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Sara Ackerman

Biography

Sara Ackerman

Sara Ackerman is a USA Today bestselling author who writes books about love and life, and all of their messy and beautiful imperfections. She believes that the light is just as important as the dark, and that the world is in need of uplifting and heartwarming stories. Born and raised in Hawaii, she studied journalism and later earned graduate degrees in psychology and Chinese medicine. She blames Hawaii for her addiction to writing, and sees no end to its untapped stories.

A few of her favorite things, in no particular order --- hiking, homemade PIZZA, a good thunderstorm, stargazing, BOOKS, craft beer, her wonderful BOYFRIEND, surfing, mountain streams, friends and ANIMALS. In fact, animals inhabit all of her novels in some way, shape or form --- dogs, donkeys, sea turtles, a featherless chicken, endangered Hawaiian crows, horses and even a lion. When she's not writing or teaching, you'll find her in the mountains or in the ocean, which is where most of her inspiration happens.

Photo Credit: Tracy Wright-Corvo

Books by Sara Ackerman

by Sara Ackerman - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

1943. As war in the Pacific rages on, Isabel Cooper and her codebreaker colleagues huddle in “the dungeon” at Station HYPO in Pearl Harbor, deciphering secrets plucked from the airwaves in a race to bring down the enemy. Isabel, who only wishes to avenge her brother’s death, meets his best friend, a hotshot pilot with secrets of his own. 1965. Fledgling journalist Lu Freitas comes home to Hawai'i to cover the grand opening of the glamorous Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. When a high-profile guest goes missing, Lu forms an unlikely alliance with an intimidating veteran photographer to unravel the mystery. The two make a shocking discovery that stirs up memories and uncovers an explosive secret from the war days. A secret that only a codebreaker can crack.

by Sara Ackerman - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

In the dizzying aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Daisy Wilder enlists in a top-secret program, replacing male soldiers in a war zone for the first time. Under fear of imminent invasion, the WARDs guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies. But not everyone thinks the women are up to the job, and the new recruits must rise above their differences and work side by side despite the resistance and heartache they meet along the way. With America’s future on the line, Daisy is determined to prove herself worthy. And with the man she’s falling for out on the front lines, she cannot fail. From radar towers on remote mountaintops to flooded bomb shelters, she’ll need her new team when the stakes are highest.

by Sara Ackerman - Fiction, Historical Fiction

The attack on Pearl Harbor changes everything for Lana Hitchcock. Arriving home on the Big Island too late to reconcile with her estranged father, she is left alone to untangle the clues of his legacy, which lead to a secret property tucked away in the remote rain forest of Kilauea volcano. When the government starts taking away her neighbors as suspected sympathizers, Lana shelters two young German girls, a Japanese fisherman and his son. As tensions escalate, they are forced into hiding --- only to discover the hideaway house is not what they expected. When a detainment camp is established nearby, Lana struggles to keep the secrets of those in her care. Trust could have dangerous consequences.

by Sara Ackerman - Fiction, Historical Fiction

November, 1941. Newly enlisted as an Army Corps nurse, Eva Cassidy is stunned by the splendor she experiences aboard the steamship SS Lurline --- and even more so by Lt. Clark Spencer, a man she is drawn to but who clearly has secrets of his own. But Eva’s past, and the future she’s trying to create, means that she’s not free to follow her heart. Clark is a navy intelligence officer, and he warns her that the United States won’t be able to hold off joining the war for long, but nothing can prepare them for the surprise attack that will change the world they know. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Eva will have to decide whom to trust and how far she will go to protect those she loves.

by Sara Ackerman - Fiction, Historical Fiction

Violet Iverson and her young daughter, Ella, are piecing their lives together one year after the disappearance of her husband. As rumors swirl and questions about his loyalties surface, Violet believes Ella knows something. But Ella is stubbornly silent. Something --- or someone --- has scared her. And with the island overrun by troops training for a secret mission, tension and suspicion between neighbors is rising. Violet bands together with her close friends to get through the difficult days. To support themselves, they open a pie stand near the military base, offering the soldiers a little homemade comfort. Try as she might, Violet can’t ignore her attraction to the brash marine who comes to her aid when the women are accused of spying.