#11 years ago I met emmet!!!!!!

[tandytoaster]

Thank you for riding!

[mashitandsmashit]

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 4

11: Christine Hurley. I will say, I wasn't a big fan of the stand-up for the most part anyway, as she basically came off as Bargain Bin Barbolak (with only 10% trailer nasty). I mean, I've seen this character plenty of times before...But I also felt bad for that little flub; She was doing fine up until that point, and it really threw her off by the end...I will admit that Howie gave some pretty good advice, and I hope she takes it to heart to improve for the future...Best wishes to her!

10: LILIAC. Shame we didn't see more of this act...I enjoyed what little of them I saw! But I guess the next entry had to be the focus of the segment...

9: Luca Di Stefano. Barry White he is not, but this amused me enough...I wouldn't say this guy is necessarily a talented singer OR a talented baritone, as I could hear his voice cracking up throughout...But I enjoyed the gimmick for now, knowing that he's very likely going to be cannon fodder in the next round. (And probably for the best...Doing that CAN'T be good on his throat!)

8: Ashley Marina. So we're combining the drama from the Ansley Burns, Lamont Landers and Daniel Emmet auditions now, huh...? This kid gets THREE tries, HUH!? Honestly, it's getting harder and harder to understand Simon's standards by now, because I thought she did really good with both of those other attempts...But this was an obvious set-up...I liked her precious little dad song enough, and her singing voice is legitimately good (though nothing particularly new for me), so I'd say she deserves a shot in this game...I'm just sick of all this manipulative drama...Simon, I'm coming for your dogs! (This is becoming a VERY disturbing running gag...)

7: Olox. And from here on out, it's nothing but overwhelming positivity! When these two Power Rangers villains walked out, I knew they were either gonna suck, or we were gonna get something truly entertainingly bizarre! I am beyond happy that it was the latter! As far as such an unappealing talent as throat singing may be, they really are talented in that department, and they found a way to make it fun! ...And yet strangely the lady still sounded less like a goose than Dolores O'Riordan...(I'm just teasing; I like the Cranberries AND that song...) A silly gimmick that's sure not to get very far, but I'll enjoy the ride as much as I can!

6: Brett Loudermilk. Markiplier called, he wants his hair back! Next to Cristina Rae, this is probably the act we saw the most of in the promos...On the surface, he seemed like just another sideshow act, and to be fair, he kinda was...But contrary to some opinions I've made before, this is one type of act where personality is everything, and this guy has it by the bucketloads! Honestly, he is probably one of the funniest comedians we've seen in recent seasons, without even doing stand-up! And Sofia was almost as funny working off of him! I've no doubt the extra segments of the performance were a set-up (and how interesting that we had two acts with midway cliffhangers in a row...and I still loved this audition as much as I did!) That being said, I look forward to seeing him again! ...Though I guarantee you his throat hurt like a motherf***er the next morning! (And that makes TWO dudes in one show abusing the hell out of their throats!)

5: Nolan Neal. Vying for the gold medal in the Sob Story Olympics, and yet I'm willing to look past that because this man is just THAT talented! It's like if Chris Klafford's voice (and beard) came together with Marcin Patrzalek's guitar skills, with the songwriting complexity of We Three! Interesting how his audition came right after the Golden Buzzer, since this guy looked fitting enough for it (especially from Simon), and I honestly wouldn't have complained (though I'll get to the REAL pick soon...) But as it is, this guy looks like a prime GB pick for the Judge Cuts, and I have no doubt that he will go far! Hands down my favorite singer so far this season!

4: Feng E. Speaking of the passing down of Marcin Patrzalek's skills, here's a mini Marcin right here! Grace VanderWaal is watching this kid and going “Why didn't I do THAT with my ukelele!?” From what little we saw of him (not so much the performance as the boy himself), I wouldn't doubt that he will probably be eliminated in the next round...Real shame...But we have another talented preteen to potentially step in for him...

3: Noah Epps. It was actually a close one between the two kids, but I ultimately picked Noah because we saw more of his dancing than Feng's electric ukelele playing...(It's actually a close one between all of the Top 7...) It looks like they finally built a more advanced model of the Merrick Hanna droid, now with more creepy Pinocchio schtick! (Ultron, eat your mechanical heart out!) I really hope this kid does well in this game; No reason to cut his strings so early...

2: The Spyros Bros. So THIS is what Mochi's act was missing! Well, where he failed, this may be the act to succeed in making diabolo a talent to be taken seriously on this show! What they have already displayed here was mindblowing, and from what they've said, it sounds like this is only the beginning! Between the awesomeness we are (possibly) about to witness, the bullying backstory, and the AGT fanboyism, this act does have the potential to go far! When I watched the preview video on Youtube a few days ago, I was expecting this to be another awesome act in an otherwise humdrum show, but not only were almost every act tonight top-notch, but one other act just barely edged them out from the top spot of this list...

1: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew. In Season 13, we got the epically named Pancakes! And now this year we have met their superior brethren in the dancing breakfast pastry category! (Can't wait to see French Toast Crew in Season 17 and Da Crepez in Season 19!) Okay, onto the most important point...I never thought I'd say this...But I think I'll be rooting for Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer to win this season! It's hard to compare them with the more gimmicky dance acts like V.Unbeatable, Light Balance and Zurcaroh, but as far as straight-up hip-hop dance goes, this is the cream of the crop! It's also hard to compare them with the other GBs; They probably won't get as many Youtube views as Roberta or Cristina (though we'll just see), but they definitely stand out more, and Simon is sure to push them as far as possible! So far none of the acts are safe bets for the win...But maybe it's time a dance crew finally got it (again, not counting V.Unbeatable at Champions earlier this year...) These guys have all of the necessary materials to go all the way: The skills, the style, the story, the Golden Buzzer, the fans' blessing, Simon's blessing...and MY blessing!

WHERE WERE ALL THESE ACTS BEFORE!? It's like they saved almost all of the really exciting ones for one show (though Malik and maybe a few others would have fit in quite well). This reminds me of that audition episode last year that had Marcin, Berywam and ADEM all in the same show (as well as that goofball who did the Andy Kaufman thing), but if almost the entire show was at their level! Hands down the best audition of the season so far, with several acts I could see making it all the way to the Finals!

So next week should be interesting...We already saw what it's like with a vacant judges' seat (giving the Spyros plenty of space to toss the diabolo over), but we'll see how Sofia's “Modern Family” co-star Eric Stonestreet handles filling in for Heidi...

I will probably expect the last Golden Buzzer of the round (Howie's) to be saved for the final audition the week after (I wonder if it will be that “at home” show I saw on Youtube, and they left out Howie's GB in those videos). Either way, we'll wait and see...

Until then...

[yeoldontknow]

Get To Know Me Tag

tagged by the duchess herself @kpopfanfictrash (thank u bb i love u <3)

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people. (omg do i even know 20 people what)

THE LAST: 1. Drink: blackcurrent squasg 2. Phone call: uh...i facetimed my parents when i got to london. that counts? 3. Text message: rory 4. Song you listened to: Woman - Emmet Fenn 5. Time you cried: some time in april

HAVE YOU: 6. Dated someone twice: no 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: yes 8. Been cheated on: no 9. Lost someone special: yes 10. Been depressed: not clinically 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: no - i stop myself from getting there

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14: chartreuse, cerulean, royal purple

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. Made new friends: yes! 16. Fallen out of love: no 17. Laughed until you cried: oh yes  18. Found out someone was talking about you: uh no but im sure someone has lol 19. Met someone who changed you: yes! 20. Found out who your friends are: i feel like ive lived through that? but thats always happening idk 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: yes

GENERAL: 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: oh good lord i have no idea lol 23. Do you have any pets: a kitty! my son! malcolm! 24. Do you want to change your name: nah it can stay 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: uh it snowed on my birthday so we stayed in and watched movies and i made myself cupcakes lol 26. What time did you wake up: 10:30AM 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: writing 28. Name something you can’t wait for: THIS SPANISH HEATWAVE TO GO AWAY 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: aw :( in person, two months ago. i drove up to surprise her for her birthday 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: no regrets man. we are exactly where we need to be right now to learn important lessons 31. What are you listening right now: like..currently? Cali God - Grace Mitchell. but in general ive been heavy into NCT 127, Code Kunst, Lo Moon, and Alt-J 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: i have! 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: when i said i wanted winter to be over i didnt mean for the sun to sit on planet earth omg im SWEATING 34. Most visited Website: tumbles

LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 35. Mole/s: i have one mole on my right hand, but i have lots of freckles on my shoulders and back 36. Mark/s: 0 37. Childhood dream: so many things lol doctor, lawyer, equestrian star lol

38. Haircolor: dark brown 39. Long or short hair: TOO LONG IT NEEDS TO GO 40. Do you have a crush on someone: its complicated really 41. What do you like about yourself: i think im fairly positive! and in person i can be funny 42. Piercings:  0 43. Bloodtype: O+ 44. Nickname: Kat 45. Relationship status: its messy (but not bad!) 46. Zodiac: aquarius  47. Pronouns: she/her/i 48. Favorite TV Show: Black Mirror; The Handmaid’s Tale; Outlander; Shameless; Game Of Thrones; Big Little Lies; House Hunters lmao 50. Right or left hand: right but i do a lot of random things with my left 51. Surgery: none! 52. Hair dyed in different color: mostly i go to auburn in the summer but ive had green and purple hair before lol 53. Sport:  i played tennis and i did equestrian  55. Vacation: what? lol the last one i took or my fave or? favourite: any time i go to london to visit friends; last one i took: apart from the one im on, montreal; where do i want to go: japan!!! 56. Pair of trainers: converse

MORE GENERAL: 57. Eating: i love food, please give it to me. lol i ADORE indian food soooo much, i want all the bhajis please 58. Drinking: i bleed malbec 59. I’m about to: finish packing for glastonbury please help me im too hot D: 61. Waiting for: the light 62. Want: to not be sweating. i know i keep saying this but im deceased 63. Get married: eventually lol 64. Career: music industry/digital sync licensing/music obsessed friend

WHICH IS BETTER 65. Hugs or kisses: hugs but i do like soft smooches 66. Lips or eyes: eyes 67. Shorter or taller: im short so taller is standard lol 68. Older or younger: age is just a number, pls just be mature 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: NOW LOOK. as a girl in the music industry i can confirm that the best muscle on a man is the FOREARM, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MAN PLAY GUITAR? YOU ARE WELCOME, LADIES 71. Sensitive or loud: i mean, you can be both? 72. Hook up or relationship: relationship 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: hesitant, pls think your shit through

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. Kissed a stranger: yes 75. Drank hard liquor: my summer drink is pint sized G&Ts 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: lord yes 77. Turned someone down: yes 78. Sex in the first date: nah 79. Broken someone’s heart: probably? statistically that has to have happened 80. Had your heart broken: yeeee 81. Been arrested: no! 82. Cried when someone died: yes 83. Fallen for a friend: yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. Yourself: depends on what im doing. im VERY hard on myself 85. Miracles: yes i am a softy 86. Love at first sight: no. attraction and lust, yes 87. Santa Claus: nah 88. Kiss in the first date: i have to reallllyyy like you 89. Angels: yes

OTHER: 90. Current best friends name: ali & grace 91. Eyecolor: brown 92. Favorite movie: Brief Encounter

LORD WE MADE IT. lmao i dont know if i know 20 people to do this so!

@@nunchiwrites @kpopandlock​ @apollodae @oh-beyond @memeking2000 @hoe-for-monstax

only do this if you guys want to or are comfortable!

[newagesispage]

                                                              JUNE       2018

 PAGE RIB

 ***** Childish Gambino has the song of the summer with the brilliant ‘This is America’.  I am so reminded of Jean Luc Goddard and also the Talking Heads when I watch the video and yet it is so on point today. . Donald Glover is the star of the year with the fab season of Atlanta. The coat of many colors with the FUBU shirt episode was a beautiful reminder of thy child, thy self. The turn as host and musical guest on SNL was a triumph, best show of the season. His role in Ron Howard’s movie, Solo will only make him burn brighter!!

***** Arrested Development came back for season 5. We have wonderful things in there from seasons past to make us smile and new catchphrases to carry on in the future. This is just the first half of the season and the binge went by fast. We will have to be content with great new Arrested memories like APB (ah, poor Buster), hour mouth, peanut pockets, trophy cobbler, break up cactus, will he won’t he  and Strum! I laugh just thinking about them. I was particularly fond of the Howard family get together, Rance Howard was a national treasure. I was thrilled to see Kyle Mooney in the mix.

***** Days alert: I saw it coming.. Mexico?? Of course, Teresa had to be back.. Hooray!! ..It is time for Sonny’s new lover to go…. It is also time for John and Paul to get Shane and go get Chloe.. well, they did not get Shane but they got her. That was fast!!… Is Abby pregnant by Stefan??**We’ll miss ya Joseph Campanella.

***** Goodbye to The Americans!! Oh how I will miss ya.

***** Benedict Cumberbatch and Jennifer Jason Leigh have given us Patrick Melrose.

***** Well, Roseanne tweeted her racist rhetoric and got her show booted off ABC. If it can bring down Roseanne, we still may see it take down the President. It will cost the network plenty ( like 60 mil not counting the rerun revenue). Reruns were yanked by CMT, Paramount and TV Land. She was also dropped by her talent agency ICM partners. She blamed Ambien but the company issued a statement explaining that racism is not a side effect of Ambien.  I feel bad for the rest of the cast and crew but bye bye Roseanne!

***** I am hearing good things about Robin, the Robin Williams doc from Dave Itzkoff.

***** Ric Ocasek has separated from Paulina Porizkova.

***** What is this NFL no kneeling bullshit? I get that it is a business and we all have to adhere to our employer’s rules but it is very sad. How is that silent peaceful protest hurting anyone? Who needs football anyway? C’mon, America, no more football!! Some believe free speech is only for them.

***** The latest accused of sexual misconduct: Morgan Freeman** Weinstein has been indicted!!!!!

***** New money got its chance to buy a piece of old money at the Rockefeller auction at Christie’s. The private collection broke records with a take of $832 million which will go to charity.

***** TV cancelled shows all over the place. The list includes Designated Survivor, Kevin Can Wait, Scorpion, 9JKL, Alex Inc., Deception, Taken, Rise, Great News, Me Myself and I, Quantico, The Mayor and The Exorcist. Last Man Standing will move to Fox, Project Runway will move to Bravo and Brooklyn 99 will move to NBC. There should be more of this moving.. C’mon somebody take Last man on Earth and Me , Myself and I. LA to Vegas is on the bubble, please keep that one going.

***** The podcast Cocaine and Rhinestones with Tyler Mahan Coe sounds interesting.

***** Sears has not made a profit since 2010. They are closing hundreds more stores this year.

***** Who do you think you are? Is back with Molly Shannon, Jean Smart, Jon Cryer, Hillary Duff, Megan Mullally and Laverne Cox.

***** Can’t wait to see the new doc  The gospel according to Andre’ about Andre’ Leon Talley.

***** Black Rhinos have returned to Chad. Fifty years ago poaching had wiped them out.

***** Lung cancer is a trend with more women than men being diagnosed. It has become more common than breast or ovarian cancer.

***** The interior department wants to end the ban on hunting black bears, wolves and coyotes and their young.

***** Before the 2016 election the FBI had a codename for their Russian interference investigation: Crossfire Hurricane. The Stones have a little touch on everything.

***** Oliver North is the new face of the NRA.

***** Word is that over a 30 year period, there have been 27 complaints against Charlie Rose.. Ugh!** The Kennedy Center Honors has rescinded the Honors award and the Mark Twain prize from Bill Cosby.

***** Iowa has made the strictest abortion laws. They want no abortions once the heartbeat can be detected. The American civil liberties union and Planned Parenthood have filed complaints.

***** Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The press was telling us that 2 people fell in love and we all showed up. This actually did seem to bring people together. Harry and Meghan are 17th cousins.

***** Great to see Joel Mchale back to his green screen zaniness. It seems like old times on Netflix and with a little help from Jim Rash and Alison Brie.

***** There seems to have been some shading from the government on the actual death toll in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria has an official tally of 64 dead but estimates are saying that it could be 70 times higher. Most deaths happened after the actual threat and could have been prevented. How many people have to suffer or die before we get these clowns out of office?

***** Scary clown is in the habit of pardoning whoever he pleases. Why the hell would anybdy want to pardon Rod Blagojevich?

***** The 71st Cannes film fest has honored Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters.

***** The Boys in the Band has been restaged starring Tuc Watkins, Zachary Quinto and Jim Parsons.

***** It seems the Black Cube operatives who worked for Weinstein have been trying to get dirt on former Obama administration officials and their spouses. Guess who set that in motion?

***** Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield say that policies advocated by the Trump administration and the repeal of Obama care would raise their rates up to 64%.

***** The Met gala had some fab fashion with a theme of Heavenly bodies/Catholic imagination. The best dressed according to me were Lily Collins, Zoe Kravitz, Frances McDormand, Mindy Kaling, Rosie Huntington Whitely, Arianna Grande, Amal Clooney, Gigi Hadid, Rita Ora, Donatella, JLo, Tiffany Haddish, Scarlett Johansen, Janelle Monae, Blake Lively, Gabrielle Union, Liu Wen, Sienna Miller, Emilia Clark, Miley Cyrus, Virgil Abloh, Emily Ratajkowski, Stephen Colbert, Cynthia Erivo, Mary J. Blige, Trevor Noah, Michelle Williams, Lena Waithe, Alek Wek and Jasmine snders. The worst dressed to me were Katy Perry, Kris Jenner, Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez, Claire Danes, Sarah Paulson, Ariana Rockefellar, Greta Gerwig, Tracee Ellis Ross and Helen Lasichanh. 2Chainz proposed again to Nakesha Ward at the ball.

***** The new slogan from our first lady: Be Best

***** Are Emma Stone and Justin Theroux a thing?

***** Trump has withdrawn from the Iran deal.

***** Buddy Guy has a new cd with help from Jeff Beck, James Bay and Mick and Keith. Buddy id also a guest on Letterman’s My next guest needs no introduction.

***** There are 11 investigations into Scott Pruitt.

***** The ins and outs at the White House: Ty Cobb is out and Emmet Flood is in.

***** The Tony nominations are out with Mean Girls, Sponge Bob square pants, Angels in America, The Band’s visit, Carousel, My Fair Lady and Harry Potter and the cursed child leading the pack.

***** John McCain has a memoir and will retire soon. He and his family are also riding out the heartless comments that came from the White House who seem pleased that he may die sooner rather than later.

***** It’s stripe season. I have never seen people wear so many stripes.

***** R.I.P. Allan D. Smith,  Anne V. Coates, Scott Hutchison, Big T, Kristin Harmon Nelson, Peter Mayer, Margot Kidder, Clint Walker, Patricia Morison, Philip Roth, Tom Wolfe, John Bain, Joseph Campanella and Paul Bloch.

[mysteryshelf]

FRIDAY SF & FANTASY - Rarity from the Hollow

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF by the author. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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.

  “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 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)

  “…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

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

What initially got you interested in writing?

  I grew up in an impoverished West Virginian family that didn’t have money for toys or recreation. We didn’t have a working television or a telephone until I was a teen. My father was a war damaged Vet with PTSD who would become enraged when intoxicated. Perhaps dissociative of harsh reality, I began writing stories as a child, often using paper grocery bags. I would read the stories to my younger siblings and share them in the community – gas station attendants, store clerks, neighbors…. It became my primary recreation.

  I continued to write, but more to express my frustration and anger as a teen at a tumultuous time in American history – civil rights and the Vietnam War. I started writing poetry, some of it published in alternative political zines. While I continued to write short stories during these years, I was so busy that they were unpolished and rarely shared. I enrolled in college to avoid the military draft and continued to write but added handout for protests and other promotional materials / slogans that were used in local protests. One of my poems was accepted for publication in the 1972 West Virginia Student Poetry Anthology, an annual competition. During graduate school, having serious academic deficiencies from very poor attendance in public school, working two jobs, and with a young son, my fiction writing took second place to school papers, including the dissertation.

  I was awarded a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1977 and specialized in child welfare. It was an evolving time in the field. My writing focused on social service models for helping kids, one of which was accepted into the Child Welfare Resource Center Research Library and another was nationally distributed by the U.S. Department of Justice. Over a forty year career in child advocacy, my writing in the field were research on foster care accepted for presentation in 1983 by the National Association of Social Workers, investigative reports published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where I worked from 1982 through 1997, statistical reports on child abuse and delinquency, training materials…stuff that aspiring fiction writers produce.

  A little over a year ago, I retired from my most recent job as a psychotherapist for a local mental health center. During this long haul, I never lost interest in writing fiction but never made the move into it either.

  How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?

  As I mentioned, I accepted a job as a children’s psychotherapist in 2002. It was an intensive day program for children with serious emotional disturbances. Many of the children had been abused, some sexually. Part of my job was to facilitate group therapy sessions. One day in 2006 during a session, I met a skinny little girl who became my inspiration for pursuing my life-long dream of becoming a published author of fiction. I named her Lacy Dawn, my protagonist.

  While always an avid reader within all genres, I was totally naive about the world of books and believed that all it took to become an author would be to write a great novel. Without conducting much research, I found Duotrope, it was free back then, and began submitting short stories that I’d written after work. Three were subsequently published in Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction Magazine. I received token payments. Since it was fun and easy, I started on what would become my debut novel, Rarity from the Hollow.

  When I felt that the manuscript of the novel was ready, I started looking for publishers and agents. A new traditional eBook publisher was listed, owned by the Acquisitions Editor for the University of Michigan’s Library. I submitted and for the next six months we mailed the paper manuscript back and forth. I had to learn what the little symbols that she had written in the margins meant. I week after the release of Rarity from the Hollow, this publisher went defunct. The owner sent me a few hundred dollars and apologized before fading into the sunset. While I didn’t realize the significance at the time, the best thing about the experience is that the novel had received glowing reviews by The Missouri Review and Baryonline (a highly regarded science fiction book critic) and blurbs by Piers Anthony and David Gerrold, famous authors, as well as a few reviews and blurbs by lesser known poets and authors.

  Reality hit. For the next almost six years, almost every evening after work, I searched for publishers, posted on social media, emailed agents, and almost gave up after Robert Stephenson, an Australian agent who believed that he could place Rarity from the Hollow with Tor, suddenly died. Fortunately, somewhere along the way, I met Adam Lowe, owner of Dog Horn Publishing, a traditional small press. Based on the adversity that I’d experienced, I dedicated half of any future author proceeds to child abuse prevention so that I would never be tempted to give up again. A reedited Rarity from the Hollow was published on Amazon for the first time in 2012 and, wiser, I began anew. However, this edition had a serious formatting problem – the italics for the internal dialogue were missing. There has been an assortment of other barriers and successes with this novel since the first edition by Dog Horn, some of them related to my inexperience and some of them because small presses, while incurring all costs, do not have marketing budgets or adequate staff.

  Despite the formatting problem, the first edition was awarded two Gold Medals by major book review organizations, was named one of the best releases of 2015 by a Bulgaria book critic, and received twenty-six five star reviews and forty-three four star reviews by independent book review bloggers. An unsolicited Top 100 Amazon Reviewer found:

  “Rarity from the Hollow written by Robert Eggleton, to be fully honest, was much more than expected and a great read – semi-autobiographical literary work full of beautiful and ugly things, adventure, romance, pain and humor….”

  Another reviewer of the first edition found that the writing style was one-quarter turn beyond that of the famous author, Kurt Vonnegut. http://electricrev.net/2014/08/12/a-universe-on-the-edge/ While I’m flattered by this comparison, please note that the novel was found by the editor of Atomjack Science Fiction Magazine, to be “laugh-out-loud funny” in some scenes. Long-time book critic, Barry Hunter, closed his review, “…good satire is hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.”   http://thebaryonreview.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 Vonnegut, Douglas Adams (i.e., Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), or Tom Robbins (i.e., Another Roadside Attraction) are also close examples by subgenre. A former Editor of Reader’s Digest found that, “Rarity from the Hollow is the most enjoyable science fiction that I’ve read in several years….”  http://warriorpatient.com/blog/?p=58 Recently, the novel was referred to as a Hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy  and awarded a gold medal by Awesome Indies:  “…Tucked between the folds of humor are some profound observations on human nature and modern society that you have to read to appreciate….”  http://awesomeindies.net/ai-approved-review-of-rarity-from-the-holly-by-robert-eggleton/  More recently, with respect to the story’s treatment of tough social issues, this reviewer said: “…I was hesitant to accept. I usually do not read or review books that discuss child abuse or domestic violence; however, I was intrigued by the excerpt and decided to give it a shot. I am glad that I took a risk; otherwise, I would have missed out on a fantastic story with a bright, resourceful, and strong protagonist that grabbed my heart and did not let go….”  http://www.onmykindle.net/2015/11/rarity-from-hollow.html A book reviewer from Bulgaria named Rarity from the Hollow as one of the best five books that he had read in 2015. http://codices.info/2015/12/top-5-for-2015-ventsi/ On January 20, 2016, Rarity from the Hollow was awarded a second Gold Medal by a popular book review site: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/rarity-from-the-hollow. Additional praise of the first edition has been posted by book bloggers on Amazon.

  The second edition of Rarity from the Hollow was released on November 3, 2016: http://www.lulu.com/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-22910478.html. The eBook version was released on December 5, 2016: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017REIA44/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk.

  There are still barriers that will hopefully be resolved, such as the Look Inside on the paperback version on Amazon not being correct. But, I’ve learned a lot by struggling to become a published author with a debut novel. Mostly, I’ve learned to not give up. Instead, I think about the determination of the real-life Lacy Dawn – to find herself a permanent loving home, to achieve empowerment so that what the meanest daddy on Earth did to her is kept in the past. And, I remind myself about how if this novel ever does well that it will benefit a lot of maltreated kids.

  What advice would you give to people you decide to make the move into being a published author?

  After sharing my story, my advice would be to never give up, to invest what you can and make responsible decisions in pursuit of your dream.

  What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

  Primarily, the mission of Rarity from the Hollow is to sensitize readers to the huge social problem of child maltreatment through a comical and satiric science fiction adventure. There’s other social commentary in the story. The content addresses: poverty, domestic violence, local and intergalactic economics, mental health concerns – including PTSD experienced by Veterans and the medicinal use of marijuana for treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Capitalism, and touches on the role of Jesus: “Jesus is everybody’s friend, not just humans.”

  There’s also political allegory in Rarity from the Hollow. You would have to read the novel to find out how Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, convinced Mr. Rump (Bernie Sanders) to help talk Mr. Prump (Donald Trump) into saving the universe. The political allegory includes pressing issues that America is fighting about today, including illegal immigration and the refuge crisis, extreme capitalism / consumerism…. Mr. Prump was a projection of Donald Trump based on the TV show, The Apprentice. Part of the negotiations in the story occur in the only high rise on planet Shptiludrp (Shop Until You Drop), a giant shopping mall and the center of economic governance, now more easily identifiable as Trump Tower. There is no political advocacy in the story, other than sensitizing readers to the huge social problem of child maltreatment, but the allegory is much more obvious now that Donald Trump is a household name.

  However, while there is a strong literary element, there is nothing preachy in the messages. Each of us must find our own truths in life. What one reader takes away from having read Rarity from the Hollow will likely be very different for another. I do hope that people think about the novel long after the last page has been turned.

  What do you find most rewarding about writing?

  The act of creation is reward in itself. However, I do believe that the most beautiful painting never hung is not truly art. Appreciation of one’s work is the most rewarding, since I was a child.

  What do you find most challenging about writing?

  Self-promotion and finding a balance between it and writing is the most challenging for me. I want to write, write, write, but, given my values on appreciation, I feel compelled to promote, promote, promote.

  What ways can readers connect with you?

  Purchase links:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-22910478.html

http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B017REIA44

http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow 

Public Author Contacts:

http://www.lacydawnadventures.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32993259-rarity-from-the-hollow

https://www.facebook.com/Lacy-Dawn-Adventures-573354432693864/

https://twitter.com/roberteggleton1

https://plus.google.com/b/108662084126982201049/108662084126982201049/posts

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-eggleton-909b154b?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic

    FRIDAY SF & FANTASY – Rarity from the Hollow was originally published on the Wordpress version of The Pulp and Mystery Shelf