Holiday/Middle Grade
Date Published: 10-24-2020
Publisher: Spark Press
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.
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.
2021 Independent Press Awards Winner in Holiday
2021 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Silver Medal Winner
2021 Book Excellence Awards Finalist in Holiday
2020 New York City Big Book Awards Winner in Holiday
2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Gold Medal Winner
2021 15th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards Finalist
“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
“A delightfully entertaining novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that will fully engage the imaginative attention of appreciative young readers ages 8-11, Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston . . . will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library collections.”
―Midwest Book Review
“In Gobbledy, Lis Anna-Langston offers her readers a sparkling novel of discovery, adventure, and the abiding consolation of friendship . . . Eleven-year-old protagonist Dexter’s progress from bumbling troublemaker to triumphant (but still bumbling) hero is sweet, utterly convincing, and thoroughly engaging. This novel’s generous heart won me over from the get-go.”
―John Gregory Brown, acclaimed author of A Thousand Miles from Nowhere
Interview
What is the hardest part of writing
your books?
I write in scenes, so I come up with
all these pieces. It’s like a great big puzzle and I have to move all of the
pieces around to figure out the story.
What songs are most played on your
Ipod?
MC Solaar and Miles Davis’ Sketches of
Spain are on repeat. I am a huge jazz lover. Toss in some Mozart and Tame
Impala with the collected works of Beethoven and I am good to go for an afternoon.
Do you have critique partners or beta
readers?
Most definitely. I have been workshopping
with the same person every week for twelve years. I also workshop with the Cola
2 Chapter of the South Carolina Writers Association. I am active with the
Augusta Writers Crit Group and use a group of trusted readers as I work through
drafts.
What book are you reading now?
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
How did you start your writing career?
I
left a full-time sales job that took up most of my day when I moved to Madison,
Wisconsin. There, I worked only two days a week. Suddenly, I had five days a
week to write. My aspirations of “I want to become a writer” suddenly
intersected with “Now I can”. I spent those years really learning the
craft of writing, building up a body of work, and learning how I work,
what my process is for creating. I was already an award-winning writer by then,
so it’s interesting that it wasn’t until after my deep commitment to learning
and practicing my craft that I considered myself a writer.
With
all that said, I think my writing career really began at Writers Police Academy
when a conversation with a Detective from NYC made me realize that I had a
dream, a vision, but no trajectory. As a result of that life changing conversation,
I created a real publishing plan to implement goals and strategies.
Tell us about your next release.
GET READY TO MEET THE BLUE HAIRED GIRL
FROM BALTIMORE!
Maya Loop is my new release, and you
can find her here:
https://www.amazon.com./Maya-Loop-Lis-Anna-Langston-ebook/dp/B0985C3D29/
I have a lot of new titles coming out.
Three amazing new titles next year.
Follow me on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com./Lis-Anna-Langston/e/B00IXKUOEQ/
Or subscribe to my newsletter for announcements of new
titles!
https://www.lisannalangston.com/contact
It is totally FREE to subscribe, and you’ll get lots of new book
releases and stories to entertain and inspire you!
You’ll get a notification when new titles come available for
pre-sale.
I am currently writing a new middle grade title and a new
adult title.
I launch new Vella titles often &
I regularly publish in literary magazines and journals.
About the Author
Lis Anna-Langston was raised alongside 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. She is a Parents’ Choice Gold and a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Winner. She draws badly and sings loudly, and loves ketchup, starry skies, and stories with happy endings aliens.
You can find her in the wilds of South Carolina plucking stories out of thin air. Find more fab facts at www.lisannalangston.com.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Posts
No comments: