How much do you love getting away from it all? Zipping away with the special people in your life and forgetting about all other responsibilities for the time being?
I recently had this opportunity. But I’ve got to tell you, when I heard I was going to be in Hawaii at the time of E.C. Stilson’s book release, titled Homeless in Hawaii, I knew the fates had to be at work. It couldn’t be more perfect. I adore E.C.! And this was the perfect opportunity to do something…I don’t know…silly/fun on my journey for her book. So I did!
After all, here was my chance to experience a small taste of EC’s book, and past life experiences (not really, but I can pretend), in my own little mini episode.
Hot off the plane I scampered over to the International Market Place. A spot I’d heard she’d spent a lot of time. It’s also a great spot for fun Hawaiian shopping where street performers can be found in abundance. Although, I didn’t come across any as talented as E.C. while I was there.
But seeing all of the performers along the street and trying to picture a very young Elisa with her violin, I was tempted to try my own hand playing an instrument. Well, almost. My musical talent doesn’t hold a candle to that of my daughter. I think I’ll let her collect the quarters for our next meal.
A little birdy (EC) also told me that she and her husband as performers themselves sometimes ended up at parties with rich and powerful people. Now, I didn’t have the same kind of time to hone that kind of talent or build that type of reputation, but I did what I could. Hey, I didn’t do too poorly if I do say so myself.
I sat and hobnobbed with the famous – blogger, that is. Ted Strutz of Tedbook! He’s the frictioneer that pulled me into Friday Frictioneers. He also has great pictures daily. You can find them here.
And it took some serious work, but I also managed to get in with other famous folks… er, chipmunks.
They told me they liked my pink hair.
So, at the end of the day, I may not have duplicated as many of EC’s experiences as I could have. My accommodations were a little nicer than park benches…
…and the only security taking a close look at me were slapping colorful bands on my wrist. But a copy of Homeless in Hawaii and I walked the streets of Waikiki together and lingered on the beautiful beaches stirring up a buzz.
It was hard not to when you’re getting down in the sand (practically on your belly) with a book and a little hula girl. People ask questions. I had answers! I was book pimping everywhere I went.
Of course, I didn’t neglecting my own writing.
Or family time.
And even my newly acquired Thor found himself some little fun time.
Eventually my amazing trip had to end…
…so that I could come home and tell you all about it, and E.C. Stilson’s book. When you get a chance, check it out. It’s another beautiful memoir, something she does so well. This one was written for her husband. It’s the story of their beginning. How can that not be beautiful?
Homeless in Hawaii – Something I was not – Check it out.
I happen to meet Mickey Mouse while on vacation. Do you think he will buy a copy?
Have you ever done something fun and a little crazy for someone else while you were away on vacation? How did it make you feel?
If you haven’t met my friend Elisa, EC Stilson, you can find her on her blog, twitter, Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads. She is an amazing woman. I highly recommend getting to know her.
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In addition to the fabulous new release news/you-know-you-wanted-to-hear-about-my-vacation-tidbit, I have more thing to share. You can’t see me, but I’m smiling rather wide. Wayman Publishing will be featuring their book fair again! Woot! Woot! What does that mean for you? From December 1st through the 3rd there will be lots of books at crazy prices! You won’t want to miss out. So be on the look out! I’ll be sure to remind you. 😉
The timing works out perfectly to coincide with the release of their latest anthology: Open Doors : Fractured Fairy Tales. The book is comprised of multiple short stories by various authors (one of them being ME!) all spinning their own twist on a nursery rhyme or fairy tale. From December 1st through the 20th all profits from this anthology will be donated to Primary Children’s Hospital in the form of Christmas gifts for the long-term patients staying there. It’s a great way to give at the holidays. So if you know anyone… *wink* AND if you feel so inclined, we would love for you to “like” the book on Amazon and consider adding it to your “to-read” list on Goodreads.
Who knew that would land me an author’s page? Actually, I kind of did. If you’re feeling generous you could “like” me too. I wouldn’t mind. 😀 The book officially goes on sale December 1st, but an early e-book addition was put out to take advantage of the cyber weekend. Yay!
Debra, this is great news! Wonderful post, too. Is the book available in paperback? I went over and liked you on Goodreads. I look forward to reading this book!
Thank you, Naomi. Homeless in Hawaii will be available in paperback on the 4th of December and the anthology will be available on the 1th. Thanks for asking. Fun times. 🙂
That’s wonderful, Debra. Will you blog an announcement? I look forward to purchasing a copy when it comes out.
I probably will. I hate yelling, “Look at me!” LOL. But I can combine it with the book fair announcement.
It’s part of the job description–think of it as a service to your fans! Honestly, you are not the type to be in anyone’s face. Your readers will know the difference. As a storyteller, often of the traditional tales,I am particularly excited to read this!
Aloha to Thor! I will check out Homeless in Hawaii.
Thor had a good time, as you can tell. I hope you get a chance to check it out. I’m waiting for the paperback. I like having all of Elisa’s books that way.
Sounds like you had a fabulous time. Love the pictures you shared. 🙂
I’m off to “like” all your links and check out Homeless in Hawaii!
Thanks so much, Jennifer. We really appreciate the “likes.” I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures. We might have gone a little overboard running around with Elisa’s book, but we had fun!
Hmmm – Hawaii is on my bucket list. It does rank somewhere below Ireland though. I had an idea to visit the wandering places of my favorite Irish poets and writers. Sounds like you had a blast! Great pics.
I hear that. I really want to go to Ireland. My husband loves Hawaii and we have been there a few times now. It’s a great place for the kids. We stayed at the new Disney resort so they definitely had fun. It’s a very different experience than Ireland. Someday we will both get there. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Welcome home! Looks like a good time was had by all. That crazy Thor. He turns up at the strangest places.
Mickey Mouse in Hawaii – how perfect is that? Did you stay at the Disney resort there?
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
We did stay at the Aulani. They have the greatest set up for the kids. My son spent most of his time on a part of the pool they call the lazy river and my daughter was either hanging with her new BFF at Auntie’s Beach House (free daycare with loads of activities – yay!) or taking the tunnel slide a hundred times. They place was swarming with life guards. They even did one drill while I was there that scared the pee out of me because I happened upon it and thought it was the real deal at first. Thought the kid was floating face down in the pool. Not cool. But it was all wonderful. Even Thor agreed. 😉
Great post, Debra! I loved my visit to Hawaii several years ago. Spent 3 1/2 weeks there and visited 4 islands. Fabulous place!
Grats on the release of the anthology! So exciting! I too made it into print that way, through the anthology “Rich Fabric” about the tradition of quilting. I “liked’ your goodreads and Fractured Fairy Tales pages. Are you going to start an Amazon author page too? If so, let me know, and I’ll hit that one as well!
Oh, and I bought my Kindle copy! 🙂
Very cool, Laura. Will I find you on Amazon if I search for it? I am always amazed by you quilters. That takes so much patience. I can’t do it, but I sure can appreciate the end product. Thank you for all the “likes.” Thanks for the purchase. I hope you like the stories. I am working on my Amazon page. They take a while to authorize it. Tick, tock. 😉
Yes, you can find me by an Amazon search on my name. Although, my site doesn’t look like much yet. I need to play around with it more.
I know it takes time to get through Amazon’s process to get approved as the contributing author on an anthology. Let me know when yours gets done!
And, actually, I’m not a quilter. (I can only crochet a little. That’s as crafty as it gets!) So I was blown away when Melinda McGuire asked me to submit a piece to the anthology. I have no experience with the craft, but I have plenty of experience with life, and with tradition… and since I’m a YA writer, I submitted a fictional story about a mom and her 15 yr old daughter. It was the mom’s story, but the daughter’s personality really came through, and that touched upon my usual style. It was a lot of fun.
I want to go to Honolulu again. went to Maui this past February but that was different from Oahu.
Yes, Maui is very different from Oahu. In fact, each island has a very different flavor. They are each special in their own way. I hope you can get back there soon. Thanks for stopping by, Louise.
I’m glad you had a fantastic vacation! The Homeless in Hawaii book sounds good. I have a friend who was actually homeless in Hawaii in the mid-70s. I’m not sure if one could do this now with the age of security-cam, but she’d dress in a business suit, then go to a high-end hotel, up to a higher floor and sleep behind one of those huge potted plants. She said no one ever bothered her. She did that for two months until she found a job and was able to afford rent. She had some other great stories too. The Hawaiian life is interesting!
I imagine it might be a little harder to do in the manner she had, but I still saw plenty of homeless pushing their carts along the street. I found the first hotel we stayed at required keys in order to enter the bathrooms on the ground floor. I suspect that was to prevent the homeless and any passerby from using them. I’m sure your friend has some very rich stories to share. Maybe she will someday. Thanks for stopping in Mel. Good luck on your Greenman story.
Congratulations! Woot! Woot! And you got to meet Ted! I bet that was fun. He is a crazy man.. 🙂
You’re the best, Susie! I just want to reach through the computer and hug you. Ted was awesome. It was such a bummer that it was his last day and I was bound by a time constraint. 🙁 Maybe we will all met up again. Next time we will party longer. 😉
Definitely! 🙂
It looks like you had a fabulous time! I want to go to Hawaii again (the last time I went was when I was 5–such vague memories). Disney and Hawaii on the same trip! I’m adding a couple of books to my list.
Five, huh? Well I’d say it’s about time you add some new memories. When traveling there with kids, the Aulani is a wonderful destination. My kids had a blast and the hubs and I got some quiet time alone with the kids wanting to check in for activities at Auntie’s Beach House. Something to think about. 😉 Thanks, Diane. Hope you like the books.
WOW! This is one of THE NICEST things anyone has ever done for me! I’m so thankful to know you.
Thanks again for this amazing post! :0)
I was more than happy to do it. My husband might have thought I was a little crazy, but that’s okay. He signed on for crazy when he married me. 😀 I’m glad you like it.
Awesome thing to do and even got a picture taken with the chipmunks too! Score! haha
The chipmunks were a total score. You know what? After watching them that week at the Aulani I have decided they are probably the coolest of the Disney characters. Well, maybe after Goofy. My daughter still loves Minnie the best. Speaking of my daughter, she had me buy your book Cassie and The Wild Cat when we went to the Orange County Book Fair. She LOVES your book. I thought you’d like to know. I’ve been meaning to leave a review, but alas, I am behind on my reviews – as always.
Thank you for your kind words. I had a blast doing this for Elisa. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
I am so glad to see that Thor did not go lacking in Hawaii. That was fun!
I’ve ordered your book, but will want to get a paper copy when it’s out. And ‘Homeless in Hawaii’ I will be checking out.
Thor did have a good time. It just happened to work out that I had a little Hawaiian lady the right size for him. Everything worked out perfectly. And as you probably already know, based on our other comments back and forth, the paperback is now out. It is also available through Barnes & Noble now as well.
I have already read–& ENJOYED–“Homeless in Hawaii” & “Fractured Fairy Tales (which I’m in, too)! This was SO NICE of you to do!!
I am honored that the famous fishducky has visited my blog. 😀 I can’t wait to read your story. I’m glad you liked my little tale. If I’d given it more thought I might have dressed up in my gypsy costume, grabbed my daughters ukulele and taken to a street corner with a crazy tune and the book. Surely the people would have taken pity on me thinking me mental, come close to give money for meds and seen the book. But such an act would have embarrassed my husband far too much. LOL
Thanks for promoting “Homeless” and the “Fractured Fairy Tales.” I have a story in there, too. I re-wrote Rumpelstiltskin. I’ll follow you on Twitter, and is there some way to follow your blog other than by email? I didn’t see a Followers box at first glance, but I’ll look again. I hope you’ll visit me. I’m at http://www.dumpedfirstwife.blogspot.com.
Love,
Janie Junebug
Wonderful to meet you, Janie! I have your webpage open already and will add your RSS to the blogs I follow. If you look just below the email signup you’ll see a small RSS box symbol with the words “Feed Me!” next to it. If you click on that you may add my feed and start following that way. I’ll look for you on twitter as well. I’ve been a bad little twitter pal these past two weeks. 🙁 I need my friends to give me a kick once and a while to get me going over there. I get so shy and overwhelmed I often leave without saying anything. I know, reading my blog it might not seem like it, but it’s true. I’m a total wallflower.
Looks like you had a great…and productive…vacation! And I can’t tell you how glad I am that Thor enjoyed himself, too. I am weird. The top two places on my vacation bucket list are Maine and Montana. I would say a third…Ireland…but I don’t see me getting over my need to travel exclusively by car at this stage of my life. 🙂
You’re not weird. There are plenty of people who love Montana. I have always wanted to see Maine and seriously want to go to Ireland. It’s at the top of my bucket list. It’s funny how long it is taking my entire family to get used to California time again. None of us want to get up in the morning. At least, not till 7 am Hawaiian time – 9 am California time. LOL.