HEY INVADERS! I am super happy to be sharing this spotlight with you. The author reached out to me about reviewing and I feel honored for him to have considered me. I will have a review for this book soon. Until then, here is some info.
Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out,
and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in the hollow
is hard. She has one advantage -- an android was inserted into her life and is working
with her to cure her parents. But, he wants something in exchange. It's up to her
to save the Universe. Lacy Dawn doesn't mind saving the universe, but her
family and friends come first.
Rarity from the Hollow is adult
literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire. A Children’s
Story. For Adults.
“The most enjoyable science fiction novel I have read in
years.”
—Temple Emmet Williams, Author, former editor for Reader’s
Digest
“Quirky, profane, disturbing… In the space between a few
lines we go from hardscrabble realism to pure sci-fi/fantasy. It’s quite a
trip.”
—
Evelyn Somers, The Missouri
. "…a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy…what I would have thought impossible; taken serious
subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse…tongue-in-cheek humor without
trivializing them…profound…a funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly
enjoy." -- Awesome Indies (Gold Medal)
“…sneaks
up you and, before you know it, you are either laughing like crazy or crying in
despair, but the one thing you won’t be is unmoved…a brilliant writer.” --Readers’
Favorite (Gold Medal)
“Rarity from the Hollow is an original and interesting story
of a backwoods girl who saves the Universe in her fashion. Not for the
prudish.” —Piers Anthony, New York Times
bestselling author
“…Good satire is
hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.” -- The
Baryon Review
"…Brilliant
satires such as this are genius works of literature in the same class as
Orwell’s 'Animal Farm.' I can picture American Lit professors sometime in the
distant future placing this masterpiece on their reading list." -- Marcha’s
Two-Cents Worth
"…I know
this all sounds pretty whack, and it is, but it's also quite moving. Lacy Dawn
and her supporting cast - even Brownie, the dog - are some of the most engaging
characters I've run across in a novel in some time…." -- Danehy-Oakes, Critic whose book reviews
often appear in the New York Review of
Science Fiction
"… The author
gives us much pause for thought as we read this uniquely crafted story about
some real life situations handled in very unorthodox ways filled with humor,
sarcasm, heartfelt situations and fun." -- Fran Lewis: Just Reviews/MJ Magazine
Half of author proceeds are donated to
Children’s Home Society of West Virginia for the prevention of child
maltreatment
Purchase links:
Excerpts of Two Book Reviews – Gold Medal
Awards
Awesome Indies :
“…a
hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, only instead of
the earth being destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass, Lacy Dawn
must…The author has managed to do what I would have thought impossible; taken
serious subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse, and written about them with
tongue-in-cheek humor without trivializing them…Eggleton sucks you into the
Hollow, dunks you in the creek, rolls you in the mud, and splays you in the sun
to dry off. Tucked between the folds of humor are some profound observations on
human nature and modern society that you have to read to appreciate…it’s a
funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly enjoy.”
Readers’ Favorite:
“…Full of cranky characters and crazy situations, Rarity
From the Hollow sneaks up you and, before you know it, you are either laughing
like crazy or crying in despair, but the one thing you won’t be is unmoved… Robert
Eggleton is a brilliant writer whose work is better read on several levels. I
appreciated this story on all of them.”
Excerpt of Chapter Two: “Recess”
Scene
Prologue: Lacy Dawn, the eleven year old protagonist, is a most unlikely
savior of the universe. In the opening chapter, while studying for a spelling
quiz with her best friend, Faith, a victim of child sexual abuse, we have
learned that Lacy gets extra help learning stuff from another best friend who
lives in the stars. Regarded as magic, she has been taught how to understand
and help others, such as during this scene when she counsels peers on the
school playground. Both girls live in dysfunctional families in an impoverished
hollow within the Appalachian region of the U.S. – a place where there is
little opportunity for work now that the coal mines have shut down and from
where many young people escape as soon as possible for better opportunity.
……Designated to
be consolidated, the school received little maintenance except to reduce
liability. The playground had a chain link fence with vines growing through the
diagonals, squeaky swings so loud that everyone on recess had to holler, and
two teeter-totters with splinters that targeted fresh butt. Only one
improvement had been added during the last three years of consolidation
controversy. Pieces of shredded car
tires were put under the monkey bars to cushion falls.
During
recess, the teachers smoked cigarettes behind the corner of the brick school
building. It was a designated smoking spot so that students wouldn't be exposed
to bad influence. Consequently, the playground was without adult supervision.
"Why
do you want to feel angry so often?" Lacy Dawn (the eleven year old
protagonist) asked Faith (Lacy Dawn’s best friend and classmate).
"Why
not?"
"It
messes up your digestion and gives you the farts."
"I
like to fart – silent and deadly," Faith said.
"I've
noticed." Lacy Dawn moved
toward the gang hanging out under the monkey bars. They were older kids who
lived on the hard road and who had parents who had been employed before the
coal mine shut down. They still thought they had money.
"My
dad got a call about a job in Cleveland .
What do you think, Lacy Dawn? Your mommy
was born there. Is it cool? Will I meet Eminem?" the tallest kid asked.
"Does
your daddy still hit your mommy when he gets drunk?” Lacy Dawn asked.
"Sometimes,
but what's that got to do with Cleveland ?"
"Everything."
The
tall kid grabbed the monkey bars and went to its end. His tip-toes touched the
shredded tires. It was easier because the ground was several inches higher than
before the shreds had been laid. Nobody acknowledged the achievement and all
awaited his response. “When we get to Cleveland ,
I'll stand up to him. I promise,"
"You'd
better or she'll know," Faith pointed at Lacy Dawn.
"I
know." The tall kid sat on the rung that had broken off his front tooth two
grades before.
"Why'd
you tell him that?" Lacy Dawn whispered in Faith's ear. "I ain't got
that kind of magic yet and you know it. I can only see inside people when
they’re right in front of me. Cleveland ’s a long
way off and, besides, Eminem’s from Detroit ."
Faith
shrugged.
"My
mom and dad don't ever hit me. Sometimes, I wish they would. I do stuff so they will, but it don't ever
work," the next tallest kid in line for therapy disclosed.
"Parents
use different styles of redirection. Yours use guilt." Lacy Dawn said.
"Yeah,
I cut myself once. See. It helped a little, but I would really appreciate a
switch every now and then."
"Don't
fetish,” Lacy Dawn said. “Relax. You're a good kid and your parents want
switched, too. It's not your daddy's fault that the mine shut down. He feels
guilty about not being a good provider and gets rid of it by giving it to you."
Lacy Dawn kissed the scar on the kid's arm above the bottom of his shirt
sleeve.
The crowd went "Ooohhhh…"
when the scar seemed to fade.
"You're
a good doctor, Lacy Dawn," echoed the crowd.
"Next!"
a kid who lay on top of the monkey bars above the gang yelled.
"Give
me your shit, Ronny,” Lacy Dawn
instructed. “But, don't you ever say anything bad about Faith ever again. I'll
vex you into eternity. You've been giving her a hard time since the first
grade. It ain't fair."
"Sorry,”
Ronny said. “I'm just so sad all the time. I take it out on anybody that will
react and she's an easy target – fat and ugly."
"Next
year, she'll be hot. She'll give you a hard-on that won't go down for days.
You'll regret every mean thing you ever said to her."
Faith moved into position
to punch his exposed belly.
"I
already regret everything," Ronny said, “everything.”
"Your
parents thought if they taught you how to predict consequences of your behavior
you would exercise self-control. You learned it too good and now you go over
and over every little detail. Before you do something mean, just take a few
slow, deep breaths and you won't hit anybody anymore. Then, you will have less
regret. When you stop being mean, I'll help you fix your depression. But, if
you ever say one mean thing about Faith again, I'll let her kick your ass like
it's never been before," Lacy Dawn said.
"My
mommy don't do nothing but watch soaps," a girl in the second said.
"Mine
too," three smaller children gathered for wisdom.
Cigarette
smoke formed a cloud that floated from around the corner of the building. Only
one female teacher still had a husband and he had been jailed for manufacturing
meth after their house caught on fire. It was another tidbit of conversation
during an extra-long recess disallowed by the State Board of Education. Recess
was the most productive part of the school day because of Lacy Dawn's magic way
of helping others.
"I
wish I had a husband," the only male teacher employed by the school yelled
loud enough for the kids to hear above the squeaky swings.
“There goes Mr. I’m Gay again,” a boy said.
“He’s so boring,” another
said. The crowd nodded.
"I
wish I could fix my own family," Lacy Dawn whispered to Faith.
"It's
a kid's job to help her parents and any kid who don't ain't much of a kid and
maybe don't even deserve to live!" Faith yelled louder than Mr. I’m
Gay. It was her daily speech to
classmates.
The
school bell rang to return to the classrooms. Another fifteen minutes was left
before compliance was expected. Several kids gathered tighter around the monkey
bars to try to get attention from Lacy Dawn. The healthier ones played more or
less organized dodge and kick ball games in opposite corners of the playground.
Like
the center on a football team’s front line, Faith tried to look mean by
grimacing and folding her arms. It was a body-guard-like role so the others
used her as an avenue to Lacy Dawn by lining up. A first grader pulled down her
shorts to show a blue bruise on her butt. Faith rolled her eyes and turned
away. A fourth grader opened his mouth and pointed inside but Faith didn't
look. A girl in the fifth who sat beside her in class pointed to her crotch.
Tears streamed. Faith winced for a moment but screened her out by turning her
head. Not today, Britney. Lacy Dawn only has so much magic at any given time.
She needs to recharge. Everybody has issues and tissues. You can be
first tomorrow.
A fight broke out in the
far corner of the playground. The games
stopped and the kids rushed for the better entertainment. Lacy Dawn and Faith followed to get a good
place to watch. The teachers saw the
action and either returned to the building or gathered behind the crowd to bet
on the winner.
"She
called my mommy a HO," a second grader with a bloody nose accused a sixth
grader and swung air.
"But
she is. My daddy told me. I didn't mean
to make you mad," the sixth grader tried to maintain a distance by
stepping back. "I'm sorry. I don't even know what it means."
"A
Ho is a person who has a lot of indiscriminant sex," the smartest girl in
school except for Lacy Dawn said to show off. She put on her headphones and
walked toward the school to prepare for the next spelling bee, which would
include the word “indiscriminate.”
Faith
picked up the dodge ball and beaned her in the back of the head.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Eggleton has served as a children's advocate in an impoverished state for over forty years. Locally, he is best known for his nonfiction about children’s programs and issues, much of which was published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from1982 through 1997. Today, he is a retired children's psychotherapist from the mental health center in Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in helping victims cope with and overcome maltreatment and other mental health concerns. Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel. Its release followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn Adventures in magazines. Author proceeds support the prevention of child maltreatment.
Public Author Contacts:
For a limited period, the eBook version of Rarity from the Hollow, an adult literary science fiction adventure, not for the prudish, is on sale for $2.99 and the Paperback is on sale for $16.94. https://www.amazoncom/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton/dp/190713395X/ (104 Book Reviews on Amazon). Author proceeds contribute to the prevention of child maltreatment: http://www.childhswv.org/ Project Updates: https://www.facebook.com/Lacy-Dawn-Adventures-573354432693864/
ReplyDeleteThe 2018 Edition of Rarity from the Hollow Paperback is now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LfzP84. It is also available for Any eReader: https://bit.ly/2KNJkI2 Proceeds help abused children. If you want to raise money to help abused children (50% donated), more revenue is generated from the paperback if you buy it from Lulu: https://bit.ly/2K2j3cd Thanks
ReplyDeleteRarity from the Hollow is now available for any eReader: https://bit.ly/2KNJkI2 It also has a new website: https://www.hostingauthors.com/books/RarityfromtheHollow
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