About the Author
My husband, Kalani, has had some interesting adventures, many of which become backstories for my books. Kalani would tell stories to our friends. I’d step out for a couple minutes, and when I returned, everyone would be gathered around him, laughing, sometimes crying. They were completely captivated. I did kill him off in one of my books, and it’s a good thing that was his idea. I am amazed at what he’s lived through. Kalani had been married three times before we met. He has had such a complex and rich life. I keep peeling away the layers and there’s still so much to discover.
A lot of the experiences I write about are true, either from my life or Kalani’s. Much of what I’ve written actually did happen. But the stories themselves are entirely fictional. I guess you could say they were built on a framework of true stories, but then we’ve embellished events, created all new ones, and of course, changed the names to protect the innocent.
Readers find it interesting that I used our names in Falling Forward. Some would consider that book to be a reflection of our relationship. It’s really no such thing. It’s a hybrid between our lives. Falling Forward is a story about coming into yourself. You’re falling into this hopeless chasm of despair, but it ends up you’re actually serendipitously moving forward into a new and better situation. It takes some of us a little longer to figure out who you want to be.
A lot of married professional women can identify with Olivia, the character. In Falling Forward, she realizes she’s been “sleepwalking” for years. Society engineers us to be these perfect worker bees. From the earliest moments in school, we’re placed inside a small box, and taught the box is all there is. And that it’s always bad to be outside of that box -- you should never ask what’s outside the box, or even why the box is there. So we learn that’s all there is, just the box. It’s almost like some people I know/ They are mindless. They’re drones. They go to work, come home and do whatever it is they do there, and repeat the cycle every day, every week, year after year. They waste their lives waiting for weekends and a two-week annual vacation at Disney World. They’re missing the point. They’re missing life. They’re sleepwalking. I did it for years. Kalani snapped me out of if ten years ago. Life seems so much more grand, worthwhile, and exciting now.
Kalani plays a pretty big part in my writing. I couldn’t do what I do without him. He’s my partner in crime. It all started when Kalani took me to see my first beach sunrise. I have lived near the beach for more than 20 years yet had not taken the time to witness such beauty. It was amazing. We started brainstorming book ideas as we walked the beach. Our ideas are usually based on Kalani's crazy experiences and things he’s seen. We then take that framework and build wonderful characters and stories around them. Regular early morning walks on the beach are now a part of our normal routine. I think the sea air and the negative ions clear our minds and allows the creativity to flow a little easier.
Writers don’t make a whole lot of money, I’m hearing, and I’ve still got bills to pay, so I still have a new day job. Kalani works too, owns his own business. We’re hoping we can write full-time. That would be a dream come true.
Kalani has some music based on the Falling Forward book. He's so wonderfully talented. He’s been writing music for years as a hobby. He always toyed with the idea of writing an island or Hawaiian CD. Kalani created two songs for Falling Forward: A Song for Liv, and Miracle. They’re simply amazing. It really brings life to the story. Oh, there's a secret about Kalani - in his spare time, he's been touring as a country music singer named Jake McGrew... so if you see him pop up in my books, don't think I'm having an affair!
- Olivia
