Current mood: ecstatic

Hi Everyone,

With the WGA strike still not settled (therefore my lack of script work stretching thhroughh its third month) I have been grateful for my time available to keep penning my M/M erotic romances. I have really been knocking them out and loving every second of it.

I am currently into a new Kimo and Lopaka story "Summer Love" and it is my usual blend of modern Hawaii and the ancient cultures. Alas, it also makes me very homesick for Hawaii. Having been in December, I was filled with enoughh Aloha Spirit to sustain me for a while (it usually lasts for up to four months) but the last couple of weeks...I don't know why, have been tough.

But I have found that Aloha is all around me. In quite unbelievable ways. On Saturday, I went to Bruddahs for some Hawaiian food and caught up withh old friends and yesterday, I went to Duke's for dinner with my BFF and we were given a magnificent table with the ocean spray splashing our window.

As I sipped my Mai Tai, I felt like I could actually be on the beach at Waikiki and then...a group of women came in, mostly Asian...and I just knew they were Hawaiian. One of them was holding a familiar blue and white bag from Sam Sato, my favorite hole in the wall baker in Maui.

I left my friend (I would never normally do such a heinous, LA thing) but I ran over to the woman and said, "Is there a Sam Sato in Los Angeles?"

She smiled so sweetly at me and said, "No, I just flew in from Maui and brought these with me." I felt like a big dolt. How could I have forgotten that Hawaiians always travel with local delicacies?

I thanked her for her time, bid her a heartfelt Aloha and ambled back to our table. My BFF kindly ordered me a second Mai Tai - heck, she was driving - and thirty seconds later, the Sam Sato lady came over with two pastries for us! One pineapple, one coconut.

If that ain't Aloha, I don't know what is. What a spectacular thing to do for a complete stranger. "Ehhh.." she patted my shoulder. "I know you are homesick."

My BFF and I cut those babies in two and exhanged a lot of laughter over our memories of the first time we tried to find Sam Sato.

And this morning, another gift of Aloha. I bought a vintage painting of Birds of Paradise which hangs on the wall by my balcony. This morning, my own, real Bird of Paradise has burst into bloom on the other side of the window. It's gorgeous! 

BTW, my e-friend Elisa Rolle, that saucy, sexy Italian lass, informed me yesterday on the DJ Manly author chat that a new M/M writer is hitting the scene with a hot Hawaiian tale. Paul G. Bens Jr, the author, calls it a novelette and the title is "Mahape a ake Wala au" and will be published February 16 by Torquere Press, so check it out! I know I will be!

Another example of Aloha in Action.

And as my Goddess Pele would remind me, as ever, pomaikai au: blessed am I.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

Currently listening : Kolonahe: From the Gentle Wind By Keola Beamer Release date: 13 April, 1999