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June 2014 is when I decided to become a novelist. Somehow I’d come across a post on a blog where a bunch of writers were talking about making a living self publishing books. There were about 90 posts from people saying they were making money. Hmmm, sounds good to me.

I spent the next few years reading and studying craft books. In hindsight, I probably should have written sooner. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. But didn’t. Eventually I got the first book, Death in Paradise out in early 2018.

Between closing our auto repair shop and selling our house in Hawaii, it’s been a long road to getting to book 6 in the series. Thankfully, it’s finally finished and will be released in June on the 23rd. It’s the last book in the series and can be read as a standalone. Sam, Jessica, and Pua have been great teachers over the last six books. I’ll miss them to some degree, but it’s time to move on.

At the start of each episode of the 70’s TV show Kung Fu, the scene shows Master Po and young Kwai Chang. Po would hold his arm out with a small pebble in the palm of his hand and say, “When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, Grasshopper, it will be time to go.”

As I finish the final edits of Death Storm, I have metaphorically snatched the rock from the master’s hand. Looking back to when I first began and the mistakes that I’ve made, I’m confidant Sam and Jessica have taught me well and that I will succeed out in the world of publishing.
Aloha and a hui hou. – J.E. Trent

After several false starts on the WW2 story Return to Me, I’m going to shelve it. I’m just not feeling it. Instead, I’m going to work on something else. I’m just not sure what it is. Whatever it is, it has to have some kind of redeeming value. I’m currently reading a book called Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde that has inspired me to head in that direction, story wise.

I’ve been thinking about changing genres for a while. Boo Walker’s Red Mountain was another book that got me thinking I need to write something different. So for the time being I’m off to brainstorm something new and hopefully better.

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Someday if I ever do write Return to Me, this is how it would start:

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few” Winston Churchill, 20 August 1940.

Camp Tarawa, Waimea Hawaii, December 1944

Forgive me father, for I have sinned.
Yeah, no, I’m not going there, Nick thought as he sipped a cup of coffee in the Camp Tarawa chow hall. He’d declined the invite from staff sergeant Brower to go to confession at St. Mike’s in Kona. After the battle of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, Nick decided it was best to keep some things just between him and God. And besides, he wasn’t too worried about going to hell since he’d already been there and was certain he could take over if he had enough ammunition.

Nick continued to sip coffee while grasping the cup with both hands. He enjoyed the warmth of the cup, in contrast to the early morning chill in the air. Camp Tarawa sat at the base of the Kohala Mountains flanked by Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain on the island and the world, as if measured from the bottom of the sea floor. The wind blowing down from the mountains produced chilly mornings and pleasant afternoons compared to Tarawa.
Nick was daydreaming of life after the war when his younger brother James tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
“Good morning,” James said as he scooted around to the other side of Nick and sat down at the table.
“Well, it was, what’s up?” Nick smiled as he took another sip of coffee.
“I heard there’s going to be a bunch of nurses at the beach today and thought you and I should provide a proper military escort. What do you think?”

Nick smiled. “Hmmm. It sounds like risky duty, but, I think I’m up to the challenge.”
“I’ve got the weapons all ready to go.”
Nick looked perplexed for a moment. “Weapons?”
James smiled. “I got a bottle of wine, and other assorted nurse bait.”
Nick laughed.
“Okay Romeo, what time do we move out, and do these nurses know we’re coming along?”
James cut his eyes left and right quickly scanning the room, shhh, “It’s a covert operation.”
“Great,” Nick said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

This book features Jasmine Murphy, the youngest sister who was in book Death in Paradise. It’s now years later, and she’s graduated from veterinarian school on the mainland.

I really liked how this book came out. It takes place in the small town of Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s a novella and you can read it in about two hours. While it is a Christmas story, it’s a wonderful story you can read anytime of the year and enjoy. If you like stories about Hawaii or cowboys, check this one out. It’s clean as a whistle and a happy feel good story in the end.

A lot of folks aren’t aware that the island of Hawaii and Waimea, in particular, played an important role during World War II. 

The plaque says: This stone honors the Marines and sailors of the 5th Marine Division, who trained at Camp Tarawa in preparation for the February 19, 1945 assault on the island of Iwo Jima. They arrived at the camp throughout the summer and fall of 1944. The division conducted rehearsals for the assault using the steep volcanic hills located on Parker Ranch, which simulated Iwo Jima’s most significant military feature – Mt. Suribachi. By January 1945, the 5th Marine division had departed Camp Tarawa for Iwo Jima. The defining moment of that historic 36-day battle occurred February 23, when “old glory” was raised atop Mt. Suribachi by men of the 28th Regiment. Joe Rosenthal’s photograph immortalized this flag raising, and later by Felix de Weldon’s Marine Corps War Memorial statue adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery. After Iwo Jima was secured on March 26, 1945, the 5th Marine division returned to Camp Tarawa in April for additional training while awaiting further orders. They departed Camp Tarawa for Kyushu to serve as an occupation force following Japan’s surrender.

This volcanic cinder cone and others like it were used to train for the invasion of Iwo Jima during WWII. Waimea, on the island of Hawaii.

 I remember about 15 years ago the military was still clearing parts of the island where live fire training had been conducted during WWII. Even today, if I was way off the beaten path around Waimea, I think I’d be careful about picking up anything metal and unrecognizable. The Army’s ordnance disposal team from Oahu comes to the big island every once in a while when something is found at the beach or elsewhere. 

Is what I’m working on, but after 3 days of dealing with broken websites I’m not sure if I’ll get the book done in time for this Christmas. We’ll see.