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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WILD ASSES OF THE MOJAVE DESERT & GOBBLEDY by Lis Anna-Langston Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar
Book Tours.
Check out my stop on the tour and make sure to enter the giveaway!
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Title: WILD ASSES OF THE MOJAVE DESERT
by Author: Lis Anna-Langston
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Pub. Date: October 20, 2023
Publisher: Mapleton Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 302
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Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/WILD-ASSES-OF-THE-MOJAVE-DESERT
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A modern girl caught in the chaos of
the modern world, Skye takes a drastic turn when she escapes a toxic
relationship. Driving across country she seeks solace at her sister’s house in
the low desert reuniting with her best friend Dylan, whose discovery of a
mysterious rock sparks a belief in its magical properties. With the help of a
psychic, her sister, her ex, a phantom dog and a little Ho’oponopono Skye
weathers the unexpected twists and turns during the course of a summer that
changes her life forever.
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…a journey away from the familiar and
into the desert of discovery…As relationship quandaries, marriage
possibilities, and good and harmful emotional connections emerge against the
backdrop of the desert environment, readers receive a multifaceted story that
connects via both emotional and landscape twists of perspective.
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“Wild Asses of the Mojave Desert is a
novel that pulls at heart and mind alike. Through Skye’s journey and process of
letting go everything she’s held tightly throughout her life, readers receive a
compelling saga…”-D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
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MY REVIEW
I’m going to start my review with the ending. I finished reading it and immediately thought, what did I just read? The answer was a book filled with mystery and every kind of character you could imagine. And that’s a big seller for me. I love character driven stories and here you have some young adults trying to look at the big picture. Answer those big questions. Why are we here? What does it all mean?
Skye returned home with a broken heart and mice living in her car. Hoping for the comfort of familiar surroundings and friends. She discovers things didn’t stand still while she was gone. People changed. The small town she remembered changed. And something in the desert will change her too. And my perspective on what I was reading changed. I thought the story was going one way. It went another. My focus deepened. The story changed again. My focus deepened again. And I could not stop reading until I got the big picture. I got the meaning. I got the answers.
And those characters I mentioned. Every kind you could imagine. How about a dead chinchilla living in a freezer. Or a ghost dog. The pink meteorite and the desert felt like characters too.
After reading the synopsis I had a feeling I would enjoy this voyage. Halfway through reading the book I knew for sure. And by the end, I loved it.
5 STARS
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GOBBLEDY
by Author: Lis Anna-Langston
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Pub. Date: October 20, 2023
Publisher: Mapleton Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 233
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Find it:Goodreads, https://books2read.com/GOBBLEDY-LANGSTON
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Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!
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Ever since eleven-year-old Dexter
Duckworth and his brother, Dougal, lost their mom, everything has been
different. But “different” takes on a whole new meaning when, one day just
before Christmas (or Kissmas, as they call it), Dexter finds a golden rock in
the forest that hatches into an adorable alien. Gobbledy is smarter than he
seems and is lost on planet Earth. Before long, Gobbledy takes Dexter, Dougal,
and their best friend Fi on an adventure of friendship, family, and loss—one
that requires them all to stay out of trouble, protect Gobbledy from a shadowy
group called the Planetary Society, and prepare for their school’s Winter
Extravaganza Play, where Dexter has to be a dreaded Gingerbread Man.
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Gobbledy is a fun-filled holiday story that adds up to two
brothers, three friends, unlimited jars of peanut butter, a ketchup factory,
and one little alien far, far from home.
“Hugely entertaining as well as
emotionally moving.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
“This charming alien-in-the-attic story boasts engaging characters, witty
storytelling, and a furry little beast that will eat anything, all wrapped up
in a warm holiday package.” ~ Booklife
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MY REVIEW
Gobbledy was much more than I bargained for. In such a fun, lovable way. Haven’t you looked to the stars at night and wondered what or who else might be out there? For two young brothers, the answer is out of this world. It comes with lots of toes, a long tail and tall, fluffy ears.
Dexter and his friend, Fi, discover a mysterious rock that hatches a cute alien they name Gobbledy. Needing help to protect their secret, they bring Dexter’s younger brother, Dougal, into the fold. And thus begins the adventure of all adventures.
While the story is about dealing with the loss of a loved one, there are many fun situations which, combined, brings a richness to the tale. The alien eats everything. I mean everything. Hence it’s name. Dexter, Dougal and Fi will make you laugh so hard. That deep bellied laugh that makes you bend over to catch your breath. The lengths they go through to hide Gobbledy are hilarious. And the clueless father. He doesn’t play a big part in the story, but he sure adds to the hilarity.
When I reached the end I felt a lightness of heart. And I was wearing a big silly grin.
5 STARS
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About Lis Anna-Langston:
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Lis
Anna-Langston was raised along the winding current of the Mississippi River on
a steady diet of dog-eared books. She attended a Creative and Performing Arts
School from middle school until graduation and went on to study Literature at
Webster University. Her novels have won the Parents’ Choice Gold, Moonbeam Book
Award, Independent Press Award, Benjamin Franklin Book Award and NYC Big Book
Awards. A three-time Pushcart award nominee and Finalist in the Brighthorse
Book Prize, William Faulkner Fiction Contest, George Garrett Fiction Prize and
Thomas Wolfe Fiction Award, her work has been published in The Literary Review,
Emerson Review, The Merrimack Review, Emrys Journal, The MacGuffin, Sand Hill
Review and dozens of other literary journals.
Hailed as
“an author with a genuine flair for originality” by Midwest Book Review and “a
loveable, engaging, original voice…” by Publishers Weekly, you can find her in
the wilds of South Carolina plucking stories out of thin air.
Sign up for Lis’s newsletter!
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1 winner will win their choice of a finished copy of WILD ASSES OF THE MOJAVE DESERT or
GOBBLEDY, US Only.
Ends December 19th, midnight EST.
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