Entertaining My Vacationing Mind

Books, Media, and Experiences—How This Author Rests Before Writing Her Next Book

Aloha mai kākou!

I am fifteen days past turning in my manuscript for the new novel, and I have to admit, I have zero interest in creating anything! LOL! All I want to do is read, listen to audiobooks, lounge about, and experience new things that I haven’t had time to do. And you know what? That is 100% okay.

Vacations take many forms. This one is a vacation for my mind as well as my body.

As you might know from social media, I sprained my foot/ankle a month ago while racing out of the house on the way to a book event. I’m still in PT for that and suspect I may also have a bursa or tendonitis in the opposite achilles tendon. ARGH! So I guess this vacation is also for my my body, which is tiresome because I am yearning to hike.

But the upside of forced relaxation, is rest.

That said, my idea of rest can still be a rather energetic. Here’s a video from a pa‘i ‘ai pounding workshop at KALO Hawaiian Civic Club I attended earlier in the month. Days earlier I had volunteered to help the Lo‘i Loa group from Maui taught our members how to sand papa ku‘i poi—poi pounding boards and shape the pōhaku ku‘i—stone pounders.

And five days later, I went back to our club to get certified in adult and child CPR! Since I live with two mo‘opuna under the age of six, it felt smart to refresh my memory of CPR and first aid. I am now reasonably confident on what to do if someone is accidentally impaled. LOL! Hmm… come to think of it, this knowledge could come in handy for one of my future books!

Excerpt from Kaua‘i Storm:

This is a small portion of an emotional family scene in KAUA‘I STORM that takes place betyween Makalani and her parents while pounding pa‘i ‘ai.

This link directs you to my audiobook, published by Brilliance Publishing and narrated by me. Listen to the sample narration and let me know what you think!

Māmā nodded toward the tī leaves. “Pull up a seat and wrap.”

Makalani fetched a plastic bucket from the shed and set it, upside down, near the center of the pounding board beside the basket of long, shiny leaves. She sat and ran her hands along the smooth lip of the wood into the shallow well of the board that kept the water from sloshing over the edge.

“I remember when you made this,” Makalani said.

Pāpā had carved and sanded the papa ku‘i from a thick slab of monkeypod, then cured it in the ocean to kill the bacteria and swell the wood.

“You help some,” he said as he placed another corm on top of his mash and crushed it gently with the edge of his pounder.

“Never as much as I think.”

“But maybe mo’ dan I like admit.”

Having cleared the air a little, the three of them fell into amiable work. Pāpā mashed his ‘ohā into paste. Makalani spread a stack of leaves on the board. Māmā cut her purple mass into sections with a plastic wedge. Makalani wet her hands and placed a hunk of pa‘i ‘ai on the top leaf. She folded up the ends, gave it a quarter turn, and repeated the process three more times. With the pa‘i ‘ai wrapped, she secured the bundle with a knot.

“Are these to dilute for poi or to eat?” she asked, pinching a small portion from the next hunk and popping it into her mouth.

“Both, yeah?” Māmā said. “And for your Aunty Kaulana’s kūlolo.”

Makalani salivated at the thought of the rich coconut cream and kalo dessert.

“Less talk. More wrap,” Pāpā said.

He scraped his fingers under the paste, folded it over, and smashed the pōhaku kuʻi onto the dough. Now that he was calmer, his hand and stone worked in seamless unity. He divided the mass into clumps and scraped them toward Makalani to wrap.

“When will you mix the poi?” she asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” he said. “Befo’ everybody stay come. Easier to store dis way in da kitchen or out hea.”

Makalani nodded. Although poi could be kept without refrigeration for days, undiluted pa‘i ‘ai could be kept at room temperature for months. Pounding the starch molecules initiated the fermentation process. The longer it sat, the more sour and flavorful it became.

“You didn’t want to make it earlier so the poi would turn sour?”

Pāpā placed new kalo corms on the board. “Wit’ your cousins gone, all da lū‘au prep got delayed.”

“What happened with the police?” Māmā asked as she started a new batch.

Pāpā shrugged. “What everybody t’ought.”

Makalani frowned. “Everybody but me.”

He shook his head. “You been away.”

“What difference does that make?”

“Shouldn’t make any,” he said. “But it does.”

Makalani paused midknot. More and more, she was finding this to be true. Ten years on the mainland for college, ranger training, and work had disconnected her from island life in ways she had not foreseen, as if the veins connecting her to home had been cut. She felt the aloha, but her heart beat out of sync.

Entertaining My Vacationing Mind

Although, I can always listen to an audiobook while I cook, clean, or exercise, I rarely have the time to stop moving and actually read. So while I’m on my writerly vacation, that was tops on my list.

Here are the books and audiobooks I’ve been enjoying:

ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS by Hank Phillippe Ryan (narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen). Hank continues her reign as one of the queens of psychological suspense with this emotional, nerve-wracking story about a fictional debut author’s nightmare book tour. I loved the behind-the-scenes glimpse at a blockbuster author’s tour, which is SO different from my own. LOL!

SO VERY LUCKY by Caitlin Devlin. I’m 70% through this novel and am completely enthralled. Caitlin is a new author for me and grabbed this book when it was offered as an Amazon First Reads. I’m reading it on my phone, which means it is constantly on hand.

DETOUR by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart (narrated by Max Meyers). I LOVED this audiobook! In this space thriller, Rob Hart—an astoundingly talented author who always delivers—pairs up with the creator, executive producer, writer, and showrunner for NBC/Netflix’s Manifest. The result is a page turning, character-driven thriller that feels made for television. I can’t believe I’ll have to wait until January 2027 to listen to the exciting conclusion with ROUNDABOUT.

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW by Aggie Blum Thompson (narrated by Alex Picard). I’ve been on a domestic psychological suspense binge this past year, and this audiobook fit the bill. The suburban scandal was delicious. And, naturally, I adored Alex’s narration. She narrated my own DANCE AMONG THE FLAMES with such beauty and emotional depth.

WISDOM CORNER by David Heskla Wanbli Weiden (narrated by Shane Ghostkeeper). As expected, after David’s astounding debut novel, WINTER COUNTS, this new novel blew me away. It’s safe to say, I will read any novel he writes.

EVIDENCE OF THE AFFAIR by Taylor Jenkins Reid. If you’ve read my previous muse-letters, you already know I adore this author. If you enjoy relationship-driven, emotional suspense, and/or epistolary fiction, be sure to check it out.

THE PRICE OF HONEY by Liane Moriarty. What can I say? This author and the tagline: “Four ex-wives at a rich man’s wake,” immediately sucked me in. I’m always on the look out for enticing stories and books offered free with Amazon Prime. Next up in the Deadly Ambition Collection, YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE by A.R. Torre.

Movies and Streaming Shows:

As you can imagine, I simply had to watch the MOANA live-action film as soon as it came out. This was my reaction:

THE HARLAN COBEN COLLECTION on Netflix. My hubby and I have been binging Harlan Coben thrillers lately. So far, we’ve watched an enjoyed I WILL FIND YOU, RUNAWAY, LAZARUS (film), and are nearly to the end of STAY CLOSE. Whether on the page or made for the screen…damn…this author can write!

A Hui Hou!

Well, it’s almost time for my PT appointment, which gives me enough time to elevate and wrap both of my feet in ice and read before heading out the door.

Whether you’re deep in the throes of work or on a mimi-vacation like me, I hope you’re enjoying yourself to the max!

Until next time…

Aloha nō,
Tori 🌺