Tag: hawaii

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#Giveaway and Character Interview: Lee Alvarez of The CEO Came DOA

>>>Win all three Lee Alvarez e-books<<<

Lee Alvarez takes a job ferreting out the saboteur of a start-up company’s Initial Public Offering in the heart of Silicon Valley. Little does she know early one morning she will find the CEO hanging by the neck in the boardroom wearing nothing but his baby blue boxer shorts.

Was it suicide? Was it murder by one of the many people who loathed the man on sight, such as his business partner? Or maybe one of the many women in his life, including his famous rock singer ex-? The bodies start piling up while Lee is planning her very own Christmas wedding. Ho, ho, ho.

 
Lee Alvarez, protagonist of the humorous Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, speaks out, much to her mother’s dismay.
Q: Aloha Lee, and welcome to Island Confidential. Why don’t we start by telling our readers a little bit about you?
A: Here’s something few people know. I love the sound of a ukulele.  I bought one and tried to play, but it’s harder than it looks. After several minutes, the tips of my fingers were raw. A musician friend heard me and said maybe if I practiced every day for a year, I could advance from ‘horrible’ to ‘amusingly bad’. Lovely idea, but I don’t have the time for such a commitment. So the instrument is gathering dust under my bed. Now and then I pull it out and twang on it, just for laughs.
On a more serious note, I’ve come to terms with the fact I don’t have the talent to be a prima ballerina. At best, I am a mediocre dancer no matter how hard I work at it, and I do a barre nearly every single morning. It doesn’t help that I’m 5’8” tall, either. A good ballerina is usually around 5’4” in height. When I turned sixteen I had to face facts. I’d never advance to anything other than the chorus of a second-rate ballet company.
What I am, however, is a crackerjack ferret. I’m good a putting together past scenarios and coming up with the right answers.  Before Dad’s sudden death two years ago due to an aneurism, he taught me everything he knew about the detective business, hoping I would follow in his footsteps. Our little family has built a thriving investigative service, Discretionary Inquiries. We’re Silicon Valley’s answer to software, hardware, and intellectual property thefts. But I have noticed it seems like I’m always falling over dead bodies, especially when I’m not looking.
And those are my two secrets, a hidden uke and dusty toe shoes. I guess we all have our ‘what if’ things. But I’m smart enough to know that not being able to do a first-rate glissade arabesque is probably one of life’s better regrets to have. It’s not in on the uke yet.
Q: Who’s the character in the book you get along with the best? 
A: A year ago, I would have said my kid brother, Richard. He’s a computer geek – actually, a genius – and the main reason why Discretionary Inquiries leads the pack in technologically driven Silicon Valley. You may remember Richard. He’s the one who showed up twenty minutes late to the annual board meeting eating a sauerkraut and peanut butter sandwich. It stunk up the boardroom for a week. He’s a little on the weird side, but I love him to pieces. These days the person I get along with best is my fella, Gurn Hanson. Let’s face it, I’m in love. We manage to get married in the latest Alvarez book, The CEO Came DOA, in between assorted chaos, villainy, and laughs. He’s quite a guy!
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with? 
A: Okay, let’s talk about my mother, Lila Hamilton Alvarez, she who can crack an oyster shell with a single glance. Here’s an excerpt from The CEO Came DOA which I think best describes our differences:

I studied my mother as objectively as possible. She was so loving this. I was right not to try to take the wedding away from her. Besides, soon she would have a new grandchild and leave me alone.
Whoops! Did I say that out loud? No, no, I was just thinking it. I used my inside voice. I’m good.
I relaxed a little and reflected. Yes, here sat the woman who was the Rolls Royce to my Chevy, the conservative to my liberal, the haute couture to my thrift shop, but fate had still seen to throw us together. Chalk it up to one of life’s ironies.
Whoops! Did I just get philosophical on me? Go away, inside voice. Time for a martini.

 
Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
A: Heather Haven is a nice lady, has a good heart and all that, but frankly, she’s peculiar. She can find the most bizarre ways of murdering someone. And she puts me into some pretty stressful situations. I have a tough time keeping up. Of course, I get to wear a spectacular wardrobe, but that’s small compensation.
Q: What’s next for you, Lee?
A: I have no idea. Right now I’m on my honeymoon in Kauai, with my gorgeous hunk of a husband, Gurn Hanson. Sun, fun, a Mai Tai or two, love, and relaxation. Wait a minute. She’s at it again. That Heather Haven is involving me in something to do with strychnine poisoning. What the… Whoops! Gotta go. A new murder to solve. But at least it’s in the balmy breezes of a Hawaiian island!
Q: Well, if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and I’ll buy you a Loco Moco. Thanks for visiting Island Confidential!
 


About The Author  
After studying drama at the University of Miami in Florida, Heather went to Manhattan to pursue a career. There she wrote short stories, comedy acts, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and two one-act plays, which were produced, among other places, at the famed Playwrights Horizon. Once, she even ghostwrote a book on how to run an employment agency. She was unemployed at the time.
 
Her first novel started the Silicon Valley based Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series.  Murder is a Family Business, Book One, won the Single Titles Reviewers’ Choice Award 2011, followed by the second, A Wedding to Die For, 2012 Global and EPIC finalist for Best eBook Mystery of the Year. Death Runs in the Family won the coveted Global Gold for Best Mystery Novel, 2013. DEAD….If Only won the Global Silver for Best Mystery Novel, 2015. Her fifth novel of the series, The CEO Came DOA, debuts September, 2016. She loves writing this series mainly because she gets to play all of the characters, including the cat!
Heather’s other series, The Persephone Cole Vintage Mystery Series, is set in Manhattan circa 1942, during our country’s entrance into WWII. The Dagger Before Me, Book One, was voted best historical and mystery novel by Amazon readers in October, 2013.  It was followed by Iced Diamonds. Book Three, The Chocolate Kiss-Off, is a 2016 Lefty Award Finalist Best Historical Mystery.
On a personal note, her proudest award is the Silver IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards) Best Mystery/thriller 2014 for Death of a Clown. The stand-alone noir mystery is steeped in Heather’s family history. Daughter of real-life Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus folk, her mother was a trapeze artist/performer and father, an elephant trainer. Heather likes to say she brings the daily existence of the Big Top to life during World War II, embellished by her own murderous imagination.
Heather gives lectures, speaks at book clubs, and moderates author panels in the Bay Area, as well as teaching the art of writing. She believes everyone should write something, be it a poem, short story or letter. Then go out and plant a tree. The world will be a better place for it.
Author Links

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One Blessed Event, two Giveaways: The newest Professor Molly mystery is here!

>>>Enter to win a paper copy of The Blessed Event on Goodreads<<<

But wait, there’s more…
>>>Enter to win a copy of any Professor Molly mystery in your choice of format<<<

The Professor Molly mysteries
Left to right: The Case of the Defunct Adjunct, The Musubi Murder, The Cursed Canoe, The Black Thumb, The Invasive Species, The Blessed Event.

 

The Blessed Event, a Professor Molly Mystery

You may wonder what my least-favorite student was doing in my living room. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, he was now my stepson.

Professor Molly Barda is looking forward to a quiet summer in Mahina, Hawaii, working on her research and adjusting to married life. But when a visit from her new husband’s relatives coincides with a murder, Molly wonders what she’s married into–and realizes she might have a killer under her roof.
Thumbnail flying stork
The Blessed Event was nominated by readers and selected by Amazon’s editorial team via Kindle Scout, Amazon’s reader-powered publishing platform.

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Character Interview: Deena's brother Russell, from Sharpe Shooter

Burned-out high school teacher Deena Sharpe is ready for a change. She has no idea a fifty-year-old murder case is about to turn her life upside down.

The Perry County Sheriff’s office has found a skeleton in the closet…literally. When they identify the man’s body fifty years after his disappearance, his family turns to Deena to uncover the truth about his murder. The clock begins ticking when she discovers a mysterious writer is about to implicate the victim in his latest conspiracy theory book. She must channel her inner super-sleuth to solve the puzzle and protect her family name. With the help of her off-beat brother and others from the cozy town of Maycroft, Texas, Deena takes on a quest that leads to more questions than answers.
Sharpe Shooter is the first book in the Maycroft Mystery Series. With antique shopping, car chases, and ghosts in the night, the story will keep you guessing as you follow Deena on her quest for the truth.

Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?
I am Russell Sinclair, Deena Sharpe’s brother. She’s the star of the show even though she’d couldn’t have solved this mystery without me. I’m a confirmed bachelor. It’s not that I don’t want to get married, I just haven’t found someone willing to put up with my quirks. You see, I serve in Vietnam and came back with PTSD, hearing loss, and killer migraines. I’m an easy-going guy as long as things don’t get too stressful.
And as far as looks, a lot of people say I resemble Jimmy Buffett. It’s probably the Hawaiian  shirts, cargo  shorts, and flip flops. If you knew me better, you would know I am a comic book collector. Don’t tell Deena, though. She’ll want me to sell them in her antique booth.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
Like I said, I’m a pretty easy going guy so long as you don’t cross my friends or family. My best friend is Cliff. Known him since high school. I work as a semi-partner in his appliance repair shop. He knows the real me and somehow still likes me.
Q:  Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why?
One guy, Neal Fortune, is a writer. I used to look up to him because of his interest in uncovering the truth in all kinds of conspiracies, such as Area 51 and Watergate. After this experience though, I’m not so sure how I feel about him.
Q:  Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
From what I understand, she’s a lot like my sister. They are both former journalism teachers who are recently retired. Both have great husbands who are avid sports fans. Both have smart, good-looking brothers. Both love treasure hunting and selling old junk in antique stores. She’s fine by me.
Q: What’s next for you?
My busy-body sister is trying to set me up on dates. I think she just wants me to get married so someone else has to take care of me. Whatever. I just want to hang out with my buddies at the VFW, hunt, fish, and help Deena stay out of trouble. That last one is usually the toughest.

Excerpt from “Sharpe Shooter” by Lisa B. Thomas
 Perhaps I should have had a plan before setting myself up to be fired, Deena Sharpe thought as her eyes traveled around the empty classroom. Thriving just days earlier with busy teenagers, so alive that their youth spilled over into the hallway, the room now seemed like an empty tomb awaiting a sarcophagus.
The tap-tap-tap sound coming down the hallway meant Janice Marshall, the assistant principal, was ready for Deena to vacate the building. No one likes the screeching of fingernails on a chalkboard, but most teachers at Maycroft High School would have chosen it any day over the incessant sound of those clicking heels. Like I always say, Deena thought as the annoyance grew louder, there is something fishy about a woman who can stand on her feet all day in high heels. She is not to be trusted.
Luckily, she would never again have to endure Ms. Marshall’s condescension or shoes.
“How much longer are you going to be, Mrs. Sharpe?” She stood in the doorway as though entering might actually infect her with cooties.
“Oh, just a bit longer.” Deena relished her intentional vagueness. Using her gooiest Southern drawl, she added, “You don’t have to wait for me, dear.”
Ms. Marshall smirked, leaned against the door frame as if she herself were the very foundation of the building, and began occupying herself on her cell phone.
Standing over her desk, the perch from which she ruled her flock, Deena slowed her movements, accomplishing two goals: savoring the moment and bugging her watchman. “Is this how you deal with all teachers when they leave this school? Are you worried I might steal this stapler?” She held it up as a visual aid.
Ms. Marshall rolled her eyes. “No, but this is a special circumstance.”
Still holding the heavy black stapler, Deena contemplated bashing her in the head or shoving it somewhere else. She envisioned the headline in the Northeast Texas Tribune: Ex-Journalism Teacher Bludgeons Assistant Principal with Swing Master II.
She dropped it in the box she was filling to take home.
Deena envisioned herself as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider—always ready to fight the good fight. She called it her Walter Mitty Complex. In her mind, she would kick butt and take names; in reality, she would step aside and apologize. Still, she was always looking for ways to unleash her inner Lara. She even took karate at one time but gave up when she got walloped by a six-year-old warrior princess.
Now, surrendering her classroom keys to the principal’s chief stooge seemed like waving a white flag on her career. She still managed a pained, melancholy smile as she headed out of room 106 and down the hallway for the last time. Surprisingly, she felt no sense of relief, her stomach queasy, her chest tight. Instead, she felt the same foreboding she got every year on the eve of the first day of school.

 

About The Author 
Born and raised in Texas, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Finally, after thirty-three years as a high school Journalism and English teacher, I dusted off the laptop and released my first novel. Having grown up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie, I was drawn to the mystery genre.
With two grown children out of the nest, I live a quiet life with my husband and Peekapoo puppy. Besides writing, I enjoy my grandchildren, photography, traveling, and antiquing (aka. buying and selling used junk). Like my main character, Deena, I have an antique booth and enjoy treasure hunting and reselling vintage finds.
 
Links:
www.lisabthomas.com
https://www.facebook.com/LisaBThomasAuthor
https://twitter.com/LBThomas2
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5916082.Lisa_B_Thomas

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Interview: Amy Reade, author of Big Island mystery House of the Hanging Jade

A dark presence had invaded the Jorgensens’ house. On a spectacular bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, something evil is watching and waiting . . .

Tired of the cold winters in Washington, D.C. and disturbed by her increasingly obsessive boyfriend, Kailani Kanaka savors her move back to her native Big Island of Hawaii. She also finds a new job as personal chef for the Jorgensen family. The gentle caress of the Hawaiian trade winds, the soft sigh of the swaying palm trees, and the stunning blue waters of the Pacific lull her into a sense of calm at the House of Hanging Jade–an idyll that quickly fades as it becomes apparent that dark secrets lurk within her new home. Furtive whispers in the night, a terrifying shark attack, and the discovery of a dead body leave Kailani shaken and afraid. But it’s the unexpected appearance of her ex-boyfriend, tracking her every move and demanding she return to him, that has her fearing for her life . . .

Q: Amy, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential today. I think this is my first author interview with someone who’s written a Native Hawaiian protagonist. Can you tell us something about her? 
A: My protagonist is Kailani Kanaka, a sous chef originally from the Island of Hawaii, commonly called the Big Island. As the story opens Kailani is working in Washington, DC, but she decides she’s had enough of the winter weather and decides to return to the tropics.
Q: How much of you is in Kailani? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A: The part of me that is most recognizable in Kailani is my love of cooking and of the Big Island. She tries always to have the spirit of aloha, but there are circumstances in the book which make her angry and afraid. That aloha spirit wanes during those scenes, but she strives for overall balance and peace. I think we’re alike in that way, too.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve, or do they stay pretty much the same?
A: House of the Hanging Jade, like my first two novels, is a standalone book. Kailani and the other characters evolve over the span of the book. She emerges from her difficulties and challenges as a stronger woman, one who is well aware of the consequences of her decisions.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: Great question! The answer is, quite simply, “most definitely.” You can read about it in one of my upcoming books! Of course, I can’t tell you which book and I can’t say who the person is or what that person did to make me mad enough to kill him (or her?) in the pages of a fictional story, but let’s just say I’m looking forward to writing it.
Q: When you wrote the Big Island setting, how true to life did you try to make it? (I’m particularly interested because I write a Big Island-ish setting, but I add many fanciful embellishments.)
A: My setting is as true to life as I could make it. Even the house in the book is based on one I toured on the Big Island a few years ago. The only things I made up were a few stores and a farm stand. And who knows? Those places might actually exist.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: What I love about this question is the phrasing: “When the movie… is made,” not if! Here are my casting choices:
Kailani: Tao Okamoto, a Japanese actress who appeared with Hugh Jackman in “Wolverine.”
Lars Jorgensen: Owen Wilson, because he’s got the look and the persona I imagine for Lars.
Barbie Merriweather-Jorgensen: Gillian Anderson, because she is intriguing and has played roles with just the right attitude necessary for the character.

Gillian_Anderson_2013_(cropped)
source: Wikipedia

Liko: Jason Momoa, a Hawaiian actor with the perfect physical qualities, with the exception of his height. Liko isn’t quite as tall as Momoa.
Jason_momoa
source: Wikipedia

Marcus: Asa Butterfield, because he’s tall and thin, with the appropriate manifestation of seriousness.
Justine: Mackenzie Foy, about 5 years ago, because she was adorable. Not that she isn’t still adorable, but she’s really too old to play Justine now.
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: The best advice I ever received was to start promoting a book the day you decide to write it, not the day you decide to publish it. The worst advice I ever received was to put my children in my books (note: this advice came from my children).

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy M. Reade grew up in northern New York. After graduating from college and law school, she practiced law in New York City before moving to southern New Jersey, where she lives now with her husband, three children, dog, two cats, and a fish. She writes full time and is the author of Secrets of Hallstead House, a novel of romantic suspense set in the Thousand Islands region of New York, and The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, a novel in the same genre set outside Charleston, South Carolina. Her third novel, House of Hanging Jade, is set in Hawaii. She is currently working on the first book of a series set in the United Kingdom (expected release date in early 2017). She loves cooking, reading, and traveling.

Keep up with Amy:

Website: www.amymreade.com
Blog: www.amreade.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amreadeauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/readeandwrite
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/amreade
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/amyreade
Buy: Amazon  |  B&N 

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Congratulations to M. from B.C., winner of the signed ARC of The Musubi Murder!

I just mailed a signed review copy of The Musubi Murder off to the winner of the Goodreads Giveaway, M. in British Columbia!

 

Congratulations to M, who was the lucky winner chosen from 826 entries. I hear that spring has not yet fully sprung up there in the GWN, so here’s hoping that The Musubi Murder provides a bit of welcome tropical warmth.

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Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat

“Sorry, Miss Pfaff, I didn’t mean to gush. But I do love Alice Mongoose!”

“It’s true,” Emma said. “Molly’s a huge fangirl. She wore her Alice the Mongoose t-shirt till it got all full of pukas, and now she sleeps in it.”

“It’s Alice Mongoose, Emma, not Alice the Mongoose. It’s not Peter the Rabbit, right?”

Marshall murmured something and steered Miss Dorothy Pfaff away from us and toward a canapé-bearing waiter.

–The Invasive Species

With her hatbox and steamer trunk all packed and her employment letter in hand, Alice Mongoose was looking forward to her first grownup job on a Hamakua sugar plantation. Imagine her shock when she learned that her job was to kill rats!

Alice was not a killer. She knew that this was not the job for her. She disembarked and, carrying her hatbox and dragging her steamer trunk, went to look for a place to stay.

The first friendly creature she met was Alistair Rat. Fortunately, Alistair was nearsighted and too vain to wear spectacles, so he did not realize that Alice was a mongoose. Rather than run away in terror, Alistair invited Alice in for tea.

Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat became neighbors and best friends, and had adventures together on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

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Congratulations to A.M., winner of the first Goodreads giveaway of The Musubi Murder

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I just ran my first giveaway on Goodreads.

Giveaways are great for readers: click a button, and next thing you know, a free book might show up in your mailbox.

They make it really easy for authors too: I choose which book, how many, what countries I’ll ship to, and when to run the contest; they pick the winner and send me the mailing address; I mail out the books.

Following Catherine Ryan Howard’s guide to GR giveaways,  I ran a short promotion and listed only one copy. Readers in the US, Canada, Great Britain and Australia were eligible to enter.

GR Giveaway

Congratulations to A.M, who was the lucky winner chosen from 815 entries. A.M. hails from the Great Plains, so I hope The Musubi Murder provides a bit of welcome tropical atmosphere.

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Author Interview: David Hammes

David Hammes, economist and author of Harvesting Gold
David Hammes, economist and author of Harvesting Gold

Professor Emeritus David Hammes was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has lived and worked in California, Canada, Australia, and most recently, Hawaii. His recent retirement from teaching has allowed him to spend time with his wife, Kathy, and his two sons, Mark and Steven. He enjoys reading, writing, and ultramarathoning at distances up to 50 miles.

Harvesting Gold

David took time out of his punishing marathon schedule to discuss Harvesting Gold: Thomas Edison’s Experiment to Re-invent American Money. 

Q: Briefly, what is Harvesting Gold about? What is the significance of the title?

A:  The title refers to Thomas Edison’s idea to ‘democratize’ the American monetary system. He recommended that the Federal Reserve buy and store farmer’s crops and pay them with money (Federal Reserve notes). He thought this would give farmers power and access to money in the same way that the Federal Reserve bought gold and paid for it with money.Following World War One, the world economy—including America’s—went into a steep economic recession.   After a rapid price inflation during the war, there was a dramatic price deflation. Borrowers faced the difficulty of repaying loans when their jobs were imperiled—the unemployment rate was about 20%–and the real value of their loans rose precipitously.Stimulated by Henry Ford, Thomas Edison turned his inventive mind to solving the nation’s economic woes.  In late 1921 and early 1922 he devoted himself to researching and inventing a new monetary system for the US. One he hoped would provide Americans with a currency of stable purchasing power. He wanted farmers to have access to the Federal Reserve in the same way that the moneyed interests on Wall Street—“the money brokers” he called them–did.

Q: I understand that it was a single question from a student that got you started on the research that led to Harvesting Gold. Tell us about that!

A:  The question was “Why are there two Federal Reserve District banks in Missouri when many larger states don’t have even one?” To answer that I sat in the archives of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., for a week and also spent time in the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, reading through hundreds of pages of old documents.That led to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University in New York City, where, in researches through hundreds more pages of old documents from the economist who helped write the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, a colleague and I discovered correspondence with Thomas Edison.

As far as the original question, St. Louis was awarded a bank based on the city being a large financial center and part of the old national banking system; Kansas City, MO was awarded a bank because it was the eastern terminus for many western-region train companies, thus easier for western-based bankers to get to in pre-flight days.  As a result of several large floods, the train companies had banded together in 1909 to build a new Union Terminal in Kansas, MO. If the Terminal had been built on the Kansas side, there is a very good chance that the bank would be in Kansas City, KS. I wrote this up and published it in 2001, but the Edison correspondence was so intriguing that we continued to pursue it.

That led to the Edison Archives in West Orange, New Jersey, which provided hundreds of pages more of letters and documents and his plan to change the US monetary system.All of this material helped make the book what it is. Surprisingly, many of the economic issues then are similar to today’s issues. So, a reader can learn a fair bit about today’s monetary challenges by reading how Edison learned about money and the changes he proposed.

Q: Edison vs. Tesla: Comments? 

A: Edison referred to Tesla as “Our Parisian”, somewhat sarcastically. The two had different research styles and Tesla did not stay long with Edison. Tesla was driven more by a theory-to-experiments approach whereas Edison was more of a brute-force experimenter, characterized by his saying: “I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Q: Coming from academic publishing, what was different or surprising about your experience with this book?

A: Academic publishing in economics is about theoretical novelty or working with new and larger data sets. One’s publications have to impress specialists in the field through a double-blind peer review process. Trying to please multiple referees, submitting numerous revisions, means that it can take five years—or more—for a paper to get published from first submission to print.
My intent with this book was to tell a story about the forgotten depression of the early 1920s, the character, persistence, and humaneness of Thomas Edison, and explain a bit about money then and now. There is nothing particularly theoretically novel, nor is it a data-driven empirical study of the era. I did not wish to take years trying to convince the economics profession that this was interesting and important.

So, I chose an end-run around the search for an agent and publisher deciding early on to self publish through the platforms provided by Amazon.com. Richard Mahler, an old friend from high school, who has published numerous books, some with highly respected academic presses, handled the publishing. He designed, edited and did the preparatory work. He made the book conform to all the various formats necessary for the various platforms: e-versions on iPad, Kindle, computers, etc.; print version, etc. Richard now offers his services to others at Relham.com

Q: How have your family and colleagues reacted to the book?

 A:Reaction has been positive. Most people are surprised that Edison would have put so much time and effort in to the issues when he’s not usually thought of as a ‘social’ scientist.The question above that ultimately led to the book was asked in 1999. The book was written in 2011 and published in the spring of 2012. Family and colleagues wondered ‘What took so long?’  Most of that came down to the time it took to publish about five academic articles on the various issues we had uncovered and the fact that the Edison Archives were closed to the public from late 2001 until late 2009.

Q: You were on C-SPAN! Tell us about that.

A: I “cold” e-mailed the DC offices and after a brief back-and-forth, also involving the very nice folks—Christine and David Reed—at Basically Books in Hilo who kindly hosted the event, C-Span2’s, Book-TV, decided to send a crew to film me yakking about the book. People came, I bumbled through it, and we had a fun Q&A afterwards.

Q: I understand that patient readers can get  the Kindle version of Harvesting Gold for free? 

A: Every three months, for five days, the e-version is free on Amazon.com. The next free period will be in the first week of March 2015.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: I am trying my hand at a murder mystery. I have enjoyed my first reading of your entertaining book, The Musubi Murder, and I am hoping I can make a contribution that will engage and entertain as you have.

Harvesting Gold is available from Basically Books in downtown Hilo, the UH Hilo campus bookstore, Amazon, Powell’s, and Barnes & Noble.

Frankie Bow’s first novel, THE MUSUBI MURDER , is available at Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

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