My father “Big Jim” was a large man in every sense of the word, and he told big fat lies. He was drafted toward the end of WWII but Japan surrendered the day before he was to report for duty. He told us they gave up because they heard Big Jim was coming. He couldn’t swim but took us to the beach. He’d go in the water and just sink. He said that was how Russians swim and the technique was called “snorkel.” 

         I began my own story-telling before anyone could read my penmanship. My first writing job was creating ads for a Fifth Avenue store that sold fur coats. Lucky for me, I was diverted from the ad world when I was offered editorship of Hawaiian Airlines in-flight magazine, then called Latitude 20. With children to support, I spent many years editing other writers’ stories. I wrote my first book Maui on My Mind while working full time by getting up an hour early every day and putting 500 words on paper. It became a best seller and won first place in the national Lowell Thomas Travel Book awards. I quit my job and wrote for many publications including Travel & Leisure, Islands, the Washington Times and Los Angeles Times. National Geographic commissioned me to write a book about Hawaii. 

         I wrote fiction in my spare time, mostly on planes and in foreign hotel rooms. One of the first published was selected for a Pushcart Prize. Another won grand prize in the National Steinbeck Center short story competition.

         My first novel, LION'S WAY, like much of my fiction, was inspired by the things I discovered while pursuing magazine assignments. In this case, I was horrified to find out that slavery not only still exists, but flourishes, even in the U.S.A. LION'S WAY is one slave’s story, his anguish, escape, and ultimate surrender to love.  Lion Majok from Sudan becomes a priest in Hawaii. He goes from island to island, healing, consoling and getting caught up in adventures. I intend that his journey from inner turmoil to peace is both a little light and wildly entertaining. I also hope it is a worthy heir to Big Jim’s whoppers.

RITA ARIYOSHI