The Wait it Over

Aloha All,

Big news here in Tiki Goddess land is that Book 5 of the Tiki Goddess Mysteries will be released on February 1st. I’m so excited I can hardly wait to hold a copy of HAWAII FIVE UH-OH in my hands. Right now you can pre-order on Amazon, B&N, iBooks and wherever else you shop for your books. Try your favorite brick-and-mortar store if you are lucky enough to have one near by.

Here’s a preview of the cover:

Yes, Alphonse the Capuchin monkey is back in action, Kiki is still reeling from the monkey attack she suffered at Lihue Airport in the last scene of Book 4 TOO HOT FOUR HULA, and the rest of the Hula Maidens are in fine “spirits” as they pull out all the stops to try and solve the latest mystery they’re embroiled in on the North Shore of Kauai.

As always there are laughs galore as well as some tasty recipes included for you to enjoy. So ladies and gentlemen, start those blenders and get ready for FUN!

Take care,

The Tiki Goddess

 

 

 

Posted in Amateur Sleuth Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Hawaii, Jill Marie Landis, Kauai, Mystery, Tiki Bar, Tiki Cocktails, tiki lifestyle, Travel to Hawaii, tropical drink recipes | 3 Comments

Trader Sam’s Part 2

Aloha All,

A year ago I promised a follow up to my visit to Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar and Restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. The problem is, time flies when you’re having fun, but a promise is a promise so now nearly a year later, here we go.

 

As you’ll recall, I grabbed my trusty research assistant, Natalie Barnes, made her stop working and even had her pick me up! Not only is she a dear, long time friend, but in the Quilting world,  Nat’s a very well known author, designer, and owner of Beyond the Reef Patterns.

beyondthereefpatterns.com

 

Together we hit the Southern California freeways and ended up in Anaheim at Downtown Disney which is next door to Disneyland, California Adventure, and the hotels. The promenade was full of shops and stores galore all gussied up for the holidays. It was a great place to soak in the Christmas decorations and people watch. Eventually we found Trader Sam’s poolside in the old Disneyland Hotel and ventured inside.

(For a detailed description of the atmosphere in Trader Sam’s see my previous blog Trader Sam’s Part I.)

Nat and I are never shy when it comes to ordering food and beverages, especially tropical drinks, so I plunged into a cocktail called “Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum.” The name is a parody of the song played over and over again in the Enchanted Tiki Room.

The drink was a really pleasant, just the right mix of reserve rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juices were frothed up in a blender and served over crushed ice. What I loved most about the taste was the dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg on top.

Ever since, I’ve been adding nutmeg to drinks I concoct at home.

Readers of my TIKI GODDESS MYSTERIES know that Uncle Louie, owner of the tiki bar featured in the books, creates tropical libations and makes up a legend for each. Trader Sam’s menu has some catchy names for their cocktails, too. There is the Uh Oa!, a Krakatoa Punch, one called Ka-blue-ie (which naturally has a splash of Blue Curacao) and a Passionate Python.

I wish I’d come up with that one myself.

The food was great. I  enjoyed Ahi Poke (Po-kay), raw cubed ahi (yellowfin tuna) prepared with sushi grade ahi, avocado, wasabi, yuzu  (a citrus fruit from East Asia), and siracha aioli sauce. The Poke was served with wonton chips.

As we say here in Hawai’i, it tasted ONO!

Nat ordered mouthwatering Kalua Style Pork Flatbread smothered with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, red onion, cilantro and mozzarella cheese.

It wasn’t long before we were happily full and ready for our next outing, so we said aloha to Trader Sam’s and headed home.

Since it’s about time for me to visit the mainland again, I’ve started consulting my favorite guide book to tiki bars and Polynesian restaurants.

TIKI ROAD TRIP is by James Teitelbaum. The guide lists and rates Tiki Bars and Restaurants state by state. Check it out. There may be a Tiki Bar not far from wherever you are right now.

When I head off on my next safari into the world of Tiki, apparently the only problem I’ll encounter is “So Many Tiki Bars. So Little Time.”

Aloha!

The Tiki Goddess

 

 

 

Posted in Cozy Mystery, Disneyland, Hawaii, Tiki Bar, Tiki Cocktails, tiki lifestyle, tropical drink recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Summer Special! Too Hot Four Hula

Aloha All,

It’s definitely TOO HOT FOUR HULA here in Hawaii this month. So to help you suffer through whatever crazy weather you’ve been having lately, Amazon is offering the Kindle edition of TOO HOT FOUR HULA to readers for only $1.99 for the month of July only.

What better way to kick back than by reading another hysterical mystery featuring the Hula Maidens of the North Shore Kauai as they take a trip to Oahu and get into barrels of trouble once again?

So what have I been doing to stay cool? Ha.

Writing. And writing. And editing. And finishing up my next book in the Tiki Goddess Mystery series. Be on the look out for HAWAII FIVE UH OH! to be available soon. I’m also planning some You Tube surprises so stay tuned. There are so many fun things going on here in Hawaii that I can’t wait to share with you.

So spread the word, pick up your $1.99 Kindle edition of TOO HOT FOUR HULA and have a great July!

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KO71COM/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=14XE8Y13FE716P6JEZE7&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2128432422&pf_rd_i=desktop

Until Next Time…Mahalo!

The Tiki Goddess

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Goddess Chats with the Neighborhood Book Club

Aloha All,

Week before last I had the opportunity to have a phone chat with a really lively group of Goddesses in the making.

Fueled by Mai Tais and still high from reading MAI TAI ONE ON, they were chock full of questions about life in the islands and all things Hawaiian. What a fun, fantastic group!

The Neighborhood Book Club of Alamo, California, was originally formed of neighbors in a three block radius and then expanded to include others. They meet once a month.

 

Wine, appetizers, and desserts are all part of their book club events. For books with special themes, like MAI TAI ONE ON, they go all out. Mai Tais were served, silk leis were worn, and they watched a “How to Hula” video!

 

The group invites authors to speak to them via phone, Skype and in person. Sometimes they bring in speakers knowledgeable about the subject matter of the novels (for example, a founder of an Autistic Foundation spoke on raising a child with autism). They take field trips (ie. Pizza and a Burlesque dance class!) or see movies that are relevant to the books.

 

Once a year (at least) they have a book club retreat which is a time to play and not discuss books. Delicious dinners in and out, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, shopping, and other activities are all a part of the great time the Neighborhood Book Club has just being with each other.

 

The Neighborhood Book Club In Leis and Fueled with Mai Tais

 

The women of The Neighborhood Book  Club have been together long enough to watch each others’ families grow, share life stories (exciting and heartbreaking) and grow close as members of the group created almost twenty years ago.

A big MAHALO NUI LOA to the women of the Neighborhood Book Club in Alamo, California for inviting me to chat with you!

If YOUR group is reading one of my Tiki Goddess Mysteries (or any of my books) please feel free to contact me by leaving a comment below or through Facebook MESSAGING (not posting) and I’ll get back to you (Hawaiian time.)

Until Next Time when we visit Trader Sam’s Part 2,

The Tiki Goddess

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Trader Sam’s Part 1: Into the Mist

Aloha All,

There are times when even a Tiki Goddess must make great sacrifices, especially if she is also a writer (even though writing has become more of a part time job as hula and tiki-ing around take precedence).

In late December while on the mainland, I took a welcome break from focusing on the Holidays to do some research and ended up where my love of all things Tiki began–at Disneyland in Anaheim.

I haven’t yet met a California Tikiphile who wasn’t inspired by the Enchanted Tiki Room, the “Gateway to Adventureland” where fake parrots sing their mechanical hearts out and weather a tropical rain storm that booms with thunder and flashes lightening right on cue for each packed audience.

Not only did I love the “Tiki Tiki Tiki” Room, but I was so stoked on all things Disney that I worked at the Magic Kingdom every summer and holiday vacation while attending college at nearby Cal State University Long Beach. Though I was typecast and assigned to Fantasyland, I could get into the park free and visit the Tiki Room whenever I wanted!

The Enchanted Tiki RoomI’d heard a Tiki Bar called Trader Sam’s had opened poolside at the original Disneyland Hotel. I phoned my partner in crime and fellow research assistant Natalie for backup. She was more than willing to delve into the land of Tiki with me. She even volunteered to drive in case I got carried away on a wave of tropical libations.

Since time is at a premium during the holidays and the place is usually packed for the light parade, we opted to skip going into the amusement park and decided to simply explore Downtown Disney on December 23rd. It was the first visit to Downtown Disney for both of us and we were looking forward to shopping and having lunch at Trader Sam’s at the old hotel.

It was one of those really sunny, warm California days that sends snowbirds running to the Sunshine State. We walked the “Downtown” and visited various stores before we headed to Trader Sam’s.

 

Plunging into Trader Sam's

 

 

As we walked in the door, the dim, shadowy interior (apparently a definite requirement of a top notch tiki bar) brought us to an abrupt halt as our vision adjusted to the darkness.

A second later, the loud clang of a ship’s bell rang out. One of the bartenders yelled enthusiastically in true pirate fashion. We could see enough to spot an animated video of a sinking pirate ship on display behind the bar.

Another bartender grabbed a spray bottle of water.

“Arrrggghh! There she goes!” He hollered as he proceeded to mist the patrons on barstools hunched over their drinks as well as everyone seated at nearby tables. Either they were beyond caring or didn’t feel a thing. No one seemed to mind the misting. We looked at each other and laughed.

The interior of Trader Sam’s is small, it’s dark, and the walls are cluttered with truly tacky tiki stuff.

I took one look around and breathed a sigh of relief. I was “home.”

Next up: Trader Sam’s Part 2: The Menu

Aloha,

The Tiki Goddess

 

 

 

Posted in Disneyland, Uncategorized | 2 Comments