Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Happy New Year!
Aloha from Hawaii! January is named for the
Janus, Roman god of gates, doors, beginnings,
and endings. Janus is often depicted as having
two heads, facing in opposite directions. Let
this newsletter be a doorway to a new adventure
in reading ….
1. Winter Thaw: As most of the Continental US
(CONUS) is buried under snow, we are enjoying
80 degree weather in Hawaii. I offer you books
featuring sun and sand to warm our cold readers:
Anthology from RWA Aloha Chapter, www.rwaaloha.org,
The Break Up Queen, 18 writers bring their own
perspective to love in Paradise. Proceeds of
the book benefits Hawaii Literacy.
Chip Hughes, www.surfingdetective.com, Murder
on Molokai. Chip is the creator of Kai Cooke,
the Surfing Detective, and other characters
who are unique as the Hawaiian islands.
Lynde Lakes, www.lyndelakes.com, Cowboy Lies.
Lynde is a spouse of retired military and president
of the RWA Aloha Chapter. Her book received
four stars from RT, "it offers passionate,
strong-willed characters and plenty of unexpected
intrigue."
Michael Little, www.michael-little.com, Chasing
Cowboys. Michael is the Vice President of the
RWA Aloha Chapter and frequent contributor to
the blog, www.HawaiiReaders.com.
Jane Porter, www.janeporter.com, Flirting With
Fort . I recently met Jane at a readers’
function she hosted at her beach side home.
She is as warm as the Hawaiian sun! Flirting
with Forty became a Lifetime movie starring
Heather Locklear - must read book and must see
movie!
Denise Robbins, www.deniserobbins.com, It Happens
in Threes. Computer whiz Ruby escapes to her
family’s vacation home in Florida, where
she helps special operative (and high school
sweetheart) Michael catch an international thief.
2. The Eagle Has Landed: Hawaii’s own
President Obama landed at Hickam AFB on December
24. The Obama family is staying in a secluded
resort Marine Corps Base Kanehoe (he works out
daily at the Semper Fi gym). While it is exciting
to have President Obama on the island, many
military members are working during the First
Family’s winter vacation. I salute our
hard working military with books about the military
by authors related to the military:
Catherine Mann, www.catherinemann.com, The
Captive’s Return, Pursued, The Defender.
Catherine is an Air Force spouse and sponsor
of the SOS Mixer at the RT Conventions.
Marliss Melton, www.marlissmelton.com, Show
No Fear. Marliss is the spouse of retired Navy;
her website has an inspirational tribute to
Heroes.
Julie Miller, www.juliemiller.org, At Your Command,
Out of Control, Beauty and the Badge. Julie
is the daughter and sister of Marines. She is
also a sponsor of the SOS Mixer.
Stephanie Tyler, www.stephanietyler.com, Hard
to Hold. Stephanie writes "romantic suspense
starring strong military heroes". She co-writes
with Larissa Ione (AF Vet) as Syndey Croft,
www.sydneycroft.com, “Erotica meets X-Men”.
3. Veteran’s Perspective: Continuing our
special series from George Small, WWII Veteran,
“In the early years of the war when I
was sent to Fort Sill, the armored artillery
units were training with ancient half-tracks
mounted with French 75 mm guns left over from
WWI. When I went into Berlin with the Second
Armored Division in 1945, it was a different
story. They had varnished their tanks and lined
them up along the Autobahn, hubcap to hubcap;
miles and miles of nothing but tanks for as
far as the eye could see, an incredible display
of the overwhelming might that America had achieved
in a few short years.”
Thank you, George, for sharing your experience!
George is married to NYT’s best selling
author, Bertrice Small, www.bertricesmall.com.
I offer you another veteran’s perspective
from the current conflict in the Middle East.
1st Lieutenant Jessica Dawson recently posted
a blog on:
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes..com/
Scroll down to December 28 and read, “What
is it like?”
Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your experience.
How can you help? Log onto Mothers of Military
Support, www.mothersofmilitarysupport.com:
Mothers Of Military Support (MOMS) is a tax-exempt,
501(c)(3) organization founded by Mrs. Elizabeth
Johnston in 2003. Our mission is to provide
positive support of our service members, family
and community, by providing services that are
consistently available, accessible, and responsive
to the needs of individual service members,
families, and groups seeking assistance. To
work with the community to contribute, facilitate,
and promote awareness of the needs of our men
and women in the armed service to the enrichment
of all.
Lifetime TV spotlighted Mrs. Johnston and MOMS
during “Lifetime Celebrates Remarkable
Women” over the holiday season.
4. January 7 – Coptic Christmas: The
Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas
on January 7; it follows the Alexandrian Calendar
still used in Egypt. For those who would like
to extend the Christmas season, I offer you
holiday anthologies:
A Blazing Little Christmas, Jacquie D’Alessandro,
Joanne Rock, and Kathleen O’Reilly
A Christmas Ball, Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan,
and Alissa Johnson
Holiday Brides, Jewel Amethyst, Farrah Rochon,
ad Stefanie Worth
I’m Your Santa, Lori Foster, Dianne Castell,
and Karen Kelley
One Candlelit Christmas, Julia Justiss, Annie
Burrows, and Terri Brisbin
Santa Honey, Kate Angell, Sandra Hill, and Joy
Nash
The Heart of Christmas, Mary Balogh, Nicola
Cornick, and Courtney Milan
And Linda Lael Miller’s A Creed Country
Christmas
5. January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr’s
81st Birthday: As our nation honors Dr. King,
let us remember his dream, “I have a dream
that my four little children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged by
the color of their skin, but by the content
of their character." To celebrate Dr. King’s
dream, I offer you books from African American
authors whose characters reflect America’s
diversity:
Angie Daniels, www.angiedaniels.com, The Player’s
Proposal. ”Never did she realize that
her longtime dream to become a published author
would someday become a reality.” In 2010,
Angie will publish her 20th novel!
Brenda Jackson, www.brendajackson.com, The
Object of his Protection. I met Brenda during
RT/Orlando when she spoke during the “Reader
Chats” – she is a business savvy
author who keeps her fans wanting more of the
Madaris and Westmoreland families!
6. January 25 – Burns Night: Scotland
celebrates the 251st birthday of national poet
Robert “Rabbie” Burns.. I attended
the Burns Nights hosted by the UK Delegation
when we lived in the Netherlands. Highlights
included whiskey-laden speeches, the haggis
escorted by the bagpipes, and whiskey-laden
dancing. To celebrate Burns Night, I offer you
the books set in Scotland:
Karen Hawkins, www.karenhawkins.com, To Catch
a Highlander, The Laird Who Loved Me. I met
Karen at RWA/DC in 2009; she and Suzanne Enoch
hosted a seminar on humor … and she is
as humorous in person as she writes in her books!
Sabrina Jeffries, www.sabrinajeffries.com, Beware
of a Scot’s Revenge (ARC)
Sabrina was born in New Orleans, reared in Thailand,
and received her doctorate in English Literature
from Tulane University. She is a champion for
autism … and a romantic storyteller!
Margo Maguire, www.margomaguire.com, A Warrior’s
Taking, Temptation of the Warrior “Writing
about the historical characters I'd encountered
was a good way to unwind from a crazy day -
or night - in the unit” as an ICU nurse.
Cathy Maxwell, www.cathymaxwell.com, Bedding
the Heiress. Cathy wears the triple crown as
a Navy Vet, Spouse, and Mom. She is the reason
I read historical romance … and why I
attend writers’ conferences where she
is a guest speaker.
Pamela Montgomerie, www.pamelapalmer.com, Sapphire
Dream. Pamela is an Air Force brat and she has
lived in the Philippines – check out her
picture of riding an elephant on her website.
Amanda Scott, home.att.net/~amandascott, Seduced
by a Rogue, Tamed by a Laird (ARC) . Amanda
hails from a family of lawyers and performers.
She inherited the ability to entertain her readers
with stories about love and life in Medieval
Scotland.
Elizabeth Thornton, www.elizabeththornton.com,
The Scot and I. This Aberdeen-born author emigrated
to Canada with her family. Twenty four novels
later, her books are keeper classics!
7. January 26 – Australia Day: The Australians
commemorates the arrival of the England’s
“First Fleet” in 1788. The colony
in New South Wales became the Commonwealth of
Australia. Although Australia remembers its
English roots, it embraces its diversity as
a country, island, and continent in the South
Pacific. To celebrate Australia Day, I offer
you books from members of the Romance Writers
of Australia, www.romanceaustralia.com:
Anna Campbell, www.annacampbell.info, Claiming
the Courtesan, Untouched. Before Anna became
an Avon author, she had “so many jobs,
so little money”. She eventually found
herself among “like minded” writers
with the RWA and viola, an award-winning writer
emerged!
Anne Gracie, www.annegracie.com, To Catch a
Bride. “To my amazement I became a chalkie
myself and found a lot of pleasure in working
with teenagers and later, adults.” I’m
not sure what a “chalkie” is …
but it is a pleasure to read Anne’s books!
Stephanie Laurens, www.stephanielaurens.com,
All About Love, On A Wicked Dawn, The Untamed
Bride. “Stephanie originally began writing
as an escape from the dry world of professional
science.” Check out her website to see
where this NYT’s best selling author has
lived as a biochemist … and author!
Christine Wells, www.christine-wells.com, The
Dangerous Duke, “More time passed in fevered
scribbling before my long suffering husband
suggested I might consider giving up work and
writing full time. Angels broke out in chorus,
manna dropped from heaven and I remember why
I married this absolute man of a gem in the
first place.” I love this author's humor!
8. Month of the Historical Romance: Consider
the Hawaiian proverb,
A`ohe pau ka `ike i ka halau ho`okahi. All knowledge
is not taught in the same school. One can learn
from many sources.
Once upon a time, I worked for NATO in Germany.
Ten years later, I returned to Europe when my
husband worked for NATO. These assignments were
doorways to the world – we interacted
with 20 different nations, some who had just
emerged from “behind the iron curtain”.
Our travels set the stage for me to become a
historical romance reader – my first book
was Cathy Maxwell’s A Marriage Contract,
a romantic tale about the Scots’ struggle
for its identity and independence after the
Battle of Culloden.
Just imagine living in a castle – check
out photos of Dutch and Belgium castles near
my home in the Netherlands, www.ton12345.deds.nl/photogal2.htm
Just imagine the time period – Medieval,
Georgian, Victorian … my favorite is Regency.
Just imagine an escape from the H1N1 virus,
airport security, and the mortgage crisis.
If you like historical romance, try a new author.
If you haven’t tried historical romance,
now’s your opportunity. If you don’t
care for historical romance, take a leap of
faith through Janus’ doorway and try it
again. I recommend:
Marissa Doyle, www.marissadoyle.com, Betraying
Season (ARC). Marissa majored in history in
college. She brings it to life in her books
with a magical twist!
Cara Elliott, www.caraelliott.com, To Sin with
a Scoundrel (ARC). Cara is the alter ego of
Regency favorite Andrea Pickens. To Sin with
a Scoundrel is a new series with smart women.
Speaking of smart women, Cara/Andrea and Lauren
Willig are teaching a seminar “Reading
the Historical Romance Novel” at their
Alma mater, Yale. To learn more about their
seminar, log onto http://romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/scoop-ivy-league-of-their-own.html
Jennifer Haymore, www.jenniferhaymore.com,
A Hint of Wicked. Jennifer grew up on the Big
Island of Hawaii. She writes “sweep you
off your feet historical romance.” Jennifer’s
alter ego is Dawn Halliday, author of sizzling
Scottish medievals.
Jannifer Hoffman, www.janniferhoffman.com, Ceremony
of Deception. Born and raised on a North Dakota
farm, Jannifer writes historical western romance.
Ceremony of Deception was voted best book by
readers from LASR, www.longandshortreviews.com
Elizabeth Hoyt, www.elizabethhoyt.com, The
Raven Prince, The Serpent Prince, The Leopard
Prince – the “fairy tale”
trilogy set a new standard in story telling.
Elizabeth’s alter ego is Julia Harper,
author of contemporary romance.
Sabrina Jeffries, www.sabrinajeffries.com, Don’t
Bargain with the Devil, Let Sleeping Rogues
Lie, Wed Him before You Bed Him. Sabrina’s
books have appeared on the NYT’s and USA
Today’s best selling lists … she’s
a keeper!
Julia London, www.julialondon.com, The Dangers
of Deceiving a Viscount
“Along the way I fell in love with a few
good dogs and a few good men, and found the
ones I wanted to keep forever.” Julia
also writes contemporary romance.
Donna MacMeans, www.donnamacmeans.com, The Education
of Mrs. Brimley, The Seduction of the Duke.
“By day, a mild-mannered accountant, I
transform at night to an impassioned author
of romantic historical novels, paranormals,
and suspense.” Donna is a success story
as RWA’s Golden Heart Winner.
Margaret Mallory, www.margaretmallory.com, Knight
of Desire. Armed with a law degree, Margaret
set off to save the world. She now saves the
world from mundane reading with her romantic
tales, heroic deeds, and happy endings.
Miranda Neville, www.mirandaneville.com, Never
Resist Temptation. Miranda grew up in Wiltshire,
England and studied history at Oxford University.
She worked for Sotheby's Auction House in London,
writing catalogs for rare books and original
letters, "This confirmed my suspicion that
the most interesting thing about history is
people."
Jenna Peterson, www.jennapeterson.com, Lessons
from a Courtesan. Jenna enjoys travel, history,
and sports. Jenna also writes steamy erotic
historical romances as Jess Michaels.
Shirley Raye Redmound, www.readshirleyraye.com,
Rosemary’s Glove. This Midwesterner writes
children’s books and as historical romance.
Her website links to a New York Times’
article dated January 21, 1887 about the language
of gloves.
Rona Sharon, www.ronasharon.com, Royal Blood.
Rona “lives on the Mediterranean coast
in Tel Aviv, surrounded by thousands of years
of history that nourishes her plump Muse.”
Welbourne Manor, Diane Gaston, Deb Marlowe,
and Amanda McCabe. Diane, Deb, and Amanda contribute
to www.riskyregencies.blogspot.com, “The
original, riskiest, and forever friskiest Regency
Romance blog..” Indeed, they are fun writers
to read!
9. Contemporary Romances: Back to our two headed
Roman god. Just as Janus looks to the past,
he looks to the present. I offer contemporary
romances from the historical authors:
Tales of Love, Lori Foster, Donna MacMeans,
Kate Angell, Stella Cameron, Dianne Castell,
Ann Christopher, Marcia James, Sarah McCarty,
Patricia Sargeant, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder.
Proceeds benefit Animal Adoption foundation.
Lori Foster, www.lorifoster.com, My Man Michael.
Lori also writes paranormal romance as LL Foster.
She is a leader in the romance industry, encouraging
aspiring writers, getting readers together,
and sponsoring charitable causes.
Karen Hawkins, www.karenhawkins.com, Talk of
the Town. Check out Karen’s “Goddess”
picture on www.thegoddessblogs.com.
Julia London, www.julialondon.com, Summer of
Two Wishes. Check out Julia’s “Goddess”
picture on www.thegoddessblogs.com.
Pamela Palmer, www.pamelapalmer.com, Passion
Untamed. Pamela also writes historical romance
as Pamela Montgomerie.
Karen Rose, www.karenrosebooks.com, You Can’t
Hide. Check out Karen’s “Goddess”
picture on www.thegoddessblogs.com.
10. Special “Mahalo” to the following
for donating books for this newsletter:
Carol from the Washington Romance Writers
Kellie from Romance in Paradise
Binnie Syril Braunstein, Press Kit Communications
Kim Castillo, www.romanceauthorsbestfriend.com
Cara Elliott, www.caraelliott.com
Lori Foster, www.lorifoster.com
Mary Gramlich, www.thereadingreviewer.com
Donna MacMeans, www.donnamacmeans.com
Courtney Milan, www.courtneymilan.com
Frances Jalet-Miller and Nick Small from the
Hachette Book Group
11.. Book Giveaway: If you would like any of
the above listed books, send your top three
preferences plus mailing address to sos.america@yahoo.com.
I will fulfill your requests on a first come,
first serve basis (I have multiple copies of
several books). If you receive a book, please
contact the author via his/her website with
your feedback!
12, What’s Next? February brings us Valentine’s
Day, the Chinese New Year, and more Hawaiian
tidbits! Happy Reading!
Kim Adams
SOS Military Liaison
sos.america@yahoo.com
SOS is Support Our Soldiers (SOS) America Inc.
- a 501(c) charity registered with DoD's "America
Supports You" network, www.ourmilitary.mil.
SOS was established by Kathryn Falk, Lady of
Barrow and CEO of Romantic Times. Lady Barrow
also created the SOS America Country Retreat,
including the Soldiers' Cabin, at her ranch
in Alvin, Texas. To learn more about SOS, log
onto www.sosamericainc.org.
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