K-9 is back―and on the prowl. . .

WILL THEY DIG UP THE TRUTH?
When a rash of college students falls seriously ill after ingesting Molly, a “club drug” also known as ecstasy, Officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit are tasked with tracking down the dealers. Going undercover at the university leads Megan closer and closer to infiltrating the drug trafficking ring. But when the investigation implicates her former partner and workplace nemesis, Officer Derek Mackey, Megan’s powers of discernment are put to the test.

OR ARE THEY BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE?
Thwarted when the Feds seize control of the investigation and frustrated by the lack of attention the DEA is putting into the case, Megan continues her own unofficial investigation with Brigit’s help. But when the trail leads them in an unexpected and dangerous direction, Megan and Brigit find their own lives at risk. Can the K-9 team take down those in power? Or are some criminals simply above the law―and paw?

ABOVE THE PAW is the fifth book in Diane Kelly's series featuring Police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 dog partner Brigit - available December 6, 2016, from St. Martin's Press (link).

Public Domain (link)

No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it. - Theodore Roosevelt

ABOVE THE PAW is Book Five in the Paw Enforcement series featuring Officer Megan Luz and her canine partner, Brigit. They patrol the streets of Fort Worth, Texas, as a formidable team - Megan is proficient with the police baton and Brigit has a nose second to none. They have successfully taken down a bomber, murder, thief, and pervert, leading to public accolades as they work the crowd during the Fourth of July celebrations. Despite the scorching heat, Brigit still sniffs out street drugs among the crowd entering the venue. Her nose discovers Molly, a crystalized form of ecstacy that has wreaked havoc at the nearby college campus. As Megan witnesses the effects on a coed, she volunteers to go undercover to catch the drug dealer.

The story unfolds in three parts - Megan's first person perspective, Brigit's third dog perspective, and the unknown villan's third person perspective. It is the same MO for each novel in the series, offering a unique storytelling method that is effective in setting the tone for the mystery ... and allowing Brigit to add her two scents, er, cents. ABOVE THE PAW takes a page from LAW AND ORDER, ripping the plot from the headlines with student overdoses from the club drug (Kelly also added a secondary "ripped from the headlines" plot that revealed itself in the climax - no spoilers here). I applaud Kelly for Megan's dedication to research the drug before she morphs into an epilepsy student with a service dog. I enjoyed Megan's step back in time as she relieved her own college days ... and I relived mine. It also gave me pause as I have a son who is a college sophomore - ABOVE THE PAW hit a nerve that college students are still just kids finding their way. Luckily, Megan and Brigit helped a their coed "friends" make better choices in the face of peer pressure. 

ABOVE THE PAW can be read as a stand alone novel since Kelly offers enough backstory to understand Megan's relationship with Brigit, other officers in the precinct, and even her budding romance with Seth, a hunky firefighter with a bomb sniffing dog, Blast. Seth and his backstory is worthy of his own book in the future. Still, I recommend any reader new to this series to start from the beginning with PAW ENFORCEMENT to see Megan's confidence grow with each story. Luckily, Brigit remains the same comic relief in search of her next belly rub.

ABOVE THE PAW kept my attention - I did not want to put it down. I was a bit sleepy at work after staying up too late just as Megan was making progress in the investigation. ABOVE THE PAW is more than a mystery - it has heart as Megan maintains a "can do spirit" in a male dominated profession. ABOVE THE PAW also offers humor as Brigit shares her thoughts on smelly squad cars, dimwitted perps, and pepperoni pizza.

Recommended read for fans who appreciate realistic characters with a side of dog hair.

I look forward to more adventures with Megan and Brigit.

Learn more about Diane and her books at dianekelly.com.

Check out my review of PAW ENFORCEMENT (link), PAW AND ORDER (link), LAYING DOWN THE PAW (link), and AGAINST THE PAW (link).

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Megan goes undercover at Texas Christian University (TCU) - the mascot is the Horned Frogs.  What the mascot of your alma mater or a college near you?

I am a Spartan from the University of Tampa!

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, October 30, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Monday, October 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

True Grit is the mascot of the

University of Maryland - Baltimore County (link).

Weekly Winners, Trunk or Treat, and Scary Hawaii

We have winners from last week's posts -  Gretchen, Catslady, and Kim H win a book choice from my convention stash. Winners, please claim your prize by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

We are participating in our church's Trunk Or Treat - can you guess how we will decorate our car? I convinced my husband and son to go with "Scary Hawaii".  

From Madame Pele's Facebook page (link):

In Hawaiian mythology, Pele (pronounced [ˈpɛlɛ] in Hawaiian, /ˈpeɪleɪ/ PAY-lay in English) is the goddess of fire, lightning, dance, volcanoes and violence. She is a daughter of Haumea and Kane Milohai, and her home is believed to be the fire pit, Halema'uma'u crater, at the summit caldera of Kīlauea, one of the Earth's most and continuously active volcanoes; but her domain encompasses all volcanic activity on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Halema'uma'u crater

Pele has a white dog. From NOAA (link),

According to Hawaiian Legend, Pele, the fiery goddess of the volcanoes in Hawaii, would send her white dog as a messenger to alert the people when an eruption was imminent. A white dog was first noticed by the observatory staff during the latter part of 1959 about 1/2 km below the observatory. At that time, the staff lived at the site for up to a week on rotating shifts. Because of this housekeeping, a rubbish dump soon developed to the west of the observatory. The contention of the staff was that a stray dog had discovered the dump and foraged there for food. Attempts to befriend or capture this mysterious dog, no matter how persistent, failed. The dog for some reason would have nothing to do with the observatory staff. In December 1959, Kilauea Iki erupted and the dog disappeared. The dog reappeared at the observatory several months later and again was spotted periodically for a month or so and then disappeared again. This pattern of appearances and disappearances continued until 1966. Since then, no one has seen this mysterious white dog.

Sandy was a friendly white dog in San Diego ... 

Let's not forget the Night Marchers: From To-Hawaii.com (link),

Night Marchers are ghostly apparitions of a band of beings who move with purpose to the beat of primitive pounding drums. Some say they are armed spirit warriors en route to or from battle, toting archaic weaponry and clothed in decorated helmets and cloaks. Other accounts tell of high-ranking ali'i (ruler) spirits being guided to places of high importance or to welcome new warriors to join in battle. Perhaps these restless souls are looking to reclaim rightful territory, replay a battle gone awry, or avenge their own deaths. Some say the Night Marchers are searching methodically for an entrance into the next world.

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau (Place of Refuge)
National Historical Park

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about a "scary" legend in your area.

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is only open to US residents.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, October 30, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Monday, October 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Hawaii Five O - He Moho Hou (New Player)

Third Time's A Charm ...

... the third episode of this season's Hawaii Five O finally delivered the mana (power) of this series.  In fact, the episode featured three story lines - the ongoing hunt for the "chess" killer, the crime of the week, and a heartwarming reunion between Kono and her surfing mentor.

Kono dominated this episode. During the crime of the week, she popped up in an unexpected way to save the day. But it is her chance encounter with Rosey Valera - a fellow surfer who often bested Kono on the teen circuit - that added warmth to show. Viewers were treated to a flashback of Rosey on the winner's stand and Kono looking up to her, in second place, with envy. That koa bowl given to surfing champions no longer seems important as Kono discovers Rosey is a disabled veteran living in a tent city.  The producers boldly address a growing problem with returning veterans - their physical and emotional wounds. Rosey asks Kono to respect that she has to "do this" on her own ... but Kono extracts a promise from Rosey.  In the closing scene, we see that promise - Rosey goes surfing with Kono on a modified board.  As they surf together in the present, the producers inserted a flashback with them surfing together as teens to the song, TOUCH THE SKY from the Christian group Hillsong United (link).  I was crying during the closing credits.

Kudos to Grace Park for hitting a home run in this episode.

I assumed the producers used CGI to project Rosey without legs. Oh, was I wrong.  Rosey was portrayed by Kanya Sesser. From Abilities.com (link),

Sesser was born in Pak Chong, Thailand and abandoned at the tender age of one week on the steps of a Buddhist temple. The monks cared for her until she was two-years-old when she went from foster home to foster home.

All that changed when she was six and adopted by an Oregonian couple who brought her to America.

Since then, her life has been a celebration of ability. She skateboards. She surfs. She breakdances. She skis. She races. She models sportswear and lingerie. She acts. She has played every adaptive sport and is gunning to qualify for the Mono-ski competition at the 2018 Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

But, whatever you do, don’t tell her that she has a disability.

“When I look at life, there’s no disability,” said Sesser. “I don’t see that as being a disability because even though I have no legs, there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m blessed for what I have so that’s all that matters.”

Bonus trivia - when Kono looks for Rosey in the tent camp, she passes by "Aunty" cooking Spam on the grill.  The aunty is Helen Kuoha-Torco, the Tahitian dancer who swayed her hips in the opening credits of the original series.  

Watch the episode from CBS.com at this link.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Aunty on the grill - what do you like to cook over the coals?

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3. Comments are open through Sunday, October 23, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Monday, October 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Surfing lessons on the North Shore

Aloha to Lindsay Emory, SISTERHOOD IS DEADLY, and RUSHING TO DIE

My son loves college life at the University of South Florida - Go Bulls! He has a mentor - one of my sorority sisters lives in Tampa ... and she's a USF alumni, too!  I recently sent her my copies of Lindsay Emory's Sorority Sisters Mystery series.

SISTERHOOD IS DEADLY (Book 1)

"We'll be sisters 'til we die…"

Margot Blythe is a professional sorority girl. As a Sisterhood Mentor for her beloved Delta Beta, she travels to colleges around the country, advising on serious sorority issues (and picking up all the gossip along the way). Margot is thrilled when she's invited back to her alma mater to assist the Delta Betas—but tragedy strikes when their chapter advisor drops dead during a meeting, sending shockwaves down sorority row.

Shaken by the death—especially when foul play is suspected—Margot has to step up. Appointed the honor of serving as temporary chapter advisor, she now must manage the drama of fifty frazzled sorority women with secrets to hide; protect the house from the annual fraternity pledge pranks, which are more ominous than they seem; and worst of all, combat the ruinous rumors surfacing about a Delta Beta phone sex ring. If she wants to keep rival sororities and a suspicious (but dangerously cute) local policeman from bringing Delta Beta's reputation down, it's up to Margot to find out the truth—about whether a sister could have committed such an unimaginable sin as murder.

Check out my review on Goodreads at this link.

RUSHING TO DIE (Book 2)

In the second installment of Lindsay Emory’s Sorority Sisters Mystery series, chapter advisor Margot Blythe must expose a sorority row assassin … before she becomes the killer’s next target.

Three months into her tenure as the Sutton College Delta Beta chapter advisor, Margot Blythe has the sorority in tip-top shape, just in time for sorority rush. Snapping and stomping in perfect synchronization, everyone is hopeful that after this rush, Delta Beta’s reputation as “the murder house” will be forgotten.

Until a body is found in the Delta Beta backyard. Again. The woman is found wearing a Delta Beta shirt, which is troublesome enough; even more distressing, no one in the chapter recognizes her. Unwilling to let a minor inconvenience like potential murder spoil the social calendar, Margot gladly hands off the investigation to local police cutie Ty Hatfield, while the Delta Beta girls throw themselves into rush preparations.

But when another body is found, with the terrifying possibility of more to come, Margot does the only thing a responsible advisor can do and demands that rush be canceled, making enemies in every house on sorority row. When the resulting furor starts to get dirty, it’s up to Margot to uncover some nasty messes tucked away in the sorority closets—to save her sisters’ reputations, and their lives.

Check out my review on Goodreads at this link.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Do you cheer for a favorite college?  Do you have a college in your home town?  Have you seen any sorority or fraternity antics?

I grew up in Coral Gables - a suburb of Miami.  Our bus ride to Ponce De Leon Junior High School took us through the University of Miami (UM) Fraternity Row.  We always laughed at the lion statue outside a frat house - he was a different color every day.  I would later learn in college that the lion represented Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE).  In fact, I became an SAE Little Sister ... and a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.

2.  Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3.  Comments are open through Sunday, October 23, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Monday, October 24, at SOS Aloha.
Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

The anchor is the symbol of Delta Gamma.

I coached a team from AFROTC in Anchorsplash (link).

Weekly Winners and MRW Auction

We have winners from last week's posts:

Recap of the WRW Reader's Luncheon and Book Clubs:
- Susan P. wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Happy Belated Birthday, USAF!
- Gretchen wins a box of books from AF Vets.

Book Review - THE BULL RIDERS' REDEMPTION
- Di wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Happy Birthday, US Navy!
- Cathy P. wins a box of books from Navy Vets.

Winners, please contact me with your mailing address at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

You can also be a winner at the Maryland Romance Writers (MRW) Online Auction at this link. Check out the fun items you can win, including signed books and special gifts.

We are also winners with the Fall Season! Do you decorate your house? Carve a pumpkin? Wear a costume to hand out candy? Maybe even indulge in Trick or Treat?

One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Sunday, October 23, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Happy 241st Birthday, United States Navy!

Stand Navy out to sea, fight our battle cry!
We'll never change our course so vicious foes steer shy-y-y-y!
Roll out the TNT, anchors aweigh!
Sail on to victory, and sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh!
Farewell to Foreign Shores, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay;
Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more, here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

Blue of the mighty deep, Gold of God's great sun;
Let these our colors be, Till All of time be done-n-n-ne;
On seven seas we learn, Navy's stern call:
Faith, courage, service true, With honor over, honor over all.

Born from the Continental Navy during American Revolution, the US Navy celebrates its birthday this weekend by commissioning its newest ship, the USS Zumwalt, in Baltimore Harbor.  

I am giving away a box of books from authors connected to the Navy:

Diana Cosby, HIS CONQUEST
HelenKay Dimon, CORNERED

Anne Elizabeth, SEAL AT HEART

Kieran Kramer, SWEET TALK ME
Geri Krotow, NAVY JUSTICE

Cathy Maxwell, THE BRIDE SAYS NO

plus the WAY OF THE WARRIOR anthology with Suzanne Brockmann, ML Buchman, Lea Griffith, Catherine Mann, Kate Serine, Tina Wainscott, and Julie Ann Walker.

plus Navy swag!

To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about the US Navy - do you know any sailors?  Have you toured any ships? 

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3. Comments are open through Sunday, October 16, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 17 here at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Heidi Hormel and THE BULL RIDER'S REDEMPTION - Book Review

BACK IN THE RING

Clover Van Camp meets her match when her plans to turn a struggling Arizona town into a Wild West resort are blocked by the hunky mayor, retired bull rider Danny Leigh. To make things more complicated, this isn't the first time the two of them have tangled…

Danny knows Clover usually gets her way, but this time he won't back down. He's got a few things to answer for and a town to save. Besides, reconnecting with his former fling has benefits, as long as he doesn't get distracted by their mutual attraction. Will Danny and Clover let their ambition keep their hearts divided?

When in doubt, let your horse do the thinkin'. -- Old West Proverb

Teenagers Clover Van Camp and Danny Leigh first crossed paths when she, as a junior beauty queen, presented him with a trophy as a junior rodeo champion.  Fast forward several years - Clover slipped off her stilettos and pulled on cowboy boots to buy failing properties for a resort project in Angel Crossing, Arizona. She expected to bump into Danny, the new mayor of the desert town, but she did not consider that he has his own plans for Angel Cross. Nor did she envision that an abandoned dog which she and Danny rescued would open her heart to her teenage crush.

THE BULL RIDER'S REDEMPTION is a heartwarming romance set in a dusty town - the least likely place where an uptown girl would fall in love again with a down home boy. Heidi plays upon the "opposite attracts" theme to bring together two fated lovers who revitalize Angel Crossing along the way. I appreciated that Hormel reminded both Clover and Danny of their humanity as they cared for the abandoned dog

THE BULL RIDER'S REDEMPTION is Book 5 in the Angel Crossing - beloved characters from previous books make guest appearances throughout the story but still allow Clover and Danny to shine as they find their happily ever after.

THE BULL RIDER'S REDEMPTION is now available from Harlequin.

Learn more about Heidi and her books at heidihormel.net.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Western Wear - do you have thing lurking in your closet that you could wear to the rodeo?  I only have jeans.

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open only to US residents.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, October, 16, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 17, here at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Historical Trivia ... and late birthday wishes

I enjoy historical trivia ... on this day:

In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first U.S. president to fly in an airplane. He flew for four minutes with Arch Hoxsey in a plane built by the Wright brothers.

In 1942, during the Battle of Cape Esperance, United States Navy ships intercept and defeat a Japanese fleet on their way to reinforce troops on Guadalcanal and destroy the Allied airfield.

In 1984,  Kathryn D. Sullivan becomes the first American woman to perform a space walk during a mission aboard the Challenger.

Speaking of air and space, I missed the Air Force's 69th birthday on September 18 during my blogging break.  I set aside a box of books to giveaway to celebrate the youngest service within the Department of Defense - these authors are connect to the Air Force as veterans, spouses, brats, or parents. 

Delores Fossen, THE MARSHAL'S JUSTICE
Lorraine Heath, WHEN THE DUKE WAS WICKED
Shirley Jump, WHEN SOMEBOYD LOVES YOU
Merline Lovelace, THIR TIME'S THE BRIDE
Catherine Mann, SHELTER ME
Crista McHugh, TELL ME TRUE
Pamela Palmer, A LOVE UNTAMED
Tracy Solheim, RISKY GAME

plus the anthology WAY OF THE WARRIOR with Suzanne Brockman, ML Buckman, Anne Elizabeth, Lea Griffith, Catherine Mann, Kate Serine, Tina Wainscott, and Julie Ann Walker.

I am giving away the above books to one randomly selected commenter from all posts in October.  to enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about airplanes, space travel, or the Air Force - do you know someone who flies an airplane?  Would you like to go up into space like Wolowitz from the Big Bang Theory?  Do you know anyone connected to the Air Force?  Or do you have your own historical trivia to share?

2.  Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3.  Comments are open through Monday, October 31, 2016.  I'll post the winners on Wednesday, November 2.

We celebrate the US Navy's birthday on Thursday, October 13 - 241 years strong!

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Missing Man Formation

Weekly Winners and Reader Luncheon

Aloha!  We have winners from last week's blogs - Glenda, Carol, and Debby win a book choice from my convention stash.

I am also a winner for attending the Washington Romance Writers (WRW) Washington Loves Readers' Luncheon.  I sat with Anna Bennett and Sally MacKenzie ....

Each author treated the readers at our table to special goody bags, including copies of their books, chocolate, and other must haves for historical fans!  We also enjoyed the company of Lori Ann Bailey, who just celebrated the release of her debut, HIGHLAND DECEPTION.  We all drooled over the cover.

I chatted with five other readers, including four who drove down from New Jersey with Terri Brisbin. They didn't reveal any secrets about Terri ... but they shared the secret of their book club, which has met for over 20 years.  The secret?  Trying new genres. 

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway, Leave a comment about book clubs - have you participated in any?  The manager from BOOKS WITH A PAST (link) asked me if I would consider leading a book club ... which I am still considering.  Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only. Comments are open through Sunday, October 16, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 17.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City