Lindsey Kelk is Ohana...plus a book giveaway

We're thrilled to have Lindsey Kelk back at CLC today. Her novels are fun and flirty, which always makes for a great fit here! Today she's here to talk about Hawaii in honor of the latest novel in her I Heart series. Thanks to HarperCollins, we have FIVE copies to give away!




Lindsey Kelk is a Sunday Times bestselling British writer, who was born in Doncaster, went to university in Nottingham, moved to London, then New York and now lives in LA. So far, she has written quite a few books, including the bestselling I Heart series, and many thousands of tweets. Lindsey has been published in more than twenty-five languages around the world and sold more than a million books. It sounds like a lot but her cats aren’t impressed. Classic cats.

As well as her ‘witty, funny, warm and clever books’ (thanks, Marian Keyes), Lindsey is the co-host of two podcasts; Full Coverage, where she and makeup artist, Harriet Hadfield, chat about all things beauty and Tight and Fights, a wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network. No, really. Lindsey is also working on a series of children’s books, writes various things for print and the internet and spends too much time playing around on social media. Oh, and Channing Tatum called her a unicorn. Make of that what you will. (Bio adapted from Lindsey's website.)

Visit Lindsey online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

**May contain spoilers for previous novels in the series**

When you’re running away from real life, there’s only one place to go...

When Angela Clark’s best friend Jenny invites her to join a press trip to Hawaii, three days of sun, sea and sleep sounds like the perfect antidote to her crazed life.

At work in New York, she’s supposed to be the face of Having It All. But the only thing Angela feels she excels at is hiding in the printer cupboard, eating Mini Cheddars and watching Netflix on her phone and if this is living the dream, she's more than ready to wake up.

A few days away with Jenny sounds like exactly what she needs but Angela’s talent for getting into a scrape guarantees nothing goes to plan – and not even the most beautiful beaches, blue skies and daiquiris will get her off the hook... (Courtesy of Amazon.)

I first visited Hawaii seven years ago when I was researching my book, About a Girl. I wanted a tropical, fantasy island that was far away from grey, wintery London to use as a backdrop for the story and settled on a trip to Oahu with a friend. I was expecting palm trees and Mai Tais, sun, sand and SPF, what I wasn’t expecting was to fall completely and utterly head over heels in love with the islands. I’ve always been a city girl, growing up in the British countryside, I yearned for the hustle and bustle of the big cities I read about in my favourite library books, and I never had a lot of interest in the beach. The sun has never been my friend, I’m altogether too pale for any kind of sunbathing and I would happily take a city break adventure over sand in every crevice any day of the week.

Until Hawaii.

There’s something completely magical about being a speck on a speck, floating on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, where everyone just seems so happy. In fact, I loved it so much, I ended up setting second book on the islands, the aptly titled, I Heart Hawaii. And so, even though it was a struggle, I’ve narrowed down a very long list to my five favourite things about my favourite islands. Enjoy!

1. The air. This is going to sound crazy, I’m sure, but as someone who has lived in London, New York and LA for the last ten years, there is something about getting off the plane in Hawaii, on any one of the islands, and taking a deep breath. You immediately know you’re on vacation. There’s the salty ocean, the fragrant flowers and, if you’re really lucky, fresh kalua roasting somewhere nearby for your dinner…

2. Swimming with the fishes… as someone who has watched a lot of mafia movies, this one might not make a lot of sense right away but I don’t mean metaphorical fish, I mean actual fish! As a die-hard bleach blonde, it takes a lot to convince me to put my head underwater, especially in swimming pools and salt water, but when I’m lucky enough to be in Hawaii, you cannot get me out of the ocean. On Oahu, I love to visit Hanauma Bay, a protected beach that only allows a certain number of visitors onto the sands each day. Because the bay is so well cared for, marine life flocks here and even the most inexperienced swimmers and snorkelers are guaranteed a show. On Maui, it’s Baby Beach outside of Lahaina, so named because ancient Hawaiians built a sea wall to slow the waves and create a safe place for their children to learn to swim and sail canoes. It’s a perfect place to hang out if you’re looking for a quiet, calmer option, away from the water sports offered at many of the other beaches.

3. The stories. Now, it very possible to go to Hawaii, flake out on the beach, wake up for food and drinks and do absolutely nothing else. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll have a hell of a time but if you’re interested in history and ancient cultures or any kind of storytelling, Hawaii really is a dream destination. Ancient Hawaiians had a story for everything, a tradition the current population holds very dear – why are there fewer hours of sunlight in winter? Blame Maui. Why did no one live on the island of Lanai for centuries? Obviously, it was because of the ghosts. There are a million great tour guides who will drive you around the islands but we prefer to use a self-guided GPS tour via an app on our phones. When you’re surrounded by so many stories, it’s almost impossible not to be inspired.

4. The cats. Now, if you’re not a cat person, you might want to skip to point five because this one is all kitties, all the time. A short ferry ride from the Lahaina marina on Maui is the island of Lanai. As I mentioned, it was uninhabited for a long time because of a bunch of murderous ghosts but the good news is they’ve all been driven away now so it’s safe for you to go and visit the greatest cat café of all time, the Lanai Cat Sanctuary. The outdoor sanctuary is home to more than 600 rescued cats, all from the island. The kitties are taken care of fixed, fed and loved by dozens of volunteers and full-time staff and, most importantly, daily visitors! Visiting the sanctuary is free but I heartily recommend you make a donation or purchase the kitties a gift from their Amazon wish list. They’re so modern! The island itself is fascinating so make sure you book a tour, it’s not big so it won’t take long.

5. The language. I guess it goes without saying but I’m a word nerd. I love words. I love learning new ones, I love using old ones and honestly, any opportunity to get my etymology on and I’m a happy gal. What I love most about the Hawaiian language is how much of it is filled with love and compassion and a genuine sense of sharing. When someone says ‘aloha’ or ‘mahalo’ to you, it isn’t the same as getting a ‘hi’ or a ‘thanks’ anywhere else. The love and respect that runs through the history of these words truly warms the cockles of your heart. And sure, everyone who’s seen Lilo and Stitch (and that’s all of us, right?) knows that Ohana means family but once you’re in the islands, it feels like so much more. Overall, Hawaii feels like a hug. A beautiful, happy, chicken-filled hug. Did I mention the chickens? Wow, I’m going to need to do this all over again…

Thanks to Lindsey for the armchair adventure and to HarperCollins for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends November 5th at midnight EST.