Author Tori Eldridge, who grew up on Oʻahu but now lives in Oregon, penned a series of books about Ranger Makalani Pahukula and is in Honolulu this week to talk about novels and the art of writing.
The Kanaka Maoli novelist — who graduated as Tori Brenno from Punahou School in the same class as President Barack Obama — will discuss her novels “Kauaʻi Storm,” published in May of 2025, and “Hawaiʻi Rage,” released in May of 2026, on Sunday, Sept. 27, at Native Books in Chinatown.
The event, which is free, is sponsored by the Lōʻihi Arts Foundation, which focuses on supporting the work of artists living in Hawaiʻi, with an emphasis on uplifting the work of kānaka maoli and kamaʻāina. Details.
Set in Hawaiʻi, the novels follow a protagonist who works at the Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site.
“I created this ranger who had been working in Oregon — which is where I now live — for 10 years,” Eldridge told Aloha State Daily. “There was that diaspora feeling of coming home, trying to fit in — in little Anahola, Kauaʻi, where she grew up on a Hawaiian Home Lands homestead — and dealing with that.”
“Hawaiʻi Rage” follows “Kauaʻi Storm” and has the same ranger investigating the suspicious death of her father at a Kohala ranch.
At this weekend's event, she will also offer a 90-minute creative writing workshop following the discussion about the novels.
“I always open all of my novels with these action scenes that reveal character and culture and history, while really keeping everybody on the edge of their seat,” she said. “I said, ‘Well, how about I talk about how to do that?’ So that's what we're going to do. We're going to do an interactive workshop. Anybody can come. No experience necessary. You can choose to write. You can choose to share — or not. You can just listen and be in our space and soak it all in. We're welcoming everybody.”
What is one piece of advice she would give up-and-coming writers?
“Just write and get words on a page because that's really the most important thing is to build a habit of writing,” she said. “It's easy to edit when there are already words on a page.”
Before becoming an author, Eldridge performed on Broadway, and was part of the first national company of “Cats,” among other credits. As part of that, she was part of a group of dancers asked to take photos with the famous Morris the Cat, who starred in a popular series of 9Lives pet food commercials.
“But here's the funny thing: that photo was taken an hour before we went on stage,” she said. “What I didn't realize was: I'm allergic to cats.”
The cat fur stuck to her makeup, and she had to wash her face, and reapply everything — right before going on stage for the show.
Recently, Eldridge was hired to narrate the audiobooks of her latest novels, which was complemented by her past experience acting and recording voiceovers.
“It was one of the greatest thrills of my professional career to be able to blend acting and writing, and be able to voice the multi-generational cast of characters,” she said. “And speak their dialog with phrases of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian pidgin the way I had intended them to sound.”
Eldridge also holds a fifth-degree black belt in To-Shin Do ninja martial arts.
“I changed everything to coincide with my 50th birthday,” she said. “I stopped everything to do with career martial arts and devoted my time, resources and energy to becoming a novelist. … And after a few published short stories, I came out with ʻThe Ninja Daughter’ and “The Ninja Blade’ and the rest of the ninja series. And here I am.”
Now, the novelist has published seven books. But it wasn’t until recently that she started writing about Hawaiʻi.
“When I became a tūtū, I realized that this was the time where I wanted to be writing about Hawaiʻi and family in a way that reflected the diaspora experience, but also addressed what kānaka maoli were challenged with in Hawaiʻi today,” she said, acknowledging that other authors have written thrillers set in paradise.
"But as a Native Hawaiian, for me to write a book set here, I felt it had to ring true with our people — to resonate," Eldridge added. "For that, I needed writing maturity. That's why I waited until my sixth and seventh novels to write about Hawaiʻi."
She said she leaned on friends to help with some of the research. Rev. Mark Haworth of Hālau Wa’a Episcopal helped her write a mountain top memorial at the fictional Hiapo family ranch that mixed religion with Hawaiʻi culture and tradition.
Her friend Kim Greeley — and Greeley’s calabash uncle, Henry “Bud” Gibson, who is an inductee to the Paniolo Hall of Fame and was a founder of New Town and Country Stables — helped her capture ranch life. In fact, she sat for hours listening to them talk about riding horses and ranching.
“It was very important to me that everything that this paniolo did was feasible and logical and authentic,” she said. “And they helped me tremendously with that.”
Sign up for the upcoming event, which includes a 90-minute writing workshop, on Sunday, Sept. 27, here. Find “Kauaʻi Storm” and “Hawaiʻi Rage” for $16.99 at Native Books.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
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