Talking Story
Am Writing: Diving Deep
Writing is like deep-sea diving. You spend a lot of time preparing and planning. There's specialized gear and uncommon knowledge to acquire, some kiddie pool practice before venturing out into the open ocean, and a lot of effort to travel to new and unexplored dive...
Am Writing: Hawaiians in Space
While I try to trick myself into outlining, at my core I'm really a discovery writer flying by the seat of my pants. I've been working on what I call my "Hawaiians in Space" story for a few years now. An early version was published in a fractured fairy tales...
High Stakes Good Deeds
You know how Boy Scouts are supposed to do a good deed each day? A couple of days ago I was the little old lady that got helped across the street--and the stakes were way higher than getting across the road. I run on Diet Coke. It's no secret--and cans are hands down...
Lauele Shorts: Liz’s Closet
PEAU Women's Writing CrewJanuary 7, 2021Prompt: A New Year's resolution, a pacifier, fireworksabout 300 words Liz's Closet by Lehua Parker It was exactly the kind of thing Liz hated doing. Hot. Dusty. And guaranteed to make a much bigger mess before it was...
Lauele Shorts: ‘Alika and Arnold
PEAU Women's Writing CrewDecember 9, 2020Prompt: pig, string or rope, bicycleabout 500 words 'Alika and Arnold by Lehua Parker Tuna burst through ‘Alika’s bedroom door. “‘Alika! Aunty—” WHAM! ‘Alika’s punch landed solidly in her gut. “How many times I wen tell you no...
Hello 2021!
Ever enter a time warp? Sometimes it's a good thing, like when you're on a long plane ride and you fall asleep and 10 minutes later you're landing halfway around the world. Score! Other times you turn around and it's been SIX MONTHS since you wrote a blog post. Or...
One Dance, No Snow
In mid-June, I gave a three day workshop at University of Hawaii, Manoa, via Zoom about how to take traditional stories—Western fairy tales, Hawaiian mo’oleleo, Asian folktales, whatever—and turn them into something new. We spent some time talking about simple vs....
Book Review: Up Among the Stars by Matthew Kaopio
Published in 2011, Up Among the Stars is a continuation of Matthew Kaopio, Jr.'s novel Written in the Sky. I was excited to read it. I've loved Matthew's books, and I wanted to know what happened to 'Ikauikalani, the young homeless boy living in Ala Moana Park. Up...
When Old Stories Are New Again
I've often said that humans are hardwired to learn through story. It's no surprise then that certain patterns resonate across cultures and geographic boundaries. In the West, we're thrilled by stories that follow what Joseph Campbell and others describe as the Hero's...
C’mon and Zoooooom, C’mon and Zoom-zoom
With Covid-19 and the world changing in ways unimaginable, most of my spring and summer calendar was tossed out the window. One of the things I had really been looking forward to was spending a month on Oahu from mid-May to mid-June. I was going to research, talk...
Book Review: The Work of Thanhha Lai
I don’t know how I missed these books, but I am so glad I found them. Thanhha Lai’s writing is charming, funny, and oh, so real. In Inside Out and Back Again, Thanhha pulls her readers into a fictional world based on her experiences as a child in Viet Nam,...
The One Paper Towel Rule
Mom was frugal. She ran a tight ship when it came to things like paper towels, milk, and cereal. A lot of it came from how she grew up. There were times when her town’s steel mill closed over union disputes, and, like all their neighbors, they lived on the things they...
Free eBook on Amazon!
I'm offering PUA'S KISS for FREE on Amazon in eBook through 3/29--that's the longest Amazon would let me. I figured with people staying home, they might like to escape to the beach. This one's adult, PG-13+, and a quick read. Jilted at the altar, Justin's alone on his...
Craft: Manga in Theory and Practice
A good story is one that resonates with its audience. Period. This afternoon I had a lot of things I had to do. Writing deadlines dangerously due. Horses, cats, and dogs to care for. House to straighten. Plants to water. Chili to make. Did I mention deadlines? So, of...
New Release: Rell’s Kiss
Rell never imagined an 18th birthday like this. When Rell’s stepmonster Regina summons her to Lauele, Hawai’i, she knows better than to expect umbrella drinks, birthday presents, and open arms. The most she hopes for is some quality time with her twin...
New Release: Pua’s Kiss
When you’re dating a Niuhi shark in human form, there’s no such thing as a casual Hawaiian fling. The last thing Justin wants is complications. Jilted at the altar, he’s spending his pre-paid Hawaiian honeymoon alone—sort of. Sasha, his ex, won’t get out of his head....
New Release: Lauele Fractured Folktales
Lauele Fractured Folktales are here! These newly imagined stories are loosely inspired by classic western fairy tales and told with a Hawaiian twist. First up are Pua's Kiss and Rell's Kiss. These stories will be available in...
Book Review: Big Bad Chief Lino
Big Bad Chief Lino by L. Michelle Tago-Tu'itupou and illustrated by Ash Grover is an English language chapter book written to help kids connect with Samoan culture. Born and raised in American Samoa, Michelle first created this narrative as a bedtime story for her...
My Star Wars Boyfriend
On the eve of the release of Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, I’ve been thinking about my Star Wars boyfriend. I first saw Star Wars at the Kapiolani Theater in Honolulu, late summer 1977, when it was called Star Wars and not A New Hope. Mom was working, so Dad decided...
The Anatomy of a Book Cover
This week I've been in graphic design hell as I've been trying to create new covers for the first of three stories based on re-imagined western fairy tales with a Hawaiian twist. The books have been ready for quite awhile--it's the eBook, paperback, and hardback...