\u00a0In honor of Left at Hiva Oa<\/em>, tonight’s book club served fish-kabobs and fried SPAM! And a delicious chocolate Kahlua cake. That wasn\u2019t in the book, but I wasn\u2019t saying anything \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This group was well prepared with a list of questions. They wanted to know: Did you have a log from the <\/em>Gracias?<\/em> (No) Have you done a lot of sailing?<\/em> (No) and, How did you decide to go back and forth on the sequence?<\/em> (Well, I always knew I wanted to start with the \u2018man overboard\u2019 scene, and I worked it out from there.) <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
And, surprisingly, two members had unwittingly underlined the same line<\/em> when they were reading the book. From page 59, when Capt. Ken is in the doldrums, debating if he should fight the weather or wait it out. \u201cNature is honorable. It doesn\u2019t fight nor plead or beg or cajole. It flows, it recedes, it shares, it allows.\u201d Who knew it would strike them both?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Thank you for a wonderful evening of conversation, laughter, and a delicious meal!<\/div>\n
\n
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$\"\"$ <\/div>\n
March 19, 2019<\/h2>\n
Today I visited the grounds of\u00a0 Queen Emma’s Summer Palace on O’ahu to speak with members of the Daughters of Hawaii Book Club. It was a very engaged group, and one of the women had the most detailed marginalia I have ever seen!<\/p>\n
While I was there I had the good fortune to meet Captain Norman Pi’ianaia, a retired Matson Captain who worked with Captain Ken over 40 years ago! As he told me later, “We somehow fetched up in the same place.” Indeed.<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ \u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0 $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
Many readers shared that they had never sailed before, nor had any interest in the ocean. They were surprised by what they found in Left at Hiva Oa.<\/p>\n
“This is a book I never would have picked up. I don’t know anything about sailing. I came to love this book. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two and a half days.”
\n“It was like reading poetry about the sea.”
\n“I started off slowly, I don’t know much about the ocean. But then I found I was hooked!”
\n“I was so impressed, I thought, this guy is amazing! He’s done all of these things. He’s my hero! Then, on page 201, ‘I was lonely beyond anything I imagined possible’ Wow! I didn’t expect that, but you showed how he really felt.”
\n“I felt like it came straight from Capt. Ken, through you.”<\/p>\n
It was\u00a0 both gratifying and humbling to talk with readers who felt moved by the book. I’m grateful to the Daughters of Hawaii<\/strong><\/a> for providing such a wonderful forum and discussion.<\/p>\n
January 19, 2019<\/h2>\n
My first book club via Skype!\u00a0 These ladies were 3,000 miles away in Denver, Colorado, but we still managed to have a great discussion. A few in the audience are interested in writing a book of their own one day. I hope what I shared was helpful. I often quote Dr. Wayne Dyer, who said, “Don’t die with your music still in you,” in this case, your story. Thanks ladies!<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
January 4, 2019<\/h2>\n
It was a beautiful day to speak with members of the Outrigger Canoe Club Book Club.\u00a0 Many readers had questions about the writing of the book and my own experience at sea. Often they assume I have sailed across the ocean, like Capt. Ken. But in reality my sailing experience is very limited. Some think I have a copy of the Gracias<\/em>‘ log that I worked from, and they are surprised to find out that I don’t. In fact, I used research, my imagination, and maybe a bit of divine inspiration to come up with Capt. Ken’s story.\u00a0 I’m always glad that readers find it to be\u00a0 realistic and entertaining, or as one reader called it, “a sea-worthy sailing adventure.”<\/p>\n
After the talk we enjoyed lunch on the lanai with a visiting seal on the adjoining beach.\u00a0 Mahalo to the Outrigger Canoe Club<\/a><\/strong> for your warm hospitality!<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ \u00a0 $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
November 23, 2018<\/h2>\n
Book Signing at Maui Friends of the Library, Queen Ka’ahumanu Center<\/h3>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
Holiday shoppers came in to buy the gift of great stories at this fun event with fellow authors from Maui Writers Ink,<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0including Elaine Gallant with her action-packed novel,\u00a0The 5th C: A CIA\u00a0Novel <\/em>and Oliver Gold with Maui Out of Body.<\/em><\/p>\n
Mahalo to Maui Friends of the Library<\/strong><\/a> for hosting us!<\/p>\n
October 12, 2018 – Lahaina Town 2nd Friday Party<\/h2>\n
$\"\"$ A had a fun evening in Lahaina with other members of Maui Writers Ink. Often\u00a0 people are drawn to the nautical appearance of\u00a0Left at Hiva Oa’<\/em>s cover, and I have to ask, “do you have a sailing background?” It’s really exciting to find out that they do! Then we talk about where they have sailed, and where they’re going next.<\/p>\n
Maui Writers Ink<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has two terrific short story collections by local authors, many who have their own novels as well. I’m pictured here with Everett Peacock<\/strong><\/a> and the latest from his Agent\u00a0Boudreaux series.<\/p>\n
August 30, 2018 – Off the Record\u00a0<\/em><\/h2>\n $\"\"$ <\/h2>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
Fellow author Everett Peacock and I had a fun time visiting with Bill and Bobbie Best.\u00a0Their show, Off the Record,\u00a0<\/em>is a\u00a0conversation with the creative and community minded people of Maui; musicians, artists, writers, teachers, the movers and shakers, builders and makers, giving an insight into our island & the Arts Community of Maui. We talked about the creative process and the technical aspects of writing a book, as well as a few other silly things!<\/p>\n
You can watch a video of the recording here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
July 27, 2018 – Helen’s Book Club<\/h2>\n
This amazing book club had great questions and insights about Left at Hiva Oa<\/em>. They wondered what kinds of feedback I received from my beta readers, and how I worked out the back-and-forth timeline. They were most intrigued by how I captured Capt. Ken’s voice and personality. Many members have sailed extensively, and said the descriptions of life on-board were beautifully rendered, and accurate too! They wanted to know how much sailing I had done myself. Not as much as them, I can assure you.<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
They also fed me a beautiful lunch and I went home with a bunch of fresh-picked gardenias, my favorite!<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\nJune 8, 2018 – Lahaina Town 2nd Friday<\/h2>\n
I joined the crew of writers at the\u00a0Maui Writer’s Ink<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0table in Campbell Park<\/strong><\/a> during this\u00a02nd Friday Event<\/a><\/strong>. The theme was “Garden Party,” and large, flowery hats were required attire. Many people came by to see our wide range of books, and our hats!<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
May 15, 2018 – Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset<\/h2>\n
I had a fun time speaking at the West Maui Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>at their evening meeting at the Royal Lahaina Resort. It’s a great group of people, and they have a fantastic view after their meeting, true to their club name! See more information about them\u00a0 here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ \u00a0 $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
April 25, 2018 – Upcountry Ladies Book Club<\/h2>\n
I had a wonderful time with these well-read ladies, many who have sailed across oceans! They had lots of questions about the book and the writing process. I think a few of them may have some stories to tell! Their compliments and enjoyment of Left at Hiva Oa<\/em> meant the world to me.\u00a0 $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
April 13,<\/span>\u00a02018 – Lahaina Town 2nd Friday<\/h2>\nI had a fun time with\u00a0Maui Writer’s Ink<\/a><\/strong> at their booth on Front Street during this exciting event. Fellow writers Kathy McCartney, Nansy Phleger, and Elaine Gallant shared their work too.<\/p>\n
$\"\"$ <\/p>\n
January 27, 2018 – American Association of University Women Maui Chapter<\/h2>\n
I gave a talk and shared a slideshow about the making of Left at Hiva Oa<\/em>, the many things I had to learn about sailing, and shared some stories about Capt. Ken.\u00a0 Here with my mom, AAUW member and club secretary, Jennifer Bohlin. $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
<\/h3>\n
November 25, 2017 – Maui Friends of the Library Book Signing Event<\/h2>\n
It was a great afternoon of meeting readers, talking about Left at Hiva Oa<\/em>, and about my writing process while creating the book. Thanks to everyone who came by! $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ \u00a0\u00a0 $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
Mahalo to Maui Friends of the Library for Hosting this Event<\/strong><\/h3>\n $\"\"$ <\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2020 and Beyond While the pandemic has certainly changed our lives, I’ve been touched to see the number of book clubs keeping in close contact as members continue to read, share, and explore new titles. If you would like to me to visit your club at a virtual meeting, please feel free to send me… Continue reading Appearances<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9iIpY-z","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63,"url":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/books-2\/books\/","url_meta":{"origin":35,"position":0},"title":"Left at Hiva Oa","author":"admin","date":"October 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This captivating tale takes place on the open ocean as America evolves from the conservative 50s to the free-loving 60s. Two proud Merchant Marine Academy graduates leave their promising careers to follow a dream of sailing the world on the 40\u2019 schooner the Gracias. Even with careful planning and abundant\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG-2538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG-2538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG-2538.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG-2538.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG-2538.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG-2538.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4,"url":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/","url_meta":{"origin":35,"position":1},"title":"Home","author":"admin","date":"October 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \"If you are looking to read a book that will grasp your attention from the first page and hold it throughout, then I would implore you lovely readers to read this book because it is utterly brilliant!\" From the Red Headed Book Lover. \"I don't have any boating experience,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LisaVilliarimo-29-Cropped-e1513534141622-223x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2,"url":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/sample-page\/","url_meta":{"origin":35,"position":2},"title":"About Malia","author":"admin","date":"October 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Malia Bohlin received a BS in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and later a Master's Degree in Non-Profit Management from Regis University in Denver. She works in fundraising and as a PATH International certified instructor in a therapeutic horseback riding program. Malia loves to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":152,"url":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/recent-press\/","url_meta":{"origin":35,"position":3},"title":"Press Mentions","author":"admin","date":"November 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"May 23, 2019 Maui News Scenemakers Lahaina \u2013 Local authors Malia Bohlin (from left), Everett Peacock, Nansy Phleger and Howard Fields present their books at Lahaina\u2019s Second Friday event earlier this month; Byron Tabisola photo. See the story here. June 14, 2018 Maui News Scenemakers Our writers' group made \"the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/2nd-Friday-051019-300x245.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":73,"url":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/books-2\/leaving-scotland\/","url_meta":{"origin":35,"position":4},"title":"Working Title: Leaving Scotland","author":"admin","date":"October 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"About Leaving Scotland While I was doing research for Left at Hiva Oa, I came across a document in Capt. Ken\u2019s U.S. Navy Officer Service Records. It was his Statement of Personal History, to be completed to upon entering the Navy.\u00a0 Here he listed all the jobs he had worked\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_9722-e1508905875694-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35"}],"version-history":[{"count":117,"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":841,"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35\/revisions\/841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maliabohlin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

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Book Signing at Maui Friends of the Library, Queen Ka’ahumanu Center<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n