Releases From Hawaii Authors

"DEAR KELSEA: SOME RAMBLINGS OF YOUR JESUS-LOVING, CANCER-FIGHTING,
POT-SMOKING MOM"

by Kealoha Wells

(AuthorHouse, $11.50)

The invention of print-on-demand publishing has given the world an endless
supply of rants and faux-literate gushes that would never have seen ink at
a legitimate book publisher. On the other hand, there are gems in the
rubble, and "Dear Kelsea" shines brightly. Wells had a brief bout with
unwanted and undeserved celebrity a couple of years ago when, as a leukemia
survivor, the home she shared with two other medical marijuana users was
raided by Big Island drug police and their possessions seized. There were
serious problems with the pretext for the raid (the other two were given a
settlement by government authorities this month for the illegal action),
but Wells has used the event as a hook to examine her own life and struggle
to raise a child with love and care while stuck on the fringes of society.
The miracle here is that Wells isn't bitter -- she's got a real story to
tell. She's genuinely funny and has human and secular values that transcend
our bizarre drug laws. As a "real book," this is a mess, but on the other
hand, it's impossible to put down, and you'll laugh out loud and wince at
the same time.

God bless her courage. (Available at dearkelsea.com. Half of the profits
support Hawaii children with leukemia.)