Showing posts with label Menehunes Missing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Menehunes Missing. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

MENEHUNES MISSING - Cheryl Linn Martin - One Free Book

Welcome back, Cheryl. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
I’ve worked with and loved kids in this age group (8-12+) for years in parks and recreation. A fellow author told me a number of years ago that kids in this age group needed wholesome books to read. So, I write mysteries set in Hawaii—fun, exciting, intriguing and wholesome!

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
My last day of work outside the home, when I realized I could now write full-time! Yaaaaaaaay! (I’m bopping up and down and screaming like Kimo, Leilani’s ten-year-old annoying brother!)

How has being published changed your life?
I now do less writing and HUGE amounts of marketing and promotion! Ugh! But it’s all good because I am living my childhood dream of being the published author of a mystery series!

What are you reading right now?
You can usually find me reading a mystery or a suspense novel. Although, I’ve found some historical/historical romances rather enticing. Right now I’m reading a historical as well as a suspense!

What is your current work in progress?
I am working on books four and five of The Hawaiian Island Detective Club in hopes the series will be extended beyond the first three. I am planning a rewrite of book one of my series, Detective Michael Macks and Me and my mind is also rumbling with thoughts of a new series!

What would be your dream vacation?
I LOVE Hawaii and have visited a couple times. My dream vacation would be to be invited by the Robinson family (descendants of Elizabeth Sinclair who bought the island in 1863) to visit Niihau. The island is virtually untouched by the outside world. I could experience their way of life and hear them speak the ancient language. What an amazing blessing that would be!

How do you choose your settings for each book?
I try to think of what might be interesting to kids, someplace they can experience and learn about, yet someplace real. Hawaii came to mind as the perfect setting.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
Beth Moore because I think she’s amazing and inspiring! I could use a dose of her enthusiasm, and I’d love her thoughts on serving the Lord and furthering God’s kingdom.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I love planting a vegetable garden, although it’s sometimes difficult to get many red tomatoes in the Pacific NW! I also participate on the drama team at church and love all the roles I’ve played—challenging, yet rewarding.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
Finding time! When I decide to push through on writing, I set a weekly goal with room to catch-up or get ahead on the weekends. I record my word count every week. It encourages me to continue plugging away.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?
Set goals for your word counts—and make sure they are reasonable goals! Reward yourself as you reach those goals each week or each month.
Attend workshops and find those helpful hints, but, most important, apply them!

Tell us about the featured book.
Menehunes Missing is about a school fundraiser in which participants search for Menehune statues hidden around town. Leilani, Maile and Sam enter the contest and soon discover that the statues are disappearing. They are determined to find out who is taking them and why.

Oh yes! You may ask—what exactly is a Menehune? They are Hawaii’s treasured little people who worked hard (generally at night) building things like ponds and roads.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Ekahi
(One)
I smoothed the crumpled paper, stared at the words, and read the first clue.

I’m Menehune Number One. Find and check me out if you can. I’m hiding amongst kids and cords.

Maile Onakea and Sam Bennett, my best friends, suddenly burst into my room.

Sam jumped onto my bed, his shaggy blonde hair flopping around like palm fronds in the wind. “Did you get it? I’m crazy pumped about this whole Menehune Hunt thing. Bet no matter how hard the clue is, you’ve already figured it out, huh? Come on, Leilani! Read that puppy out loud.”

Maile giggled. “Sam, you’re insane.” She also plopped onto my bed, tucked a strand of her long hair behind an ear, and locked dark brown eyes on mine. “So, what does it say?”

I ignored her question. “You guys sure got here fast.”

“My mom and I picked up Sam, then came straight over. Mom thinks it’s cool we’re doing the statue search thing.”

I nodded. “So does mine. She says the money raised will really help the school. Guess there’s been a couple hundred people who’ve already paid the entry fee.”

I pictured myself starting eighth grade with a computer room full of brand new equipment.

How can readers find you on the Internet?
My website address is www.cheryllinnmartin.com I also have a blog all about Hawaii at www.lifeinflip-flops.blogspot.com
You can also connect with me on my facebook author page at www.facebook.com/authorcheryllinnmartin
“Tweeters” can add the hashtag: #HIDC for The Hawaiian Island Detective Club if they’d like.

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

Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing this book with us, and giving us a peek inside your life.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. 


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