My latest writing and editing effort was not for public consumption. It’s a select, limited edition memory book of a family reunion, complete with essays by each of my siblings and me about our parents and growing up. Here’s what I learned from my latest foray into self-publishing: expect it to take twice as long as you planned. Sounds like advice for carpentry or plumbing.

On a brighter note, check out the Books page for ordering information and an excerpt of The Breakup Queen and Other Romantic Tales. Longing for a dash of escapism? Here’s a taste of the introduction.

Romance in Paradise settles in our minds burdened by a hundred clichés. Mere mention of Hawaii conjures up images of warm waves rolling onto white sand beaches, palm trees swaying in the trades, and eight dollar Mai Tais with paper umbrellas and pineapple spears. The balmy temperatures dictate scant clothing, bared skin—tan or pale (or both)—and the hint of something bordering on exotic without having to exchange currency or learn a foreign language.

What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing. There’s a trace of truth behind every stereotype. And, as clichés go, we’ll take ours over any others, thank you very much.

            But the stories within these pages reach beyond the predictable scenarios known to most visitors. Those who live here, work here, pay their rent and raise their families, go to work and soccer games or surfing, bring their own perspective to love in Paradise.

Melissa Dylan’s heroine in “The Breakup Queen” trains dogs at the Humane Society. Like her struggling hero in “The Measure of a Man,” Natalie Barrett is a student at the University of Hawaii.  Michael Little’s protagonist in “The Man Who Loved Blondes” is a local Honolulu professional who finally caves in to his mother’s insistence that he date the fourth princess in the Narcissus Queen Pageant.  Part of living is surely dying, as Sally Sorenson’s story “Green Flash” depicts. For a real change, Lynde Lakes, Leslee Ellenson and Jennifer Loy try on their tourist personas in stories set in Waikiki and at the Aloha Tower.

 Beyond the stereotypes lies a universal truth of human emotion we all understand: love, and the need to be needed. Each tale, each voice, brings a different take and a fresh twist to the age-old saga of man meets woman. There is no more complicated relationship. From our vantage point here in the islands, there is no better setting than this tropical setting.

So sit back, adjust the umbrella in your Mai Tai, and turn the page. We think you’ll agree.

The Editors