Media Assets
Elvia and the Gift of Passion
Book Descriptions
30-word description
A romping science fantasy for middle graders where a ten-year old girl disappears from a wildlife safari and finds herself sailing aboard a cruising submarine on a distant, two-mooned planet!
100-word description
Adventurous Elvia Hill is fed up with her overly cautious parents, who never allow her to take risks or do anything fun. She feels trapped, but when they win a lottery for a wildlife safari, everything changes. Elvia’s thrilled, but her parents’ worst nightmare unfolds when she disappears along the way, apparently snatched and eaten by a lion! A massive search fails to find her, for Elvia’s not where they think she is. She’s on a distant, two-mooned planet, instead, having a grand adventure, sailing on a luxurious cruising submarine with a queenly “uppy,” and a lively sailor-boy-pirate named Rats!
150-word description
Adventurous Elvia Hill is fed up with her overly cautious parents, who never allow her to take risks or do anything fun. She feels trapped, but when her mother wins a lottery for a wildlife safari, everything changes. Her parents are worried for her safety in the African bush, but Elvia’s thrilled, so they take her along anyway, hoping for the best.
To their horror, their worst fears come true. Elvia disappears, apparently snatched and eaten by a lion! A massive search ensues, involving a bushman tracker, a delusional lion expert, and a kind, local couple who run a non-profit called Parents of Swallowed Children. But despite all their efforts, they can’t find her, for she’s not where they think she is. She’s on a distant two-mooned planet, instead, sailing aboard a luxurious cruising submarine with a queenly “uppy,” and a friendly, lively, sailor-boy-pirate with the unlikely name of Rats!
250-word description
Adventurous Elvia Hill is fed up with her overly cautious parents, who lost her older sister, Jane, to cancer. They protect Elvia, never allowing her to take risks or do anything fun. She feels trapped, but when her mother wins a lottery—round-trip airline tickets for a wildlife safari—her luck improves. Her parents are worried for her safety in the African bush, but Elvia’s thrilled, so they take her along anyway, hoping for the best.
To the Hills’ horror, their worst nightmare unfolds. Elvia disappears, apparently snatched and eaten by a lion! A massive search ensues, involving a bushman tracker, a delusional lion expert, a witchdoctor, a sham DNA testing company, and a kind, local couple who run an organization called Parents of Swallowed Children and are keen to help.
The search comes up empty, though, and for good reason: Elvia’s not where they think she is. She’s on a distant two-mooned planet, instead, having a grand and glorious adventure, cruising aboard a luxurious submarine with a queenly “uppy” and a lively sailor-boy-pirate with the unlikely, but fun, name of Rats!
At first, Elvia’s escapade is so exciting that she forgets about home. But when a terrible crisis unfolds aboard the boat and she’s the only one who can save the day, she must bravely face the same terrible fear that her parents have been avoiding since Jane’s death. And she discovers, too an even more powerful, singular emotion that opens her heart and transforms her troubled family forever.
Author Bios
34 words
Ruthy Ballard is a scientist by day and a children’s author by night. Her latest creation is Elvia and the Gift of Passion, a science-rich, magical romp on the other side of the galaxy.
48 words
Ruthy Ballard is a scientist and children’s book author. By day, she’s a forensic DNA expert. By night, she romps in an imaginative playground of color and words. Her latest creation is Elvia and the Gift of Passion, a science-rich, magical romp on the other side of the galaxy.
110 words
Ruthy Ballard is a children’s book author, artist, and scientist who lives in Newport, Oregon. By day, she’s “Dr. Ruth Ballard,” a professor and forensic DNA expert. By night, she romps in an imaginative playground of colors and words.
Ruthy is the author of Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy and Tales by Moons-Light: Stories from Before the Great Melt. The third book in her Tales by Moons-light series, Elvia and the Gift of Passion, is coming in February, 2023.
Her entertaining stories lure children into science, but her creative ventures don’t stop there. She’s also a folk artist whose colorful “cartoons” delight and inspire both children and adults.
Ruthy is married to a musician and is the mother of two sons, two cats, and three lively dogs, all of whom appear in her work, in various guises, from time to time.
348 words
Ruthy Ballard is a children’s book author, artist, and scientist who lives in Newport, Oregon. By day, she’s “Dr. Ruth Ballard,” a professor and forensic DNA expert. By night, she romps in an imaginative world of colors and words that has been her playground since childhood.
Ruthy is the author of Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy and Tales by Moons-Light: Stories from Before the Great Melt. The third book in her Tales by Moons-light series, Elvia and the Gift of Passion, is coming in February, 2023.
As a child, Ruthy loved science, but was intimidated by it. It wasn’t until she joined a group called the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers that she overcame her fear. As she traveled with huge, colorful telescopes through the national parks, sharing the wonders of the Universe with the general public, she realized that science was for everyone, when delivered in an entertaining, accessible way.
Ruthy is passionate about building scientific literacy in kids, so they can survive, thrive, and lead in the coming decades. Her novels and short stories, set on a distant, two-mooned planet called Urth, teach them science through stories, making it fun and fascinating, even for the most science-shy kids on the block.
Ruthy writes in a sunny loft located high in the forest above Yaquina Bay. She spends many happy hours there, writing her books. But her creative ventures don’t stop there. She frequently switches venues to her art table. There, surrounded by colorful pencils, brush pens, and sketch paper, she draws cartoons and book illustrations for children of all ages, including adults.
Ruthy is married to a musician and is the mother of two sons, two cats, and three lively dogs, all of whom appear in her work, in various guises, from time to time. When she isn’t working with her students in the lab or holed up writing or drawing, she likes to hike with her family and dogs on the Oregon coast and turn her giant telescope (affectionately nicknamed The Beast), to the night sky.
Elvia and the Gift of Passion
By Ruthy Ballard
FACT SHEET
Category: Juvenile Fiction
BISAC Codes:
JUV044000 JUVENILE FICTION / Readers / Intermediate
JUV037000 JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
JUV029000 JUVENILE FICTION / Science & Nature / General
Title: Elvia and the Gift of Passion
Author: Ruthy Ballard
Formats: Print & eBook
Publisher Contact
Whipsmart Books
142 SE Back Bay Dr.
Newport, OR 97365-9601
Phone: 916-835-3757
Email: info@whipsmartbooks.com
Website: www.whipsmartbooks.com
Publicity Contact
Gail M. Kearns
825 E. Pedregosa Street, Suite 2
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Phone: 805-898-2263
Email: gail@topressandbeyond.com
Website: www.topressandbeyond.com