Lark and the Loon (+ Giveaway)

Today it’s my pleasure to be a part of author Rhiannon Gelston’s virtual book tour for her latest release, LARK AND THE LOON.

This is an intriguing story that is a mixture of the author’s memories and transcendental fiction.

◊ Genre: Memoir with a Twist
◊ Publisher: WiDo Publishing (July 17, 2020)
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ Paperback: 284 pages
◊ ISBN-10: 1947966251
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1947966253

Lark and the Loon follows the adventures of a tentative boy named Lark, as he is catapulted out of all that he knows, into a courageous journey beyond his wildest imagination. 

Upon receiving a special gift from his Gramps, Lark embarks on a reflective journey of self-discovery as the innovative story weaves the true-life memoir of his mother (the author) in with a fantastical journey. With some special new-found friends, Lark travels back and forth from a symbolic tree to his mother’s true memories of life and death moments, and simple moments, found everywhere from wild Africa to their very own living room. Lark and his friends must ascend this tree and gain the important life lessons offered along the way if they ever hope to find their way out. Within this journey, Lark finds these lessons, and ultimately himself, in the space between imagination and truth in this wild tale.  

The story explores friendships, philosophies, and everyday challenges and joys, both from a child's perspective and from a parent's perspective. This memoir with a twist results in a coming-of-age story that ultimately leads to a new understanding of self, others, and the world that surrounds us.

LARK AND THE LOON is available at AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * WiDo Publishing. Also, be sure to add it to your TBR List on Goodreads.

Here’s an excerpt from the book for your reading pleasure.

 

Gramps

“Life is a verb.”

—Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Gramps was very thin and very tall. He used to be taller, but he stood a little bit hunched over these days. He had white hair that stood straight up out of his head as if he had his finger in an electric socket at all times. He had a long mustache too, but this was always perfectly groomed, not a hair out of place.

Sometimes he would put some wax in it and turn the hairs up at the ends so the curls matched the permanent, mischievous smirk on his face. Sometimes he let Lark’s little sisters braid it or put glitter in it, and he’d unapologetically wear it like that all day. He had been known to dye it green on St. Patrick’s Day or pink for Valentine’s Day. Gramps always had some sort of sweets hidden in his pocket; he always had a kind word or bit of good advice for those who needed it; and he always had a twinkle in his eye.

People often said Lark looked like Gramps, but Lark couldn’t quite see it. Lark was anything but tall; in fact, he was one of the smallest kids in his class.

He did have unruly hair like Gramps. No matter what he did, it stood up in every direction, and it was white—but a blonde white.

He was a towhead, even more so in the summer months. Perhaps they did have the same eyes if he looked really hard at Gramps’ eyes.

Sometimes it was hard to find the eyes behind the memories.

Gramps had lines of memories all over that smiling face. He had lines like the waves rolling in, notable especially next to his eyes, where the remnants of endless smiles lingered. These wrinkles served an important purpose as permanent reminders of both good and hard times lived. There was the depth of a blue ocean next to those lines, overflowing with memories from somewhere so very far away and yet so close and near.

Yes, that was the comment Lark heard the most: that he had the same smiling, blue eyes with that same twinkle.

Meet the Author: Rhiannon Gelston

 

RHIANNON GELSTON loves to lose herself in all things creative. She enjoys writing, painting, live music, traveling, sports, being outdoors, exploring, playing, spirituality, and energy work. She has a BA in English and an MS in Occupational Therapy with a pediatric focus. Rhiannon just had her first novel published. It is a memoir with a twist called, LARK AND THE LOON, available wherever books are sold. 

Rhiannon grew up on Spa Creek in downtown Annapolis. Home for Rhiannon will always be the sound of the halyards hitting the masts on a breezy day, a pile of crabs saturated in Old Bay, raft-ups with friends as kids cannonball off of the stern, and time with family and friends, in, on, and around the Chesapeake Bay.

She lives in Annapolis with her husband, their five lovely and lively children, and their black lab, McNasby.

Connect with Rhiannon on Facebook and Instagram.

Be sure to enter the tour wide giveaway. It ends May 3. The grand prize is a $25 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook of LARK AND THE LOON. The second-place winner has to be a US resident as the gift is a signed copy of LARK THE LOON. The third-place prize is an eBook that two winners will receive. If the Rafflecopter widget doesn’t work, you can still enter by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today. Doesn’t this sound like a fascinating memoir, especially with the twist?

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Sins of Our Mothers (+ Giveaway)

I’m delighted today to share with you a fascinating book from a new-to-me author that I have the pleasure of hosting a tour for at MC Book Tours.

Come and join me in welcoming author Nicole Souza here today to talk about her latest release, SINS OF OUR MOTHERS.

◊ Genre: Dystopian Novel
◊ Publisher: WiDo Publishing (August 25, 2020)
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ Paperback: 338 pages
◊ ISBN-10: 1947966391
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1947966390

     It has been fifteen hundred years since the solar flare devastation of the Global Catastrophe. Due to the radioactivity in the harvesting fields, society dismisses its defective children as nothing more than flawed products of the malfunctioned seeds in the field.

     But Lyratelle, a hyper-observant musical prodigy, believes these “defects” are intelligent, particularly her own sibling, the youngest child of her impervious mother. Abandoning her dream career, Lyratelle climbs the bureaucratic ladder to run the Defect Research Center, where she can safeguard the child.

     With an underground team of women who share her uncertainties, Lyratelle unearths the Old History truth that womankind’s survival actually hinges on the existence of these defects.

     When General Sarah Love, the city’s most powerful advocate against the defects, detects Lyratelle’s sympathy toward the creatures, she threatens the life of Lyratelle’s sibling.

     Now Lyratelle’s desperate attempt to save this child endangers everyone she loves—her team, her family, even the existence of the defects themselves.

SINS OF OUR MOTHERS is available at AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * WiDo Publishing. Also, be sure to add it to your TBR List on Goodreads.

Now here’s an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

Chapter 1
Juley 16, 1513 P.C.

10:00 a.m.

Staring through the green, rapt eyes of her reflection in the observation window to the oldest children’s room, Lyratelle slowly pulled the dark chestnut curls framing her face free from the elastic restraining her mane. Oblivious to the liberated strands waving sporadically in the AC’s subtle breeze, her gaze weaved through the disorderly multitude of defective children, stacks of beds, and shelves of test toys and activity books to the back corner where Defect 1501-575, whose own brown curls had grown out since its group was last shaved for a lice inspection, sat surrounded by plastic train cars, detached wheels, and pieces of a track. Lyratelle stopped fidgeting with her hair and pressed her hand to the glass, as if reaching for the defective child.

❘ ❙ ❚ ❙ ❘ ❙ ❚ ❙ ❘

Lyratelle knew little about pregnancy. The transparent pod was filled with a subtle yellow liquid. A sleeping infant floated inside, attached to the pod by an umbilical cord. At thirteen weeks the infant was smaller than her palm, which she discovered when she pressed her hand to the pod.

“They said you were beautiful,” she whispered, “but I had no idea how beautiful. I hope you like music. I have so many songs to show you. My favorite one goes like this.” She cleared her throat and hummed the melody of her favorite sonata. After a few measures, the infant’s hands moved. The tiny back arched slightly. Lyratelle leaned closer. “Can you hear me?”

❘ ❙ ❚ ❙ ❘ ❙ ❚ ❙ ❘

The memory was interrupted by the grumble of Lyratelle’s ring vibrating against the observation glass. She lowered her hand and glanced at the screen: Message from Grace.

“Display message.”

Emily River is approaching the gate.

“Display driveway.”

The lens on top of the ring slid open, and a hologram of the front courtyard emerged. Lyratelle heard pebbles crunch beneath the Panthera-Lea’s heavy tires as it pulled through the iron gate. She saw Emily peering out the backseat window, no doubt marveling at the building’s resemblance to the stately ruins of Windsora Castle, which, according to her resume, she visited while studying abroad freshwoman year—her first freshwoman year anyway, during her time as a Linguistics student.

The Panthera circled the driveway surrounding a structure resembling a massive tombstone where Defect Research Center was etched. It stopped in front of the main doors. The driver stepped out and opened Emily’s door. Faintly, Lyratelle heard the driver say, “Grace will meet you inside.”

Emily didn’t appear strong or threatening in any way. She was thin with blond hair just past her shoulders, and large blue eyes. She was the youngest applicant in the running. When she approached the doors, Lyratelle said, “Display entry.”

The hologram morphed into the DRC’s three-story entryway where skylights scattered the summer sun. The bang of the doors closing behind Emily echoed from the ring. Lyratelle watched her assistant, Grace, who was Emily’s height with dark wavy hair and purple streaks in her bangs, approach and extend a hand, her wrist covered in the usual charms and beaded bracelets. Grace’s business dress and button-down jacket clashed with her colorful tights and combat boots. “Welcome to the DRC, Doctor River. This way.” She led Emily out of the hologram.

“Close display.”

Lyratelle’s ring retrieved the image. Tucking the stray hairs behind her ear, Lyratelle glanced once more at Defect 1501-575 before heading to her office.

Grace waited outside the door. “All set.”

Meet the Author

 

As the third of eight siblings, Nicole has always been surrounded by people. Among her immediate family are spoken seven languages. Her favorite thing is hearing her nieces and nephews speak French, Tongan, or Mandarin. It’s no surprise she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Languages, as language is one of her greatest passions, topped only by music and Beat Saber. 

Nicole minored in Women Studies and continues to take a particular interest in both women’s history and their individual stories. She’s grateful for her ancestors and other women who paved the way for her to pursue her dream of publishing stories and strives to create new avenues for the coming generations to pursue their dreams.

Though she’s lived-in various states in the U.S. and Brazil, Nicole considers Utah “home base” and continuously finds herself returning, even when previous moves were intended to be permanent. She attributes her love of Utah to the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains and the incredible people who make it feel like home, even when she’s been away for long periods of time. Recently, however, after visiting her sister’s family overseas, she’s been dreaming of a quiet beach house in Taiwan.

Connect with Nicole on her website nicolesouzabooks.com
Facebook@nicolesouzabooks
Instagram@nicolesouzabooks

Be sure to enter the tour wide giveaway below. If the widget doesn’t appear, you can still enter by clicking HERE. You can also follow Nicole on her tour journey by clicking HERE and best of all, you can still be a part of her tour as a host (if you haven’t already signed up).

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy books where the main protagonist is a female?

 

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