Eating Tim Tams with Anna Campbell, Anne Gracie, and Christine Wells

My husband sings with the barbershop chorus, The Sounds of Aloha, http://www.soundsofaloha.org/,  

Next fall, they are performing in Brisbane, Australia, for the Pan Pacific Convention 2011, http://www.panpac2011.org.au/.

While I am down under, I will stock up on Tim Tams - chocolate covered biscuits (cookies):
http://www.arnotts.com.au/our-products/products/arnotts-tim-tam.aspx

I will also look for three historical authors who rock - Anne Gracie, Anna Campbell, and Christine Wells.

Last summer, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Anne Gracie after the RWA National Convention in Washington, DC.  She stayed a few extra days in the US with Mary Jo Putney.  I joined them for lunch in Baltimore just before I moved to Hawaii.  I was star struck by these two members of the Word Wenches, http://www.wordwenches.com/.   But they were so warm, generous, and charming.  Anne even laughed at a few of my "Lucy" moments as I traveled around Europe in the military.  She commented that I was a story teller and encouraged me to write.  

This summer, I met Anna Campbell at RomCon in Denver, Colorado.  We exchanged emails before the convention as I wanted to interview her for this blog.  As my plane descended through turbulence into Denver, I kept saying to myself, "If Anna Campbell can fly all the way from Australia, I can survive this."  And I did.  And I was rewarded with a big hug, jolly laugh, and a new friend in Anna.

I missed the opportunity to meet Christine Wells at the RWA National Convention in Orlando, Florida.  But I feel as though we are already friends - I follow both Christine, Anna, and the other authors in the Lair at Romance Bandits, http://www.romancebandits.blogspot.com/.

The Romance Bandits frequently chat about Tim Tams, putting me in an Australia frame of mind.  So I invited Anne, Anna, and Christine to an interview about Australia.  Grab a box of Tim Tams and join me for a chin wag with my Aussie friends. 

News Alert:  We have a special guest - Australian actor Alex O'Laughlin, the hot star of Hawaii Five-O!   He'll join me for the interview: *

* This is my overactive imagination at work.

Kim:  What part of the continent do you live?

Alex:  I was born in Canberra, grew up in Sydney, but I now live in Hawaii.

Anne:  I live in the southeast corner, in Melbourne, the second biggest city in Australia. It's very civilized, a "foodie" place and currently ranks as the third "most livable city" in the world.

Anna:  I live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, a resort area about an hour north of Brisbane in subtropical Queensland.

Christine:  I live in Brisbane, about half way down the east coast of Australia, within an hour's drive to the best beaches in the world. Not that I'm biased or anything!

Kim:  If you could showcase one aspect of Australia, what would it be?

Alex:  The Romance Writers of Australia, http://www.romanceaustralia.com/.   Its members are creative, talented, and beautiful.  I am available to be their cover model on future releases.

Anne:  The Great Barrier Reef — it's stunning.

Anna:  The wildlife. Even in quite built-up areas, the birdlife is amazing.

Christine: I think the Great Barrier Reef is something everyone who comes to Australia should see. Other than that, we have spectacular seafood. Try our Moreton Bay Bugs, which are like mini lobsters but tastier (IMO!) We have beautiful wines, too, so if you like a glass or two, make sure you sample some of ours. Oh, and stock up on Cadbury's chocolate while you're here!

Kim:  What is your favorite movie and/or book set in Australia (historical or contemporary, real or fiction)?

Alex:  The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant.  I played the husband of the title character, a woman who was among the first of the British convicts sentenced to Australia in the late 1700s.  This part garnered two nominations for Best Actor - Australia Film Institute Award in 2005 and Logie in 2006.

Anne:  Probably Crocodile Dundee — when it comes on TV repeated for the hundredth time, it still gives me a laugh.  As for favorite Australian book, (it's also a movie) I'm fond of My Brilliant Career (Miles Franklin) but my childhood heart was firmly captured by the illustrations from Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gumnut babies.

Anna:  Strictly Ballroom.

Christine:  I think it would have to be My Brilliant Career or Picnic at Hanging Rock--both books and movies. They're classics and I think Judy Davis (MBC) is a brilliant actor. For more modern movies, Strictly Ballroom and The Castle.

    

Kim:  Do you prefer rugby, football, or soccer?

Alex:  I prefer surfing, which is popular in both Australia and Hawaii.

Anne:  You've left off Australian Rules football, which is neither rugby nor soccer.  It's fast, spectacular and gladiatorial, and in Victoria, the state I live in, it's practically a religion. There is a poem called "Life Cycle" which starts:

When children are born in Victoria
they are wrapped in club-colours, laid in beribboned cots,
having already begun a lifetime's barracking.

[Barracking meaning "rooting for." Rooting in Australia has um, questionable connotations ;) ]

The whole poem is here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081006131310AAwBeZF

Anna:  Not really a football fan - sorry!

Christine:  I prefer Rugby Union. I grew up going to the matches so I probably understand Rugby better than any other football codes. (This is a game where men tackle each other and pile on top of one another in a heap *without* helmets and protective padding:)

Kim:  What is the correct way to eat Tim Tams?

Alex:  Any way with you, Kim!  **

Anne:  There is no correct way. Tim Tams are a delight to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Some like to do the Tim Tam Slam (drinking coffee or hot chocolate through them like a straw.) Not me. I like them crunchy and cold from the fridge.

Anna:  I like to eat the classic Tim Tams (milk chocolate) the classic way - just grabbing a packet and making a pig of myself!

Christine:  With a cup of strong, hot coffee. Warning: You can never stop at just one Tim Tam! For an occasional treat, try the Tim Tam slam, but honestly, room temperature Tim Tams are the way to go. Some people like them after they've been refrigerated, though, so the chocolate isn't so gooey.

** Overactive imagination is now in overdrive.

Mahalo,  Alex, Anne, Anna, and Christine for joining us at SOS Aloha.  In honor of their visit,  Dame Barbara Cartland (ala Anne Gracie), is offering her favorite books:

Anne Gracie, http://www.annegracie.com/, The Accidental Wedding

Anna Campbell, http://www.annacampbell.info/, My Reckless Summer

Christine Wells, http://www.christine-wells.com/, Sweetest Little Sin

I will randomly select one commenter to receive one book (thus three winners).  To enter the book giveaway,

1  Leave a comment about Australia, Anne, Anna, or Christine  (I write enough about Alex)

2.  Make sure I know how to contact you - if I do not have your email address, please send it to sos.america@yahoo.com.  Or friend SOS America on Facebook. 

3. Comments will be accepted through Friday, October 8.  This giveaway is open to US residents only. 

But I will mail a special Hawaii Five-O treat to any reader who sends his/her mailing address to sos.america@yahoo.com 

Join us tomorrow as we celebrate Janet Mullany's newest release, Jane and the Damned.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Hawaii Five-O Recap - "Ohana" (Week 2)

Last week, at least 14 million viewers tuned into the new Hawaii Five-O.  Did they return this week?

This week's episode was titled Ohana - family.  The opening sequence transitions from each team member as they individually engaged in a "family" event.  For Steve, he swims outside his murdered father's home (the actor Alex O'Laughlin sports great muscles and extensive tattoos - not sure if the tats are applied for his character as a Navy Seal.)

Steve should be in his board shorts!

Then the action starts - a former NSA analyst is grabbed from his car while he was talking on his cell phone to his son.  This episode slowed down from last week's fast action, but still delivered a riveting story.

And the "bromance" between Steve and Danno continues as they exchange banter.  In one scene, Steve makes fun of Danno wearing a tie and loafers in the islands (a throw back to the original show).  In a later scene, a stoned hacker points to Danno's tie and says, "You look like kama'aina."  Literally,  kama is person and 'aina is land.  Together, it means resident.

In the end, the team catches the bad guys at the Dillingham airfield (a former miltary airstrip now used for skydiving).   And the last sequence shows the new "ohana" - the team - as they congratulate Kono for graduating from the Police Academy (which she missed because of the bad guys). 

Check out this review, http://www.tvfanatic.com/shows/hawaii-five-0/episodes/season_1/ohana/

I just want to point out two "miltiary errors":

- Hickam Air Force Base is now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH).  There has been a big push to promote it as such.   The plane taking off from the runway is the F-22 which rattle my windows every afternoon during "touch and goes."

- At the end of last wee'ks episdoe and at the beginning of this week's, Steve referenced the Coast Guard diving for Victor Hess' "dead body".  Per my contact with the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard does not dive for dead bodies.  It would be the responsibility of the Honolulu Police or Fire Departments.  I shall research this issue further.

The local news featured a story about the fictitious Kukui High that Steve referenced in last week's pilot (he and Chin Ho played football at the school).   Kukui is a candlenut tree.  The nuts are made into the ceremonial neckware for men.   Local fans of the show decided to launch a website for the fictitious school, http://www.kukuihigh.com/. 

Anyone can become an alumni.  I particularly like the mascot, the Fighting Nuts.

So let's review the Hawaiian words you have learned so far from Hawaii Five-O.  In general, all vowels are sounded out like vowels in European languages. 

From the pilot,

Haole - foreigner.  But it is used as a derogatory term towards Englishmen (white men).
Kukui - candlenut tree

From Week 2 - Ohana

Ohana - family
Kama - person
'aina - land
Kama 'aina - resident
Kukui - candlenut tree

I was going to write about NCIS, but I am too obsessed with Hawaii Five-O.  But I offer a few comments.

I continue to enjoy NCIS  and NCIS: Los Angeles.  The irony - both shows are taped in Los Angeles, even the original which takes place at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC.  

From NCIS, Sean Murphy (Tim McGee) seems to have lost weight.

From NCIS Lost Angeles, Chris O'Donnell (G.Callen) is cute but LL Cool J (Sam Hanna) is hot.  They make a fun team!

I only watch two other shows - Project Runway (Thursday on Lifetime) and Medium (Friday on CBS).  Project Runway has one contestant - Andy South - from Hawaii.  And Medium has no Hawaii or military connection - I just think it is interesting to watch.

Otherwise, I'll be reading books!   Join me tomorrow as SOS Aloha welcomes the incomparable Anne Elizabeth - Navy spouse, SOS donor, romance author, RT columnist, and my friend.  We'll celebrate the launch of her new graphic novel, Pulse of Power. 

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii





Editor's Note:  We have a schedule change - we'll welcome Ann Elizabeth next week! 

Deanna Raybourn and The Dark Road to Darjeeling

"Think you there was or might be such a man as I dreamt of?"
-Antony and Cleopatra

The Bard's words open Deanna Raybourn's luscious website, http://www.deannaraybourn.com/, where I learned about her Lady Julia Grey series,

“Sex, lies and awesome clothing descriptions” is how one reader described Deanna’s debut novel, Silent in the Grave, published in January 2007. The first in the Silent series, the book follows Lady Julia Grey as she investigates the mysterious death of her husband with the help of the enigmatic private inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane. From the drawing rooms of the aristocracy to a Gypsy camp on Hampstead Heath, Silent in the Grave deftly captures the lush ambiance of Victorian London. Silent in the Grave won the 2008 RITA for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.

Silent in the Grave

The series continues with the second book, Silent in the Sanctuary (January 2008), a classic English country house murder mystery with a few twists and turns for Brisbane and Lady Julia along the way. Silent in the Sanctuary was nominated for the Dilys Wynn Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award.

Silent in the Sanctuary

In the third installment, Silent on the Moor (March 2009), Lady Julia journeys to Yorkshire in the company of her sister Portia. Determined to settle matters once and for all between herself and the enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane, Lady Julia instead unearths a legacy of malevolence and evil that threatens to destroy them both. Silent on the Moor landed on the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller list even before its official release and remained on the bestseller list for eight weeks.

Silent on the Moor

The next installment in the exploits of Lady Julia Grey—Dark Road to Darjeeling—will be published in October 2010, and this time the intrepid Lady Julia is bound for India!

Dark Road to Darjeeling

So let's meet Deanna herself!

Kim:  If you life was a book, what would be the back cover synopsis? *

Deanna:  Funny, but I don't think of my life as a book. It's a movie, complete with the voice-over guy from the film trailers narrating and lots of overly-dramatic music. You know, "One woman...determined to make a life for herself doing what she loved..."

* I borrowed this question from Sarah Simas, http://www.thelovestrucknovice.blogspot.com/

Kim:  Who would write the front cover blurb and what would it be?

Deanna:  My mother, and she would say, "I told her to expect the unexpected." It's gotten to be a huge family joke that just when I think I have a handle on everything, the universe likes to exercise its pitching arm and throw me a curve ball. Usually they're fantastic curve balls, but I don't seem to have much of a comfort zone left these days. I'm always getting pushed out of it by new opportunities.


The Bard

Kim:  What drew a sixth generation Texan to study English History with emphasis on Shakespearean studies?

Deanna:  I'm Texan on my mother's side, but my father is only a first-generation American on his mother's. She is English, and I grew up reading loads of English kids' books, watching English television programs on PBS, that sort of thing. I always knew I was going to be a novelist, so majoring in history and English just made sense, and I gravitated towards Shakespeare because my university didn't offer a degree program in Jane Austen.

Kim:  Does your Texas drawl come out when quoting the Bard?

Deanna:  Yes, but I have to be careful. 'Y'all' doesn't fit very well into iambic pentameter.

Kim:  Do you attend Medieval Fairs? If yes, do you dress up?

Deanna:  I haven't been in years! There's a great renaissance fair--sorry, Renaissance Faire--in east Texas, and we went a few times before we moved to Virginia. I never dressed up, though. The Renaissance isn't my pet time period. I am a Victorian girl with a dash of Regency flair.

Cornwall's Lanhydrock - a Victorian Country House
owned by the National Trust, http://www.nationaltrust.co.uk/

Kim:  What inspires the settings in your books?

Deanna:  My passionate and unabashed love for England. I have been several times and never seem to see everything I want. I am always very, very happy when I'm there, as if a part of me has come home again. I love the food, the weather, the geography, the architecture, and most of all, the sense of humor. I try to incorporate all of that in my work.

Editor's Note:  Learn more about Deanna's Brit-envy at her blog dated September 26, 2010,
http://www.deannaraybourn.com/blog/content/which-i-have-brit-envy.  I would accompany Deanna on the search for cream teas and umbrella stands.

Kim:  How much of you is in Lady Julia Grey?

Deanna:  Julia is hugely autobiographical, if I were a Victorian aristocrat with pots of money. We were born in different times, but I like to think we look at the world from similar perspectives.

RWA's RITA 

Kim:  Where is your RITA proudly displayed?

Deanna:  She peers down at me from the bookshelf opposite my desk when I work.

Warning:  Make sure you watch Sabrina Jeffries closely in your house!
(A joke from the RWA Awards Ceremony)

Kim:  What's next for Deanna Raybourn and/or Lady Julia?

Deanna:  Dark Road to Darjeeling, the fourth installment of the series, is hitting bookstores now, and I am just wrapping up the fifth--due out in July of next year. After that, we'll see, but I would certainly love to write more of her adventures!

Thank you, Deanna, for visiting us at SOS Aloha.  In honor of Dark Road to Darjeeling, I am giving away a box of assorted Hawaiian Tropical teas to one randomly selected commenter.  The teas are made from the secret Royal recipe and served to the Duke of Edinburgh during his visit to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1869 :)

1.  Leave a comment about today's interview with Deanna Raybourn.

2.  Make sure I know how to contact you - if I do not already have your email address, please send it to sos.america@yahoo.com.  You can also friend SOS America on Facebook. 

3.  This contest is open to all readers.  I will select a winner on Saturday, October 2.  

Join us tomorrow as we recap last night's Hawaii Five-O episode, "Ohana."

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Mary Kennedy and the 389th Renegades

Join me in welcoming mystery writer Mary Kennedy to SOS Aloha!

Thanks to Mary, I appear again on the Internet in her article for Publishers' Weekly,

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/44576-books-and-the-battlefield.html

Mary writes about her support of the 389th Renegades, who recently returned from Iraq.  

Mary is the author the Talk Radio Mysteries.  From her website, http://www.marykennedy.net/,

"Frasier” meets “Murder She Wrote” in this new cozy series by real-life psychologist, Mary Kennedy. Maggie Walsh leaves her clinical psychology practice in Manhattan to move to sunny Cypress Grove, a small south Florida town. She joins the staff of local radio station WYME to host a daily talk show called “On the Couch with Maggie Walsh” where she dispenses humor, advice and a few psychological insights.

Kim:  Why did you become a psychologist?

Mary:  When I was writing teen novels, I heard from readers all over the world and they told me about their life, their problems, their hopes and dreams. I did my best to give them good advice and I finally decided I could help a lot of people if I became a clinical psychologist.

Kim:  How did you become a radio copywriter?

Mary:  That was sheer luck, and loads of fun. I was living in Nashville, Tenn and I spotted an opening for a copywriting job at WKDA. I had never written for radio before, but I knew I should bring a writing sample to the job interview. So I listened to the station all day and figured out who the sponsors were. One was White Castle (the hamburger chain). I visited a local White Castle in Nashville for lunch. I wrote a funny commercial about a time-and-motion study expert who was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of hamburgers being served every day. At the job interview, the station manager was impressed that I took the time and trouble to come up with an actual commercial for a real client. I got the job!

Kim:  Are you Freudian (Frasier) or Jungian (Niles)?

Mary:  Actually, I'm a cognitive-behaviorist. Very practical and down to earth. I always loved the banter between Niles and Frasier, though.

Kim:  What is your favorite Frasier episode?

Mary:  Frasier pretends he's Jewish during the holidays to impress his new girlfriend and Niles ends up playing Jesus in Daphne's play. Niles is dressed as Jesus, and stuck in the bathroom with a Christmas tree just as Frasier's girlfriend and her strict Jewish mother arrive for a visit. Hysterical!

Kim:  Murder She Wrote?

Mary:  Jessica Fletcher is a visiting lecturer at a university and she's teaching a class on mystery writing. I give workshops all over the country to aspiring mystery writers, so I could really relate. (No one's been murdered at any of my workshops, though)

Kim:  Why did you venture into Young Adult books?

Mary:  Writing teen novels is rewarding because the teen years are full of drama, angst and high emotions. So much is happening in their young lives, it provides loads of material for fiction.

Kim:  Would you like to share your experience as a guest speaker to middle school students at Dover AFB?

Mary:  I had an amazing time. Kim Kroll invited me to speak at the Middle School at DAFB. I spent the entire day there and spoke to five different classes throughout the day. I made hundreds of home-made chocolate chip cookies the night before and the librarians doled them out to each group. I also made up 10 goodie bags to be given away--the goodie bags had a copy of one of my teen books, a package of Jelly Bellies and a Webster's Dictionary. Most of the kids had never met a "real live author" before and they were so excited. They treated me like a movie star, and made up posters and banners welcoming me to the base. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I would love to speak to other military kids. They are the best audience in the world.

Kim:  What's next for Mary Kennedy?

Mary:  Still working hard on the Talk Radio Mysteries, and book 3, STAY TUNED FOR MURDER, will hit the shelves January 1, 2011.

And I have another completely different project on the table, so I hope everyone will stay tuned. Thanks so much for having me as a guest. My website is www.marykennedy.net and I'm always happy to visit military groups.

Thank you, Mary, for quoting me in your Publishers' Weekly article, your support of our deployed personnel, and visiting us in virtual Hawaii.  We'll invite Mary back in January to celebrate her next book, STAY TUNED FOR MURDER.

In honor of the 389th Renegades' safe return, I am giving away Army bling to SOS readers:

(1) Leave a comment about Mary, Frasier, Murder She Wrote, and/or the 389th Renegades.

(2) Send your mailing address to sos.america@yahoo.com.

This giveaway is open to all readers.

Join me tomorrow to welcome Deanna Raybourn!

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii