Jen here. It’s always a pleasure to host our current guest… You had me at cowboys in Hawai’i, Tori! Take it away!

Paniolo Dreams: My Quest to Cowboy in Hawai‘i Rage

Hey, Jen, mahalo for inviting me back on fab Chicks on the Case blog. I’m hyped on adrenalin because my newest Ranger Makalani Pahukula mystery just hit the shelves, and this one is set on a North Kohala ranch. I mean, cowboys in Hawai‘i? How hot is that!

Although my equestrian skills are not up to par, I secretly wish I could bolt across a field and slide to a halt on a cow horse like paniolo, Hawaiian cowboys and cowgirls, can do. (If you’re a Yellowstone junky like me, you know exactly what I mean.) Alas, despite countless riding lessons in my youth and riding experiences as recent as last year, I have what a great rider would call a lousy seat.

This is especially infuriating since my husband sticks to his saddle like glue. To be fair though, he had his own horse as a kid and liked to gallop across the pasture bareback until he fell off. Yeah…it’s kind of a miracle he never broke his neck.

Here’s the two of us looking relaxed and happy, last year during my research trip to Hawai‘i Island, on Na‘alapa Stables horses on beautiful Kahua Ranch.

I’m far more cautious. I’m not a fan of speed or being out of control, which has frequently happened when I’m riding on a horse. I remember one choice experience in Santa Barbara, long before my husband and I were married, when my trail horse decided it wanted to go home. I hung on for dear life shouting, “Whoa, f……, whoa!”

But I also had a positive, thrilling adventure in the Virgin Islands during my week-long vacation from Cats. I was in the original company of the 1^st national tour. Since we were performing in Washington D.C., Saint Thomas was the perfect place to go.

My companion and I met a local guy in a bar with horses he said we could ride. He lived up the mountain and invited us to come. Emboldened by the summer camp riding sessions I took as a kid, I jumped on the adventure and dragged my companion along.

I didn’t realize the guy’s horses would need to be caught, or that he’d throw on an English saddle instead of the Western saddles I had used. (That means no saddle horn to clutch if things go awry!) Undeterred by the challenge—or more likely wanting to show off to my friend—I set off with unearned confidence.

But like Mr. Magoo in those ancient cartoons (Please tell me someone out there is old enough to remember them besides me!) I avoided calamity and had a glorious ride, often racing under tree branches along rugged cliffside trails. The memory of my miraculous horsemanship (credited to a fairy godmother I’m sure) had led me to believe I could ride on an Eastern saddle again—which is what led to that embarrassing “Whoa f……, whoa” experience I mentioned before.

So in light of all this…why in the heck would I want to write a contemporary western family drama mystery set on an authentic Hawaiian cowboy ranch? Two reasons: paniolo are awesome, and I still yearn to ride.

Fortunately, I was blessed with another special opportunity when a reader fan of my Lily Wong ninja thrillers invited me to her Scottsdale, Arizona, ranchito where she trained wild mustangs and problematic horses. She had a “ninja-like” way of teaching that she felt would resonate with me. It’s no exaggeration to say that Lauren Woodard rocked my world.

Incidentally, she took me on a trail ride with a horse she was training that had never been on a trail before, making me think this sign posted at Na‘alapa Stables might hold a secret, yet universal, truth.

All of this is to say that I am insanely excited about the release of HAWAI‘I RAGE!

What is your most exciting or hilarious experience on a horse?

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Tori Eldridge is the author of Hawai‘i Rage, Kaua‘i Storm, and the acclaimed Lily Wong ninja thriller series. Born in Honolulu—of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Norwegian descent—Tori graduated from Punahou School with classmate Barack Obama before performing as an actress, singer, and dancer on Broadway, television, and film, and earning a fifth-degree black belt in To-Shin Do ninja martial arts. Her literary works have garnered Anthony, Lefty, and Macavity Award nominations and the 2021 Crimson Scribe for Best Book of the Year. Tori lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, where she helps care for her precious mo‘opuna (grandchildren), and where she narrated both of her Ranger Makalani Pahukula books! Learn more about Tori and her books at https://ToriEldridge.com.

ABOUT HAWAI‘I RAGE:

When Native Hawaiian ranger Makalani Pahukula is bored at her new position on the Big Island at Pu‘u Koholā National Historic Site, she agrees to help out on her cousin’s multigenerational cattle ranch. But as the tempers run hot between the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) in the Hiapo family, Makalani suspects the father’s gruesome ranching accident may be an ingenious murder to control the land.

The closer she becomes to the Hiapo family and the traditional paniolo way of life, the harder it is to believe the worst of those she has come to respect. But when more dangerous accidents happen, Makalani has no choice but to follow the clues into the dark history of Hiapo Ranch.

PURCHASE LINK

Available in Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook (Narrated by Tori)

Website: ToriEldridge.com

IG/Threads: @writer.tori

FB/TikTok: @ToriEldridgeAuthor

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