Haole Wood [Kindle Edition]

Dee DeTarsio (Author)

Book Description

Haole Wood
A Novel
By Dee DeTarsio

When San Diego weathercaster, Jaswinder Park, is mysteriously summoned to the island of Maui in Hawaii to help her grandmother, she ends up losing her job. This fair-haired, light-skinned foreigner, called haole by the natives, decides to stay in Maui for a couple of days until she can figure out what to do with her life. She realizes that her quick trip to Maui may not be all she’s hoping for when:

-She has to bail her Hawaiian/Korean grandmother out of jail for possession of pakalolo.

-The only thing she can understand her grandmother say is: “Not that.”

-She can’t decide which hurts worse, her sunburn, hangover, or memories of the night before.

-She’s labeled the “Liquor Licker” on the front page of the Maui News in a photo that shows her doing a shot of tequila with a hunky Hawaiian who’s been found dead.

-It seems she’s had orgasms that have lasted longer than her career.

-She scrapes the bottom of the barrel to find her guardian angel.

Beautiful fabric found in her grandmother’s closet unfolds a future for Jaswinder as she designs sensuous silky wraps called sunshminas that provide sun protection. She tries for a Hollywood connection, but her company, Haole Wood, has some growing pains. From trying to find a killer, to selling her sunshminas, to lusting after Dr. Jac, the island dermatologist, to trying to ignore her so-called guardian angel, can Jaswinder learn to embrace the island way of life? Aloha!

Editorial Reviews

Review

2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist!

2013 San Diego Book Awards Finalist!

"Haole Wood is a fun read with lots of local flavor and a heroine who's desperately trying to find a way to stop making bad choices. It's a story of overcoming cultural differences and coming of age. But most of all, it's an enjoyable mystery written with wit and an eye on the ultimate story goal--entertaining the reader." - Examiner.com

"5-Stars! ...An outstanding story and remarkable characters, but Haole Wood alsogave me an intriguing culture and setting." - My Reading Room

"Haole Wood has the perfect blend of sassy and sarcastic humor and exciting and crazy situations." - The Indie Bookshelf

"The plot, the characters, the dialogues, the location, the humor, themystery, the action, the drama, the romance... put them together and youget - the perfect beach read!" - Indie Book of The Day

"In addition to being something of a mystery...this is a romance...a sweet, delightful, fun book. Jaswinder is sassy and feisty, bless her. And her voice is so real." - Cupcake On Books

"...Filled with all the Aloha spirit that makes you sit back, relax, pull up alounge, and enjoy a mai tai while reading it." - Chick Lit Central

"The writing style worked pretty well for me. In the beginning of the book, I like the voice – smooth and easy with a laid back, humorous style. I finished the book still liking the voice . . . It also satisfied my craving for something different which, after so many years of reading romances is sometimes difficult to do." - Dear Author

“This is one of those books that once you read it, you will be handing it around to your girlfriends, saying READ this—it's hilarious and sweet and inspiring at the same time! The book is also begging to be made into a movie!" - Bless Their Hearts Mom Blog

"Jaswinder's "coming of age" will resonate with readers as she embraces her Hawaiian heritage. I commend DeTarsio for her spot on references to surfing, tourism, and pidgin (local slang). Recommended read for those who are curious about Hawaiian culture, island life, and where fate can lead." - SOS Aloha

"Can Jaswinder save her Halmoni? Can Jaswinder save herself? You'll just have to read this utterly charming book to find out. Read this book if you need a laugh, and read it if you need a vacation." - Carol K. Carr, author of India Black, Madam of Espionage Mysteries

Book Description

Haole Wood
by Dee DeTarsio

When San Diego weathercaster, Jaswinder Park, is mysteriously summoned to the island of Maui in Hawaii to help her grandmother (who was in jail for selling pakalolo), she ends up losing her job. This fair-haired, light-skinned foreigner, called ‘haole’ by the natives, decides to stay in Maui until she can figure out what to do with her life. She tries to drown her sorrows in a local bar, doing shots with a charming land developer — who ends up dead. Jaswinder needs to find the killer and prove it's not her grandmother.

A blistering sunburn leads her to a surfing dermatologist, as well as a whole new career: designing protective resort clothing for sensitive skin. From launching her clothing line, Haole Wood, to keeping her grandmother out of trouble, Jaswinder tries to embrace the island way of life. Where’s a guardian angel when you need one? Aloha!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 483 KB
• Print Length: 350 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0615640494
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Just Publishing (May 14, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0083J4AOC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,312 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Beach Read! May 26, 2012

By Julie B

Format:Kindle Edition

I was intrigued by the cover, and hooked by the third page. This lovely book has action and drama (there was a murder after all), but it has so much more: romance (I do not want to give anything away, but I loved the ending!), a little bit of philosophy, and just a whole island vibe of aloha. If you can't get to Maui anytime soon, Haole Wood can take you there.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great voice! June 10, 2012

By Janice Curran

Format:Kindle Edition

This is my first book by this author. Love her voice! It was laugh-out-loud in many places, and I was totally charmed by the protag, her grandmother and her "helper." (I won't give the last one away :-) Would've liked to see the "helper" introduced earlier so he wasn't so "out of left field." I get that the little flashes here and there were supposed to be foreshadowing, but I don't think they, as a device, really worked. Regardless, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys humor and a heroine who is her own worst enemy.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Lacks Research of Any Sort November 19, 2012

By Lord Rose

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

When the main character, on page two, says that her mom is not the boss of her, I have serious doubts about the maturity of said character. The parts that I read (the beginning) had problematic grammar, and the narration jumped back and forth in a rather confusing way. The main character's on Hawaii, then suddenly she starts going on about her job, and then some ghost(?) and disaster and her sister and I have no idea what she's talking about.

I admit to having downloaded this, in part, to see just how badly the author mangles local culture. As someone living in Hawaii, I actually found the book somewhat offensive. Although admittedly I haven't been here that long myself, my grandparents have lived in Hawaii for years, so I spent months out of every year here while growing up.

As for the facts- far more Hawaiians speak only English than speak Hawaiian. Hawaiian actually almost completely died out in the 1970s, and the only reason it still exists as a language is the hard work of a few dedicated individuals (university professors) in reviving it. Very few people actually speak Hawaiian at all. Anyone born in Hawaii since the 1920s probably speaks Pidgin, a mixture of English with other languages, but certainly understandable to someone from the mainland. And the taxi driver would probably speak Pidgin- not the broken English that was written.

I really don't see why the main character can't understand her grandmother. If her grandmother is Hawaiian/Korean, that means she was born in Hawaii, and should speak the local language- Pidgin. She's not even an immigrant, and immigrants certainly learn the language after living in a place for years. My grandparents are immigrants from China, but they've lived in America for most of their lives, and their English is better than that of some Americans.

And, uh, what exactly is cool about measuring the amount of water to cook rice with? That just kind of baffled me.

Okay, I'm just going to stop now before I do something (my computer screen) irreparable harm. If you're going to write a book set in Hawaii, then *please* make sure you actually have SOME grasp of local culture, not some touristy version of it. There is a BIG difference from how people in Hawaii actually live and the stereotypes that tourists have. You know all that stuff you see in gift shops? Not real. Or rather, some of it may have been real in the past, but certainly not anymore.

More About the Author

DEE DeTARSIO is a TV writer living in southern California. After growing up in Ennui, Ohio, and graduating from The Ohio State University she vowed never to be cold again (in a tantrum more worthy of Suellen than Scarlett) and ended up in Tucson, Arizona, producing the news for the CBS affiliate, oddly enough called KOLD-TV. She moved to San Diego where she worked in the SeaWorld entertainment department as a producer/writer. (Penguins are mean!) She then became a producer/writer for the NBC affiliate.

Dee is the author of hopefully-ever-after novels: THE SCENT OF JADE, THE KITCHEN SHRINK (both finalists in the prestigious San Diego Book and Writing Awards), 'TIL SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, ROS, and HAOLE WOOD, 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist! Her new book, ALL MY RESTLESS LIFE TO LIVE will be published this summer.

Though her mother never beat her (that hard) and her father is not a celebrity, she suspects one of her four sisters is a vampire.