Author number one is Toby Neal, a resident of Hawaii, and her exotic enticing addictive mysterious Lei Crime Series, which is set… guess where? In beautiful Hawaii. The latest installment, Shattered Palms, is so luscious it is to die for. I love the opening chapter, especially the references to the cloud forest, having spent a great deal of time hiking through the beautiful cloud forests of Costa Rica. They are special secret places.
Maui is lush mountains, cloud forest and exquisite birdsong—but for Detective Lei Texeira, arrows break that peace.
Someone is stalking poachers that are capturing Maui’s rarest birds, and Lei pursues the case with her usual leap-first, look-later style—but will she be able to catch a killer, save the birds, and still make it to her own wedding? Shattered Palms is a roller coaster ride from the top of Haleakala to the beach and back again, with extinction at stake.
From Toby’s author page:
Toby Neal was raised on Kauai in Hawaii. She wrote and illustrated her first story at age 5 and has been published in magazines and won several writing contests. After initially majoring in Journalism, she eventually settled on mental health as a career and loves her work, saying, “I’m endlessly fascinated with people’s stories.”
She enjoys many outdoor sports including bodyboarding, scuba diving, beach walking, gardening and hiking. She lives in Hawaii with her family and dogs.
Toby credits her counseling background in adding depth to her characters-from the villains to Lei Texeira, the courageous and vulnerable heroine in the Lei Crime Series.
Here’s a link to the book: Shattered Palms, by Toby Neal
Author number two is an all around pee your pants comedienne- Lorca Damon. She has written so many outstanding books. The first book I read was- It Was Like That When I Found It. I thought I’d die laughing. Just reading her blog does me in. But she’s not always funny. Well, she is always funny but many of her books deal with serious subjects. She is an amazing woman, mom, wife, author. She’s a wonderful support for families struggling with an autistic child. Check her out. Here’s her author page: Lorca Damon
Here’s a link: It Was Like That When I Found It, by Lorca Damon
I loved her most recent post- The Limitless Untapped Potential of My Handicapped Goldfish.
So, readers, reach for the stars! Find new authors! Love, Julia
Thank you for the introduction to Lorca Damon and her Upside Down Fish. I needed to read that blog post today. It has been a crazy week. I feel normal now. Or if I am not I will just go get a giant fish bowl and move in with The Upside Down Fish. I am sure we have much in common.
She’s a kick, Roberta. Some of her posts have me laughing until I’m crying.
Thanks for the shoutout, Julia. Getting involved with our conservation has made me want to visit Costa Rica and now it’s for sure on my bucket list!
You’re very welcome, Toby. The book is totally fun. You would love Costa Rica. We hiked from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Amazing. Just watch out for crocodiles, oh, and poisonous snakes.