Happy Book Birthday to “Waters of Destruction”!

Happy book birthday to Leslie Karst—for today her second Orchid Isle Mystery, Waters of Destruction, spouts into the world! Here’s the synopsis: After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move permanently to the beautiful – if storm-prone – Big Island. The couple are having fun furnishing their new house, exploring their new … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday to “Waters of Destruction”!

Leslie KarstApril 1, 2025March 1, 202515 Comments

Leslie Karst

10 Things You Might Not Know About The Orchid Isle

As you may know, the “Orchid Isle” is the nickname for the Island of Hawai‘i, where my new mystery series is set and where I’ve lived half time for the past seventeen years. a Big Island beach It gets its moniker, “the Big Island,” for two reasons: First, calling it by its official name, “Hawai‘i,” would be confusing, since that’s also the name of the … Continue reading 10 Things You Might Not Know About The Orchid Isle

Leslie KarstMarch 17, 2025March 3, 202531 Comments

Leslie Karst

Aloha, Hilo!

The coming of autumn heralds Robin’s and my annual return to Hilo, Hawai‘i, where we hunker down for six months avoiding the brutally cold and wet Santa Cruz winters. (Yes, that was a joke. But seriously, the weather is far more pleasant in the islands this time of year than in Northern California.) As I write this, we’ve been back on the Big Island for … Continue reading Aloha, Hilo!

Leslie KarstOctober 28, 2024October 27, 202431 Comments

Book Birthday, Leslie Karst

Release Day News: MOLTEN DEATH

Happy book birthday to Leslie Karst—for today her first Orchid Isle Mystery, Molten Death, erupts into the world! Here’s the synopsis: Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have come to the Big Island of Hawai‘i to treat themselves to a well-earned tropical vacation. After the recent loss of her brother, Valerie is in sore need of a distraction from her troubles and is … Continue reading Release Day News: MOLTEN DEATH

Leslie KarstApril 2, 2024March 20, 202415 Comments

Leslie Karst

A Day in My Life in Hilo

Tomorrow, April 2, you’ll get to read on the fabulous Dru’s Book Musings about a day in the life of Valerie Corbin, the protagonist of my new Orchid Isle mystery, Molten Death. The day she’ll be describing is one while on vacation on the Big Island of Hawai‘i—a trip that doesn’t end up going exactly as she’d planned. As many of you know, my wife … Continue reading A Day in My Life in Hilo

Leslie KarstApril 1, 2024June 11, 202437 Comments

Leslie Karst

Chicks Celebration: Launch of “MOLTEN DEATH”!

Welcome to “Chicks Celebration,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share what we’re currently celebrating (book release, new idea, recent read…). 1. Which Chick is celebrating? Leslie 2. The reason for the celebration? The launch of the first book in my new Orchid Isle mystery series, Molten Death, which releases this coming Tuesday, April 2. (Buy link here.) 3. What have … Continue reading Chicks Celebration: Launch of “MOLTEN DEATH”!

Leslie KarstMarch 29, 2024March 29, 202428 Comments

Leslie Karst

A Rainbow of Characters

Where do you get your ideas for characters? Are they based on people you know? Are they based on you? Such are the questions authors are often asked. And for me, the answers are: everywhere, yes, and yes. But it’s not quite so simple as that. None of my characters are based solely on any one person. Rather, they’re mostly an amalgam. Or perhaps the … Continue reading A Rainbow of Characters

Leslie KarstJanuary 22, 2024January 17, 202430 Comments