Once in a Blue Moon: A Novel [Paperback]

Leanna Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2010

Bryn Seymour was nine years old when her mother died under mysterious circumstances on the same day Apollo 11 made its historic lunar landing. Forty years later—divorced, working as an obituary writer, and duly cynical—she meets Howard, a conspiracy theorist who knew her mom and believes a small Texas town may hold clues to what really fueled her demise. Seeking closure, Bryn goes along for this men-in-black ride. But upon meeting Howard’s son Sam, an outspoken Christian, she can’t decide whose beliefs are more pie-in-the-sky.

The gravity of life has pulled Bryn down for decades. But a perfect love could be her first step to soaring. It only happens once in a blue moon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers may be confused about whether Ellis, who has sold more than a million romance novels under the name Leanna Wilson, is creating a sci-fi thriller, a mother-daughter drama, or a love story. Ellis weaves an engaging tale that finally settles down into a love story with a bit of conspiracy theory thrown in. Bryn Seymour was nine when her mother died on the same day Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Forty years later, she stumbles across new information and heads to Texas to track down a man who knew her mom. Was she involved in NASA spying? Are Howard Walters's suspicions about NASA coverups true? What does he know about her mom's death? And what about sparks that fly between Bryn and Howard's son, Sam? Readers will appreciate Ellis's humor and witty dialogue, and some will relish remembering the Apollo years as she slowly reveals the details of Jennifer Seymour's death and Bryn's healing from it. Ellis bounces through this novel with periods of levity and seriousness, fluency and stuttering. (Mar.)
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About the Author

Leanna Ellis, formerly known to readers as Leanna Wilson, sold more than one million romance books and won numerous awards before taking a new creative direction with her much-acclaimed 2007 novel, Elvis Takes a Back Seat. She lives with her family in Keller, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books; Original edition (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805449884
• ISBN-13: 978-0805449884
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,230,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leanna Ellis

www.leannaellis.com
http://leannaellis.com/news.html


'Leanna Ellis takes a back seat to no one,' says Debbie Macomber. But Leanna knows God is in the driver's seat as she taxies her two children to and from all their activities, chases her menagerie of pets in and out ... in and out ..., tracks down what to cook for dinner (or where to order takeout), and traverse the hills and dales of this writing career. Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna writes quirky women's fiction with a splash of romance. Descended from a long line of southerners and patriots, she lives with her family in Texas.

Once in a Blue Moon, March 2010, Women's fiction with a splash of romance

Despite death defying feats, guilt has always pulled Bryn down time and again. But a perfect love shows her taking a leap of faith is the first step to soaring. But it only happens ... once in a blue moon.

Ruby's Slippers, April 2009, women's fiction with a dash of romance

When Dottie Meyers loses her 'no place like home' during a Kansas tornado, she wakes up to find a pair of ruby slippers left by her father who abandoned his family thirty years ago. With her sister hot on her trail to find the treasured ruby slippers, Dottie travels a yellow brick road with three friends to find her father. No wizard can solve her problems. Only the love of a heavenly father can heal her wounds and give her the desires of her heart.

Wizard of Oz meets Cinderella

There's no place like ... the heart for God's healing touch.

Lookin' Back, Texas, September 2008, women's fiction (finalist for ACFW's Book of the Year Award)
A devoted wife and mother must return to her Texas hometown of Luckenbach, Texas to help her mother plan her father's funeral. Trouble is - he isn't dead! And neither are the secrets she buried there years ago.

Elvis Takes a Back Seat:

A young widow, determined to fulfill her husband's last request, hauls a three foot bust of Elvis strapped in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Texas to Memphis to return it to its rightful owner. The road trip with her eccentric aunt, who knew the King of Rock n' Roll, and a temperamental teen, hits roadblocks and detours as the three women uncover pieces of their own past along with the bust's mysterious history. The discoveries change the course of their lives forever.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once in a Blue Moon, March 16, 2010

By 

Martha Ramirez - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once in a Blue Moon: A Novel (Paperback)

Once in a Blue Moon is an engaging tale of a stubborn journalist who learns to take a leap of faith. Bryn Seymour has risked everything to uncover the secret behind her mother's death. Regret and guilt takes a hold of her as she seeks closure. The well crafted story is packed with love, mystery, and a hint of humor.New information about her mother's death leads her to Texas where she meets Howard and his handsome son, Sam. It is there she encounters a perfect love that only happens once in a blue moon.

A journey filled with believable characters and lots of emotion. Leanna Ellis does a superb job at bringing the story to life!

Reviewer:Martha Ramirez

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Once in a Blue Moon, March 9, 2010

By 

Cindy Loven "~LovenGod~" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once in a Blue Moon: A Novel (Paperback)

Sci-fi meets conspiracy theory gone wild, NASA, the moon walk, and reporters, all abound in Once in a Blue Moon.

Brynda Seymour is an obituary writer and a inspirational stories reporter, but she is on a personal journey. A quest to learn more about her mother who died when Bryn was only 9. However this journey is perhaps more than Bryn expected and can deal with. She will face her fears of being alone, and of being the one responsible for her mom's death.

When an old aquaintance of her moms appears with an explanation that "they" were the ones who killed her mom Bryn grabs ahold of this, and leans on it like a life preserver. Who are "they"? Why would they want her mom dead? An attraction to the son of her mom's friend will distract Brynda and have her exploring why romance has not been successful for her.

A book that will take time to digest as you sort out the story, but a story worth reading. Love, excitement, danger and mystery all in one book. 347 pages $14.99 US 3 and half stars

5.0 out of 5 stars sometimes a leap of faith lands in just the right place, August 13, 2011

By 

Virginia Campbell (VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once in a Blue Moon: A Novel (Paperback)

As I began reading "Once in a Blue Moon", by Leanna Ellis, I soon realized that I was in for a rare treat. I have my favorite genres and types of characters, and those are my comfort reads. However, I love it when an author can take me some place new, make it a journey to remember, and introduce me to new friends to whom I don't want to say goodbye. That's exactly what Leanna Ellis did with "Once in a Blue Moon". Bryn Seymour is a journalist with a college-aged daughter, a divalistic cat, and real difficulty with close personal relationships. At age nine, Bryn suffered the tragic loss of her mother under mysterious circumstances. Bryn secretly carries guilt over her mother's death, and it is a guilt which colors every aspect of her life. Raised by her grandmother after her mother's death, Bryn has a challenging relationship with her own daughter. When Bryn's beloved grandmother Cora shows the beginning signs of Alzheimer's Disease, Bryn is forced to place her in a care facility. On a reporting assignment to cover the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Bryn meets an eccentric older man, Howard Walters, who claims to have known her mother. Unable to resist learning more about her mother's life, Bryn becomes involved with Howard's seemingly paranoid conspiracy theories. Her life takes quite another turn when she meets Howard's son Sam, who is trying to come to terms with his "anything but average" father. Bryn and Sam share an immediate attraction, but it is a wonderfully written, subtle, slow-build attraction that still packs a wallop. While Bryn and Sam are still "works in progress", all of their emotional and physical aspects are in working order. How delightful that two people over forty are never categorized as middle-aged and are given a shot at a lovely, fulfilling romance. There is an underlying theme of faith and acceptance, which is just right for the story line. Sometimes, a leap of faith lands you in just the right place.