If you love Hawaii culture, language, and history, as well as young adult literature, youโll fall in love with my new book, Lehua. It is a Rapunzel fairy tale retelling set in ancient Hawaii. With clean romance, themes of love, trust, and healing, you will love this new book!ย
Want to skip and watch the video of me introducing the book? By all means, check it out! ๐
https://youtu.be/ZlrpQFp2v2U
Title
My first book, Aloha State of Mind, highlighted one of my favorite flowers of all time, the lehua blossom. The โohia lehua trees represent resilience, strength, and tenacity that so few other plants possess. When lava pours from the mouth of Kilauea, it burns everything in its path, especially โohia trees. The amazing thing is that the โohia is one of the first things to grow. Itโs like a pheonixโno matter how many times it turns to ashes, it still rises. It paves the way for other plant and life to thrive on hard, barren lava plains.
With this in mind, I knew I had to name my first book in this series after such a symbolic flower:
Lehua
This is the first book in the โEnchanted Hawaiโi Collection,โ a series of interconnected books that can also be read as stand-alones.
Genre
Lehua is the first in an interconnected series but can be read as a stand alone. It is a young adult fairy tale retelling, meaning, if you loveโฆ
Fairy tale retellings ๐ง๐ฝโโ๏ธ
Hawaiian mythology and folklore โจ
Clean romance ๐
Themes of self confidence, romance, and trust๐ค๐ฝ
Magical races and creatures ๐จ
Young adult literature ๐ด
The Hawaiian culture, values, and language ๐บ
and geckos ๐ฆ
I think you will really enjoy Lehua!
Blurb for Lehua
Hereโs the blurb to get you interestedโฆ ๐
โI had to get out of there, because if I didnโt find an escape, then who would?โ
Lehua always believed people despised her. It was the only way she could explain why the villagers of Hilo sent her from one home to the next. She never lived in one place, until a powerful moโo, a woman from the legendary Hawaiian gecko race, trapped her deep in the heights of Waiakea.
When the handsome king of Hilo tries to help her escape, a terrible curse falls upon him. Lehua must escort him to the palace for help, even as she yearns to run away from the Big Island of Hawaiโi.
But as she spends more time with the king, her desire to escape the island begins to fade, and she sees that maybe she was wrong about people all along. Maybe people were better than she thought. When her moment to leave finally arrives, will she follow the new feelings in her heart, or choose the narrative she always believed?
Lehua is inspired by the story of Rapunzel, as well as Hawaiian mythology, folklore, and culture. Fans of clean romance and happily ever afters will be moved by Lehua, the first book in The Enchanted Hawaiโi Collection, a fairy tale retelling series set in ancient Hawaii.
Lehua Cover
My favorite partโฆ the cover! I am SO happy with how this cover turned out, featuring beautiful โohia lehua blossoms, and a gorgeous Lehua character. If youโd like some behind-the-scenes of how I made this cover, let me know in the comments below!
Also, if you love special book formatting, my fairy tale books definitely have that feature! Like “Rise of the Manล,” my “Enchanted Hawai’i Collection” book formatting will not disappoint. The books include my own artwork on the spines and back covers, and a hand-drawn map of the Hawaiian islands inside the book.
When does the book come out?
Lehua comes out on March 20, 2022 in both paperback and ebook format on Amazon. It will also be available on Google Books and Kobo.
You ready for this?
I am a believer that the arts can inspire healing, connection, and recognition. I wrote my books with specific intentions in mind, and Lehua, as well as the rest of the โEnchanted Hawaiโi Collectionโ follow brave, strong heroines who face similar problems to those we encounter today. Our heroines learn how to overcome these obstacles, inspiring us to do the same. I hope Lehua can be a healing book for those who struggle with self confidence, negative self talk, and toxic relationships. You can get yourself out of toxic circumstances. You deserve to be happy and at peace, truly. ๐
Two values I thought of that go along with this book are alohaand mฤlama. Itโs important to love and care for others, but equally as important to love and care for ourselves. When Jesus Christ told us the first commandment, he said to โLove the Lord with all thy heart, mind, and strengthโand the second is like unto it: love thy neighbor as thyself.โ We need to love our neighbors, โohana, and friends just as much as we love ourselves. I hope this book will inspire you to do just that!
Looking for the next epic fantasy to read? How about a Hawaiian epic fantasy? There aren’t very many books about Hawaii written by Hawaiians, and I want to change that. My debut novel, Aloha State of Mind, came out in September 2021, and I’m happy to now announce my first ever Hawaiian epic fantasy novel.
It’s finally here, with characters from an ancient Hawaiian island, Kaimana Island. If you love young adult literature, characters you relate with, Hawaii, and adventure, this is for you! This post will cover everything you need to know about my newest novel!
The Title
I donโt want to give away any spoilers, and there isnโt much behind the scenes about the title, but here it is!
Rise of the Manล
I definitely wanted (and needed) the word manล in there, which means โsharkโ in Hawaiian. You will learn more about why itโs called this when you read the book! ๐
The Genre
Rise of the Manล is a young adult epic fantasy. It is inspired by Hawaiian legends, folklore, and mythology.
So if you love:
HAWAII
Flawed, young adult protagonists
Mythology and folklore
Themes of friendship, loyalty, and trust
Convincing villains
Magical creatures (yes, this includes mermaids!)
Adventure
The Hawaiian culture
Sharks
Then you will enjoy this book!
The Actual Blurb
With that said, here is the blurb, the one that goes on the back of the book. ๐
The alchemist, the messenger, and the true king must join together and destroy soran, the islandโs ancient pools of long life and immunity. Will the three heroes put aside their differences to unify, or will they fall apart, along with the rest of the island?
Nohea will do anything to keep her loved ones from dying, but she is forced to watch as her fellow slaves succumb to illnesses and infections. Enraged by her inability to help, Nohea vows to find a cure, a remedy that could change the future of Kaimana island.
Little does she know that there is a cureโฆ but it comes with a price, a heavy price. With a turn of the tides, Nohea finds herself wound up in politics, deceit, and betrayal. Rumors spread that a true aliโi (king) of Kaimana Island is rising, one who will bring peace and balance to the island. Will Nohea listen to the promptings of her heart and follow him, losing all that sheโs worked for, or pursue the course she vowed to follow?
Fans of young adult fantasy, magical folklore, and ancient mythology will be dazzled by the Kaimana Island Duology, a new epic fantasy set in an ancient Hawaiian world.
The Cover
I created a very simple cover and announced on my instagram about this book. Butโฆ I didnโt LOVE the first cover. It didnโt convey the genre I needed it to. Soโฆ I created a new cover and here it is (if you want to see the old one, check it out on instagram). I love it so much! What are your thoughts? Iโd love to know in the comments! ๐
When does the book come out?
The ebook is available now and the paperback is coming soon!
If you preorder the book, or order a paperback or ebook between January 19, 2022-January 29, 2022, you can get a cool swag pack! All you have to do is email me a screen shot of your order confirmation and an address that I can send the swag to. The swag pack includes:
A signed bookplate by the author (me)
A manล (shark) vinyl sticker
“Rise of the Manล” Bookmark
4 x 7 Character art
Map of Kaimana Island
To get your swag pack, either preorder the ebook before January 20, 2022, or order an ebook or paperback between January 19-29, 2022. Send me a screenshot of your order confirmation, along with your address, to naturallyaloha(at)gmail.com. And then I will send you the swag packet!
What are your thoughts?
Are you as excited as I am? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! ๐ I continue to learn things each time I launch a new book. While a Hawaiian epic fantasy might not be your thing, this is something I’m very excited about. I hope people will be inspired by this book and appreciate the representation, mythology, legends, and character growth. And, like all my other articles, I want to leave you with a little bit of my mana’o (thoughts).
Ho’ohana. Do meaningful work. Not everyone will like what you create or put out, and that’s ok. If it brings you joy, if you feel like you are fulfilling your life mission and purpose, something God has inspired you to do, then that’s what matters. People will judge either way. They’ll like you or not, and it’s OK. Because you are doing what you’re meant to do, and you’re enjoying every bit of it. That’s how I feel with this book and putting it into the world.
If you made it to the end of this article, we must be best friends. MAHALO NUI LOA for your aloha and support. I hope you’ll consider getting my new book and swim along the journey! ๐ฆ
My first book is finally here!! ๐ You know Iโve been working for a while on my debut novel, and now it’s time to share all the details with you! Iโve somehow managed to not say too much in my newsletters or social media, but I am THRILLED to share all. This post will cover the basics (title, cover, genre, etc) and a follow up post will cover the details on how you can buy and preorder this book! There might be a bit of girly giddiness throughout this post because, after all, this is my debut novel! You’re totally welcome to cheer with me! ๐
Letโs get started!
The Title of My First Book ๐ธ
First things first, the title of my book:
Aloha State of Mind
Isnโt it wonderful? I always knew it had to have the word โAlohaโ or โHawaiiโ in the title, but over time this title stuck with me. It encompasses everything that this book is about. Itโs also easy to remember and establishes, right off the bat, the genre.
Simply put, Aloha State of Mind, as a title is elegant, pretty, and Hawaiian and I absolutely adore it! ๐
The Genre
Aloha State of Mind is all about learning to create paradise where you are. Here are a little more details on the genre:
Itโs definitely a Self Help book
But also multicultural and inspirational
The book contains Christian themes
It has lots of visuals of Hawaii, so if you love Hawaii, prepare to be dazzled and filled with nostalgia
The book also contains some of my own personal stories to illustrate the point (but not enough to call it a memoir)
So if you love:
HAWAII โจ
beaches ๐
dolphins ๐ฌ
flowers ๐ธ
self improvement ๐
Hawaiian culture ๐บ
nature ๐ด
more HAWAII ๐ฟ
hula
leis
turtles
stars ๐
waves ๐
owls ๐ฆ
more FLOWERS ๐ผ๐ท๐บ๐ป๐ธ
ocean
food ๐ง๐ฉ๐
good vibes โจ
God ๐๐ฝ
learning to heal and be happy where you areโฆ
THEN YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!
The Actual Blurb
With that said, here is the actual blurb, you know, the thing that will go on the back cover, book description, all that! ๐
People all over the world travel to the Hawaiian islands to feel a sense of peace and happiness. The warm sun, white sand beaches, and crystal blue waters give us a sense of place that we rarely experience in our busy lives. But what if there is a way to feel the love and healing of Hawaii every day, even if we arenโt in the beautiful islands? What if we could bring aloha home?
With the Aloha State of Mind, Hawaii is never far. Using examples from the Hawaiian language, culture, history, and ecosystem, as well as personal stories, Leialoha brings 24 Hawaiian values to life. These values teach us how to:
-Bring aloha home
-Endure challenges with grace
-Develop inner peace
-Increase self confidence and compassion
-Heal, strengthen, and create meaningful relationships
-Increase trust and faith in God
-Have hope through any circumstance
-And more!
We donโt have to wait impatiently for our next vacation to Hawaii. Our hope, happiness, and healing is available to us right now. When we live the Aloha State of Mind, we create paradise right where we are.
Time for THE COVER
This is what Iโve been dying to share. When I came up with the title, I immediately started visualizing the cover. It needed to have elements of Hawaii: a beach, palm trees, ferns, and, of course, flowers. Lots of flowers. Hawaiian flowers! ๐ผ๐ท๐บ๐ป๐ธ If I don’t publish any books after this (I sure hope I do though), then at least this book is my โlei of love,โ my gift to the world.
So, I present, the cover of Aloha State of Mindโฆ
Ahhh I canโt even! ๐ญ๐๐ฑ It turned out super beautiful, bold, bright, and gives off all the good vibes! โจ Can’t stop using emojis because revealing all of this makes my heart want to explode! ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Who designed it? Me, of course! ๐
When does the book come out?
September 20, 2021
Thatโs right! Itโll come out in a little over a month (youโre welcome for not making this the longest book launch/pre hype ever). ๐
I am so honored to send this book into the world. In just a little over a month, YOU will hold an actual copy in your hands!
The book WILL be available for preorder, so I will send you the details on that next week!
Does this mean you are self publishing?
Absolutely! I made my very own publishing house, Hลkลซlani Press, and am loving every bit of this process so far (even the hard, technical, behind-the-scenes stuff). Self publishing, or indie publishing, as it is sometimes called, has its pros and cons, but mostly pros for me.
I won’t get into too much detail but what I really love about self publishing is the control: I get to decide when to launch my book, where to sell it, what the cover looks like, how I want to market it, and so much more. I also get to choose my editor (she’s amazing!) and have the freedom of creativity with my launch. I’m planning on making the book launch a blast, an online pฤ’ina (party) with lots of fun swag and giveaways! It’ll be a book launch, Hawaiian style (that’s not really a thing but I made it up cause I can)! ๐
5% of every book sales goes to charity
Iโve always wanted my books to make a difference, not only for me and my readers, but for others in the world. 5% of each book sale will go to charity. This year I am donating to two different charities: O.U.R. and charity water. I’ve been moved by the cause of O.U.R. because every person deserves dignity, protection, and a chance to live a normal life. charity water improves lives in small communities, providing a basic necessity of life.
When more books come out, I will continue to choose other charitable organizations that I care about and continue to donate to different organizations throughout the year. In the future I hope to also offer grants to aspiring writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, as well as scholarships for students as my way of giving back. I am always open to suggestions on charitable organizations that you love and would like to support, so please feel free to email or DM me your ideas! ๐
Can I read your book before September 20th?
If you can’t wait until September 20, there is a way for you to read Aloha State of Mind before it comes out! Enter ARC — Advanced Reader Copies.
What is an Advanced Reader Copy? Publishers and authors give a free copy of their book (an ARC copy) to a reader in exchange for an honest review. This is incredibly helpful for indie authors, like me, as we rely on reader reviews to boost our rankings and sales.
What do I expect from ARC readers?
In exchange for a free downloadable copy of my book, I would love for you to post an honest review on Goodreads before September 10, 2021. An honest review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather what you loved and didn’t love.
I would also love a review on Amazon but reviews posted before the book launch date is bad. ๐ So what I would appreciate, instead, is if you post a review on launch day, September 20, or within the first week of the launch!
I want to receive an ARC book!
If this sounds like your thing and you want to receive an ARC book, I’d really appreciate your help. Please fill out this form:
If you are selected, I will send you all the information, including links to the book on Goodreads and Amazon, the free ebook, and a reminder to leave a review on launch day!
All of my ARC readers who leave a review on Goodreads by September 10, and Amazon on September 20 will be entered into a giveaway to win a signed copy of my book with a bunch of sweet swag (next week I’ll share more details about the extra goodies!)! You will be notified via email if you won and I will post on here as well! MAHALO MAHALO MAHALO you are the best!!! ๐๐บโจ
Feel free to download and share this image on social media!
The Book Blog Tour
Alright, if you got this far you are a gem! This little section pertains to bloggers, social media influencers, and even YouTubers who want to feature my book on their platforms. So feel free to skip this section if you want, no hard feelings! ๐
Technically this is not a “blog tour” cause it includes more than just bloggers! But what happens here is I’ll send you a free copy of my book (ebook or paperback) in exchange for a feature on your social media, blog, youtube channel, or whatever your platform. You have the liberty of keeping the book, hosting a giveaway, interviewing the author (me), or whatever creative post you’d like to do to feature Aloha State of Mind. As an indie author, I’ll need as much help as I can to spread the word about this book so I appreciate any creative feature you can think of!
If you would like to be a part of the tour, please fill out this survey:
If you are selected, I will email you and we’ll discuss all the details! Mahalo nui loa for your willingness to help. I truly appreciate it! ๐
Can I apply for the book blog tour if I already applied for an ARC book?
Absolutely! Go ahead and fill out both forms if you’d like to be an ARC reader as well as feature the book on your platform. MAHALO! ๐
Where to buy my first book
The book will be available, in both ebook and paperback format, on Amazon, Kindle, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Nook, and pretty much anywhere you would buy paperback or ebooks. I will send more information with all the links, where to pre-order, and all that jazz next week! So if you’re not on my newsletter list, better get on! ๐
What’s next?
With all of the exciting news finally out, here’s what will happen next, and where you can help!
fill out the ARC Request form if you’d like to read the book ahead of time in exchange for an honest review
fill out the Blog Tour form if you’d like to feature my book on your blog or platform
get ready for more reveals next week (where to order, pre-order, where to get signed copies, the swag, etc)
cheer, celebrate, and spread the aloha!
Thank you so SO much for being here and supporting me on this journey. I simply can’t wait to get this book into your hands! I truly believe that the values in this book can help you create paradise where you are, and with the Aloha State of Mind, Hawaii is never far. โจ
๐บ Sending love, hugs, high fives, and good vibes. MAHALO nui loa again!
๐ Leialoha
Are you excited?
Are you feeling nostalgic, giddy, and/or excited? Or maybe you’re amused by the amount of explanation points and emojis I used in one post. ๐ Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Or if you have any questions, feel free to drop them below!
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E komo mai! ๐บ ย I am the author ofย Aloha State of Mind, a self help book that teaches you how to create paradise wherever you are. My blog, Naturally Aloha, focuses on all things Hawaii: culture, values, food, lifestyle, and more. I hope my writing inspires you to carry aloha with you everywhere! Learn more…
Get my debut novel, “Aloha State of Mind”
Create paradise wherever you are with my debut novel, available for purchase on Amazon and more!
Check out my Hawaiian Epic Fantasy, “Rise of the Manล”
