INFO: Mea Culpa
When shortcuts are not useful...
Periodically, I discover printing, technical, and/or content flaws in the publication of my writing. The following one causes me continuing embarrassment. Copy and Paste may seem like a wonderful shortcut, but more than once I have erred in applying it. In flipping clauses in a sentence, I have sometimes flipped the meanings of the definition for the Hawaiian diacritical mark ʻokina (a reversed apostrophe) with that of the Kahakō (a macron, a straight line over a vowel). The ʻokina [ʻ] is a glottal stop, indicating a break in sounding consonantal sounds, like that separating an interjection’s syllables, as in “oh-oh.” The Kahakō is used to indicate a prolonged sounding of a vowel. More often, the error that occurs is an incorrect representation of the symbols. Unfortunately, this is sometimes due to the limited options on a website which either fails to offer the correct diacritical mark or fails to insert what I have used in the original text I created on my computer.
Publishing Error: Murder on Mokulua Drive
Flaws...unfortunately a continuing publishing experience
Although I was fortunate to receive 2nd Place for Published Literature in the 2018 Arizona Literary Excellence Contest for Murder on Mokulua Drive, I’m unhappy to report that there are a couple of major flaws I must report. The first is a two-line printing error in Murder on Mokulua Drive. Fortunately, the text is readable despite the strikethroughs. More importantly, as I was comparing books two and three with the first book (Prospect for Murder), I found a major historical mistake. In the glossary, I mistakenly copied and pasted a sentence regarding Princess Ka'iulani into the description of Queen Kapiʻolani. The result is a statement that the Queen was the last princess of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a clear and major error.
While the Ebook can be corrected (and the audio book which has no glossary is unaffected), printed copies of the book containing the error cannot be corrected…and there is no way for me to send out errata labels to readers who possess that volume. Fortunately, as new printings occur, they will contain corrected text for that and a few minor flaws that have been found. The one thing I can do at this point, is share a description of Queen Kapiʻolani that will tell you something about this wonderful woman’s life. This is what should have appeared in my glossary...
Kapiʻolani, Queen. In the Hawaiian language her name means Rainbow, heavenly or royal arch. Her full name is Kapi'olani Napelakakuokaka'e [1834-1899]. She was the Queen Consort of King La'amea Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua [known as the Merrie Monarch], who was her second husband. She was noted for speaking only the Hawaiian language, despite her early education in English. Her charitable work included the founding of Kapiʻolani Maternity Home [now Kapiʻolani Medical Center]. As much of Hawaiian royalty, she was a respected composer. Sadly, her beloved husband, King Kalākaua, did not live to hear the love song she wrote in his honor.
The writing process is unending, and, hopefully, each of us grows in both understanding and skill with the passage of time. I sincerely regret these and other errors that have occurred in presenting Natalie's murderous Island tales, and shall continue to report them as I find them...
Thank you for your feedback and continuing interest!
With Aloha, Jeanne Burrows-Johnson