Monday Night Romance - Football on Film

Monday Night Romance is live at USA Today's HEA Blog at this link.  We're chatting about football on film.    

Meanwhile, I offer football on film here at SOS Aloha ... picture film that is!

Pro Bowl came to the  Aloha Stadium ...

... bringing fans from all teams! 

My kids were exhausted from cheering! Do you have a favorite film that features football? I always chuckle when the Army medics play football in the original MASH movie ... where did they find football equipment in the middle of the Korean War?!?! One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash plus swag from the NJRW conference. Comments are open through Saturday, November 8, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 9.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

In college, my AFROTC unit worked one of the
concession stands in Tampa Stadium for Superbowl XVII.

Monday Night Romance - Animal Welfare Week

Monday Night Romance continues on USA Today's Happily Ever After (HEA) Blog at this link - we are celebrating football mascots in honor of Animal Welfare Week. 

While living in Hawaii, we attended the Pro Bowl twice at Aloha Stadium - the mascots proved to be more entertaining than the game itself.   Arg, I can't find my pictures of the mascots in Aloha shirts!

We love the mascots because we love animals!   I enjoy animals in romances .... 

I'm proud of my fellow military spouse, Catherine Mann, for her work with rescue animals (link), 

Catherine and her flyboy husband live on the Florida coast where they brought up their 4 children – and still have 5 four-legged, furry “children” (aka pets). Catherine is an active volunteer with her local Humane Society, serving on their Board of Directors and fostering puppies and special needs dogs (she stopped counting at a hundred). She recently checked off a major item on her “bucket list” by completing the hands-on training for the Florida State Animal Rescue Coalition. 

I became a recent fan of Diane Kelly.  From her bio (link),

A former tax advisor, Diane Kelly inadvertently worked with white-collar criminals. Lest she end up in an orange jumpsuit, Diane decided self-employment would be a good idea. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her “Death and Taxes” romantic mystery series. A graduate of her hometown’s Citizen Police Academy, Diane Kelly also writes the hilarious K-9 cop “Paw Enforcement” series.

Check out my review of PAWS ENFORCEMENT at this link.

Ronie Kendig draws upon military life to write the Breeds Apart series featuring military dogs (link):

An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.

It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990. Married more than twenty years, Ronie and her husband, Brian, homeschool their children, the first of whom graduated in 2011. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family and their Maltese Menace in Northern Virginia.

Mahalo, Catherine, Diane, and Ronie, for your human hearts! Can you recommend any romance books with animals?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 11, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 12.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

We rescued Zsa Zsa in Hawaii ...
or did she rescue us?

Monday Night Romance - Read Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Our weekly column, Monday Night Romance, is now available at this link.   This week we celebrate the Read Pink Campaign sponsored by Penguin Random House.   So let's chat more about pink ...

In 1975, Pink Floyd topped the UK and US Charts with WISH YOU WERE HERE.

In 1984, Molly Ringwald taught us how to refashion a dated prom dress in PRETTY IN PINK.

In the 1986, Don Johnson made it fashionable for men to wear pink in MIAMI VICE.

In 2001, Alecia Beth Moore got the party started with pink hair.  

In 2013, my family discovered the artwork of Lazy Pink Whale in Korea.

In 2014, Hello Kitty celebrated her 40th birthday in pink glamour. 

Pink may be fashionable, but pink is also a reminder to get your annual mammogran for early detection.   Likewise, let's join together to support those who are battling breast cancer now.

Tracy is giving away a choice from her backlist plus special Breast Cancer Awareness swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about pink - anything goes!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 4, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 5.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Monday Night Romance with Tracy Solheim - Every Day Heroes

We're on Week Three with our special column for USA Today's HEA Blog.  Tracy and I planned this venture back in July, not realizing that we would land in the middle of a controversy.   So our column today addresses players as heroes at this link.

For SOS Aloha, I'd rather talk about the heroes who walk among us in everyday life.   The chorus director at my church bubbles with energy in making a joyful noise.   My son's math teacher stays after school with the engineering club so the students embrace the technology of the future.   Parents lead the Scouts in volunteering with Honor Flight to welcome WWII Veterans at the BWI airport.   

These are the heroes in my life.

Honor Flight received a water salute upon
landing at BWI airport

Speaking of Boy Scouts, our troop lost a devoted leader when James Robinson suddenly passed away this past summer.  From his obituary, 

Outside of work, Jim was a pillar of his community, taking leadership roles in numerous church and civic organizations. He served as Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster of BSA Troop 424, Savage, MD, President of the Potomac-Patuxent Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a member of Project Healing Waters, and on countless boards and committees at Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Scaggsville. 

Mr. Robinson was also an Army veteran and father of a Marine veteran.  He often closed our troop meeting with a "scoutmaster moment", sharing words to inspire the scouts.  At the Scout meeting following his funeral, another troop leader shared a quote which so aptly described Mr. Robinson:

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." Albert Pike

Who do you admire as a hero?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.   Comments are open through Saturday, September 27, 10 pm in Baltimore.   I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 28.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Honor Flight at honorflight.org. 

Monday Night Romance with Tracy Solheim - College Style

The party continues on USA Today's HEA Blog with our weekly column, MONDAY NIGHT ROMANCE. This week Tracy and I chat about college football at this link.    In fact, we reminisce about the Big Men on Campus - BMOC.

After college, I met the "Big Men on Base" when I reported to my first duty assignment at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts.   I admired many of the young officers who seemed to have it all.   

Last week, hubby and I enjoyed a mini-vaca in the Boston area. We stopped by Hanscom AFB for a trip down memory lane - I posted pictures on my travel blog, Aloha On My Mind, at this link.   Our visit to the base reminded me of one junior officer who had it all - Michael D. Neuner.  He was fun loving, kind hearted, and good looking, too.  Mike and I enjoyed a special friendship as we both hailed from Florida.  Sadly, cancer took his life but his spirit remains alive through those he touched with his positive attitude.   For me, Michael remains the ultimate Big Man on Campus.   

Michael (with baton) kicking off the 24 hour charity run.

Do you have a "crush" on any football players or other public personalities who fit the mold of "Big Man on Campus"?   One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 20, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Tracy and her "Big Men of Football" at tracysolheim.com.

Monday Night Romance with Tracy Solheim

Tracy Solheim and I are embarking on a new adventure - we have a weekly column called MONDAY NIGHT ROMANCE on USA Today's HEA blog.  We dish each week about this and that for football fans and football widows alike!   Check out our first column at this link.

Perhaps you are curious how we teamed up for this adventure. Back in the spring, I noticed Tracy Solheim's book cover, RISKY GAME, in the Delta Gamma Alumni magazine.  I was a DG from the University of Tampa (UT) ... and Tracy was a DG from the University of Tennessee (UT).  The hero from RISKY GAME plays for the Baltimore Blaze football team. DG, UT, and Baltimore.  We were meant to colloberate!

Tracy and I met for coffee at the RWA National Conference in San Antonio ... and MONDAY NIGHT ROMANCE was born!

We have links ...

- Book trailer for Tracy's Out of Bound Series featuring the Baltimore Blaze at this link.

- My first interview with Tracy for FOOLISH GAMES,  Book 2, at this link.

- My review of RISKY GAME, Book 3, at this link.

- Tracy's guest post with Romancing The Jock at this link.

Tracy is also hosting a special giveaway here at SOS Aloha (international giveaways to come later in the season):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Volunteering at SuperBowl XXVII
Tampa Stadium 1984