Not Too Late for Paradise – coming soon!

This is a first draft of the cover! Hope to be published by early May...

Depressed. Then grateful!

I've been feeling a little bit down and depressed lately. I haven't been getting out of my bed that often, it's been over three weeks since getting into my wheelchair. It's a long story why, mostly because it's just more comfortable for me to stay in bed, and also gets a big chore for my wife or my other caregiver to get me into the wheelchair – takes a lot of time and effort for everyone. However, I'm beginning to realize that I have to get out more often. Otherwise, my health is relatively stable. I am getting out of breath more easily and my choice of foods has diminished significantly. I can't chew very well, and swallowing can sometimes be a problem. On the other hand, my family, friends and caregivers show me so much love and understanding each day! I'm so lucky to have all of you in my life. And, my voice is still strong. I can communicate and I can control my computer – even though it crashes at least once or twice a day. My son tells me I need to buy another computer with more processing power and RAM. My mother has the beginning stages of Alzheimer's and my father is barely able to take care of her. So that's my sad story, but then I am extremely grateful! I still have so much to live for... I'm in communication with a friend, an expatriate living in France who has ALS. We have built a friendship over the last few years, comparing progression. He has ALS only four years and his progression is much worse than mine – he has a tracheotomy, cannot talk, and must be fed by a feeding tube. But still he has a. I have to learn from him, that I too can have a positive attitude. I think being grateful for what I have now is the beginning of that process.

Goodbye. Blockbuster!

Sadly, I have to cancel my DVD by mail subscription with Blockbuster. I remember when the first Blockbuster stores came to Honolulu, gosh, those were exciting days! Remember going to the video store and being totally amazed at all of the choices on the shelves. My wife, son and I used to spend hours there, sometimes getting so overwhelmed with all the choices that we would end up walking out of the store with nothing! Then came DVDs by mail. What a wonderful service that was... It was especially great for me since my diagnosis with ALS. I could select my movies on the Internet and they would be delivered to my door. Now however, times are changing again and "direct streaming" is the new way to watch videos/TV/movies. Blockbuster has not kept up with the times, and their streaming selection is very poor. I was hoping that they would continue to emphasize movies by mail, but even their availability of new titles by mail has gone below satisfactory. I also prefer Blu-ray, and that has made the availability of movies that I want to watch even more difficult. So, I say goodbye to the convenience of movies by mail and now begin to embrace the wonderful world of "streaming" movies. I think the cost will be somewhat more expensive, but the selection should be more current and immediately available. I will be using Netflix and Oceanic Cable on demand, initially until the next big thing comes along!

Does this sound like a story you'd like to read?

"Not too late for Paradise" is loosely based on my travels through Micronesia in the 1960s and 70s. It is a coming-of-age story that includes Pirates, Buccaneers, slavery, ghosts, a magic notebook, and buried treasure. Richard, the main character, does not want to be traveling with his archaeologist mother and her colleagues through the South Pacific. He gets terribly seasick, and would much rather be home with his friends and modern conveniences. While scuba diving a submarine shipwreck in Chuuk Lagoon, he discovers artifacts left by the notorious Captain William Henry "Bully" Hayes and his cabin boy, Daniel.

Intrigued, Richard and his Kosraean brother, Tolenna, decide to investigate further. With the help of a six hundred-year-old spirit uncle and several other unique island characters, they reach the conclusion that Captain Hayes has left buried treasure for his cabin boy on the island of Kosrae. They find clues left by the captain, but they are too difficult to decipher until Richard finds a magical journal that allows him to communicate with Daniel, living one hundred years earlier. Daniel, unintentionally abandoned by his captain, knows nothing about the treasure or the clues. Richard, having the advantage of hindsight, solves the puzzle and shares his knowledge of the location of the treasure with Daniel. Together they search for the captain's buried treasure, fall in love with beautiful island girls, and learn the true meaning of paradise.

Second Edition

The Second Edition of "The Bird-man of Nuuanu Valley" is completed and available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle versions. Thanks to my friend Bette M. I have revised the book, making several grammatical and content changes that I think make the story more readable and enjoyable. I moved the footnotes to the very last page of the book, that way they don't interfere with the flow of the story. I also lowered the print version price to just $10. If you haven't read this story, please consider purchasing a copy from Amazon. If you have already read it, I would really appreciate your help in spreading the word to others. I believe it is one of my best stories so far, but that just my opinion!

http://www.amazon.com/Bird-man-Nuuanu-Valley-Retelling-Hawaiian/dp/1479322024/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363990712&sr=1-1&keywords=The+bird-man+of+Nuuanu#_

Two new stories coming soon!

"Narragansett" an epic historical fiction novel about Rhode Island. Follows two of the original families who settled that small state/colony. The Welford family came to Prudence Rhode Island with Roger Williams, and after the Indian wars settled along the Narragansett coast, making their living as farmers and in Marine transportation. The Williams family, originally part of the Narragansett native Indian tribe, partner with the Welford family in the agricultural business, primarily oyster farming. We follow these two families from the 16th century to present times.

"Not too late for Paradise" a story loosely based on my travels through Micronesia in the 1960s and 70s. T S coming-of-age story that includes Pirates, Buccaneers, slavery, ghosts, a magic diary, and buried treasure. Richard, the main character does not want to be traveling with his archaeologists mother through the South Pacific, he'd rather be home with his friends and modern conveniences. He discovers a magical diary that allows him to communicate with Daniel, a cabin boy to the notorious Captain Bully Hayes, living 100 years earlier. Together they search for the Captain's buried treasure and learn to appreciate paradise.

"The Hamster and the Gecko" free promotion!

I offered the "Hamster and the Gecko" as a free promotion to Amazon prime members over the weekend – I'm thrilled to say that 58 people downloaded the book. I offered the book to honor the memory of the 19,000 lives lost two years ago, March 11, 2011, during the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. "The Hamster and the Gecko" is my attempt to tell part of that tragic story, in a unique and fictional way. I hope those people that download the book enjoy it. If you have read the story, please write a short review!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hamster-Gecko-Survivors-Story/dp/147510863X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363212014&sr=8-2&keywords=The+hamster+and+the+gecko