Interview with Robert Eggleton
Author of Rarity from the Hollow
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How would you describe Rarity from the Hollow to a new reader?
- Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy, and satire -- a children's story for adults. Its blend of social commentary and magical realism is not for the prudish, faint-of-heart, or easily offended. Half of author proceeds are donated to a nonprofit children's program for the prevention of child abuse.
What was the inspiration behind Rarity from the Hollow ?
- I'm a retired children's psychotherapist with over forty years in the field of children's advocacy. My last job was in an intensive day program within a community mental health center. Part of my job was the facilitation of group therapy for severely emotionally disturbed youth, most of whom had been physically or sexually abused. One day in Group, a little girl sat across the table from me. Instead of disclosing the horrors of her abuse as is typical, she spoke of her hopes and dreams for the future, her strengths. This girl was inspiring to me, to everybody around her, and she inspired me to return to writing fiction, a long-lost passion from my own youth. I named her Lacy Dawn and she's my protagonist.
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- Douglas Adams and Vonnegut along with lots of others that I admire probably influenced me the most toward nonconventional blending of genres.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in the book?
- The Earth setting is a rural, impoverished Appalachian hollow and the off-world setting is planet Shptiludrp (Shop Until You Drop), the center of universal governance which houses the economic foundation of the universe, a giant shopping mall.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors? How would you advise a new author about traditional publishing versus self publishing?
- The best advice that I can offer an aspiring author is to not give up, but to at the same time, not invest the family farm all at once in marketing. The front doors of traditional publishing have been chained shut for decades and there are many companies out there who want to take advantage of the self-published author.
What's your writing process?
- I write a loose outline -- no plotting detail for beats, as an example, and let it fly in for the first draft. Then, I get help from my son and wife to draft the second attempt at a story that will never be finished.
Which character in Rarity from the Hollow has had the greatest impact on readers?
- Excerpt from a wealthy Swedish book reviewer who had difficulty in connecting to some of the more down-to-earth characters:
"..My favourite character was probably Brownie because A. he’s a super smart dog, B. he’s called brownie, duh (he got his name after he stole a brownie instead of a wiener from Lacy Dawn’s plate during a cook-out) and C. he gets embarrassed about his own farts, something I keep hoping my dog will do as well some day.."
If Rarity from the Hollow were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye when you wrote him/her?
- Simone Arianne Biles -- a highly successful Black kid would be a hoot to introduce to some of the redneck characters in the hollow.
How have readers responded to Rarity from the Hollow?
- Yes, the book has received a couple of hundred reviews or so -- some glowing and some not so much. The hardest audience has been new authors who believe in following a method to their successes on Amazon.
Where next? What are you working on now?
- I had a short story published in a magazine last month, which was fun but few rewards. The next Lacy Dawn Adventure has been sitting for a while on my hard drive. Money for marketing is a major barrier now that I'm retired and trying to make it on Social Security. It's called "Ivy" and is about an alien invasion by a very unconventional method. We'll see.
