Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lehua Parker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lehua, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Back in 2011, I’d just finished a multi-year project and was thinking of doing something completely different. Everything I’d done professionally had an element of storytelling to it, so when a friend challenged me to write a book, I decided a book wasn’t enough. I was going to write an entire series.

I’d just started the process when I heard a new publisher was coming to town to speak to local writing groups. I literally went because I’d put mascara on that morning and didn’t want to do the dinner dishes.

At the presentation, the publisher suddenly turned to the audience and asked everyone to tell him what they were working on. Everyone said some version of “My novel is about this, but it’s not very good.”

That’s crazy, I thought.

About a third of the way through the room, he said what he was really interested in was a five book middle grade series.

Hidden in the far corner of the room, I was the last person to speak. I said, “I’m writing a five book middle grade series set in Hawaii. It’s about two brothers; one’s a surfing star and the other’s allergic to water. But it’s not an allergy, he’s actually a shark in human form and doesn’t know it. The series fits into the Common Core by…”

I pitched it like a business proposal, speaking to the market need and potential. His eyes lit up. “I can sell that,” he said. “Tell me more.”

This risk ended with a five book contract for a series that was just an idea when I pitched it. The core series ended up a trilogy with other works written in the same universe. The Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy is considered foundational for middle grade/young adult Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) literature and is used throughout schools in the United States and Pacific.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

LEHUA PARKER writes speculative fiction for kids and adults, often set in her native Hawai‘i. Her award-winning and best-selling series include the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy, Lauele Fractured Folktales, and Chicken Skin Stories. Her short stories have appeared in Va: Stories by Women of the Moana, Dialogue, Fua, An Ocean of Wonder, and Bamboo Ridge, and are collected in Sharks in an Inland Sea. Her plays have been performed by The Honolulu Theatre for Youth.

A Kamehameha Schools graduate, Lehua is a passionate advocate of indigenous voices and authentic representation in media. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, schools, and symposiums, and mentors through the Lehua Writing Academy and PEAU Lit. When the right project wanders by, she’s also a freelance editor and story consultant.
Now living in exile in the high Rocky Mountains, during the snowy winters she dreams of the beach.

Connect with her on her website at https://www.lehuaparker.com . To find more of her stories, check out her Amazon page at https://www.amazon.com/Lehua-Parker/e/B009SDCHA6 .

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I write stories for Hawaiian Islanders, often kids, who seldom see their authentic selves and families in fiction. They are at the center of the story, the heroes and the villains, and their world isn’t exotic or strange or other-ed. As my characters talk, it’s perfectly normal for them to use Hawaiian and Pidgin words and phrases and nobody has to explain why you always removed your shoes at the door or why whistling at night isn’t a good idea. The audience for these kinds of immersive stories is comparatively tiny, but the excitement and thrill for those kids who are the target audience is off the charts. I love it when kids ask, “Aunty, when you wrote this part, did you really mean…?” And then I get to say, “Yes. I really did. AND YOU CAN, TOO!”

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I write the kinds of stories I couldn’t find in my local library growing up. I want Pacific Islander kids, particularly Kānaka Maoli kids, to see their authentic selves at the center of the story. Most importantly, I want to show the larger world that there is value in promoting indigenous voices in media, that it takes many different voices to demonstrate the full beauty of the human experience. I don’t think I will ever write “The Great Hawaiian Novel,” but I hope to inspire the person who will.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lehuaparker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lehuaparker/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LehuaParkerAuthor/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lehua-parker/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LehuaParker