was born on the Hawaii Island and raised in a small town of Honoka‛a with a population of less than 2,000 people, surrounded by a homogenized mixture of diverse cultures and ethnicities due to the town lived in being surrounded by the sugar plantation and Paniolo (Cowboy) lifestyle. She has always been enthralled by the narratives told by the kūpuna (elders): tales of their history, myths and legends of Hawaii, and other stories of the many diverse cultures surrounding her.

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Her favorite stories have always leaned toward the supernatural ones filled with magic and mystery, and let's not forget the obake (ghost) stories, which are her second favorite. With stories told passed down from generation to generation, storytelling has been embedded deep into her bones.