Show Notes
The first Orchid Isle cozy mystery, set in tropical Hilo, Hawai'i, introduces a fun and feisty LGBTQ+ couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions!
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 looking forward to enjoying the delicious food and vibrant culture the state has to offer.
Early one morning, the couple and their friend - tattooed local boy, Isaac - set out to see an active lava flow, and Valerie is mesmerized by the shape-shifting mass of orange and red creeping over the field of black rock. Spying a boot in the distance, she strides off alone, pondering how it could have gotten there, only to realize to her horror that the boot is still attached to a leg - a leg which is slowly being engulfed by the hot lava.
Valerie's convinced a murder has been committed - but as she's the only witness to the now-vanished corpse, who's going to believe her?
Determined to prove what she saw, and get justice for the unknown victim, Valerie launches her own investigation. But, thrown into a Hawaiian culture far from the luaus and tiki bars of glossy tourist magazines, she soon begins to fear she may be the next one to end up entombed in shiny black rock . . . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Allusions: LGBTQ Writing
After the death of his husband, Ethan Marris leaves New York for Washington, D.C., hoping to begin again. He accepts a position as Compliance Officer at St. Jerome's Medical Center, once considered the region's most prestigious hospital. Around him, America's healthcare system is struggling to rebuild after a political movement dismantled decades of federal oversight.
It’s 1989, and Joe Agabian and his best friend Ronnie set out to spend their first summer working in the hedonistic gay paradise of Fire Island Pines. Joe is desperate to let loose and finally move beyond the heartbreak of having lost his boyfriend to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Detective Rory Scott was in college when six-year-old Savannah Armitage vanished and the body of a missing teen was found nearby in a shallow grave. The case went unsolved, but Rory’s mother's partner, Stephen, was convicted in the court of public opinion. When Rory’s mother refused to leave him, Rory broke familial ties.
Queer people spend around $100 billion annually on travel, and are twice as likely as the general population to hold a passport. In short, they love to travel! Despite their lavish spending, queer travelers are often underserved. They are either overlooked when it comes to travel guides, or are encouraged to stick to a handful of "safe” destinations. This conventional wisdom doesn't build their confidence or validate their identities. Nor does it teach them how to advocate for themselves as travelers or plan off-the-beaten-path adventures to new places. And, with the advent of anti-LGBTQ+ policies across the United States and elsewhere, travel has become more fraught than ever for queer individuals. Weaving personal experience with data and interviews, (Out) On the Road empowers LGBTQ+ travelers to face their fears, expand their comfort zones, find community, and thrive on the road. This book provides readers with a framework for planning travel, navigating risks, and becoming self-reliant. Written in a tone that centers female and nonbinary points of view, (Out) On the Road offers a deep dive into the queer travel experience.
A young, aspiring writer desperate for a break…and the legendary Andy Warhol superstar who gave him the story of a lifetime.