Larry Darter's Blog, page 6

Character Profile of T. J. O’Sullivan from the Mare’s Nest Novel

Genesis of T. J. O'Sullivan

One of the basics of writing a novel is characterization, making the characters seem like real people. A tool many writers use to accomplish that goal is using a character profile for the main characters in the novel. The primary purpose of a character profile is to assist the writer in creating a character that is as lifelike as possible, a person that readers care about enough to learn what happens to them.

In this post, I'm sharing the character profile for T. J. O'Sullivan, the strong female protagonist of my upcoming novel, Mare's Nest, which will be released in April 2018. I'll also give readers a little behind the scenes look at what inspired the creation of T. J. O'Sullivan.

First, the character profile—

Character Profile T. J. O'Sullivan

Full name: T. J. O'Sullivan (What her initials stand for is a bit of a mystery)

Nationality: New Zealander

Hometown: Whangaruru (Northland Region), New Zealand

Race/Ethnicity: White/European descent

Sex: Female

Age: 33

Current Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Current Occupation: Private Investigator

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Marital Status: Widow

Languages Spoken: English

Religious Beliefs: Basic Christianity, raised in the Anglican Church, but not particularly religious

Abilities/Skills:

Trained investigator as a result of her previous employment as a constable and detective constable with the New Zealand National Police Force before immigrating to the United States.
Trained sniper as a result of her past service in the New Zealand Defense Force and assignment to the Armed Offenders Squad (a special weapons and tactics organization) while employed by the New Zealand Police.
Licensed by the California Bureau of Security & Investigative Services (BSIS) as a  private investigator.
Holds a BSIS exposed firearms permit and a California Concealed Weapons Permit.
Skilled in Krav Maga, military self-defense and fighting system developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli security forces which she learned from an Israeli acquaintance while deployed to the Sanai as part of the NZ contingent of UN Peacekeepers. Krav Maga is derived from a combination of techniques sourced from Boxing, Wrestling, Aikido, Judo, Karate along with realistic fight training focused on real-world situations.
Athletic skills developed as a Field Hockey and Net Ball player during high school and university.
University graduate.

Notable Strengths: Intelligent, self-reliant, and self-disciplined.

Notable Weaknesses: Given to impatience and quick-tempered. T. J. often drinks too much and is given to swearing excessively.

Physical Appearance: Tall with an athletic build. Attractive in a tomboyish sort of way.

Height: 183 cm (6 feet)

Weight: 10.3571 Stone (145 pounds)

Hair color: Ginger (shoulder length)

Eye color: Green

Face shape: Oval

Usual attire: Casual

Personality Details: Adventurous, articulate, assertive, ambitious, clever, competitive, courageous, dedicated, disciplined, earthy, educated, fun-loving, honest, observant, out-spoken, sassy, self-reliant, sensual, strong-willed, tough, and uninhibited.

Backstory: A native of New Zealand, T. J. met and married an American employed by the U. S. Department of State who was posted to the U. S. Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand. Later after the marriage, T. J. learned that husband David's employment was actually a cover for his real employment with the CIA.  About two years after their marriage, David was transferred from New Zealand to the Office of Foreign Mission in Los Angeles. T. J. immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized U. S. citizen.

David was sent to Afghanistan on a temporary duty assignment as part of a CIA operation. While there he was at a meeting of U.S. diplomats and Afghan government officials at a hotel in Kabul. The Taliban bombed the hotel, and David was killed.

T. J. was introduced in the third Malone Mystery Novel, Cold Comfort. As the owner/operator of a private security firm, she was hired by Ben Malone to assist with a case. Already having an interest in becoming a licensed private investigator, at the conclusion of the case T. J. persuaded Malone to mentor her so that she could obtain the necessary experience to qualify for a private investigator license. After obtaining her own license, T. J. continued working for Malone as an investigator at his agency, Bright Investigations.

In Cold Comfort, T. J. developed a crush on Malone before learning that he was already in a committed relationship. But, even though Malone is unavailable, she hasn't been able to move on from her unrequited feelings for him. He was the first man to excite and hold her interest since her husband, David.

The after-effects of PTSD suffered as a result of two tours T. J. served in the Middle East during her years in the New Zealand military, anger over David's sudden death, and her own frustration at being unable to get over Malone combine to give T. J. a hair-trigger temper. She also tends to drink too much which she tells herself is merely her fun-loving attitude but is actually an exercise of self-medication to help her cope with the traumatic loss of her husband and her inability to find the type of person she desires with whom to build a new happy and fulfilling relationship with.  

Known Family: T. J., the eldest child in her family, has a younger brother and sister. Her mother Rose and father George still reside in New Zealand. Her brother Matthew lives in Sydney, Australia, and her sister Luciane in London.

Miscellaneous Trivia

The inspiration for T. J.'s physical traits came primarily from New Zealand actress Siobhan Marshall, although Siobhan is a blonde rather than a redhead. T. J.'s assertiveness, impatience, and sassiness were also inspired in a sense by Marshall. Those personality traits were drawn from a character, Linda Frame, that Marshall played in the New Zealand television drama, "The Blue Rose" (2013).

But, T. J. is a literally a composite character drawn from multiple sources. In addition to Siobhan Marshall's contribution, her other traits and behaviors were drawn from another New Zealand actress I admire as well as from two New Zealand women I actually know and am fortunate enough to be able to call friends. Those friendships, in fact, inspired me to create T. J. as a female Kiwi.

Hope you enjoyed this inside look into my T. J. O'Sullivan character. I'll be providing more character profiles from Mare's Nest each month before the release. Now over to you. As a reader do you enjoy behind the scene looks at a novel character like this one? Or, as an author, do you find character profiles useful in your writing? 

Doing Christmas Gift Books the Right Way

Christmas Gift Books Challenge

This year I'm challenging everyone I know to buy and give Christmas gift books to friends and family members on your gift list.

This way we can support our favorite writers, shops and publishing industry, plus give excellent books as presents. Here are seven more reasons why Christmas gift books make such great gifts.

Giving someone a good book is pretty much sending them on mental vacation for free.
A perfect rectangle, books are easy to wrap.
Books are very affordable.
Books can introduce people to new ideas and perspectives.
There is a book out there for everyone.
Books are the ultimate answer to buying for the person that has everything.
Books last forever.

I'm giving my partner a wonderful memoir, Walking on Ice by Emma Stevens, because it is written by another New Zealander and is a story that is very close to the same as that of Suzanne's and mine. I know she will love reading it as much as I did.

For my brother-in-law I've bought Lee Child's The Midnight Line, the latest Jack Reacher adventure, because he loves Reacher books as much as I do. I found the last one a bit disappointing, but Child is definitely back on his game with Midnight Line.

My niece is getting a copy of Vile City by Jennifer Lee Thompson because she loves psychological thrillers and this is one of the best I've read this year.

And I've already ordered mom a hardcover copy of my newest Malone novel, Cold Comfort. Not sure how much mom enjoys reading my books, but she sure loves showing off her signed copies to her friends.

Whether your friend or family member enjoys novels, travel books, recipe books, biographies, or other non-fiction titles that will help them learn more about something he or she is interested in, books make wonderful Christmas gifts that are easily personalized and sure to be appreciated.

Buy and give Christmas gift books this year and spread the word: #ChristmasGiftBooks Challenge.

How book reviews aren’t as bad as you think

It's quite a disconnect. Authors, and books today, live and die by book reviews. But as critically important as book reviews have become to the success of books and authors who write them, publishing industry insiders report that the average book review rate languishes at around 1-3% of units sold. That means, depending on how well a book sells, only one to three people out of every ten leave a book review.

Why do so few readers spend the few minutes it takes to write and leave a book review? Do readers not understand how critically important book reviews are to the authors who write the books they enjoy? Or do readers simply not care?

Reasons readers don't write and post book reviews

I believe that most readers do understand the importance of book reviews. I believe that because just about every book you pick up these days has a note at the end of it where the author explains how important book reviews are to him or her. Typically the author then goes on to ask readers for a review.

I also don't think the low review rate necessarily is indicative of an uncaring mass of readers. I think that people who do not write and post book review after reading a book have what they believe to be valid reasons for not doing so. Here are a few reasons I thought of:

Some people don't enjoy writing, anything. Some people simply don't like to write. Just like me, I'm sure you have friends and acquaintances who NEVER reply your emails. That's one reason I think text messages are so popular. It keeps writing to a bare minimum for those who just don't like writing. Writing a book review would be the last thing this kind of person would ever feel any inclination to do.

Some people don't think they know how to write a book review. Perhaps the only experience they have ever had in writing a book review was back in junior high school. It doesn't hold fond memories for them. They hated every minute of it. They literally waited until the very last minute to write it. Predictably they didn't get a good grade on it. Why on earth would they want to voluntarily put themselves through that nightmare again?

Some people procrastinate. They read a book and enjoy it. Maybe it made them laugh or made them cry. Or in the case of a non-fiction book, it solved a problem for them. They couldn't wait to tell all their friends to read it too. They had every intention of writing and posting a glowing review on Amazon. But, then life got in the way. Time slipped away. They never got around to it. Eventually, they forgot all about it.

Some people hate leaving negative book reviews. They read the book, and it just didn't resonate with them. Maybe they didn't like the story, or the characters seemed wooden and one-dimensional. Perhaps they had to slog through the book to finish it if they finished it at all. They hated the book, but they are decent, caring people who understand the book was written by another human being with feelings. They just can't imagine a good reason to hurt the author's feelings by writing a review that reveals just how bad they felt the book was.

Some people are too busy to spend time writing and posting book reviews. There is no denying that life moves at a frantic pace these days. Who among us doesn't often feel there aren't enough hours in a day to accomplish everything we need to get done. Some people just can't fit one more thing into their packed schedule with a shoehorn.

So, those are reasons I came up with. If you don't generally leave book reviews for books you've read, maybe you shook your head up and down in agreement while reading one or more of the reasons I listed. Or maybe your particular reason for not reviewing books isn't even on my list.

Why most of the reasons for not leaving a book review probably aren't valid

Too little time. It seems rather obvious that a person too busy to spare a few minutes to leave a book review couldn't possibly have had the time to sit down and read a book in the first place. So, I don't have time is really an excuse, not a reason.

Sparing the author's feelings. On the surface that seems very charitable. On the other hand, if a book is really that bad, maybe we have something of a moral obligation to warn others before they buy it. Sort of like if you bought some product on Amazon and it didn't even come close to performing as the manufacturer promised. Then it broke after less than two weeks use. If that happened would you just keep quiet about it? Probably not. You shouldn't feel any differently about a terrible book. Everybody wins, even the authors responsible for writing them when bad books stop being written. Maybe I should do my part in helping make that happen. Maybe you should do your part.

Procrastination. That one is a reality, but still not a justification for failing to leave a book review. And it's an easy fix. The moment you finish a book, bite the bullet and take a few minutes then and there to leave a review. That way you won't forget about it.

Don't know how. That one isn't valid either. We aren't talking about a literary review here. You don't have to know a theme from a motif to leave the kind of reviews you will find on Amazon. We aren't even talking about the kind of book reviews you were forced to write back in junior high school. Just think of the book as a product. Did you like it? Did you hate it? It's nice to toss in the reasons why you liked it or disliked it, but that isn't absolutely necessary. Just giving the book a star rating and writing a sentence or two saying you liked the book or didn't like it is enough. You see, giving a positive review just means you liked a book. Giving a negative review just means you didn't. It isn't necessarily a recommendation to others to read it or not read it. It can be if you say something like I recommend this book or don't waste your money buying this book. But that's entirely up to you.

Don't enjoy writing and don't. You may have me on this one. If you just hate writing and don't do it under any other circumstances than I'm pretty certain nothing I can say will persuade you to leave a book review. Still, even if you hate writing, if you felt leaving a book review was important, you could probably give a star rating and manage to write a handful of words.

Why we should all feel it is important to leave book reviews

Do we owe an author a book review after reading his or her book? Of course not. We bought the book or went to the trouble of borrowing it from the library, and we spent hours of our life reading it, hours we'll never get back. No one could expect more from us. But, it isn't really about the idea of owing anyone anything. Instead, think of it this way.

If you read regularly and enjoy a particular book, chances are you want that author to write more books like it so you can read those too. One way to help make sure that happens is by leaving a review. Authors are human. If they don't get positive feedback, they might just decide to write something else, if not stop writing altogether. Because you see, authors spend months and months, sometimes years, writing a novel or non-fiction book for one reason. They want people to read it and to either be entertained, learn something, or have a problem solved. Without reviews, few people will find a book and few people will ever read it.

Book reviews are so important these days because Amazon controls the book publishing industry. Amazon is as close to being a monopoly as a company can get without provoking government intervention. An Amazon algorithm decides what books get brought to the attention of the reading public, and by default which books get purchased and read.

Amazon doesn't care about books, not whether they are good or bad books. Amazon cares about selling books that make Amazon money. Amazon will push the most horrific books ever written if people are buying them. Then because of Amazon pushing them, more people will buy them. A book could be a potential Pulitzer candidate, but if it doesn't sell enough copies when launched to satisfy the algorithm, Amazon won't get behind it. The book will sink into obscurity under the weight of the thousands of other books published on Amazon every single month. Book reviews, if not directly at least indirectly have a very significant impact on the algorithm and thus the eventual success or failure of every book.

If you like an author's work, please support him or her by leaving a review. It doesn't cost you anything but a few minutes of your time. Just think of it as one of those random acts of kindness people are always talking about. And know what? Book reviews aren't as bad as you think.

An Insiders Guide to Neo-Noir Detective Fiction

Neo-Noir Defined

Noir is a popular genre of the post-World War II era that examined the corrupt immorality within America's hallowed institutions.

While noir's dark tone was amplified by Hollywood films, the genre's dark themes of moral corruption were first explored in popular literature in the early twentieth century.

Noir fiction is typically linked with hard-boiled detective novels, where the heroes are flawed, morally corrupt, or at least immune to good social graces, and the characters are a reflection of the unscrupulous society that produces them.

Noir fiction enjoyed a resurgence from the 1970s through the 1990s, both in films and popular literature. But in literature especially, authors like Robert B. Parker, with his Spenser novels began to pull noir from the traditional settings in the 1940s and 1950s into more modern times. Neo-noir was born.

Noir and neo-noir are the same except that the latter has updated themes, content, and style. As an example, Robert B. Parker wrote the Spenser novels in the first person, employing the same blunt, masculine prose style that was used by noir greats like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler in their day.

Dashiell Hammett, the creator of the iconic private eye Sam Spade and author of The Maltese Falcon, is credited with practically inventing the American detective novel and the hard-boiled detective himself. Raymond Chandler built on those beginnings with his character Phillip Marlowe, along with other authors of this period. Robert B. Parker then took up the torch in 1973 when he created his classic private detective character Spenser and published the first of the Spenser novels, The Godwulf Manuscript.

The Future of Neo-Noir

Spenser was a conscious throwback to hard-boiled detectives of the past like Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, so much so that in essence Spenser is what Marlowe might have been in a more modern world (had he been living in Boston rather than Los Angeles).

My private detective character, Ben Malone, too is a conscious throwback to hard-boiled detectives of the past. Parker emulated Chandler's Marlowe, and without excuse or apology, I've emulated  Parker's character, Spenser. I'm in good company on that account. As a best-selling author, Harlan Coben revealed in a 2007 interview with "The Atlantic Monthly," “I read Parker’s Spenser series in college. When it comes to detective novels, 90 percent of us admit he’s an influence, and the rest of us lie about it.”

The Spenser series continues under the capable authorship of Ace Atkins. But, like their human counterparts, novel characters have a limited lifespan. The truth be told, Spenser is already a bit long in the tooth these days and isn't getting any younger. Unless Ace Atkins chooses at some point to follow the example of authors like Lee Child who sometimes flashes back to the earlier days of his own iconic character Jack Reacher to lengthen the character's lifespan, Spenser will simply become too old to continue as a credible private detective.

As much as I and thousands of other fans love the Spenser character, none of us I'm sure wish to reach a point where Spenser suffers the ignominy of hobbling forth from a Boston rest home to tackle a new case.

For that reason, I and other authors who love the neo-noir genre feel a responsibility to continue building on Robert B. Parker's legacy by creating new private eye characters and continuing to write in the best traditions of neo-noir.

Since the passing of Robert B. Parker in 2010, no other author has really stepped up to fill his shoes. Some might feel that Michael Connelly seems the heir apparent with his character Harry Bosch. Like Malone, Bosch has left the LAPD where he began, and in the later novels in the series, Bosch becomes a private detective.

Certainly, there are similarities between Bosch and the classic noir detectives of the past.  Yet in my own opinion at least, as great as the books are, I regard Connelly's novels much more akin to Joseph Wambaugh-esque police procedurals than neo-noir detective mystery novels in the tradition of Robert B. Parker.

 

Malone Returns in Cold Comfort

If you haven't yet, I hope that you will check out Cold Comfort, the third installment of the Malone Mystery Novels series. There is, of course, more murder, but I think you will find some new twists and you will meet Malone's new sidekick, T. J. O’Sullivan, a female character who hails originally from New Zealand. T. J. will also figure prominently in the next novel, Foregone Conclusion, which is set to be published next year. Afterward, you can expect T. J. to appear in her own series sometime in 2018.

Cold Comfort is available both in print and electronic versions. You can find the electronic version at your own favorite eBook retailer by clicking on this universal book link.

Malone Mystery Novels Book 4 Reveal: Foregone Conclusion

Coming in 2018

Foregone Conclusion Book 4 in The Malone Mystery Novels Series Slated for Release in 2018

Foregone Conclusion, the fourth novel in the Malone Mystery Series is slated for publication next year. The book cover has been finalized and if you’re curious to know more about Malone’s next adventure, here is the back cover book description.

 

More than 15 years after the biggest diamond heist in U.S. history, the whereabouts of $28 million worth of the stolen gems remains a mystery. Are they hidden beneath the floorboards of an abandoned building somewhere? Were they sold to Arab princes on the down low? Or are the diamonds in some jewelry store’s window the very same ones stolen in 2003, laundered through middlemen until they were clean enough for a legitimate dealer to buy them?

Los Angeles PI Ben Malone is good at finding things. Whether it be a missing person, a runaway child, a deadbeat ex-spouse, or hidden assets. The insurance company that swallowed the loss wants to hire Malone to answer those questions. Along with the case, they offer him the promise of a $50,000 bonus if he recovers the diamonds.

But, even for Malone, successfully recovering the loot from a 15-year-old heist is no foregone conclusion. Kyle Murray, one of three men responsible for the heist, and the only suspect arrested for the crime did his time without telling anyone what happened to the missing diamonds. Fifteen years later, Murray has been paroled and promptly disappeared, his whereabouts unknown.

Malone, lured by the chance at a $50,000 payday,  takes the job. But once Malone and his new partner, T. J. O’Sullivan, get to work, it becomes clear that the case is far more challenging, not to mention treacherous than they’d assumed. Not only do they find themselves following a convoluted trail of clues halfway across the globe, but they also discover they aren’t the only ones on the trail of Murray and the stolen gems. Along the way, they encounter a shyster lawyer, and his cold-blooded female partner, who quickly demonstrate they will stop at nothing, including murder, to eliminate any competition in the search for the fortune in diamonds.

 

Want to know more about Malone’s new female Kiwi sidekick? If so, you needn’t wait until Foregone Conclusion comes out next year. T. J. O’Sullivan, a strong female character who is as lethal as she is beautiful, was introduced in the recently released book 3, Cold Comfort.

Cold Comfort is available in hardcover and paperback from most booksellers. The electronic edition goes on sale Friday, November 24 at all online bookstores. You can pre-order your copy now at a special pre-order price.

Cold Comfort Novel Launch Set

It’s been a while since I last posted to this blog. There is an easy explanation for that. I’ve been busy finishing Cold Comfort, the third book in the Malone Mystery Novels series. I didn’t finish the book quite as soon as I’d hoped but did make the promised publication date.

The book has been edited and uploaded to all the publishing platforms. It’s available now in trade paperback and should be available from most bookstores in hardcover by the end of the week. The electronic version goes on sale at all online booksellers on November 24 but is available now for pre-ordering at iBooks and Amazon at the special price of $3.99. The price for the eBook version will increase to $4.99 on November 25.

I’m really excited about this book because of a new character debuting for the first time in Cold Comfort, T. J. O’Sullivan. T. J. is a tough and ready New Zealand girl, a strong female character who will be a permanent associate in Malone’s private investigation agency for the foreseeable future. That said, don’t be surprised if T. J. takes on the starring role in her very own series in the very near future.

Adding a strong female character to the Malone series is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. Not long ago I happened to catch an interesting television commercial where an elderly lady notes that when she was a young woman, women had two choices when it came to career choices, being a secretary or a teacher. She applauded the fact that today young women can become anything they can dream of becoming. As the father of two wonderful adult daughters, I applaud that too.

I think it is important even in fiction writing to reinforce the truth that women are just as capable as men in any endeavor. So, that is part of the reason I created T. J. The other part is she is just plain fun to write about. Hope you will give Cold Comfort a read and get acquainted with T. J. because she plays a key role in the plot and I think you’ll love her.

If you’re interested in taking a look at Cold Comfort, click this link: http://authl.it/B077CZY37T which will take you to a page where you can select the Amazon site in your own part of the world, regardless of where you live. For those living in the U.S., the Cold Comfort Amazon page can be found here: amzn.com/B077CZY37T.

If you decide to read Cold Comfort, I’d really, really appreciate it if you could write and post a brief review on Amazon after you’ve read it. Reviews are critically important to the success of a book these days but seem increasingly hard to come by.

In the next post, I’ll be sharing the final cover reveal for Foregone Conclusion, the fourth book in the Malone series, along with the synopsis. Foregone Conclusion will be released in 2018.

Until next time, take care and as always, thanks so much for reading.

Essential Honolulu: Diamond Head State Monument and Trail

In this second edition of Essential Honolulu, our next stop is Diamond Head State Monument.

World-Famous Vacation Playground

With the wide, sandy beaches of Waikiki Beach, breathtaking views, luxury hotels, Pearl Harbor, the only royal palace in the United States, and all the expected trappings of a vibrant urban city, Honolulu has it all. The capital city of Hawaii is filled with history. But, while forever mindful of its past, Honolulu also embraces its future as illustrated by the revitalization of old neighborhoods that has spawned countless trendy boutiques and an endless plethora of restaurants serving an eclectic mix of amazing cuisine.  Sure, Honolulu may be located on Oahu, Hawaii’s most crowded island, but that hasn't stopped it from remaining a world-famous vacation playground literally unlike any other place in the world.

Last week, in part one of this series, we looked at Halona Beach Cove. The focus of this second installment of Essential Honolulu is another historic Honolulu landmark, Diamond Head State Monument.

The above image is a photograph of Waikiki and Diamond Head, as seen from the sea. The image gives you perspective on just how prominent a feature Diamond Head really is. It is visible from almost anywhere on Waikiki. 

Diamond Head

This photo of Diamond Head was taken in the 1800s, but its history is, of course, far older than that. Diamond Head, a volcanic tuff cone on Oahu is part of the system of cones, vents, and associated eruption flows collectively known to geologists as the Honolulu Volcanic Series. The Honolulu Volcanic Series is a succession of volcanic eruptions that created many of Oahu's best-known landmarks, including Punchbowl Crater, Hanauma Bay, Koko Head, and Diamond Head. Diamond Head is estimated to be about 400,000 to 500,000 years old. Hawaiians called the crater Leahi (meaning “the brow of the ahi,” or tuna, referring to the shape of the crater). Diamond Head was considered a sacred spot. King

Kamehameha offered human sacrifices at a temple on its western slope. It wasn’t until the 19th century that Diamond Head got its modern name. A group of sailors found what they thought were diamonds in the crater. Later they learned they had found only some worthless calcite crystals, but the name stuck. Today, part of the Hawaii State Park system and also a U.S. National Natural Monument, Diamond Head is one of the most popular and heavily visited destinations in the state.

Diamond Head Trail

The view from atop the 762-foot-tall volcanic crater is not to be missed. The 360-degree view that stretches from Koko Crater to Wai’anae is well worth the hike to the top. It is a steep (560 foot gain in elevation), but moderate hike to the summit, a 1.5 miles round trip that takes about two hours.

Plan to wear some comfortable walking shoes and don't forget to take water for the hike. The trail opens daily at 6 a.m. It isn't necessary to go that early unless you just want to, but it's ideal to make the hike in the morning when it's cooler and before the sun is fully up.

The hike starts at Monsarrat and 18th Avenues on the crater’s inland side. From the intersection of Diamond Head Road and 18th Avenue, follow the road through the tunnel. There is a parking lot past the tunnel if you drive. From the trail head in the parking lot, proceed along a paved walkway up the slope.

Along the trail, you will pass World War I and World War II era pillboxes, gun emplacements, and tunnels built as part of the coastal defense network. You will pass through a lighted 225-tunnel before climbing quite a lot of stairs to reach the summit. At the top, you will arrive at the top observation post on Point Leahi. You will see bunkers on the crater rim and a navigational lighthouse that was built in 1917 along the coast outside the crater. The views from the there are nothing short of incredible.

The is an entry fee is for accessing the monument and trail. If you drive, it's $5 per carload. If you arrive by taxi or public transportation and walk in, the fee is $1 per person. Here are examples of the stunning views from atop Diamond Head.

Hope you will join me next week for another installment of Essential Honolulu. Our next stop is Punchbowl Crater.

Essential Honolulu: Halona Beach Cove

Even authors tire of talking about books all the time. That explains why I'm beginning a new series of blog posts this week focusing on Hawaii travel tips. In this debut edition of Essential Honolulu, our first stop is Halona Beach Cove, also known as "Eternity Beach."

Dream Vacation Destination

With the warm trade winds, breathtaking views, and spectacular sunsets, Honolulu, Hawaii is a dream vacation destination. While the focus of these posts is on Honolulu and Oahu, that's not meant to suggest there aren't a countless number of great things to see and do on the other islands. I just think that Oahu and Honolulu have such a mind-boggling array of fabulous things to see and do, it's one of my favorite Hawaii vacation destinations.

I've been fortunate enough to have visited a great many amazing travel destinations throughout the world, but of all the places I've visited, Hawaii in general and Honolulu, in particular, has always been near the top of my list of favorites. The spirit of Aloha is found here in abundance with the breathtaking beaches, twinkling Tiki torches, hip-swinging hula dancers, and so much more.

The fact is, there is so much to see and do in and around Honolulu, the difficulty is often trying to decide what you want to do when you get there. Thus, the aim of this series is to spotlight some of the essential activities, the attractions, and the cultural experiences that are must-dos on your next vacation to Hawaii. Hopefully, if you have only a week or so to spend in Hawaii, these posts will help you get right to the good stuff.

Halona Beach Cove

One of the sights I'd wanted to see for many years, but had never crossed off my bucket list after dozens of visits to Hawaii was Halona Beach Cove. Finally, during our last vacation to Hawaii, Suze and I finally made it out to the iconic small beach just to the right of Hālona Blowhole.

Halona Beach Cove was the site of one of the most unforgettable beach scenes in film history, the location where the famous kissing scene in the 1953 movie, From Here to Eternity, starring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr was filmed. Because of that movie scene, many people still refer to Halona Beach Cove as "Eternity Beach." Having seen From Here to Eternity several times explained why I was so keen to visit the beach.

Misconceptions

When Suze and I decided to visit Halona Beach Cove, I did a little research on the Internet to find out how to get there. While I found plenty of information on the web, as Internet information often turns out to be, much of it was inaccurate. Some of it was completely wrong. That's one reason I wrote this post, to provide the straight dope.

For example, many websites exaggerated the difficulty of accessing the beach, warning that it required a physically taxing and treacherous descent down a cliff. A couple of other sites warned that the beach was closed to visitors, that it was unlawful to go down to the beach because the authorities considered the descent too dangerous, and that going down to the beach could result in a citation or arrest if the police caught you on the beach. I found that none of that was in fact true.

It isn't unlawful to make the trek down to the beach, and the descent from the parking area to the beach is not nearly as steep or perilous as some websites claim. In fact, any reasonably fit adult will have no difficulty at all walking down (and later back up) the well-defined trail found just to the right (when looking toward the ocean) of the Halona Blowhole Lookout parking lot.

Getting to Halona Beach Cove

Halona Beach Cove is on the south-eastern shore of Oahu at the foot of Koko Crater, about 11 miles southeast of downtown Honolulu off Kalanianaole Highway (HI-72). Parking is available at Halona Blowhole Lookout, just south of and above the beach cove.

You can drive yourself there if you have a rental car. Suze and I rode scooters there from downtown which is permitted on HI-72. You can also get there via the public transportation by taking the 22 Beach Bus (Hanauma Bay-Sea Life Park) from Waikiki.

One of the great things about Halona Beach Cove, as well as Halona Blowhole, is that visiting is absolutely free. There are no access or parking fees.

Things to Do

Once you arrive, beyond seeing some pretty amazing views of miles of pristine coastline waters and on clear days, the islands of Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i in the distance, the beach offers an ideal location for swimming. Swimming there, however, does require caution.

The surf can be very unpredictable when it's windy, and the ocean is rough as the waves really crash violently against rocks surrounding the cove. Outside of the protected cove, the current can often be quite strong and the water turbulent.

In fact, the waters below Hālona are home to one of the most dangerous ocean currents in the world, Ka Iwi, or more commonly the "Molokai Express." The currents name refers to its legendary power to carry the unwary out to open sea toward Molokai. There also are no lifeguards on duty there.

Beyond the swimming at the cove, there is more fun at the lookout beyond just viewing the eruptions of the Halona Blowhole if you happen to visit at the right time of year. Halona, in Hawaiian, means “lookout,” and during whale migration season (late December through early April), the lookout is also a great vantage point from which to see whales breaching or spouting at the surface.

Add-on Experiences

Given the location off HI-72, Halona Beach Cove and Halona Blowhole is a great place to build an entire day trip around.

On the way, you can stop off at Hanauma Bay State Park for some of the best snorkeling on Oahu. Later, after your visit to Halona, follow IH-72 about 2.5 miles as it turns north to hike the Makapu'u Point Trail up to the lighthouse, another great vantage point for whale watching in season.

After the Makapu'u Point Trail, a bit further north, there is more great swimming and beach fun available at Makapu'u Beach Park. Almost directly across the highway from the beach park is the entrance to another popular Oahu attraction, Sea Life Park, Hawaii's best marine life park, offering fun and educational marine life experiences for the entire family. That's the itinerary that Suze and I followed for a very enjoyable day on Oahu.

When vacationing on Oahu, Halona Beach Cove and Halona Blowhole, one of Hawaii’s natural wonders, formed thousands of years ago when molten lava tubes were formed from volcanic eruptions, is essential Honolulu, and definitely should be on your must-see list.

If you enjoyed the first installment of the Essential Honolulu series, you won't want to miss the post next Monday which will spotlight another iconic Honolulu attraction, Diamond Head State Monument.

Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair Book Reviews Contest

Post Amazon Book Reviews and Win














About the Book Reviews Contest

While FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR has received some great reviews so far, the number of book reviews has been stuck at seven for a while now. In an attempt to move the needle, I've decided to host a little book reviews contest. If you enjoy contests and love the chance to win a free mystery or thriller book, please read on. The contest is aimed at those who have already read FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR, but haven't previously written and posted a review. In other words, no purchase is necessary to enter. That being said, if you haven't read the latest Malone Mystery novel and want to participate in the contest, you may, of course, buy and read a copy of the book.

Why are Amazon book reviews so important? The number of reviews affect book sales. Here’s how:

After ten reviews, Amazon starts including the book in the “also bought” and “you might like” lists. This increases the visibility of a book and improves chances of someone finding it.


After more than ten reviews, Amazon may feature the book in spotlight positions, emails, and the newsletter. This provides the potential for a HUGE hike in sales.


While some publishers disagree, the number of reviews may have an affect on Amazon sales ranking.


Some literary reviewers and book promotion websites will not consider or promote a book unless it has ten or more Amazon reviews.


Prospective readers often use book reviews when deciding to purchase or not purchase a book.


The Prizes

As some of the prizes, I've selected some personal favorites from among thriller & mystery titles from some other fine authors that I've read and reviewed recently. The following prizes (electronic books) will be awarded to the winners of the book reviews contest:

VILE CITY: DETECTIVE IN A COMA by Jennifer Lee Thompson


ALOHA MEANS GOODBY: A MURDER IN MAUI MYSTERY by Robert W. Stephens


BEACH LAWYER by Avery Duff

*Winners of one of the above titles will be gifted the Kindle edition directly from Amazon.

 

Also, I'm adding the following to the prize list:

A signed first edition of my first novel, COME WHAT MAY, in Hardcover


A $25 Amazon Gift Card

**The hardcover book will be delivered to the winner via USPS. The gift card will be delivered electronically via Amazon.

The goal of the contest is ten new reviews. Up to five prizes will be awarded. While the odds of winning a prize is dependent on the number entries, the chances of winning a prize are pretty good for those who enter.

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Contest Rules


The book reviews contest is open to anyone with an Amazon account who has read the novel FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR, and who has not previously posted a review of the book on Amazon. No purchase is required to enter.
The number of prizes awarded is dependent on the number of entries. All prizes may NOT be awarded IF sufficient entries are not received. All prizes WILL be awarded IF at least ten entries are received.
Odd of winning are based on the total number of entries received.
Contest runs from Saturday, June 17, 2017 through Saturday, July 15, 2017, or until all five prizes have been awarded, whichever occurs first. Under any circumstances, entries received after midnight, July 15, 2017, will not be accepted.
Winners will be chosen randomly and prizes will be awarded randomly.
Prizes will be awarded solely on the basis of entering the contest and DO NOT represent payment or remuneration for book reviews, a violation of Amazon review policies.
Only honest book reviews are expected in connection with the contest. The character of any review, whether positive or negative, will have absolutely no bearing on the selection of contest winners or odds of winning a prize.
Only one prize per person or household will be awarded.
No duplicate entries permitted.
To be accepted, entries must be submitted in accordance with the "How to Enter" section below.
ALL prizes must be claimed no later than midnight, July 31, 2017. Any prizes not claimed by that deadline are forfeited.
By entering the contest in the manner prescribed, you agree to all the rules of the contest and further agree to be bound by them.
Winners will be selected and prizes awarded in accordance with the details provided in the sections below. All decisions of the contest organizer regarding winner selections and prizes awarded are final.


How to Enter


After reading the novel, FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR, post a brief, honest review on the book page at Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YB8R8M
IMPORTANT: Once Amazon has accepted and posted your review, copy the permalink, and send it by email to: larrydarter at gmail dot com. Until the permalink is received, a contest entry will not have been successfully accomplished. Since Amazon notes only the date of a review, to make the contest fair and to allow for multiple reviews being posted on the same date, winners will be selected and prizes awarded based on the specific date AND time the required email is received which may not necessarily be the date a review was actually posted on Amazon.

Note: Your email address will only be used for the stated purposes of this contest and will not be retained after all contest winners have been identified and the contest ends. You WILL NOT be added to any mailing list.

How Winners Will Be Selected

Before publishing this post, I randomly selected and recorded five individual numbers between the numbers eight and 17. Those five numbers represent the contest winners. If the number of your review, in the order your review permalink is received, corresponds with one of the five numbers randomly selected, you will be a winner.

One folded slip of paper with the description of one of the available prizes printed on it will be drawn from a container holding five such folded slips of paper. If you submit a winning entry, you will be awarded the prize described on the slip of paper drawn in your behalf. Notification will be provided to winners immediately on selection by an email sent to the email address provided when entering the contest. Any instructions on how to claim a prize will be included in that email.  

Contest organizer is not responsible for entry emails sent in error to an address other than the official entry address, larrydarter at gmail dot com, or for any failure by any entrant to provide a valid working email address. 

Writing and Posting Book Reviews is Easy

Are you interested in entering the contest but feel uncertain about how to write and post a review? Writing a simple book review isn't as difficult as some people think and Amazon makes it very easy to post them. If you need a little help, I recommend reading a short but excellent article on how to write a simple book review that was written by Nancy Curteman. You can find the article here: https://nancycurteman.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/how-to-write-a-book-review-on-amazon/

Why I Write Crime Novels

In today's post, I'm going to explain as best I can why I write crime novels as opposed to writing something else. Have you ever wondered why your favorite authors chose the genre they did? I have. In fact, today I was thinking of one of my own favorite authors, the author who wrote my all-time favorite novel, and found myself contemplating that very question. That is what led me to write on this topic today.

One answer to the question, why I write crime novels is it’s what I know how to do. Given my background in law enforcement, the experience of actually spending a good bit of my adult life around cops and criminals, seeing a view of life and society that most people never see and seeing a lot of things that probably no one should ever see, provides me some unique qualifications for writing crime novels. I know what crime looks like because I've been face to face with it. I know how crime affects people, the victims, the cops who must deal with the aftermath, and even the perpetrators of it.

The real advantages of all that for someone who writes crime novels is it produces realism. I think that most crime fiction fans demand realism. When they read a crime novel, they need to feel a sense of conviction about the reality of the story. I can provide that in my novels, it's something I know how to do. That makes me feel that writing crime fiction novels is what I'm best suited for.

Earlier, I mentioned  I'd been thinking about one of my own favorite authors and one of the books he wrote, which I consider my all-time favorite novel. Ironically, it isn't a crime fiction novel, although the story does include crime. While writing this post, It occurred to me that those reading it might enjoy trying to guess the identity of the author I'm speaking of. So let me give you a few clues.

He was named after the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
He attended Princeton University but dropped out of school to join the U.S. Army.
He earned a reputation as a playboy which hindered his reputation as a serious literary writer.
He wrote the novel he is most known for (my favorite) while living in France.
Although well received when published, the novel he is best known for did not achieve the stature as one of the greatest American novels ever written until decades after it was published and years after the author had already died.
Always a heavy drinker, he progressed steadily into alcoholism and suffered prolonged bouts of writer's block.
While now considered one of the greatest American novelists, none of his works received anything more than modest commercial or critical success during his lifetime.

Can you name the author and his definitive novel?

The author, one of my favorites, and author of my favorite novel is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. You might know him as F. Scott Fitzgerald, the name he went by, the name you will find on the cover of his greatest work, The Great Gatsby, widely considered the definitive portrait of the "Roaring Twenties."

The beautiful lyricism, pitch-perfect portrayal of the "Jazz Age," and searching critiques of materialism, love, and pursuit of the American Dream, have since at least the 1960s, earned The Great Gatsby the stature as one of the greatest American novels ever written.

The reason I mention Fitzgerald is because answering the question why I write crime novels in a sense presupposes that I could write something else, perhaps something more literary like the Fitzgerald wrote.

Actually, I do have two things in common with Fitzgerald. We're both authors, and we were both at different times, commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. But believe me, that's where the similarities end. I could never write a novel that anyone would consider a definitive portrait of anything. I like to think that my writing is pretty good, but the difference is that Fitzgerald wrote a great deal better than I do simply because he was a far greater talent. That's not to say writing crime novels doesn't require talent, but I think it fair to say writing crime novels is better suited to my talents than literary fiction.

Finally, I write crime novels because there is something about the type of hero featured in them that appeals to me. I enjoy creating and playing around with images of that particular kind of hero, that specific archetype of American culture. I think there are a lot of people who enjoy reading about and identifying with a character like Malone, perhaps because identifying with him and the events in the stories I write helps make them feel a bit more heroic.

And there it is, why I write crime novels.