Launch Day for Soul of a Sleuth!!!
Rick Ludwig’s Maui Mysteries Series.
eBook and paperback versions of Soul of a Sleuth
About the pictures:
Top picture: The Maui Mysteries
Bottom Picture: Visiting friends from Lahaina in December
You order the Soul of the Sleuth book or eBook from Amazon today! Click here!
You can also order the earlier books in the series from Amazon today! Click here!
The day has arrived!
[Today, August 13, 2024, Babylon Books launched the final book in my Maui Mysteries Trilogy, Soul of a Sleuth . ]
Today is a day of celebration in the Ludwig house. A glass or two will be raised in recognition of this accomplishment. But we will also be remembering and celebrating others.
I am very proud of Soul of a Sleuth . I always try to put my heart into each of my books, but I think this one is special in this regard. Although I started writing this book in 2014, while on Maui, I was still doing rewrites a year ago on August 8, 2023, when a terrible fire destroyed my favorite little town in the world, Lahaina.
I thought about stopping work, as many of the sites described in the book were now ashes. But I decided instead to enhance those sections and add more about the Hawaiian love for the land, the ’aina. I want people to remember Lahaina as it was and look forward to Lahaina as it will be. I also added much more about Keone’s love for his island home and his Tutu (grandmother). I also made sure to list contacts to groups involved in the recovery and restoration of Lahaina and the other areas affected by the fires in my acknowledgement section (I reproduce that at the bottom of this post).
When Christy and I visited our son on Maui, just four months after the fire, we met and spoke with a number of our friends who lost everything in the fire. They advised us to stay away from the affected area to respect the sensitive feelings of so many, who lost family, friends, homes, and irreplaceable belongings. We respected their advice and met with them instead in South Maui for lunch and a chance to catch up. (See photo)
I was astounded by their resilience and determination to be Maui Strong. They will survive this and rebuild Lahaina, better and safer than ever. But it will take time and lot’s of Aloha. And some of that Aloha needs to come from those of us who love Maui from afar.
Tourism is a major portion of the economy on Maui and the people love to share the beauty of their island, so please visit. But when you do, respect the need for privacy of those diligently rebuilding their lives, homes, historic sites, and businesses. Avoid the damaged areas and the waters nearby, there are plenty of other lovely places to see and experience. If you want to go a step further, contact Maui Strong or any of the other groups listed below to see what you can do to help while you are there.
An effective way to help is to send a donation to one of the organizations below or many, many others:
Maui Strong Fund: This major effort is coordinated by The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation at the website: https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strengthening/maui-strong-fund.
Peoples Fund of Maui - Launched by Oprah Winfrey and Duane Johnson after the fire Peoples Fund of Maui is a component of the EIF, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and can be found at the website: https://www.eifoundation.org/partners/peoples-fund-of-maui/.
Maui United Way: a long-established group that is helping fire victims. It can be found at the website: https://www.mauiunitedway.org .
Lahaina Action Committee: another long-established group, which sold my early Maui Mysteries in their gift shop, are an excellent resource for multiple groups supporting the fire victims. A list of resources helping Maui fire victims can be found at this webpage: