"People show up in your life just when you need them and will sometimes give you a message that will totally change your life, if you choose to follow it."
Jade Gonzalez has always been fascinated with Hawaii and its beautiful beaches, jungle waterfalls, volcanoes, and elaborate flower lei. Even the islands' eclectic cultural mix seems perfect to a girl of Mexican-Asian heritage.
A winter vacation to the islands to visit her mother's old college friend Leilani gets really interesting when Jade meets Leilani's cute son, Kai. Together, the two explore the legend of the Hidden Falls, a magical waterfall with the power to grant one's heart's desire. During the hike, Kai is injured and, on her way to get help, Jade takes a bad fall, only to wake up in 1957. The waterfall, it seems, really is magic.
In the past, Jade meets handsome Pono Kaluhiwa, who immediately falls for the girl from the future. Trouble is, Jade already has feelings for Kai and wants to get back to her own time. Besides, she knows what the future holds for Pono-staying with him could change his destiny and hers. Even so, Jade's tempted to stay. Pono's hard to deny.
Jade has a decision to make. Does she (and can she) go back to her own time, or should she stay with Pono, changing the future forever? Either way, someone's heart is going to break. The question is, will it be Pono's, Kai's, or Jade's?
About the Author: T. A. Garcia grew up in California, making her first visit to Hawaii in her early twenties. A few months later, she moved to the islands and has now spent more than twenty wonderful years in paradise.
Garcia wrote A Time in Paradise to share her love of the islands' beauty, culture, and aloha spirit. Like Jade, the author's son and daughter are of Asian-Hispanic heritage, and part of the unique merging of cultures the islanders jokingly refer to as "mixed plate."
While browsing the young adult section of her local library, Garcia realized how few books were set in Hawaii or had mixed-heritage protagonists. Jade's story grew out of this realization.
