Author Interview with Children's Book Writer Gloria Andrada

Author Gloria Andrada

Today’s guest and member of Sisters in Crime/Hawai’i,  Gloria Andrada, is the author of the children’s picture book, Stanley’s Bummer Bus Ride. Thank you for taking time to visit, Gloria, and to give us a look at your new book. First, please tell us a little about yourself. 

 

GLORIA ANDRADA: Thank you. I was born and raised in a small town called Waipahu, on the island of O’ahu in Hawai’i. My parents were immigrants from the Philippines. My father was hired to work as a heavy equipment operator for the O’ahu Sugar Plantation. My world of haul cane trucks, sugar cane and plantation took a major turn at age 7 when I spotted a book called, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in a bookstore in Honolulu.  

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: When did you decide to write a children’s book? 

GLORIA ANDRADA: It took a while to decide, because I wanted to write about my paranormal experiences and share the pictures. I won two Storytelling contests in Moiliili when Glen Grant was hosting those. In fact he asked to tell my story and show the pictures. I won, and one of the prizes was one of his Chicken Skin books. He autographed it and it inspired me to reach a goal like writing a book someday. 

What convinced me was a lady named Terri Madden, who’s a director, actress and owner of Play Builders. When I auditioned for a part in the play Wahiawa: Remembah Wen…,I used the Stanley story, but it was a rough form of the book. She told me it was a good story, what I needed was a good illustrator to bring it to life. That became a two-year journey for Stanley to be in book form. 

Stanley is the kid in all of us. He goes and spends a day with his friends and has an experience, and how he handles the situation without depending on a parent is amazing. I wanted a book that the kids in Hawaii could relate to, with words and places they knew, and where they could meet a real, live author who would encourage them to read, get out in Nature and have an adventure.

 

Stanley's Bummer Bus Ride
by
Gloria Andrada

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: Where did the name Stanley come from?

 

GLORIA ANDRADA: The name Stanley came from my favorite comic book writer, Stan Lee. He wrote about super heroes, like Spiderman. And he is in his 90’s now and is very active. 

The name Stanley in the Urban Dictionary describes him as a sweet, cute and funny guy. He takes care of his friends and is talented at whatever he does. He’s independent and a good friend to have. It’s good to look up your name and see if you’re living up to your name. 

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: What is the age range of readers for your published book? 

GLORIA ANDRADA: The age range of readers is 5-12 years old. It seems their parents enjoy the book as well and experience a deeper meaning to what is not written down but is felt. Gotta read the book. 

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: How are you marketing the book?

GLORIA ANDRADA: This is my first, self published book, and what I’m doing is reading in the schools and libraries and getting my name known. So far some the schools and libraries are carrying my book. Kids approach me and tell me I’m the author of Stanley. They have a conversation with me. I think I have a following. Adults approach me and ask it they could be in the next book. I hope I inspired some of the kids to become writers.

 

Thank you for sharing your interesting writing experiences with us, Gloria. We look forward to seeing your book in print. Best of success to you in a long and glorious career.

 

Please visit Gloria's website for more information about the author and her writing, and learn how to purchase her book, Stanley's Bummer Bus Ride, for all the children in your life!

 

http://gloriaandrada.com/

 

 

 

Author Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos: On Writing a Memoir

Aloha Everyone, and Mahalo for joining us today at Sisters in Crime/Hawaii.

Today’s guest author is one of our newest members to Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos. Welcome, to SinC/Hawaii, Jenny and thank you for participating in today’s interview. First, won’t you please share a bit about yourself? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos:

Thank you. I live in the McCully area, near the Hawaii Convention Center. Technically, I grew up in Ewa Beach and went to James Campbell High School. I’m married to my husband Pancho Delos Santos, and I have two adult children from a previous marriage. 

I work at Honolulu Star-Advertiser as an editorial assistant for the newsroom, and I have been there for the past 13 years. My responsibilities include writing On the Move, Business Calendar, Get Involved Calendar, Ship Arrivals and Hawaii Mutuals on a daily basis as well as the obituaries (once a week), payroll (for 120 newsroom employees) when in need and other office duties. 

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii:

You have written a story about an important time in your life. When did you decide to write a Memoir, and why? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos:

My decision to write a Memoir came from many people encouraging me to write a book about my life since they knew I went through a great lot. I became more focused in writing a book when I was told that I couldn’t become a news reporter because I haven’t published anything for the past 10 years. As a result, I thought that I would write my own books, especially since I was fond of reading and writing.

 

My intentions to write a Memoir is to give people, who went through domestic abuse or a traumatic experience, “hope” and “dreams” knowing that if I can go through all that I went through…they also can turn around their lives and become successful in their own way.  

I also want people to know that not everyone abuses the Department of Human Services system, which offers benefits such as food stamps, medical and financial help to the needy, disabled and homeless. Many people end up under dire circumstances, because something traumatic happened in their life, and they just need help to get back on their feet.  

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii:

Why did you decide to join Sisters in Crime/Hawaii? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos: 

By joining a group of writers (such as Sisters in Crime Hawaii), meant that I could be part of a support group, consisting of people who loved to read and write. I remember going to a Sisters in Crime meeting in Kapolei last November, and I was so determined to attend it for the first time. However, I had no idea where Kapolei Library was, and I knew it would take me two hours by bus to reach the destination where the meeting was held. When I finally got to the library, I was in complete awe when I was heartily welcomed by members from the Sisters in Crime Hawaii. Imagine…I finally got to meet real writers, who published numerous books.  

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii:

Where would you most like to live to do your writing? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos:

Hawaii is my first choice to live at while I write books. I like the thought of being surrounded by family, friends and relatives, but at the same time being somewhat secluded for a couple of months as I write. Like, stay at a beautiful resort or a legal vacation rental that has many amenities on the grounds so that I may be able to take time out to rest my weary body after writing for hours and hours. 

Thank you so much for taking time to visit today, Jenny. Best of Success with your writing.

 

Readers can learn more about Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos and visit her at these Web sites: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duhaylonsod 

Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenny Delos Santos@duhaylonsod60 

http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorialspremium/20120421__How_I_learned_to_live_with_the_fact_that_diabetes_is_a_lifelong_disease.html?id=148361515 

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/18016 

duhaylonsod60@yahoo.com

 

 

Launching 2015 on a Very High Note!

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii launched the 2015 New Year on a very high note!

Our guest speaker for January was John Madinger. He is the author of Death on Diamond Head, a Kimo Rigg mystery. He also authored Money Laundering: A Guide for Criminal Investigators (not a “how-to” book, but about anti-money laundering).

He is a Special Agent- Retired – with the United States Department of the Treasury. He is an Anti-Money Laundering Consultant at United States Department of Justice OPDAT, and is currently working with the Deauville Partnership and US DOJ on stolen asset recovery issues in the Middle East and North Africa - Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and other countries.

During his excellent talk, John gave a detailed history of “Opium Smuggling in Old Hawaii.” While he wasn’t able to smuggle any samples into the meeting, he did pass around several items from his fantastic collection of opium tools and containers. 

John Madinger, Author

http://www.amazon.com/John-Madinger/e/B001JS23U2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1422156671&sr=1-3

 

Audience Pictures at Sisters in Crime/Hawaii January, 2015 Meeting

In attendance: Vicki White, Pamela Gibson, Daisy Chun Rhodes, Rose Mary Thompson,  Doris Chu,  Dennis Keating, Jenny Delos Santos, Dawn Casey, Rosemary and Larry Mild, Gloria Andrada, Gay Gale, Jan and Fred Hines, Holly Madinger, Ramona Kazma, Burke Holbrook, Gail Baugniet

 

Opium Smoking at Makiki Library
Secretary Rosemary looks on

John Madinger speaking on
"Opium Smuggling in Old Hawaii"








Daisy says it is never too late to
try something new.
Dennis, a past CPD police officer,
is giving that some thought.







Opium pods point to Larry and Jenny



Opium pods on display
in front of Gloria and Gay

 

Wooden-handled Opium pipe from John Madinger's collection

Ivory-handled opium pipe from John Madinger's collection
Holly and Burke observe to Jan's immediate left and right

 

 

John displays a tool used in the
preparation of smoking opium
(opium pods frame him in foreground)
while Larry looks on



Ramona displaying
opium pipe made of bamboo
Dawn, Vicki, and Fred look on


Amateur photographing by Gail





 



Today's Sisters in Crime/Hawaii guest, Frankie Bow,
is a Big Island resident and the author of
THE MUSUBI MURDER 
now available at Audible.com! The link is: 

http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Musubi-Murder-Audiobook/B00S6VNMZK/ 

Sisters in Crime: The narrator and main character of The Musubi Murder is Molly Barda, an unmarried college professor. Is “the job” the most important part of her life?

Frankie Bow: Molly herself would say yes, although in The Musubi Murder life throws her a few distractions (the most distracting of which is probably the handsome local entrepreneur Donnie Gonsalves). Molly takes great pride in her teaching. She wants to give her students—many of whom have never been off the island—a real college education. This seemingly admirable goal puts her at odds with her  bottom-line-focused dean (‘having standards is fine, but don’t make a  fetish out of it!’) and with the powerful Student Retention Office.

 

Molly is not interested in making an easy life for herself, as her next-door colleague Rodge Cowper has done. “Dr. Rodge” hasn't published a word since he got tenure. He gives no midterms or finals, assigns no homework, and spends most of his class time showing entertaining videos. Every year, the Student Retention Office nominates Dr. Rodge for the campuswide teaching award.
 

Rodge’s embarrassing self-affirmations  are clearly audible through the thin  wall that separates his office from Molly's. The worst part is when Molly  has a student in her office, and they both have to listen  to Rodge reciting, "I am a potent, powerful, and sexual male! I am well groomed, and my hair is attractively styled!"

 

Sisters in Crime: You could describe Professor Molly Barda as a fish out of water. How did this self-described “big city girl” end up teaching at remote Mahina State University?

Frankie Bow: Molly’s dreams ran into the reality of the academic job market. She describes her journey this way:

 I earned my doctorate in one of the top ten literature and creative  writing programs in the country. I’m not saying that to brag. I’m  putting it here as a warning to anyone who starts a Ph.D. in English  thinking that they’re going to end up with a full-time job leading  graduate seminars on Kafka or something. 

 My dissertation advisor was devastated when I told him that I had  accepted a position in the Mahina State College of Commerce, teaching  business communication. He lamented that Hawaii was thousands of miles  from anywhere that mattered, and that “trying to teach a room full of  slack-jawed baseball caps how to pad their resumes” would be a  grievous waste of my fine critical mind. I pointed out that the last  full-time English department job I’d applied for had nearly a thousand  applicants, and my “fine critical mind” was telling me that after a  year of fruitless job-hunting, I needed to start earning a living  wage.  He accused me of selling out for the money. Of course I sold out for  the money. Why else would you sell out?

Molly has had to readjust her priorities a little. But that doesn't  mean she's willing to compromise. For example, she'll never trade in  her 1959 Thunderbird. No matter what the  judgmental and unimaginative  Earl Miyashiro of Miyashiro Motors (who is the only mechanic on the  island who will go near her car) says about it. 

Sisters in Crime: With amateur sleuths, the question tends to be, “why her?” What’s so special about Molly Barda? What’s her superpower?

Frankie Bow: Molly’s superpower is her lifelong love of books. We know that reading literature helps you to “read” people better. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/i-know-how-youre-feeling-i-read-chekhov/ Although she’s an introvert, and can be socially awkward and unintentionally tactless at times, her reading habit has equipped her to take others’ point of view and to reason from their perspective.
 

In addition, Molly’s occupation puts her in a perfect position to investigate. Research is an important part of Molly's job. That means that she's not just allowed to poke around and ask questions--she's expected to.  Because her field of business communication is so broad, she can ask anyone anything and make a convincing case that it's for her research. In the course of her work she's managed to dig up, sift out, and stumble over more than her share of trouble. 

 

Sisters in Crime: Is this book part of a series, and are you working on a sequel?

Frankie Bow: The Musubi Murder is the first of the Molly Barda Mysteries. 

#2 is The Cursed Canoe, which takes the reader into the competitive world of Hawaiian canoe paddling and  the excitement around the big Labor Day Race.  

#3 is Molly Barda and  the Black Thumb, in which Molly reaches out to a grad school frenemy, an act of hospitality she comes to regret when she ends up getting involved (to put it mildly) in a murder investigation. 

#4 is Molly Barda and the Invasive Species, in which Molly is thrilled to get a grant to investigate attitudes toward biotechnology--and immediately finds herself embroiled in the bitter fight between big biotech and anti-GMO activists.  

I am currently writing a prequel, tentatively titled The Case of the Defunct Adjunct.

Sisters in Crime: The Mystery/Suspense genre is the focus of Fast Five interviews, but what unique twist makes your novel stand out?

Frankie Bow: I believe that The Musubi Murder is the first campus murder mystery set in Hawaii. While it does address some serious issues, the overall goal is to provide an engrossing, entertaining read. I hope to make the reader burst out laughing at least once!
 

While all persons and events in The Musubi Murder are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental, I do work at a public university. Much of what you'll read in The Musubi Murder is the product of observation, rather than invention.

Bonus: This isn’t a Fast Five question, more an “if/then” scenario: If Paris is not an option, then where would you most like to spend your time writing and why?

Frankie Bow: I love living and writing in Hawaii. We have a vibrant creative community, with talented and generous artists, musicians and writers, including our own terrific Sisters in Crime chapter!

Where can readers follow you?

Frankie Bow
www.frankiebow.com

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Frankie_Bow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankie.bow.1

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/frankie-bow/

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22945348

frankie@frankiebow.com

Preorder The Musubi Murder on Amazon. Ships August 2015

MEET "PARTNERS IN CRIME" ROSEMARY AND LARRY MILD

Please welcome today’s featured guests for a “Friday - 13 Authors” interview, the writing team of Rosemary and Larry Mild. Their entries in the short story anthology, MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, are The Joss at Table Twelve and Adrift on Kaneohe Bay. We look forward to hearing more about these stories and the authors’ writing careers. 

Sisters In Crime/Hawaii: What led you to a career writing fiction? 

ROSEMARY MILD: When I met Larry I was fifty-one, divorced, and out on a blind date. As he was driving me home, he announced: “When I retire, I'm going to write a novel and I want you to help me.”

 

I chirped, “Okay!” What was I thinking? I'd never written a word of fiction and neither had he. And I'd only known this man four hours! I was a career editor and journalist. Larry was an electronics design engineer writing technical papers. It didn't occur to me to say "Forget it" because in a matter of minutes we had become soul mates. It was chemistry, folks, and I'm convinced I knew him in a previous life. 

We married the following year, but it was seven years before we started writing together. Larry retired and, with his typical gusto, wrote the first draft of the novel he’d dreamed about. It’s our thriller, Cry Ohana, Adventure and Suspense in Hawaii. (Ohana is “family” in Hawaiian). Then he handed me his 450-page manuscript and said, “Your turn.” 

Yikes! It was truly the halt leading the blind. This is the book on which we cut our fiction teeth. We subjected it to two critique groups, three different titles, and umpteen drafts. After twenty years as snowbirds in Honolulu, we're steeped in local color and cultures, which gives Cry Ohana its authenticity. Recently we waved goodbye to Severna Park, Maryland, and moved here permanently to be with our daughters and grandchildren. 

Sisters In Crime/Hawaii: Why did you choose to collaborate in a short story anthology? 

ROSEMARY MILD: We already had a stable of stories under our belts, many of them published. We've had a series of eight stories featuring a "soft-boiled" detective named Slim O'Wittz in MYSTERICAL-E, an on-line magazine. We were thrilled that Gail and Laurie created the project Mystery in Paradise. An anthology has a lasting quality, and our fellow contributors are excellent writers. It's an honor to be included. We lucked out getting a second story in it when one contributor backed out. 

Happily keeping our Maryland connections, we're members of both the Chesapeake and Hawaii chapters of Sisters in Crime. This fall, we'll have a Valentine's Day story in the "Chessie" chapter's anthology Chesapeake Crimes: Homicidal Holidays.  

Sisters In Crime/Hawaii: What is one phrase that reflects you as writers? 

ROSEMARY MILD: Larry and I are cheerful partners in crime. We have a great time thinking up well-deserved punishments for characters that our readers love to hate. In general, mystery writers are placid, genial folks, because we can take out our aggressions on our villains. 

Our titles in Mystery in Paradise are "The Joss at Table Twelve," based on an ancient Chinese legend: Where lions and dragons prowl, six strangers take a chance on fate; and "Adrift on Kaneohe Bay": Captain Rick's glorious day-sail takes a tack into a deadly enigma. 

Larry and I have coauthored two novel series: the Paco & Molly Mysteries: Locks and Cream Cheese, Hot Grudge Sunday, and Boston Scream Pie. They have food titles because one of the sleuths is a gourmet cook—and because Larry is an incorrigible punster. The night we met, he slipped a pun or two into our dinner conversation. I retorted: “I bet you pun in your sleep.” 

“Sure,” he said. “I was born in the Year of the Pun. That’s the thirteenth sign of the Zaniac.” (I still laugh. I’m pretty sure our marriage depends on it.) 

Our newest series begins with Death Goes Postal, A Dan and Rivka Sherman Mystery. Rare fifteenth-century typesetting artifacts journey through time, leaving a horrifying imprint in their wake. The Shermans risk life and limb to locate the treasures and unmask the murderer. Not quite what they had in mind when they bought The Olde Victorian Bookstore. 

Sisters In Crime/Hawaii: What is your current project? 

ROSEMARY MILD: Death Takes a Mistress, the second Dan and Rivka Sherman Mystery, is our work-in-progress. Woefully behind schedule, I admit; I'm the villain here. 

The way we work is this. Larry says he's more devious than I am, so he conjures up our plots and writes the first draft. I come behind him, tossing and dressing the narrative salad and breathing life into the characters. Then we "negotiate" to be sure the writing comes out seamless, sounding like one author. Larry has tremendous drive. He depends on me to keep pace with him. But I don't. 

I also have a writing life of my own in nonfiction—essays and memoirs, and I tuck my projects in between our fiction. For months at a time! My new book is Love! Laugh! Panic! Life with My Mother. (It's on Kindle now; paperback coming soon.) I recently published Miriam's World—and Mine, my second memoir of our daughter Miriam Luby Wolfe, whom we lost in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. 

Still, I love working with Larry. He's the Energizer Bunny—only cuter.  

All our books are available on Amazon, Kindle, and Nook. Or from us. Visit us at www.magicile.com or email us at: roselarry@magicile.com. 

Thank you for including us on the Sisters in Crime/Hawaii blog.

"FRIDAY-13 Authors" Interview with A.J. Llewellyn

Over a 13 week period, Sisters in Crime/Hawaii will post interviews with contributors of MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense. The interviews will include author-selected excerpts from the short stories within the anthology, which is available in trade book and eBook format at Amazon.com. 

Each Friday one of the authors will share a bit of insight into their life of writing, reveal how their writing career began, and offer a glimpse at their current projects.

 Today's guest is A.J. Llewellyn who lives in California, but dreams of living in Hawaii. Frequent trips to the islands, bags of Kona coffee in the fridge and a healthy collection of Hawaiian records keep this writer refueled. A.J.'s most recent trip to the Islands was in January when she was the guest speaker at the Sisters in Crime/Hawaii monthly meeting. Her talk was captivating, spell-binding, and hypnotizing. A.J. has written more than 100 books. Her contribution to MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense is entitled POI DOG: A Leilani Squires Honolulu Mystery.


Sisters in Crime/Hawaii: Thank you for sharing with readers your short story included within MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, A.J., and for taking time to visit with us today. 

Q1. Can you please offer a brief insight into something humorous, poignant, or unusual in your life that led you to a career in writing? 

A.J. Llewellyn: Thanks so much for having me here! I have to be honest and say I wrote my first book when I was eight. Reading and writing were my refuge in a tough childhood made very painful after the death of my mother when I was six. I was obsessed with horses and mysteries. I inhaled the Donna Parker Mysteries, Nancy Drew...anything I could get my hands on. And I adored this collection of British horse stories by the three Pullein-Thompson sisters. They were prolific authors and I gobbled up their pony stories like toast for breakfast!

My first book featured horses. And death. I was obsessed with that, too. Everybody died at the end of it - including the horses!

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii: Writers, by default, are independent contractors who sit alone at their computer/typewriter/journal, composing prose, poetry, lyrics, haiku, or limericks, for hours on end. 

Q2. Why did you choose to collaborate with 13 authors to participate in a short story anthology? 

A.J. Llewellyn: Hmmm…I am a professional author with multiple publishers and deadlines. I really don't have time to write poems or haiku. I am working all day long. I feel so blessed to be able to say that I write for a living. As to why I participated in an anthology - that's easy! I have participated in many. I believe the short story form is alive and kicking (in spite of dire predictions a few years ago) and it gives readers a "taste" of an author's style. If you like something an author writes in an anthology, it introduces you to somebody new, somebody to discover. And of course, mysteries are the best anthologies! I was excited to be a part of this!

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii: Each short story in the anthology offers a glimpse into the personality of the writer. 
 

Q3. In Poi Dog, what is one phrase or scene that reflects something about you as a writer? 

A.J. Llewellyn: What a great question! Okay, here goes: 

I was excited yet apprehensive about investigating my first solo case. I liked bouncing ideas off my boss, Mingo McCloud, or his husband, Francois, but they were on their honeymoon and it would be rude to bother them. Wouldn’t it?

Chewing my lip, I decided they’d welcome my interruption. When I called Mingo’s cell phone, however, he’d left an outgoing message just for me. “Leilani, if that’s you, we’ll be back on Monday. Don’t leave a message. We’re not checking. Byeee!”

Well! Of all the nerve. How dare he assume I’d call. I had no one to bounce ideas around with and I’m a bouncy kinda gal. I gazed at the business card. I had no choice but to call the tata-lovin’ Detective Chong. 

      I picked this scene because Leilani Squires, the protagonist in this story, is Mingo's sidekick in my very successful Mingo McCloud Honolulu Mystery Series. As one of my readers pointed out to me, the best female friend rarely gets her own story. I wanted to make sure Leilani, a very colorful character in her own right, got that chance. So thank you, Sisters in Crime!

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii: Every writer has a WIP (Work-In-Progress). 

Q4. Can you tell us a bit about your current project? 

A.J. Llewellyn: I am working on several books, actually. I always have at least three WiPs on the boil. I am working on book 7 in the Mingo McCloud series, entitled Hogtied, in which Mingo and his partner Francois finally marry, as well as dealing with a brand new Honolulu mystery.

I am also working on book five of my Honeybone, US Marshal mysteries. It's set in Paris and untitled as yet. 

And finally I am also working on my third book in my new Rough Riders series with my partner in crime and frequent collaborator, D.J. Manly. 

Also mulling over ideas for my second book in my Makaha Beach Detective series. Book 1, Back to Black, comes out next month at Silver Publishing. Having just returned from Honolulu last week, my head is spinning with ideas! 

EXCERPT FROM POI DOG: A Leilani Squires Honolulu Mystery: 

I cut through the International Marketplace. It, like my pride, had shrunk and I missed the wonderland of jewelry, music, and tasty food I remembered as a kid. The few stallholders left sold mostly junk and the pearl people pounced on everyone to try their luck fishing for oysters.

Sprinting past them, I thundered between crammed takeout booths and a stage that had seen better centuries, down the alley between two hotels to Kuhio Avenue. Rain sloshed into my shoes as I turned left and encountered Chong walking into the tiny Hula Dog shop. The smell of all those hot dogs was too much. My mouth began to water.

He leered. “Well, hello, kitty.” It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the umbrella. I closed it, aware of his lingering gaze on my chest. I joined him at the counter. He took his time ordering, but I’d picked out my dog before I’d even left my apartment. I wanted a bacon taro bun with a Polish sausage, coconut relish, and lilikoi mustard.

There wasn’t much room in the store but the lone outdoor table was empty so we grabbed it. I ignored the rain that hit my legs every now and then. For the most part, the roof covered me.

“What gives?” Chong did his cop thing letting his gaze swivel around him looking for trouble.

I bit into the dog, dazzled by the array of sweet and spicy flavors. I savored the taste and smell of the islands in my mouth.

“You said you got a missing friend, Lani.”

I couldn’t waste the man’s time, so I took a swan dive into troubled waters.     

“Maha Kaleo.”

He frowned. “I can’t talk to you about her but we know she’s missing. That’s all I will say. We’ve kept it out of the media and I’d like it to stay that way. The investigation’s at a sensitive point. How d’you know her, anyway?”

“I teach her at Kapiolani Community College.”

He sighed, looked down at his hot dog and back up at me. “She filed a police report three days before she vanished.”

 

Readers can find A.J. Llewellyn at:

www.ajllewellyn.com (for info, books, access to free stories etc.)

www.facebook.com/aj.llewellyn.

www.twitter.com/ajllewellyn

I'm an app! Download my free App for Android here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onseeker.ajllewellyn&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5vbnNlZWtlci5hamxsZXdlbGx5biJd