“The Rusted Lantern” is a hair-splitting adventure romance in which teenager Jason Hanson, a quiet, introverted surfer, discovers an ancient boat dock lantern high up Sunset Cliffs in modern San Diego. The Magic of the lantern takes Jason back in time to 1858, when San Diego was a dusty, burgeoning settlement. The boy never knew his mother, Jana. Jason’s only knowledge of the woman came from a brittle, brown and yellowed newspaper photograph dated January 26, 1858. It is there, in 1858, the boy finds his mother very much alive. Along the way, Jason encounters blood-thirsty pirates, alluring sirens, and a mythical mermaid, Imprisoned aboard the outlaws’ vessel, Jason meets the sultry, panther-like Celeste, who befriends the boy. The story tells of Jana crossing time to meet Matt Hanson, how they fell in love, and then were forever separated, until Jason’s adventure through time affords his parents the opportunity to, once again, be together.