HAWAII FICTION WRITERS: Meet, Greet, Join

HAWAII FICTION WRITERS is a writers' group whose members meet on the first Saturday of every month at the Aina Haina Library on the island of O'ahu. Members on outer islands; in Texas or other states of the USA; England or other continents; correspond and receive updates via electronic means. HFW members are always eager to meet other writers and hear about their journeys as authors.

We also meet as a critique group on the third Saturday of the month. While HFW is an informal group, its cohesiveness is maintained via our fearless meeting coordinator, author Michael Little. Michael's novels, Queen of the Rodeo and Chasing Cowboys, are both heartwarming, light romantic comedies complete with wild horses, bulls, and even a horned toad.

  

Heading into the summer of 2024, Michael is compiling an anthology of short stories focused on a library theme, with authors choosing varied locations, plots, and genres for the stories they contribute to the collection. More information will be available soon on the project's participants and stories.

Michael also spear-headed and published another anthology around the time of Covid, when any accomplishment was considered well-done. With the publication of this particular, rather "quirky" anthology, Kissing Frogs and Other Quirky Tales, he pulled off quite a successful feat with proceeds earmarked for donation to a local library.

 

A collection of 26 new variations on familiar fairy tales, fractured for your entertainment.

Enjoy a quirky take on familiar fairy tales: Goldilocks; Snow White; The Frog Prince; Hansel and Gretel; Jack and the Beanstalk; Little Red Riding Hood; Hansel and Gretel; Pinocchio, and the Brothers Grimm. 

Kissing Frogs and Other Quirky Fairy Tales is available in print at Amazon.com

UPDATE: March 31 Cover Reveal on Facebook for DARK PARADISE: An Anthology

A long time coming, our anthology of 17 Hawaiian mystery short stories has been in the planning stages for two years. On Monday, April 3, Friday, March 31 we will hold a "Cover Reveal" on our Facebook page for DARK PARADISE Mysteries in the Land of Aloha.
(The Facebook page DARK PARADISE goes live on March 31, 2017)

Plan to visit with us on Facebook, Friday, March 31. Along with the cover reveal, we will share some of the short story plotlines, details about the authors, and tidbits of writing information we've picked up along the way. We'll even hold a book giveaway.

The anthology, with a Foreword by author Toby Neal, will be released in trade book and ebook formats at Amazon. Each of the 17 mystery short stories is set in Hawai'i and all offer unique perspectives about living in Paradise (spoiler: it's not all rainbows and Mai Tais.)

 

 

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Each participant blogging  for the cover reveal will reveal a tidbit about their short story . . . without giving away the plot. You can visit each site listed below to get a sneak peek at what is lurking behind the fabulous DARK PARADISE cover!

 

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Gail's tidbit of information about Controlling Destiny, a mystery short story set in Hawai'i:

Freelance Reporter Cacao Janus knows few people choose to be homeless.

After the tragic death of a middle-aged woman living on the street,

Cacao decides to dig into the victim's background for answers.

The truth, as it unfolds, isn't pretty.

This is the third Cacao Janus mystery short story I've written for anthologies:

MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense: Chinatown Conundrum

PARADISE PASSION MURDER: Crime of Dispassion

DARK PARADISE Mysteries in the Land of Aloha: Controlling Destiny

With this trilogy of short stories published, I will begin editing the first draft of the Cacao Janus novel, which I wrote during National Novel Writing Month in November 2013. The setting of the novel, as in the short stories, is Hawai'i.

 

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List of participants' websites:

 

Gail M Baugniet http://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com

Laurie Hanan http://www.lauriehanan.space/blog/

David W. Jones http://dancingtreefrog.com/

D.V. Whytes http://www.whyteontherock.info/

Toby Neal https://www.facebook.com/LeiCrimeSeries/

Lizbeth Hartz https://www.authorlizbethhartz.com/blog/

D.S. Scott https://www.facebook.com/Sulfur-Silk-D-S-Scott-Writer-616324408427998/

A.J. Llewellyn http://www.ajllewellyn.com/site/blog/

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#IWSG The Tribulations of a Neurotic Writer! #WriterWednesday

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post.
http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter is @TheIWSG and hashtag #IWSG

Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh's awesome co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!

For the first two months of 2017, my life felt a bit out of whack. After writing the first draft of my next mystery novel during NaNoWriMo 2016, I turned to a project of publishing an anthology of mystery short stories set in Hawai'i by 17 authors. This isn't my first go-around. I knew upfront the tribulations of such a project, but part of the appeal is overcoming obstacles to reach the ultimate goal. December also marked the end of my four years as president of our local Sisters in Crime chapter. Adjusting to the change didn't come easy for me. While passing the torch of responsibility was a relief, I wasn't yet ready to let go of the reins. My plan for March is to begin moving forward and focusing more on personal projects.

#IWSG March 1 Question: 

Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

I wrote a short story several years ago based on family information about the disappearance of a relative. No one ever discovered what happened to the person, so I had carte blanche on the plotline. While I was fairly satisfied with the results, my critics found too many faults.

Over the years, I've attempted to rewrite the story several times but to no avail. The only problem is, I really, really want this story to work. One day, I expect to dig it out, rewrite it, and have everything fall into place.

Is this wishful thinking on my part?

Should I give it up as a lost cause?

 

*****  *****

 

 

HAPPY (CHINESE) NEW YEAR: Resolutions, 2017

Happy New Year, Everyone!
May you enjoy health and happiness and aloha in 2017
 

 

My year-end holiday wish list for 2016 ran almost parallel to Steve Martin's Christmas wish list. You can click on the link at the bottom of this post for the video, so I won't go into detail here. Because I am so late getting rolling in 2017, I consider this a Happy Chinese New Year's post!


Today I am ready to commit to my 2017 goals. This year, there will be fewer than previous years as

Looking to the Pacific.
Scene at Waikiki Beach:
maybe from your room with a view!

one goal is to add less pressure to my daily life! After five years as Sisters in Crime/Hawaii president (one-year temporary and four-years elected), I am eager to step back and offer assistance.

Future projects include a second anthology of mystery short stories set in Hawai'i, and participation in the Left Coast Crime 2017 convention, Honolulu Havoc, at Hilton Hawaiian Village.
(See the link below to sign up.)

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, so it seems almost unfair to make it a goal or resolution. My Goodreads Challenge list will lean more toward non-fiction, with focus on fleshing out my genealogical novel. The chapters cover several areas of Europe, homelands of ancestors who immigrated to the United States in the middle 1800s. Research has always been one of my favorite parts of writing. With this novel, I can utilize much of the information collected over the decades via personal contact, internet research, and a few special trips.

It would be easy to add a goal to eat healthier this year.

But one of my goals is to be honest with myself, so scratch that.

Purging (clothes, DVDs and CDs, old correspondence and bills, and books) did make the list, though.

Something I want to do, but don't want to make it a "must" is to more fully enjoy living in Hawai'i. Yeah, I know - - duh!

Steve Martin's Christmas wish list:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6w5vgYVVmA

Website for Honolulu Havoc, Left Coast Crime Convention 2017: http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2017/index.html

WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST?



FIREWORKS IN HONOLULU
TO WELCOME THE NEW YEAR
 

MOSAICS A Collection of Independent Women

MOSAICS 2 (A Collection of Independent Women)
Available May 1, 2016 at Amazon.com
http://amzn.to/24thcyc
 

 

This is Volume 2 in the Mosaics collection and contains stories by twenty-two independent women.

 

 

http://amzn.to/24thcyc

 

Following is an excerpt from the book synopsis posted on Amazon:

Mosaics: A Collection of Independent Women will inspire and shock you with its multi-faceted look at the history and culture surrounding femininity. If gender is a construct, this anthology is the house it built. Look through its many rooms, some bright and airy, some terrifying-- with monsters lurking in the shadows.

*****     *****

Author Kimberly Fukioka asked me to read the book and offer a review in exchange for a copy. In return, I asked Kim to participate in a short interview to get a feel for how these Mosaics anthologies came about. She graciously agreed.

Question #1: How did the idea for the Mosaics anthology develop?

Author Kimberly Fukioka: Thank you for offering to do the blog post. The anthology was edited and produced by Kim Wells. A quote from her website below kind of answers your question about the impetus for the anthology.

"Crafting the intersectional feminist anthology that I'm working on, my writing partners & I are committed to finding writers from communities not always well represented in indie publishing, or anthologies, or just about any literary scene. So we wrote a call for submissions that stated exactly what we were hoping for, being specific about welcoming womanist and racially intersectional feminism in addition to GLBT and disabled stories." Kim Wells, editor and publisher.

Question #2: How does the title of your story dovetail with the mission of the anthology?

Author Kimberly Fukioka: My story, "Don't Shut Up!" is the empowering story of one young woman to face her abuser even when it means separating from her mother. Her mother admonishes her to shut up and accept the status quo-- sexual abuse and physical violence--but she refuses and escapes barefoot and bleeding in the snow. In this piece the reader can see the long term effects of sexual abuse and how a woman learns to tell the truth about her life. This act of courage is a way she reclaims her voice and power to escape violence and take her place at the table of other independent women.

When I submitted my story to the anthology I thought many women could identify with it because it is such a heart wrenching decision that so many sexual victims of the patriarchal culture worldwide must grapple with: do I stay or do I leave? When I posed that question to myself as the young woman in the story, my mind was doing flip flops, I was emotionally in turmoil, because my identity had been built on the single brick of "being a victim". If I spoke up and left, I was no longer a victim. But who was I ? In a leap of faith, I acted. We all must act in a single leap of faith. There are so many of us out there: victims of trafficking, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, transgender abuse etc. The courage of one woman can give so many others hope. It can even change a community or a society.

*****     *****

 

Upon receiving Mosaics, I naturally turned first to Kim's story before reading the entries submitted by the other twenty-one independent women. Unprepared for the revelations Kim's story contained, I reacted less from a standpoint of fellow author than empathetic friend.

 

As Kim states above, the purpose of laying bare past wrongs

is to empower others who have or are experiencing

similar tragic events.

 

After reading several more of the entries in Mosaics, I began to question if an anthology was an effective venue for supporting others who suffered abuse or violence. I am an advocate of revelation over silence. But I had given little thought to the latter over the years as my tendency is to "move on" if a relationship edges toward the unacceptable.

 

What I hadn't given sufficient consideration was that my option is not always available to others. At least, not available without the mind "flip flops" and emotional turmoil that result when moving on is beyond imagination.

 

I approached this review unconventionally because the novellas and short stories within Mosaics are not meant to be read at a fast clip. Each story, written in a single leap of faith, deserves individual attention. What we, as readers, learn from these leaps of faith is up to us.

 

What we must admit is that changing a community or a society requires that someone choose to speak up. These twenty-two independent women have made that choice. I respect that.

 



H is for HONOLULU SHORT STORIES

To all the co-hosts of 2014 AtoZ CHALLENGE: Mahalo Nui Loa for all your hard work

and endless hours spent on making this another successful year.

For anyone not following, here is the link: A to Z Challenge Blog

and the hosts:
Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Author Stephen Tremp
Tina @ Life is Good
Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs
Jeremy @ Being Retro
Nicole Ayers - The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner
AJ @ Naturally Sweet
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian

 

The theme of my 2014 A-to-Z Blog Challenge is BLUES, PUPUS, and REVIEWS.

Monday & Wednesday - REVIEWS: mini-style book reviews

 

MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense is a collection of twisted, heart-pumping tales of suspense in all its guises. This anthology features 13 utterly unforgettable short stories by 13 of the hottest authors to appear on Hawai’i’s literary scene. 

The mysterious glint in the eye of the mynah bird posing on the cover offers a promise of intrigue within. Honolulu’s Chinatown is the scene of several diverse mysteries that include a New Year’s Eve traditional cozy; a bloodless corpse; an off-duty HPD detective; and P.I. Jimmie Chan who takes on a seemingly simple infidelity case that soon turns deadly.

 

 

From Cozy Mystery, Urban Noir, and Gumshoe, to Classic Crime, you can’t go wrong. Why not let MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense take you on a colorful trip around the islands and show you a bit about Hawaiian culture, its people, and life in paradise? 

Being involved in compiling, formatting, and publishing this anthology in 2013 was a unique and gratifying experience for me. Would I do it again? I’m still thinking. 

What is your experience with publishing?