Gay Sail Away - The Most Comprehensive Website for LGBT Cruise Travel

Neil S. Plakcy's Mahu Series
Great Books For A Summer Cruise

I am so lucky to have stumbled upon the book Mahu Surfer (number 2 in the series of 5 books) a few summers ago during a shopping trip to A Different Light Bookstore in the Castro. Intrigued by the use of the word “mahu”, which means homosexual or transsexual in Hawaiian, and the hunky graphic of a surfer, I purchased the book. To my pleasure, Neil S. Plakcy has penned an exciting detective series that is the perfect fare for summer reading. The series revolves around Kimo Kanapa’aka a humble and gorgeous hapa haole (half Hawaiian and half caucasian) police detective who is dealing with being publicly outted in the line of duty, struggling with homophobia on the police force and reconnecting his family and friends as a gay man.

In between all of the intense action, on the streets of Honolulu and in and out of the sheets of Kimo's apartment, Mr. Plakcy fills the books with authentic Aloha Spirit, best represented through the characters of Kimo’s family and friends. He has captured the true essence of a contemporary Hawaiian family, or ohana, with a heart felt sincerity that both locals and visitors will find heart warming and authentic.

A "must read" for gay visitors to the Island of Oahu, with story lines placed in Honolulu, Waikiki and the famous North Shore surfing beaches. The books are the perfect “off-the-beaten path” guides for visitors to Oahu. The books not only entertain, they are also chalk filled with references to contemporary local Hawaiian musicians and local traditions. And for any one who’s been to Waikiki and enjoyed the gay nightlife, you’ll be tickled that the fictional local watering hole The Rod and Reel Club seems to be a mixture of 1980’s Hulas Bar and Lei Stand (the old site under the Banyan Tree) combined with Angles on Kuhio. Anyone who’s spent time in these great gay establishments will get a sense of nostalgia while reading the series.

Whether newcomer, local or someone who is just looking for a great read to escape in on a summer cruise (or even stranded on your backyard patio), the Mahu Books series is an exciting and sexy way to spend a summer day or evening, with a mai-tai in one hand and a hot and hunky Hawaiian cop named Kimo in your lap.

In celebration of Hawaiian Cruise Month...
Neil S. Plakcy's MAHU Book's

GaySailAway is excited to present Lambda Literary Award Finalist Neil S. Plakcy’s sexy and intriguing Gay Detective Series, the Mahu Book series (Mahu, Mahu Surfer, Mahu Fire, Mahu Vice and his most recent Mahu Men ). Set in Honolulu, Hawaii, the series is filled with colorful and sexy gay characters, steamy man-on-man sex, captivating mysteries and so much local color and culture that you’ll feel as if you’re basking in the hot Waikiki sun...even on an Alaskan Cruise!

Published by Alyson Books (www.alyson.com), the worlds oldest and largest pubisher of LGBT literature

Kimo Kanapa'aka's world turns upside down in Mahu. At 32, the hero of Mahu has reached the pinnacle of his profession, detective on the Honolulu Police Department's homicide squad, based at the Waikiki station. But a difficult murder case, as well as turmoil in his personal life, is about to threaten everything he has worked for.

A life-threatening drug bust in chapter 1 makes Kimo realize that it's time to stop lying to himself. He's drawn to the Rod and Reel Club, a gay bar in Waikiki where he has a couple of beers and begins the long process of accepting his attraction to other men. Leaving the club, though, he stumbles onto two men dropping a dead body in an alley, and he launches himself into a nightmare where his private life becomes public news.

Kimo's pursuit of this case takes him from the seamy underside of Chinatown to the elegance of million-dollar homes in Maunalani Heights, from gay bars where young men stride naked down runways to bloody crime scenes.

Published by Alyson Books (www.alyson.com), the worlds oldest and largest pubisher of LGBT literature

A finalist for the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Mystery

Mahu Surfer, Neil Plakcy's second mystery novel, sends openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka back to his surfing past. Rather than announce Kimo's public return to the HPD after the events of Mahu, his new boss asks the former competitive surfer to go undercover on Oahu's North Shore to find the killer of three young surfers.

In his return to the North Shore, Kimo discovers trouble in paradise, from an epidemic rise in the use of crystal meth to increasing pressure on real estate prices. As well, he rekindles an uneasy friendship with an old friend whose sexual assault drove Kimo into the police academy, and further into the closet, six years earlier.

Mahu Surfer showcases a handsome, sexy hero who struggles to overcome personal troubles and makes private sacrifices for the public good. Throw in an exotic tropical locale, plenty of aloha spirit and a dash of surf culture, as well as a slam-bang ending that puts Kimo and the people he cares about in danger, and you've got the makings of a page-turning mystery.

Published by Alyson Books (www.alyson.com), the worlds oldest and largest pubisher of LGBT literature

Winner of the Hawaii Five-O award for best police procedural mystery
A finalist for the 2008 Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Mystery

Six months have passed since Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapaka'a's return to Honolulu from his undercover assignment on the North Shore. He's becoming more comfortable with his visibility as Honolulu's only openly gay homicide detective, including mentoring a group of gay teens.

Kimo, his family and friends are attending a local charity event in support of gay marriage when a bomb disrupts the gala. Kimo is determined to find out who feels strongly enough against the issue to kill-- but it's possible that his high profile will stand in his way.

Published by Alyson Books (www.alyson.com), the worlds oldest and largest pubisher of LGBT literature

About a year and a half has passed since the flames engulfed Waahila Ridge State Park at the end of Mahu Fire. During that time, Kimo and Mike dated for about six months, but the pressures on them increased to the point where their relationship ended. But when a fire breaks out at a shopping center Kimo's father used to own, and a young boy is killed, they are forced to work together-- and to acknowledge that the embers of their relationship are still hot.

But a lot stands in the way of their getting together once more, including a mysterious man who knows how to exploit Kimo's sexual fantasies, Mike's identity issues, and a deadly little thing called murder.

Published by MLRPress (www.mlrbooks.com), manlove - gay, erotic fiction at its best!

Mixing mystery and erotica, the stories in Mahu Men take readers into the world of openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka. Moving from pickups to murders, Kimo surfs the waves of his professional and personal lives in a sexy, sensual tropical paradise, where danger and desire lurk behind every palm tree.

The stories fill the gaps between the Mahu novels, showing Kimo dating as well as solving cases and establishing a relationship with his new detective partner. Mixing the sensuality of erotica with the sharp-edged attitude of mysteries, Mahu Men is a chance for new readers to meet Kimo, and for fans to delve more deeply into his world.

Kimo’s Favorite Spots In Hawaii by Neil S. Plakcy

Kimo is a surfer, so a surf spot has to be tops on his list. In the early books he lives in Waik?k? and surfs Canoes, the break just behind the Outrigger Waik?k? and Moana Surfrider hotels. There’s a gay surf group that meets by the Duke Kahanamoku statue on Saturday mornings, and they’re always willing to help out new surfers and tourists. They can be reached through their Yahoo group, gaysurfclubhawaii.

As a cop, Kimo’s on the go, so he and his detective partner, Ray, eat a lot of fast food. Their favorite spot is an island favorite called Zippy’s, famous for its chili. One of Kimo’s favorites is the teriyaki burger; he is part Japanese, after all. http://www.zippys.com/ to learn all about their local grinds (foods). But even though Spam is one of Hawaii’s favorite foods, he steers clear of it.

Kimo loves micro-brewed beer, particularly the varieties from Kona Brewing Company. When he’s out beyond Diamond Head, he loves to visit their brewpub at the Koko Marina and indulge in a Big Wave Golden Ale or a Longboard Lager. There’s more about the pub here: http://www.konabrewingco.com/our-pubs/koko-marina-pub.

Kimo’s favorite gay bar is fictional—the Rod and Reel Club in Waik?k?. But you can get almost the same feel from Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand on Kapahulu Avenue. http://www.hulas.com/

Since he wears a lot of aloha shirts, Kimo is a regular customer at Hilo Hattie, especially the store on Nimitz Highway that’s close to the coroner’s office. There’s nothing like IDing a body and then doing a little shopping on your way back to headquarters! http://www.hilohattie.com/

Another one of Kimo’s favorite retail spots is the Aloha Stadium swap meet, where he picks up all those little things he needs to customize his apartment. From crack seed (Hawaiian treats) to T-shirts and almost anything in between.
http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/

When Kimo needs a quick fix on his favorite dried fruit dipped in li hing mui powder, he heads to Long’s Drugs. This chain is now part of CVS, but it still has a real island feel. There are branches all over Honolulu and sell lots of Hawaiian products and souvenirs.

About the Author

Neil S. Plakcy is the author of four mystery novels and two romances, as wells as editor of several anthologies. He is an assistant professor of English at Broward College’s South Campus in Pembroke Pines, FL and a freelance writer and web developer. Plakcy has published a wide range of fiction and nonfiction in mainstream and gay and lesbian publications, both in print and online.

His short fiction has appeared in many publications, including Blithe house Quarterly and IN The Family, and won first prize for the best South Florida story for South Florida magazine. He holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA in real estate and operations management from Columbia University, and an MFA in creative writing from Florida International University.

His stories have appeared in many erotica anthologies, and his MFA thesis was published as Invasion of the Blatnicks (Xlibris, 2000). He is a member of the Mystery Writes of America and Sisters in Crime.

A native of Yardley, Pennsylvania, he now lives in South Florida with his partner and golden retriever.

Mystery Novels
Mahu (Haworth Press 2005, Alyson Books 2009)
Mahu Surfer (Alyson Books, 2009)
Mahu Fire (Alyson Books, 2009)
Mahu Vice (Alyson Books, 2009)
Mahu Men ( MLRPress, 2010)

Romance Novels
GayLife.com (MLR Press, 2009)
Three Wrong Turns in the Desert (Loose Id, 2009)

Anthologies
Paws and Reflect: A Special Bond Between Man and Dog
(Alyson Books, 2006)
Hard Hats, Gay Erotic Stories (Cleis, 2008)
Surfer Boys: Gay Erotic Stories (Cleis, 2009)