Talking Story
Hairy Dog Snacks
When I was nine I flew all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah from Honolulu, Oahu all by myself. I had to change planes in San Francisco, but I wasn’t worried. I had my snacks, a couple of good books, and I looked forward to the movie—any movie—on the plane. The...
Book Review: When Water Burns
by Lani Wendt Young
When Water Burns is the second book in the Telesa series by Lani Wendt Young. Loosely based on Polynesian legends, the series is about Leila and Daniel’s discovery of their telesa powers and the complicated alliances and challenges that come from having gifts of fire...
Learning ‘Ōlelo: aloha pō
aloha pō (ah-low-hah po) (n) Hawaiian phrase for good night. For Example: “Aloha pō, Zader,” said Uncle Kahana. “Sleep tight.” Note: ‘Ōlelo is a Hawaiian word meaning language, speech, word, etc. To see the current list of Hawaiian and Pidgin words,...
One Shark, No Swim
Excerpt #1: It’s a Long Way Down
Book 2 is heading to the copy editor where all the commas get put into the right places! Until then, here’s a little taste of One Shark, No Swim. I climbed on the toilet tank and stuck my head out the window. The drop was near the front door to Hari’s store. A little...
Book Review: I am Daniel Tahi
by Lani Wendt Young
As a writer and reader, I find it a fascinating experiment to retell a story from another character’s viewpoint in a way that is fresh and exciting. In her companion novella to the Telesa series, I am Daniel Tahi, Lani Wendt Young takes us back through the events in...
Learning ‘Ōlelo: ‘ohana nui
ʻohana nui (OH-hah-nah new-ee) (n) Hawaiian word for extended family, clan. For Example: Everybody’s going to be there to see the pavilion, Zader, the whole ‘ohana nui! ~One Shark, No Bite Note: ‘Ōlelo is a Hawaiian word meaning language, speech, word,...
When a Little Bit is Better Than the Whole Enchilada
A major story junkie in any form—books, tv, movies, you name it—it’s been hard to adjust to the idea that I can download and watch an entire series in a few weeks instead of the years it took to produce and air the show originally. My first experience with tv gluttony...
Book Review: ‘Ewa Which Way
by Tyler Miranda
‘Ewa Which Way by Tyler Miranda peels back the bandage of what adults think adolescence is like to expose the raw, oozing strawberry of reality. I loved this book for its ability to show all the complicated rules, expectations, and entanglements of being a 12-year-old...
Learning ‘Ōlelo: hālau
hālau (HAH-lau) (n) Hawaiian word for a hula school. For Example: “The boys in my hālau are learning a new shark hula. It’s about these guys who are lost, yeah, out in the open ocean in a canoe and this shark comes and leads them back to land.” She side stepped,...
Island Style
Serial Binging: It’s Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
Way back in caveman days when I was a kid, I used to dream about a magical place where you didn’t have to wait a week for the next episode of your favorite tv show. In this fantastical place not only could you see an entire season back to back, but if you missed an...
Book Review: Up in the Air
by Ann Marie Meyers
10-year-old Melody wants to fly, to soar like an eagle far above the troubles in her earth-bound life. She knows if she can just swing high enough her wings will unfurl and she’ll finally be happy. Until then there’s always her patented zombie face guaranteed to...
Learning ‘Ōlelo: crack seed
crack seed (KRAK-seed) (n) Pickled, preserved, or dehydrated fruit snacks; can also refer to other local island snacks typically sold at a crack seed store. Example Jay’s favorite crack seed was rock salt plum. Char Siu loved lemon peel, but my favorite was candied...
Island Style
BYU Young Authors Workshop
On June 21, 2013 I was privileged to meet some very talented young authors at Brigham Young University. Click on Fan Art to see how they answered the question, “What would you draw on the bottom of a surfboard to chase away a shark?”
Book Review: Telesa: The Covenant Keeper
by Lani Wendt Young
Telesa: The Covenant Keeper, book 1 in the Telesa Series by Lani Wendt Young is nothing but trouble. It starts out innocently enough with orphaned Leila Folger as a recent private all girls’ high school graduate leaving Washington D.C. against her grandmother’s...
Learning ‘Ōlelo: ‘āina
‘āina (EYE-nah) (Noun) Land. For example: “Life is good now, Pua. There’s fish in the sea. We have our ‘āina and our home. We can travel wherever we want; people don’t bother us. Life wasn’t always this easy.” ~ One Boy, No Water Note: ‘Ōlelo is a Hawaiian word...
Sniff: A Lauele Town Short Story
Excerpt #10
Later, after his parents were snoring, safe in their bed, Kona tiptoed back to his room and carefully placed the perfume bottle on his desk chair. Nothing sweeter, he thought. He double-checked his bedroom door, making sure it was closed. No way I’m risking it....
Sniff: A Lauele Town Short Story
Excerpt #9
“Boiled cabbage, brussels sprouts, potatoes, beans, and onions. That’s it.” “What?” Mom said, doing a double-take. “Mom, you said you’d cook whatever I wanted.” “Yeah, but trust me. You’re not going to like this.” She shook her head. “Nobody likes this!” “But I...
Smokin’
For Father’s Day my husband bought himself a meat smoker. In the four days since he set it up, he’s cooked a nine pound brisket, eight ears of corn, three pounds of teriyaki beef jerky, and is now smoking a seven pound pork roast, his attempt at replicating kalua pig...