WHERE THE SUN RISES by Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha Blog Tour PLUs A $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!
Publisher: Rosewind Books (October 11, 2022)
Language: English
Paperback: 326 pages
ISBN-10: 1645480801
ISBN-13: 978-1645480808
Praise for WHERE THE SUN RISES
“[An] atmospheric romance … Gomez and Polaha’s descriptions of Hawaii are postcard worthy. The breezy pace and gorgeous setting will stoke readers’ wanderlust.” —Publishers Weekly
“A sweet, closed-door, multicultural romance [that] will resonate with readers.” —Booklist
“Gomez and Polaha craft a compelling, clean romance that centers not just on business ambitions, but the impact of deception, honesty, and change in relationships. Its story of love, not giving up, trust, and reinventing one’s life grips readers with promise and hope for a different future. Moments Like This is highly recommended for romance readers looking for an exploration of the fine line between a woman’s strength and her ability to accept the vulnerability and promise of love.” —Midwest Book Review
Book Two in the From Kona with Love series depicting multicultural romance, love, loss, and redemption woven into a family saga set in the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Though connected, each installment can be read as a standalone.
When Maele Moana is paired up with Adam Yates to walk down the aisle together at her friend Andie’s wedding, it isn’t exactly a perfect match. Maele is the daughter of a plantation worker, and Adam is the son of one of the richest men in Oahu.
Their worlds couldn’t be more different. But they have one thing in common.
Big Dreams.
Dreams that will take Maele back to Kauai while Adam pursues an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles.
Adam wants to be in her life, and slowly, Maele lets him in. He inspires her to face her fears, and she restores his faith in redemption. But with love comes sacrifice, and the goals they’ve worked so hard for may end up tearing them apart.
Book Two in the From Kona with Love series is set on the island of Kauai. Where the Sun Rises is a story about overcoming adversity, the promise of young love, and the valor in letting go.
Ten facts about WHERE THE SUN RISES
1. It was originally 150,000 words long.
2. It was originally in chronological order. The book didn’t start at the wedding, but in Chicago and on Oahu sand on the same day, two weeks before the wedding.
3. Kristoffer made several illustrations for the book, one of which, the map, was included in the final edit for publication.
4. Kristoffer and Nina called their partnership “Chapter Tennis” because once Maele and Adam’s two weeks before the wedding we’re written individually they were completely dependent on each other to tell the story, one chapter at a time.
5. Adam’s chapter originally started the book, chapter one in Los Angeles, Maele was the prologue. However, before that, there was a prologue that began with Warren and Andie in Chicago.
6. We wanted to write a romance novel where the main character was choosing to wait until she was married to have sex. That obviously posed a challenge as most readers expect their romance novels to have some sex in them.
7. I wrote my chapters while filming Mystery101 numbers 6 & 7 and Dickens of a Holiday – all in Vancouver and all while in the 15 day quarantine period before filming began.
8. Adam has caused some controversy – both on the creative side and with the readers, because of his drug use. He was deemed as unlikable, but we fought to keep him broken and even though he is someone who has dealt with addiction, we hope to show a character who can overcome that particular demon and have a fresh start, making him, ultimately, the most likable character of all.
9. We have an amazing book cover designer, Huang, who gave us several cool options for the cover of the book.
10. There was a paper shortage this year. So it was difficult to print books!
Award-winning author Anna Gomez was born in the city of Makati, Philippines and educated abroad before moving to Chicago. She is Global Chief Financial Officer for Mischief at No Fixed Address, a consolidated group of advertising agencies. Gomez was recently selected for the 2020 HERoes Women Role Model Executives list, which celebrates 100 women who are leading by example and driving change to increase gender diversity in the workplace. Gomez has championed various ERGs for Black and API colleagues as well as resources essential to address challenges of ageism. She has sat on several boards and served as treasurer for Breathe for Justice and The Jensen Project, both focused on socio-economic issues, particularly violence against women and human trafficking. She was a keynote speaker in the 2020 Illinois CPA Society Young Professionals Leadership Conference, as well as the Northwest Indiana Influential Women’s Association’s Breaking the Glass Ceiling Event in August 2021.
In addition to co-starring with Rainn Wilson in Backstrom (FOX), he had a multi-season role on the acclaimed series Mad Men (AMC) and Castle (ABC). Polaha is also well-known for starring in Hallmark Channel movies such as Dater’s Handbook with Meghan Markle, and the Mystery 101 franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Polaha first received attention for his portrayal of John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the TV movie, America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story, opposite Portia de Rossi. He has appeared in numerous independent features, including Where Hope Grows, Devil’s Knot (Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon), and the Tim Tebow film, Run the Race.
Polaha has a featured role opposite Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 and is in Jurassic World: Dominion.
Polaha was born in Reno, Nevada, and he is married to actress Julianne Morris. They have three sons.
– 1 Winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card
