Enjoy an interview with Kimo from the book, and with the author.
Kimo
Kimo, you have a real love/hate relationship with Leilani, huh?
Leilani’s a super good detective, but she doesn’t think I’m
good. But I’m real smart and do good at snooping and stuff. I also saved
Leilani, Maile and Sam when they were trapped in that old shed.
Yes, you did! Is your sister going to let you be an official member of
the club?
I dunno. But she’s teaching me lots of way cool stuff. She says
I’m in training to be a real detective.
I know you helped out with the Menehunes mystery. What was your
favorite part?
When I got to drive Mrs. Wong crazy. She’s soooooo funny! She
scares everyone else, but she just makes me laugh and laugh. I also liked
figuring out the clues. Leilani, Maile and Sam couldn’t even get the first clue
right. I was the only one who knew the right answer. (Kimo puffs his chest and
grins)
Did you ever get involved in something scary?
Nope. But I got real scared when the police came to our house,
because it made Mom sad. I was afraid she would cry and cry, but the officers
were way nice and they just wanted to help.
You don’t like water sports, so what do you like to do for fun?
I like to draw, do detective things and play video games. I also
love playing the ukulele. After school starts, I’ll be taking lessons again.
Thanks for visiting, Kimo.
Questions
and Answers by Cheryl
Here are a
few Q & A for you to pick from if you would like to include an interview of
me on your blog. Take the liberty of personalizing the questions to correspond
with the answers. Also feel free to send me your additional questions, and I’ll
answer them!
If
something doesn’t make sense, let me know and I’ll try to clarify.
What is a Menehune and how do they go missing?
They are Hawaii’s treasured “little people,” kind of like a
Leprechaun. As a school fundraiser, Menehune statues are hidden around town.
Leilani, Maile and Sam get clues and try to find the locations. But the kids
soon discover that the statues are missing from their spots.
What inspired you to write this series?
I have always loved Hawaii ever
since I lived there while attending The University of Hawaii. I combined that
with my interest in writing for ages 8-12 years and The Hawaiian Island Detective
Club was born!
The three books in this series are
entitled Pineapples in Peril, Menehunes Missing, and Ukuleles Undercover.
What advice do you have for new writers?
If you’re goal oriented, try
setting a reasonable word count goal that allows for you to get ahead at times
and gives you make-up time as well. Also, set aside that time to simply sit
down and write—don’t go to any e-mails, facebook pages, etc. It’s all about
planting yourself in front of that computer and pounding out the words!
Who or what inspires you?
I was first inspired to write as a child, reading Nancy Drew. I
knew at that young age that I would one day write a mystery!
Striving to do what God has placed in front of me motivates me
to keep pressing forward. Sharing wholesome mysteries filled with fun, humor,
mishaps and unexpected moments for kids to enjoy also motivates me to continue
this amazing journey.
What do you do for fun and
relaxation when you’re not writing?
I love to grow veggies, and blueberries and raspberries on my
deck. I also love to sing, and am part of my church’s drama team—challenging,
yet rewarding. I swim with my son and do push-ups with the Oregon Duck (the U
of O mascot) whenever Oregon scores—and, yes, they’re men’s push-ups! I’m
practicing for another great fall of football and push-ups!
Tell us a little about your family:
I have a great husband, three amazing kids and Lilly, a Persian
cat who’s definitely “The Queen.”
My oldest son, Ian, has his own home and works for Nautilus. My
daughter, Ashley, is married to a wonderful man, Dave. She works for Portland
State University and he is a lawyer for a Portland, Oregon firm. My youngest
son, Shane, wants to be an artist for a Graphic Novel company. He’s busy
working on projects and sending them off—not unlike being an author!
This May, Ashley and Dave are making me a first-time grandma
(Tutu in Hawaii)!
What They’re Saying
About Pineapples in Peril, Book One of The Hawaiian Island Detective Club
Nancy Drew is
Back . . . And She's Hawaiian! –Jessica
Nelson
KIDS AND PARENTS:
My daughter, who is not a
huge reader, is loving her copy! She is
reading Pineapples in Peril and I don’t have to push her to read the 15
minutes she’s supposed to read every day! –A Mom
My son was super excited to show his
class the book that you autographed. He has already finished the book and
thoroughly enjoyed it. He is already excited about the next book in the series!
–A
Mom
My thirteen-year-old twin girls
just finished reading Pineapples in Peril and both loved
the book. One particularly focused on the characters. "I felt like I knew
them by the time I got to the end." She also enjoyed how the author built
the plot in such a way that kept her guessing. My other twin writes: "What
I liked was the never-ending excitement, as well as the atmosphere of intensity
growing with every page. I enjoyed how Leilani includes her brother even though
he gets on her nerves." –A Mom
Bethany loved your first
book! I will be ordering this one for her. –A Mom
The fifth-grade class in library this
morning were so excited to check out Pineapples in Peril! Also, a few of
the students who had purchased books were carrying them into library. I had one
student tell me she has already read it all the way through one time and is in
the process of reading it a second time because "it is soooo
good!" –C. Reed, Librarian
This is such a great book! –A Fourth
Grader
Thank you for writing my favorite
book ever! –Emma
I love this book—My favorite book!
The best thing about it is the mystery. –Annika
I am totally a fan of you! –Amanda
It's the best mystery book
I've ever read and I think it's now my favorite book. I can't wait for the next
book in the series to come out. You write good books. –Iyana (age 10)
Your book is awesome! –Jadon
We love your book so far! –Nakkita
(the class is reading it at school)
I love
the book you wrote and can't wait till the next ones come out. You should write
more books for the Hawaiian Island Detective Club series. –Annika (age 10)
This is a very good book
with some excellent morals we can learn from: like treating your siblings with
love and respecting your parents. I really liked Leilani and felt her loss and
victories. –Maddie
REVIEWERS:
When I was
a middle school teacher, my students would have
loved this book. Do you want to get your children, grandchildren, or
neighborhood youngsters hooked on reading good books this school year?
Then you’ll want to grab this great middle-grade mystery –Davalynn Spencer
This is such a fun story! An
adventure-mystery set in Hawaii where the kids have to solve the crime—what's
NOT to love?! It's the kind of adventure I drooled about having when I was
in middle school. Even as an adult, I couldn't wait for the next chapter! –Emily
C. Reynolds
Fun, exciting, and well-written. The
characters are well-developed, and the plot is exciting. I read the book
in two days (while homeschooling and writing!) – I enjoyed it that much. –Danika
Cooley
Cheryl has a way with writing for Middle Readers,
but little does she know, she has this writer hooked on the mysteries as well. –Linda
Glaz
The description and lure of the
Hawaiian setting is so great it gives readers a chance to feel like they’re
walking on the beaches in their flip-flops. –Sophie Cuffe
A Nancy Drew-style story for the
twenty-first century—packed with investigative fun that will bring young
readers back for more adventures with the Hawaiian Island Detective Club. –Jill
Williamson
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