Hump Year, Republic of Korea, and Recruiting Reviewers

Aloha!  I am posting pictures from RWA at ALOHA ON MY MIND at this link.   Wednesday is often called Hump Day in the US - the "hump" during the work week.   For me, the next 12 months will be a "Hump Year".   My husband moved to Korea for a one year remote tour.   This gives us one more year in Hawaii ... and I intend to enjoy it!  

We hope that hubby can fly back to Hawaii for the Christmas holiday.  It is our plan to visit Korea after the school term ends, so it will be live blogging from the Far East!   Who knows what happens next - maybe Hawaii.  Maybe DC.  Definitely retirement in 2015.

RWA gave me the opportunity to network with publishers and authors.   I expect more requests for reviews and promos ... which is great ... but I am now a geographic "single" parent.  So I am recruiting reviewers of all genres and all formats.  If you are interest, contact me at sos.aloha@yahoo.com for more details.


What do you know about Korea?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.   Comments are open through Saturday, August 4, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 5.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

Coming in August - Sizzling Stories

8/1: Hump Year, Coming Home, and Recruiting Reviewers
8/2: Jennifer Haymore's PLEASURES OF A TEMPTED LADY
8/3: Terry Ambrose's PHOTO FINISH
8/4: Coast Guard's birthday
8/5: Nancy Lee Badger's SECRET LOVE MATCH 
8/6: Michele Gorman's MISFORTUNE COOKIE
8/7: Forever Romance as Darkness Falls with Cynthia Garner and Kendra Leigh Castle (link)
8/8:  Amelia Grey's A LITTLE MISCHIEF
8/9: Julie Ann Walker's HELL ON WHEELS
8/10: Wendy Holden's MARRYING UP
8/11: Celebrate Little Victories
8/12: Weekly winners
8/13: Georgette Heyer's 110th Birthday with Sourcebooks
8/14: Debby Macomber's THE INN AT ROSE HARBOR
Julia Stuart's THE PIGEON PIE MYSTERY
8/15: Mary Carter's THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU
Plus Korea's Liberation Day with Sean Chandler's NAKED IN KOREA 
8/16: Lorelie Brown/Katie Porter
8/17: Hawaii Statehood Day
8/18: Celebrate Little Victories
8/19: Weekly winners
8/20: Kiana Davenport's THE SPY LOVER
8/21: Kieran Kramer's LOVING LADY MARCIA
plus Jennifer Estep's WIDOW'S WEB
8/22: Robin Kaye's CALL ME WILD
8/23: Anthology, BORN TO BITE, with Hannah Howell, Erica Ridley, and Diana Cosby
8/24: Duke's Day
plus Amanda Arista's NINE LIVES OF AN URBAN PANTHER
8/25: Celebrate Little Victories
8/26: Weekly winners
8/27: Patricia Rice's THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC
8/28: ML Buchman's I OWN THE DAWN
8/29:  Christie Craig's BLAME IT ON TEXAS
8/30: Jessica Scott's UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
8/31: Jill Shalvis' FOREVER AND A DAY:  Eat Me (Lucky Harbor) versus Bite Me (Honokohau Harbor)

Coming in the future ...
9/1: Celebrate Little Victories
9/2: Weekly winners
9/3: Elizabeth Chadwick's A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE
9/4: Open 
9/5: Kristine Grayson
9/6: Corrina Lawson, Geek Mom and Romance Author
9/7: Emma Lang's BRODY
9/8: CC Humphreys' A PLACE CALLED ARMAGEDDON
9/9: Weekly winners
9/10: Victoria Roberts' TEMPATION IN A KILT
9/11: Remembering 9/11
9/12: In the Pink with Avon Romance
9/13: Elisabeth Barrett's BLAZE OF WINTER
9/14: Darlene Gardner 
9/15: Celebrate Little Victories
9/16: Weekly winners
9/17: Shana Galen's WHEN YOU GIVE A DUKE A DIAMOND
9/18: Air Force's Birthday
9/19: In the Pink with Avon Romance
9/20: Sandy Blair 
9/21: Lisa Becker's CLICK:  AN ONLINE LOVE STORY
plus Mike Krentz's RIVER DAWN:  A FLAGSHIP NOVEL
9/22: Celebrate Little Victories
9/23: Weekly winners
9/24: Open
9/25: Jamie Quaid's BOYFRIEND FROM HELL (debut Urban Fantasy)
9/26: Bec McMaster's KISS OF STEAL
9/27: Iris Anthony's THE RUINS OF LACE
9/28: CH Admirand's A WEDING IN APPLE GROVE
plus Karen Kelley
9/29: Celebrate Little Victories
plus Hester Browne's THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS
9/30: Weekly winners

10/1: Grace Burrowes' LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT
Off to Maui!
10/2: Mischief and Mistletoe:  Anthology from the Word Wenches
Exploring Lahaina
Guest post with the Reading Reviewer: Macy Beckett's SULTRY WITH A TWIST
10/3: In the Pink with Avon Romance
Sailing to Lana'i
10/4:  Vanessa Kelly's HIS MISTLETOE BRIDE 
Climbing Haleakala
Guest post at the Reading Reviewer: Mary Wine's THE TROUBLE WITH HIGHLANDERS 
10/5: Sara Rosett's MISTLETOE, MERRIMENT, AND MURDER
Return to Honolulu
10/6: Celebrating Little Victories
10/7: Weekly Winners
10/8: Fleet Week with Geri Krotow
10/9: Fleet Week
10/10: In the Pink with Avon Romance:  Cathy Maxwell
10/11: Fleet Week 
10/12: Fleet Week with Anne Elizabeth
10/13: Celebrate Little Victories:  US Navy's Birthday
10/14: Weekly winners
10/15: Julie Ann Walker's REV IT UP
10/16: Anna Campbell's SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED
plus Mary Wine's THE TROUBLE WITH HIGHLANDERS
10/17: In the Pink with Avon Romance
10/18: Karen Rose Smith's ABIGAIL AND MISTLETOE (contemporary romance)
10/19: Debbie Dyke (interview)
10/20: Celebrate Little Victories
10/21: Weekly winners
10/22: Open
10/23: Terry Spear 
10/24: In the Pink with Avon Romance
10/25: Open
10/26: Shawntelle Madison's KEPT (urban fantasy)
10/27: Celebrate Little Victories
10/28: Weekly winners
10/29: Victoria Alexander's WHAT HAPPENS AT CHRISTMAS
10/30: Margaret Mallory's THE WARRIOR
10/31: In the Pink with Avon Romance

Coming in the future ... 
11/1: Megan Mulry's A ROYAL PAIN 
11/5: Susanna Fraser's AN INFAMOUS MARRIAGE
11/9: Anna Lee Huber 
11/10: Marine Corps' birthday
11/11: Veterans' Day
11/21: Debbie Dyke's THE BLOODY MARY CLUB
12/7:  Pearl Harbor Day

To be scheduled:
Christy English's HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE (Nov 1)

Aloha to Mia Marlowe and TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL

It is my distinct privilege to spotlight Mia Marlowe's TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL on its release day:

It’s a matter of honor, duty… and desire…

Griffin Nash, Earl of Devonwood, wants to believe that he’s seducing Miss Emmaline Farnsworth out of protectiveness for his young brother. After all, if his brother is convinced that the tantalizing professor’s daughter is unworthy of his trust, perhaps Teddy will lose all interest in such an inappropriate choice for his station. But in truth, something else motivates Griffin: a scintillating vision of a future tryst with the lovely Emmaline. A vision too realistic to be doubted—and too scaldingly passionate to be denied.

Yet Emmaline is not as easily tempted as Griffin might have hoped—nor is she actually in pursuit of a wealthy husband. No, the real reason for her visit to the manor is something much more shocking… though being enticed by a dashing earl may prove to be a most welcome by-product of her schemes.

Mia having at adventure at RT/2011.

This story is as gorgeous as the dress on the cover!   To celebrate TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL, let's play Six Degrees of Separation with Mia!

1.  From Mia's bio, "Mia would rather have an adventure than a new sofa." 

2.  Seeking to finance a fictitious adventure to Egypt, Emmaline Farnsworth sets her sights on the Nash family.

The Subsiding of the Nile - Frederick Goodall 1822 - 1904

3.  Farnsworth is the name of Warren Beatty's character in HEAVEN CAN WAIT.  In the movie, Farnsworth plays the soprano saxophone.

4.  Also from Mia's bio, "A classically trained soprano, she won the District Metropolitan Opera Auditions and has shared a stage with Placido Domingo."

Mia in a corset, ready to sing opera!

5.  Domingo made his operatic debut as Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA in 1961.  LA TRAVIATA translates as "the woman who goes astray".

6.  Emmaline Farnsworth may have "gone astray" if not for Lord Devonwood's prediction that they would find passion together.

Mia having an adventure in Hawaii!

I posted my review of TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.   In honor of Emmaline Farnsworth in Victorian England, I am giving away a souvenir from the Queen Emma's Summer Palace (as she was close friends with Queen Victoria).   To enter the giveaway,

- Leave a comment about where you would like to have an adventure.

- This giveaway is open to all readers.

- Comments are open through Saturday, August 4, 10 pm in Hawaii.   I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 5.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Mia and her books, check out her website at www.miamarlowe.com.

A Rock*It Reads e-novella

Aloha to Jodi Thomas and WILD TEXAS ROSE

Last week, I reintroduced myself to romance legend Jodi Thomas.  It was a squee moment!   Jodi is my guest today with a special blog!

Jodi with her RITA at RWA/2011.

I love climbing back into Historical Romance. I think from the day I saw GONE WITH THE WIND, I’ve always loved love stories set in the past. In my new book WILD TEXAS ROSE, I returned to a time period I know well, Texas in the 1870’s. Only now after twenty-five years of writing historical novels as well as contemporaries, I decided to write in a slightly different style I think all my readers will enjoy. So, come along with me on a fast-paced, laughter filled ride across Texas.

WILD TEXAS ROSE is set in Fort Worth in 1876, just after the Texas &Pacific Railroad connected the town to the rest of the world. It deals with two men who were friends as boys and who both came back scarred from the Civil War. Neither believes they will ever find love.

One, Abe Henderson walks with a limp, thinks he wouldn’t know how to love a woman even if he did find one who would give him a second look and has lived with his loneliness so long it feels normal to him. His only real friend, Killian O’Toole, lost the last of his family in the war and cannot turn loose of his brother. He often talks to Shawn as if his brother were still alive and standing next to him. Their lives change as Killian tries to help Abe by telling him suggestions that he claims Shawn, the ghost, has told them.

Both men learn about loving during a crisis involving a runaway bride and a murder threat on a Texas Ranger.

When I look back at the writing of this book, I feel like I’m surrounded by dear friends. These were the stories of a group of people living their lives, falling in love, standing up for what’s right. Many nights while I worked away in my study, I would laugh as things they said and for me they all became, not characters in a book, but real.

I hope they well be as real to you. Enjoy WILD TEXAS ROSE. Come along with me. I promise, I’ll keep you up reading late into the night.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas presents her latest Whispering Mountain novel WILD TEXAS ROSE, about a woman who’s cursed when it comes to love—and the man determined to save her.

Twenty-five-year-old Rose McMurray may be beautiful, smart, and capable of running her adopted family’s ranch at Whispering Mountain, but she’s backed away from marriage three times without giving any reasons. Everyone thinks Rose is a coward, afraid of any adventure, including falling in love. She’s never done a single wild or reckless thing in her life...until now.

“At the top of everyone’s favorites list.”
—Romance Junkies

“Wonderfully written, romantic, and delightful.”
—The Romance Reader

“Exceptional...Packs a powerful emotional punch.”
—Booklist

WILD TEXAS ROSE
Release date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-25037-2
Retail Price: USA$7.99

Jodi and Sarah Wendell at RT/2012

Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of 35 novels and 11 short story

collections. A RITA winning author, Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

To learn more about Jodi, check out her social media at:

www.jodithomas.com
Twitter.com/jodithomas
www.facebook.com/ JodiThomasAuthor

I am currently reading WILD TEXAS ROSE and I would like to share this heartwarming experience with you! I am giving away a print copy of WILD TEXAS ROSE to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about your favorite flower - rose? tulip? hibiscus?

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.


3. Comments are open through Saturday, August 4, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 5.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

Jodi and Sally MacKenzie at RT/2012.

Weekly Winners and RWA Reflection

We have winners at SOS Aloha!

Scott Eagan from Greyhaus Literary Agency

- Carol M. wins a book choice from my convention stash!

Amanda Grange's Pride and Pyramids: Mr. Darcy in Egypt 
- Cyn209 is the winner!

Diane Gaston's A NOT SO RESPECTBLE GENTLEMAN

- Na is the winner!

Mary Wine's A LADY CAN NEVER BEE TOO CURIOUS 

- Melody D wins the "Hawaiian" curiosity prize.

Kathyrne Kennedy's ENCHANTING THE LADY
- Sheree is the winner!

Amelia Gray's A Little Mischief
- Diane D. is the winner!

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

I am flying home today from LA - look for my RWA pictures this coming week at ALOHA ON MY MIND!

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

A great place to read my convention stash ...

Aloha to Pamela Clare and SKIN DEEP

This morning during the RWA National Conference, I will be attending a workshop hosted by several members of the Rom Vets - veterans who write romance:

Not Every Man in Uniform Is a Navy SEAL! Developing Military Characters to Steal Readers' Hearts (RESEARCH)

Speakers: Rogenna Brewer, AJ Brower, Geri Krotow, Heather Nickodem, Jo Anne Pinney, and Taylor Reynolds

A panel of authors who are also military veterans will share information on hot military career fields besides special ops; where to research information for military characters; typical military lifestyles, including deployments; and what it’s like to be a female in today’s military.

SEAL lounging at the beach on
Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

In honor of military heroes, I am spotlighting a novella I recently reviewed on my brand new Kindle  - Pamela Clare's SKIN DEEP:

A 47,000-word I-Team After Hours novella featuring characters from author Pamela Clare's popular I-Team series. The download also includes the I-Team short "Marc & Julian Make a Beer Run."

Broken on the inside



Megan Hunter has worked hard to get back on her feet, leaving the nightmare of her teenage years behind. The last thing she wants or needs in her life is a man. But when she is attacked by someone from her past, a scarred stranger intervenes, saving her life and that of her little girl. Looks can be deceiving, for despite the man's rough appearance, she feels safe with him. And for the first time in her life, she knows the stirrings of desire.



Broken on the outside



Nathaniel West paid a high price serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. He returned to his family's ranch in the Colorado mountains to heal--and be alone. Disfigured as he is, he has put all thoughts of sex and romance aside. But something about Megan brings him back to life, heats his blood, makes him feel like a man again. As danger pursues her, and the truth about her past is revealed, he vows to protect her -- and to heal her wounded spirit. 

But confronting the past is never easy -- especially when it's carrying a gun. Megan will have to learn to trust Nate to survive and to claim a passion that is much more than ... Skin Deep.

If you are not familiar with Pamela Clare's I Team Series, then run to the book store (or your computer).   Pamela Clare sets the standard for romantic suspense, especially with "service" heroes such as a police sniper, park ranger, Navy Seal, and now a returning Marine.   I posted my review of SKIN DEEP on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.   I am giving away an ecopy of SKIN DEEP to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about "service" heroes in fiction - who is your favorite from TV, movies, or books?

My favorite is Greg Gadson as double amputee Mick Canales in BATTLESHIP.   BATTLESHIP will be released as a DVD on August 28 at this link.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 4, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 5.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Pamela and her books, check out her website at pamelaclare.com.

Aloha to Amelia Grey and A LITTLE MISCHIEF

Sourcebooks gives romance readers, like myself, to discover the backlists of favorite authors.   I am currently reading historical favorite Amelia Grey's A LITTLE MISCHIEF:


How can a lady avoid a scandal...

Just as Miss Isabella Winslowe is finally achieving comfortable respectability, the fascinating and decidedly unrespectable Earl of Colebrooke inconveniently appears...

When a gentleman is so determined to flirt...

The darkly handsome Daniel Colebrooke is intrigued and alarmed when an alluring young lady arrives at his door in need of assistance. In a moment of impetuosity, Daniel decides he must keep a close watch on Isabella, and what better way than to strike up a not–so–innocent flirtation...
Together they'll cook up more than a little mischief when a disappearing dead body and a lascivious scandal spins their reckless game entirely out of control.

From her website, "Amelia likes flowers, candlelight,
sweet smiles, gentle laughter and sunshine."

I am giving away a print copy of A LITTLE MISCHIEF to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about mischief - who conducts the most in your house?  Kids?  Hubby?  Pets?

No doubt it is our cats in my house!

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  

3.  Comments are open through Sunday, July 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Monday, July 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Amelia and her books, check out her website at ameliagrey.com.

One of my mischievous cats ... 

Aloha to Kathryne Kennedy and ENCHANTING THE LADY

Kathryne Kennedy charmed us with her Georgian Fantasy series of THE ELVEN LORDS.  Next week, she returns with the re-release of her Victorian Fantasy series of THE RELICS OF MERLIN, beginning with ENCHANTING THE LADY:

His Magic Condems Him...

In a Victorian England with a rigid hierarchy of magic, lion shapeshifter Sir Terence Blackwell is at the bottom of the rung of society. Only Lady Felicity Seymour, who has no magic, no inheritance, and no prospects, may be willing to judge the man strictly on his own merits...

Until She Reveals His True Power...

When family pressures push Lady Felicity into a terrible fate, she has only Sir Terence to turn to. Together, the two outcasts become embroiled in the dark depths beneath society's facade. And what they discover about each other is the only thing that's real...

Merlin's cave (middle left) near Tintagel Castle
wikipedia.com

I am giving away a print copy of ENCHANTING THE LADY to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about magic - do you have a favorite "magical" character from fairy tales? 

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Sunday, July 29, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Monday, July 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii


To learn more about Kathryne and her books, check out her website at kathrynekennedy.com.

Aloha to Mary Wine and A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS

Today is RWA's Literacy Signing .... and what a signing it will be! Participating authors are listed here ... including Mary Wine! From her bio,

When she’s not abusing a laptop, she spends time with her sewing machines…all of them! Making historical garments is her second passion. From corsets and knickers to court dresses of Elizabeth I, the most expensive clothes she owns are hundreds of years out of date. She’s also an active student of martial arts, having earned the rank of second degree black belt. 

Mary Wine (left), Megan, and a reader at RT.

A lady can never be too curious ... which happens to be the title of her upcoming novel, A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS, available August 7 from Sourcebooks:

On the outside, Janette Aston appears to be a proper young lady; however, the people of England have no idea that this poised young miss secretly studies the scientific discoveries of the mysterious Illuminist Society. Janette soon grows hungry for more secrets about this Society, and she finds herself impersonating an Illuminist to discover more information. As she is exposed to secrets and dangers she never could have imagined, she begins to wonder if she's finally gone too far. But when she runs into gorgeous Illuminist Guardian Darius Lawley, she finds that, while her life is in danger, her sense of curiosity is most certainly piqued... 

I am curious about this stone left at a Heiau ...

I posted my review of A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS on Goodreads at this link.  I am giving away a Hawaiian "curiosity" prize to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Are you curious like Janette or cautious like her friend Sophia?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, July 28, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

If you are curious about Mary Wine and her books, check out her website at marywine.com.

I am also curious about the "magic" of the birthing stones ...

Aloha to Diane Gaston and A NOT SO RESPECTABLE GENTLEMAN?

I am on my way to the RWA National Conference in Anaheim.  It is a celebration of all things romance.  Diane Gaston gives historical fans a reason to celebrate all things Regency with her heartwarming stories that echo Austen and Heyer.   I had the privilege to review her new book, available today, A NOT SO RESPECTABLE GENTLEMAN?

Since Leo Fitzmanning returned to London, he's kept his seat at the card table warm, his pockets full of winnings and his mind off a certain raven-haired heiress.

Until whispers at the gaming hell reveal that Miss Mariel Covendale is being forced into marriage with an unscrupulous fortune hunter!

Leo must re-enter the society he detests to help her, before returning to his clandestine existence. But he hasn't counted on Mariel having grown even more achingly beautiful than he remembers. Soon Leo realizes that there's nothing respectable about his reasons for stopping Mariel's marriage!

I posted my review of A NOT SO RESPECTABLE GENTLEMAN? on Goodreads at this link.  I am giving away a print copy of A NOT SO RESPECTABLE GENTLEMAN? to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about gentleman - what attribute defines such a character?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, July 28, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 29. 

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Diane and her books, check out her website at dianegaston.com.