The Ecology of Lonesomeness
by David J. O'Brien
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
Kaleb Schwartz isn't interested in the Loch Ness Monster. He'd enough cryptobiological speculation about Bigfoot while studying the Pacific Northwest forests. He's in Scotland's Great Glen to investigate aquatic food webs and nutrients cycles; if he proves there's no food for any creature bigger than a pike, then so much the better.
Jessie McPherson has returned to Loch Ness after finishing university in London, hoping to avoid the obsession with its dark waters she had when younger and first discovered lonesomeness. She knows any relationship with a scientist studying the lake is a bad idea, but something about Kaleb makes her throw caution to the depths.
When Kaleb discovers Jessie's lonesomeness refers not just to the solitude of the loch, he's faced with an ecological problem of monstrous proportions. Can he find a way to satisfy both the man and the scientist inside himself, and do the right thing?
10% of the author's royalties will be donated to WWF,
the World Wildlife Fund.
Jessie McPherson has returned to Loch Ness after finishing university in London, hoping to avoid the obsession with its dark waters she had when younger and first discovered lonesomeness. She knows any relationship with a scientist studying the lake is a bad idea, but something about Kaleb makes her throw caution to the depths.
When Kaleb discovers Jessie's lonesomeness refers not just to the solitude of the loch, he's faced with an ecological problem of monstrous proportions. Can he find a way to satisfy both the man and the scientist inside himself, and do the right thing?
10% of the author's royalties will be donated to WWF,
the World Wildlife Fund.
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EXCERPT
"What?" she asked. "What're you shakin' your head at?"
He didn't know how to answer. "Just amazed at how words I never used before, back in the States, keep popping into my head, though I've only been here less than a month."
"Oh, aye?" She raised an eyebrow. "What words?"
"Just words. Words you use here that we don't." He tried to evade. Lovely... fancy... He tried to think of another word, but these two kept coming back into his brain like it was caught in a short circuit.
"We're good at getting into your brain," she replied, smiling broadly.
Again he thought of the word lovely as he saw her lovely mouth, her soft, red lips. Christ...
"For sure, you do."
"So, go on.... what words do we always say?"
"Um..." The words would not let him go. It was like Schrödinger's cat again. "Things like 'lovely' and 'fancy'." He said the words in a fake Scottish accent, hoping it would make them sound funny rather than serious, which was how he suddenly thought of them; too serious to say to a girl he hardly knew on a different continent, where he'd only stay a short time. He should leave her to get on with her life.
Jessie chuckled, but seemed to blush deeper as she turned back towards the lake. She'd finished her food and crumpled the wrappers and drank from the bottle of water.
Kaleb was silent too, yet again unsure how to continue the conversation without broaching a subject he was trying to avoid.
Jessie seemed to let the subject drop, staring out at the end of the canal. Then she turned back to Kaleb, peering at him with those blue eyes as if she was seeking to find something in his own.
"Aye. We do use them quite a lot," she said. A smile played around her mouth as she continued, "It's a lovely day. D'you fancy a walk?"
MY REVIEW
The Ecology of Lonesomeness by David J. O'BrienMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a gem.
If you are a Scotland lover, a Nessie hunter and a hopeless romantic, look no further, this is it.
Let me say you, this Author writes in the most beautiful way, it's amazing how he describes scenery, situations, even the weather! Both main characters, Kaleb and Jessie, are complex and well developed, they are opposites connected through the Loch Ness, and I highly enjoyed reading how they fall in love. The plot is intense, full of details and long explanations, if you didn't know anything about Scotland, after you read this book you will consider yourself an expert in the matter, and probably can be an Scotland tourist guide.
This is a Must Read book!!
*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*
View all my reviews
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
David is a writer, ecologist and teacher from Dublin, Ireland, now living in Pamplona Spain. He has a degree in environmental biology and doctorate in zoology, specialising in deer biology and is still involved in deer management in his spare time.
As an avid wildlife enthusiast and ecologist, much of David's non-academic writing, especially poetry, is inspired by wildlife and science. While his stories and novels are contemporary, they often seek to describe the science behind the supernatural or the paranormal.
His novels, Leaving the Pack and Five Days on Ballyboy Beach are available at Tirgearr Publishing. His YA novel, The Soul of Adam Short and Children's novel Peter and the Little People will be published soon by MuseitUP Publishing. He writes erotic romance under the pen name J.D. Martins.
A long-time member of The World Wildlife Fund, David has pledged to donate 10% of his royalties on all his hitherto published books to that charity to aid with protecting endangered species and habitats.
Book Buy Links
Link to all sites:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Smashwords
Apple
Kobo
Barnes and Nobel
Author Links
Website: https://davidjmobrien.wordpress.com/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/David-J.-OBrien/e/B00M60M6Y0
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidJMOBrien
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GIVEAWAY
David J. O'Brien will be awarding an eCopy of The Ecology of Lonesomeness to a randomly drawn winner
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me and for the lovely review. I'm so glad you liked the book - high praise for an Irishman!
I'd be delighted to answer any questions or comments you and your readers have.
Best wishes
David
Hi David!! Thank you for letting me be part of your Blog Tour. I absolutely love reading The Ecology Of Lonesomeness. How much time took you to write it?
DeleteHi Julia,
DeleteYour most welcome. Glad you enjoyed the read. It took me about a year all together, but only around 4 months for the first draft, I think. I got the idea early in 2014 just after my first book had been accepted for publication at Tirgearr Publishing and the main plot came about quickly. I wrote it during the summer and sent a draft to some friends, only one of whom was any good! Then I sent the book to my publisher in November of last year and had the same editor as my first two books had, getting it ready during spring for publication in June of this year. The fastest book I ever wrote. It all seemed to come fast, and most of the struggle was figuring out the middle.
Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance!
DeleteWhat kind of phone was your first cell phone?
ReplyDeleteHa!
Deleteanother question nobody has ever asked me, Mai...
this one isn't so interesting, though.
I have no idea of the model. It was a samsung, and it was called a mobile, as I was in Spain at the time. It was nice and small and neat and I was sad that I had to give it to an aged uncle when I went to America since it would not work over there. I replaced it, after a year or so of bliss with no phone, with a $20 verizon phone. I could live without a cellphone very happily if the next solar storm took them all out ;-)
Hi Mai! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteHi, do you think that Nessie exists? K.-
ReplyDeleteHi K.
DeleteThat's not beating around the bush.
As I said in the acknowledgments of the book, many years ago I spent a half an hour in a car travelling along the side of the loch, from Fort Augustus to Inverness, with a local ecologist, who explained all about the most popular theories and how small the fish population was unable to support a population of large predators because though the lake is long and deep, the part where fish thrive is quite small.
That said, I will leave it up to readers to make their own mind up after they've read a little more deeply...
David