Book info:
Title: Rarity from the Hollow
Author: Robert Eggleton
Genre: Science Fiction
Published: November 23rd, 2016
Blurb:
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.”
fiction novel I have read in years.”
—Temple Emmet Williams, Author, former editor for Reader’s
Digest
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.”
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
Review
Review
. “…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)
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)
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
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
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.”
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.”
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.”
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/rarity-from-the-hollow
About the Author:
Robert Eggleton has served as a children’s advocate in an
impoverished state for over forty years. He is best known for his investigative
reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West
Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997, and which also
included publication of models of serving disadvantaged and homeless children
in the community instead of in large institutions, research into foster care
drift involving children bouncing from one home to the next — never finding a
permanent loving family, and statistical reports on the occurrence and
correlates of child abuse and delinquency.
impoverished state for over forty years. He is best known for his investigative
reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West
Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997, and which also
included publication of models of serving disadvantaged and homeless children
in the community instead of in large institutions, research into foster care
drift involving children bouncing from one home to the next — never finding a
permanent loving family, and statistical reports on the occurrence and
correlates of child abuse and delinquency.
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 physical and sexual abuse, 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: Wingspan
Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction. The Advance
Review Copy of Rarity from the Hollow
received considerable praise through Robert learning about the world of books
as a novice. The final edition was released to Amazon on December 5, 2016.
mental health center in Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in
helping victims cope with and overcome physical and sexual abuse, 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: Wingspan
Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction. The Advance
Review Copy of Rarity from the Hollow
received considerable praise through Robert learning about the world of books
as a novice. The final edition was released to Amazon on December 5, 2016.
Author
proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by
Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/
Robert worked for this agency in the early ‘80s and stands by its good works.
He continues to write fiction with new adventures based on a protagonist that
is a composite character of children that he met when delivering group psychotherapy
services. The overall theme of his stories remains victimization to
empowerment.
proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by
Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/
Robert worked for this agency in the early ‘80s and stands by its good works.
He continues to write fiction with new adventures based on a protagonist that
is a composite character of children that he met when delivering group psychotherapy
services. The overall theme of his stories remains victimization to
empowerment.
Purchase
links:
links:
http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow
Author
Contacts:
Contacts:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13603677-rarity-from-the-hollow
https://plus.google.com/b/108662084126982201049/108662084126982201049/posts
Excerpt from Chapter 13, “Mom I’d Like to Introduce You to My Fiancé”
Scene Prologue: At this point in
the story, Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, is twelve years old. An android named
DotCom (his name is a recurring pun throughout the novel) installed a port in
her upper spine and has been directly downloading data into her brain for the
last several years: economics, astrophysics, biology, advanced mat…. His ship
is hidden in a cave in the Woods behind the family’s house in the hollow.
DotCom was sent to Earth to train and recruit Lacy Dawn to save the universe
from an imminent threat, but he was recalled due to slow performance. In this
scene, DotCom has returned to Earth and Jenny, the mother, meets him for the
first time.
the story, Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, is twelve years old. An android named
DotCom (his name is a recurring pun throughout the novel) installed a port in
her upper spine and has been directly downloading data into her brain for the
last several years: economics, astrophysics, biology, advanced mat…. His ship
is hidden in a cave in the Woods behind the family’s house in the hollow.
DotCom was sent to Earth to train and recruit Lacy Dawn to save the universe
from an imminent threat, but he was recalled due to slow performance. In this
scene, DotCom has returned to Earth and Jenny, the mother, meets him for the
first time.
*****
…..…Jenny (the mother) walked up the hill to Roundabend. She called Lacy
Dawn’s name every few yards. Her muddy tennis shoes slipped and slid.
I hear her voice. Why won’t she answer me?
“Sounds like she’s talking to someone,” Jenny said to the Woods.
Nobody responded. The trees weren’t supposed to since Jenny was no longer a
child. Her former best friends had made no long-term commitment beyond
childhood victimization. They had not agreed to help her deal with domestic
violence in adulthood. She hugged the closest tree.
I will always love you guys.
Jenny quickened her pace, stopped,
and listened for human voices. A few yards later, she stopped
again.
and listened for human voices. A few yards later, she stopped
again.
Now it sounds like she’s behind me instead of in front.
Jenny looked to the left of the path.
There ain’t no cave Roundabend, but there it is.
She walked toward the entrance. The voices grew louder and she looked inside.
Lacy Dawn sat on a bright orange recliner. Tears streamed down her face.
Jenny ran to her daughter through a cave that didn’t exit and into a blue light
that did.
“All right, you mother f**ker!”
“Mom!” Lacy Dawn yelled. “You didn’t say, ‘It’s me’ like you’re supposed to (a
traditional announcement mentioned earlier in the story).”
DotCom (the android) sat naked in a lotus position on the floor in front of the
recliner. Jenny covered Lacy Dawn with her body and glared at
him.
“Grrrrr,” emanated from Jenny. It was a sound similar to the
one that Brownie (Lacy Dawn’s dog) made the entire time the food stamp woman
was at their house. It was a sound that filled the atmosphere with
hate. No one moved. The spaceship’s door slid shut.
“Mommmmmy, I can’t breathe. Get up.”
“You make one move you sonofabitch and I’ll tear your heart out,” Jenny
repositioned to take her weight off Lacy Dawn.
Stay between them.
“Mommy, he’s my friend. More than my friend, we’re going to get married when
I’m old enough — like when I turn fourteen. He’s my boyfriend — what you call
it — my fiancé.”
“You been messin’ with my little girl you pervert!” Jenny readied to
pounce.
“MOM! Take a chill pill! He ain’t been messing with me. He’s a good
person, or whatever. Anyway, he’s not a pervert. You need to just calm down and
get off me.”
Jenny stood up. DotCom stood up. Jenny’s jaw dropped.
He ain’t got no private parts, not even a little bump.
“DotCom, I’d like to introduce you to my mommy, Mrs. Jenny Hickman. Mommy, I’d
like to introduce you to my fiancé, DotCom.”
Jenny sat down on the recliner. Her face was less than a foot from DotCom’s
crotch and she stared straight at it. It was smooth, hairless, and odor
free.
“Mrs. Hickman, I apologize for any inconvenience that this misunderstanding has
caused. It is very nice to meet you after having heard so much. You arrived
earlier than expected. I did not have time to properly prepare and receive.
Again, I apologize.”
I will need much more training if I’m ever assigned to a more formal setting
than a cave, such as to the United Nations.
“Come on, Mommy. Give him a hug or something.”
Jenny’s left eye twitched.
DotCom put on clothing that Lacy Dawn had bought him at Goodwill. It hung a
little loose until he modified his body. Lacy Dawn hugged her
mother…
…(scene of Dwayne, the father, overheard by those in the spaceship while
talking to himself)… “Besides, the transmitter was part of Daddy’s treatment.
There’re a lot of other things that he did to help fix Daddy. DotCom is like a
doctor. You can see that Daddy has gotten better every day. And no, there ain’t
no transmitter in you. DotCom figured you out like a good doctor and the only
things wrong are a lack of opportunity and rotten teeth that poison your body.
You don’t need no transmitter. He just gave you a few shots of ego boost. I
don’t know what medicine that is, but I trust him. You ain’t complained since
the shots started — not even with an upset stomach.”
“He’s a doctor?” Jenny asked.
“What’s your problem anyway?” Lacy Dawn asked. “I know. You’re
prejudiced. You told me that people have much more in common than they do
that’s different — even if someone is a different color or religion, or from a
different state than us. You told me to try to become friends because sometimes
that person may need a good friend. Now, here you are acting like a butt hole
about my boyfriend. You’re prejudiced because he’s different than us.”
“Honey, he’s not even a person – that’s about as different as a boyfriend can
get,” Jenny said.
“So?”
Mommy’s right. Maybe I need a different argument.
A fast clicking sound, a blur of motion, and a familiar smell assaulted
them.
“What’s that?” Jenny asked.
She moved to protect her daughter from whatever threat loomed. Brownie, who had
been granted 27 / 7 access to the ship, bounded over the orange recliner,
knocked DotCom to the floor, licked DotCom’s face, and rubbed his head on
Jenny’s leg. He then jumped onto the recliner and lay down. His tail wagged
throughout. Jenny sat down on the recliner beside Brownie and looked at Lacy
Dawn.
“But, you were crying when I first came in. That thing was hurting you.” Jenny
shook her finger at DotCom to emphasize a different argument against him.
“Mommy, I’m so happy that I couldn’t help but cry. My man just came home from
an out-of-state job. I didn’t talk to him for a whole year. Before he left, he
told me that he wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to come home. I still don’t
know what happened while he was gone. We ain’t had no chance to talk. All I
know is that he’s home and I’m sooooo happy.”
“Your man came home from an out-of-state job?” Jenny patted Brownie on his
head, some more and some more….
It’s unusual for a man to promise to come back home and ever be seen again.
Brownie likes him and that’s a good sign. Maybe she’s right about him helping
Dwayne. Something sure did and it wasn’t me. It is a nice living room. They’ve
been together for a while and I ain’t seen a mark on her. That’s unusual
too. He ain’t got no private parts and that’s another good thing. Hell,
if I get in the middle, she’d just run off with him anyway. I‘d better
play it smart. I don’t want to lose my baby.
“What about his stupid name?” Jenny asked.
“I’ve got a stupid name, too. All the kids at school call me hick because my
last name is Hickman.”
“My name was given to me by my manager a very long time ago. It represents a
respected tradition — the persistent marketing of that which is not
necessarily the most needed. I spam…,” DotCom said.
They both glared at him.
“Dwayne is sure to be home. I don’t want him to worry. Let’s go,” Jenny
said.
“Okay, Mommy.”
“I love you, DotCom,” Lacy Dawn stepped out the ship’s door, which had slid
open. Brownie and Jenny were right behind her.
“I love you too,” DotCom said.
Lacy Dawn and Jenny held hands and walked down the path toward home. The trees
didn’t smile — at least not so Jenny would notice. On the other hand, no
living thing obstructed, intruded, or interfered with the rite.
Jenny sang to the Woods, “My little girl’s going to marry a doctor when she
grows up, marry a doctor when she grows up, when she grows up. My little
girl’s going to marry a doctor when she grows up, marry a doctor when she grows
up, when she grows up….”
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The 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