Aloha to Amanda Arista and NINE LIVES OF AN URBAN PANTHER

On this day in 1890, Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was born. He won five Olympic medals in swimming. He promoted surfing around the world. He became an Ambassador of Aloha:

In Hawai'i we greet friends, loved ones and strangers

with Aloha, which means with love.

Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real

hospitality, which makes Hawai'i renowned as the

world's center of understanding and fellowship.

Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha.

You'll be suprised by their reaction.

I believe it and it is my creed.

Aloha to you.

Duke's statue on Waikiki Beach

I invited Amanda Arista to join us for the Duke's birthday cake ... and share a few tidbits about herself.   Amanda posted a fun bio on her website (at this link) so go read it!

Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel.

Kim:  Dallas! What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

Amanda:  My favorite place in Dallas is probably the Half Price Books off Northwest Highway. Though Half-Price Book’s are all over the place, this one is massive with a coffee shop in the corner. I’ve spend most of my last three years there writing. The smell of coffee and books is exactly what I need to get in the mood. As you walk the stacks looking for a quiet place, you can hear wonderful discussions about novels and hear mothers reading to their children. Its great for people watching as well as having an abundant of research for those moments that you might need to know the bite strength of a lion. You know, normal writer stuffs.

Green Turtles on the North Shore

Amanda has a collection of turtle figurines that collects on her travels.

Kim:  Turtles! In Hawaii, they are called Honu. What is the most unique figurine you own?

Amanda:  I started my collection pretty young and I’ve tried to pick up turtles all over the world. I’ve got a one from Mexico, one from Italy, and a few from England. However, the most unique is probably the one that my husband made me out of my favorite kind of chocolate. It was an anniversary present and his shell is composed of Ferrero Rocher. I couldn’t bear to eat it, so my husband made me another that I could.

Bowling alley in the Limbricht Castle

Amanda is a really good bowler and completely rocks at croquet.

Kim:  I live in a house of bowlers. In fact, I gave birth to our second son during hubby's bowling night. He was stationed in Japan and I was living in Florida. I had to ask the command post to find him at the bowling alley. Do any of your characters bowl? Play croquet?

Amanda:  I’m not quite as dedicated as your husband, but wow is that a great story.   As autobiographical as Diaries is, none of them bowl or play croquet. Violet drinks as much coffee as I do and she’s got a love of horror movies that matched mine, but I’ve never written my way to relax into one of my books. I have a character that really likes soccer but her life has taken her away from even enjoying that. Maybe that’s when I know that my characters have found their peace, when they have time to just be themselves and kick back for a night of bowling with friends.  Too bad I rarely give them that chance.

Coco puffs from Liliha Bakery

When not writing, Amanda often dreams of co-opening an evil bakery and sell despicable desserts. Her particularly favorites are larvaceous lemon bars and sinful cinnamon streusel.

Kim:  Tell us about the DIARIES OF AN URBAN PANTHER Series - what inspired them?

Amanda:  Diaries was inspired by a simple question after too many horror movies: what would I do if cornered in a dark alley by a monster? I’m not athletic or particularly clever, but I’ve got a wicked aim (thanks to bowling and baseball). So I created Violet Jordan to help me figure it out. What would a normal girl do if she found herself in a paranormal situation? Would she cower? Would she go completely darkside with her first taste of power?

Violet’s struggle is a normal person’s struggle. She was a writer before she was bitten in the back alley by a panther. Her path answers those questions and more. And after three books, apparently the answer is take over the city to protect the people you call family.

Duke at the Olympics

She spends her weekends writing at coffee shops, practicing for the day that caffeine intake becomes an Olympic sport, and plotting character demises with fellow writers Wolvarez, Killer Cupcake and Keith (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent).

Kim:  What's next for Amanda Arista, other than the Coffee Olympics and sinful Cinnamon Streusel?

Amanda:  Now that I’ve perfected butter cream frosting, I’m moving on to non-crumbling cupcakes. My co-workers love my experimentation. So far the favorite is peanut-butter frosting with dark chocolate cupcakes.

On the writing front, I’ve always got stories going on in my head. For ten years now, I’ve lived and breathed the Those Who Wander universe (where the Diaries series take place), so I’m working on expanding that even further. I’m thinking the next series will be a little more grown up, because frankly, I’m a little more grown up. I’ve learned a lot about the business and the world and about myself while writing the Diaries series, and I’d like to see how far and how deep I can go into the universe. I’m thinking a good, old-fashion demon is in order.

Thank you for having me today. I’ll be checking in all week to answer more questions and commenter’s will be entered to win a Diaries of an Urban Panther gift set as part of the Nine Lives Blog Tour. See my website for details at this link.

Mahalo, Amanda, for joining us on Duke's Birthday.   It would be difficult to share birthday cake with the readers ... instead, I'll giveaway autographed copies of DIARIES OF AN URBAN PANTHER and CLAWS AND EFFECT to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about birthday cake - what's your favorite cake flavor and icing flavor?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 25, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 26.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Amanda at the Avon Book Signing