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Thursday, May 28, 2015

L is for Leilani

Vlado/FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Leilani Akamai is the point of view character in the entire series. That means you see everything through her eyes. She’s a typical young teen—confused about life, boys, her family, and life in general.

One thing she’s not confused about—her desire to be a detective and solve a real crime—not the pretend stuff she and her friends used to do when they were kids.

I think when adults read the series, they get a chance to remember what it was like during those rough years of self-discovery and angst.

Luana Onakea is Maile and Kainoa’s mom. She and Leilani’s mom figure they need to raise all the kids together. The kids certainly do keep the two moms on their toes!

Don’t forget to come back every Thursday as I go through the alphabet, giving you little snippets of words from Books 1-3 of The Hawaiian Island Detective Club. It’s the ABCs OF THE HIDC!—until the release date for Pineapples on October 2, 2012.


Aloha, and Mahalo for visiting!
--Cheryl

The Hawaiian Island Detective Club
Book One—Pineapples in Peril
FINALIST!
Cascade Writing Competition 2013
Book Two—Menehunes Missing
FINALIST and WINNER!
Cascade Writing Competition 2014
Book Three—Ukuleles Undercover

cheryllinnmartin@yahoo.com

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Hauʻoli Lā Mea Hoʻomanaʻo!

I'm taking a little break from the ABC's to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day! (Hauʻoli Lā Mea Hoʻomanaʻo! in Hawaiian)

Here are some photos from a past trip to the islands when my family visited Pearl Harbor. What an amazing experience to see the videos and visit the memorial of the USS Arizona.

Here is also a link to a Navy site about the memorial.






Have a wonderful time on Monday with family and friends, but also reflect on all your loved-ones who have passed as well as those who gave their lives for our freedoms.

Aloha, and Mahalo for visiting!
--Cheryl

The Hawaiian Island Detective Club
Book One—Pineapples in Peril
FINALIST!
Cascade Writing Competition 2013
Book Two—Menehunes Missing
FINALIST and WINNER!
Cascade Writing Competition 2014
Book Three—Ukuleles Undercover

cheryllinnmartin@yahoo.com

Thursday, May 14, 2015

K is for Kimo

Vlado/FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Ahhh . . . yes—Kimo! He’s Leilani’s ten-year-old brother who really, really wants to be part of the detective club. Kimo drives Leilani bonkers while trying to prove he’s a great investigator. Mostly he just manages to annoy his teenage sister and her friends.

What do you think might happen? Will Kimo succeed? Or will he just get himself into even more trouble? Will he spoil things for Leilani? In each book, Kimo tries to prove himself to be a great detective and deserves to be a real member of The Hawaiian Island Detective Club. Will Leilani give him a chance?

And then there’s Kainoa, Leilani’s surfing buddy and instructor since she was eight. He’s the 16-year-old older brother of Leilani’s best friend, Maile. And—you guessed it—Leilani has a crush on him. But then something happens and Leilani fears she may have lost “the love of her life” and her surfing buddy forever.

Ahhh . . . the angst of being a young teen. Remember those days? I sure do.


Join me on Thursdays as I go through the alphabet, giving you little snippets of words from Books 1-3 of The Hawaiian Island Detective Club. It’s the ABCs OF THE HIDC!

Aloha, and Mahalo for visiting!
--Cheryl

The Hawaiian Island Detective Club
Book One—Pineapples in Peril
FINALIST!
Cascade Writing Competition 2013
Book Two—Menehunes Missing
FINALIST and WINNER!
Cascade Writing Competition 2014
Book Three—Ukuleles Undercover

cheryllinnmartin@yahoo.com

Thursday, May 7, 2015

J is for Justice

Renjith Krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


More than anything, Leilani and her friends want to unmask the culprit who is vandalizing the pineapple fields (Pineapples in Peril), stealing the Menehune statues (Menehunes Missing) and terrorizing the music school (Ukuleles Undercover.) She wants to discover the “whys” behind their criminal behavior and see Justice for the owners of the Tong Plantation, the town's Menehune hunt game, and the students in Kimo's ukulele class.

Yes, since she’s out of the surfing game for the summer (in Pineapples in Peril), she’s made it her Job to be an amazing detective and solve the mystery. But how will she do that? Where will she start? How can she get connected to the plantation and the people who run it?

Hmmm . . . you’ll have to read Pineapples in Peril to find out! Then continue as Leilani's confidence grows in books 2 and 3. Yup, she works hard for Justice!

Please continue joining me on Thursdays as I go through the alphabet, giving you little snippets of words from Books 1-3 of The Hawaiian Island Detective Club. It’s the ABCs OF THE HIDC!


Aloha, and Mahalo for visiting!
--Cheryl

The Hawaiian Island Detective Club
Book One—Pineapples in Peril
FINALIST!
Cascade Writing Competition 2013
Book Two—Menehunes Missing
FINALIST and WINNER!
Cascade Writing Competition 2014
Book Three—Ukuleles Undercover

cheryllinnmartin@yahoo.com