Today my very special guest is Kim Adams, creator of the very popular SOS Aloha Blog.Q: What is your typical day like?
I am a romance blogger living in Paradise! I wake up to sunshine, check the romance blogs (since we are five hours behind the East Coast), and take a walk along Pearl Harbor – it reminds me how thankful I am to live in freedom. I blog at night after the children have gone to bed. But I frequently have to double check it in the morning for midnight errors!
Q: Tell me about your blog.
I write a blog, www.sosaloha.blogspot.com, to promote romance reading, military families and Hawaiian culture. It is an outreach of Kathryn Falk’s military charity, SOS America (Kathryn Falk is the founder and CEO of RT Book Reviews.)
Q: What influenced you to write this blog?
Each year, RT hosts a Booklovers Convention. It includes the SOS Military Tribute. After the SOS Military Mixer in Orlando/2009, readers asked how they could support military families. So I created a monthly newsletter to spotlight organizations that support military families, authors with military connections, and international holidays (to honor the different cultures where military families live). Several readers encouraged me to transform the newsletter into a blog, so I posted my first blog on March 3, 2010. Over the past year, it has morphed from a monthly newsletter to a daily blog. I giveaway romance books donated by publishers, authors, and reviewers. I also giveaway Hawaiian trinkets in the spirit of Aloha. My blog is open to all readers – not just those connected to the military.
Q: Are you a fan of romance?
Oh, yes and I'll tell you how I fell in love with romance as it's a fun story! I worked as a contracts officer in the Air Force. I did not read any books off duty. After getting married and leaving the Air Force, my husband was reassigned to a NATO assignment in the Netherlands. At that time, NATO deployed peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan. The deployed personnel called back to the headquarters unit to request donations for local orphanages. Since I was a volunteer in the American Spouses’ Thrift Shop, we literally emptied our shelves with clothes, shoes, and toys. Left behind were romance books. A blue book with a red tartan called to me – Cathy Maxwell’s A MARRIAGE CONTRACT. Considering I was living across from a castle and taking tea with the British ladies, it was a perfect storm to become hooked on romance books and the Happily Ever After. It is pure escapism from the war business. After we moved to Baltimore, I attended my first RT Booklovers Convention and discovered SOS America. And the rest is history!
Q: What’s the craziest, bravest, or stupidest thing you’ve ever done?
I frequently blog about my travels through Europe as a new Lieutenant with my friends (before I met my husband). I have promised to share the story about meeting East German students in a Prague beer hall at RT in the bar.
Q: That sounds like a great story! Kim, I applaud you for your efforts and wish you much success.
Mahalo, Donna, for giving me the opportunity to promote SOS Aloha! I invite you to join me in virtual Hawaii for a bit of sun, romance, and history!
And one lucky blogger will win this Hawaiian trivet as a "door prize" so leave a comment!
Kim in Hawaii
www.sosaloha.blogspot.com
17 comments:
Kim, I am pea-green with envy that you get to see beautiful Pearl Harbor whenever your little heart desires it. And how cool, your USAF background! I'm a military wife, living just outside Barksdale AFB -- the local boys call it "Barkatraz" because once stationed here, no one ever leaves -- and I must say it's so refreshing to see others who have served and given back in their own special ways.
Best wishes to you and your blog! I'm now an official follower. Aloha!
Aloha, Donna! Thank you for the invite to your blog!
Aloha, Alysia! Thank you for serving, too, as a miltary spouse!
Wonderful interview. Kim, how do you like traveling around the world? Thank you for all your hard work in helping support our military families. I wish I lived in Hawaii so I could hug you!
I loved your post Kim. Who wold have thought the needs of Orphans would turn you into a romance reader. I have to say I'm amazed that your blog has only been up since March. I love your blog. Promoting Military families, teaching us and showing the beauty of Hawaii's present and past. It's such an informative blog. And you have such fun giveaways. :)
You have a great blog Kim and hope to see it for a long time.
Carol L
Lucky4750@aol.com
Thanks Donna for hosting Kim. It was interesting to read how she became a romance reader. I wish I could be in Hawaii now!
Thanks for sharing how you became a romance reader, Kim!
From orphans to romance novels? What a fun story!
Thank you Donna for the neat interview.
Wow Kim, I think I can honestly say I've never "met" anyone before that can say they were lead to romance books because of an orphanage.
Great interview Kim. You are lucky to be able to do what you love (blog) in such a beautiful paradise you love (Hawaii)
Such a fantastic interview, Kim!! It's different seeing you being interviewed since you're usually the one who does interviews at SOS Aloha...but it was fantastic and I enjoyed learning more about you :)
Stephanie
Kim I loved you interview. I too have read that Cathy Maxwell book and I think it's great. I love visitint your blog and I love what your blog represents. I like that you are making people all over the world aware of Hawaii and the military. Plus, I always love getting my little gifts from you. Makes me feel as if I am there in Hawaii with you. Thanks for all that you do.
iqb99@yahoo.com
Donna,
Thanks for bringing Kim to your blog. It's always nice to have someone from another "sunshine state." Kim your story and your heart for the orphans touches me. Thank you for taking the time to be with us for a while.
~~Susan in Arizona
Thanks Donna for featuring Kim. I've bookmarked SOS. I am so grateful for our military and the sacrifices they and their families make for our country. God bless.
Kim,
I love your blog. I'm so thankful to the military families who gives us all so much. I hape that I get to Hawaii soon.
loretta
lbcanton@verizon.net
Donna, Thank you for hosting Kim on your blog. I really enjoy reading her blogs and her reader's comments. Isn't funny how many people enjoy the same thing? JodiT
Hawaii is one place I'd like to visit one of these days. I kick myself for not visiting there when I lived in LA for a dozen years. Unfortunately, we had little kids, who are not the best traveling companions. :D
Thanks Kim for visiting my blog and helping us to get to know you and your lovely military blog better.
In the random drawing, Alyssia is the winner of the Hawaiian trivet. Congratulations, Alyssia!
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