One American Robin | 
It's officially Spring here in Ontario, Canada, as the Robins are here. They arrived today, and they are 20 days early as they usually show up at the end of March. That's my news! #LitsyLove @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude @Read4life
I found this bookmark in a book that I just picked up at the library.
Last Saturday I was honored to accept the Independent Publishers of New England award for best literary fiction book of 2017!!!
The best part: all of the judges are librarians. How cool is that?
Litsy friends - I am over-the-moon excited to share that OAR is a finalist for the Independent Publishers of New England literary fiction book of the year. Winners will be announced in November. Thanks to everyone who's read, shared quotes and sent me messages: Litsy has been one of the best things that's ever happened to my writing and reading life. Cheers!
Thank you, @Eamann for the lovely bookmarks! Putting to good use! Stacking your book! #kindauthor
Look what came in the mail from author (and fellow Litten) @Eamann ! These are just lovely (plus it's always nice to see your name in print! 😉🤣). Looking forward to reading your book, thanks again! #bookmarks
This is my next book choice and one of my Kindle #tbrbingo books. Isn't this cover beautiful?
Another lovely parcel arrived in last night's mail, this one from my @ReadingEnvy alumni buddy @Eamann - his own novel! He traded it with me for one of my recent bails. I'm sure I got the better end of the bargain! Can't wait to read it!
pickI'll admit I was worried as I read this, because I worried the author would read my blurb (he's a Litten), and I didn't really like Robin much. And if I didn't like the person the story is about, then what do I say about it... I kept going, though, and really found myself loving who Robin became, as you'll discover if you read it. It was unexpected, and that, perhaps, was what I enjoyed most of all.
#LitsyAtoZ @BookishMarginalia @Eamann
It was over 80 yesterday, and pollen was everywhere, including between the ornamental braiding on my shoes, so despite the prediction of prolonged winter, I say it's SPRING!
And this book jacket is a perfect representation of exactly that. In my mind, anyway.
I'm going in!
@Eamann thought you might like to see the very Scottish cathedral on a nicer day from a different angle. Sunny but only about 3 degrees and would you believe it is now snowing!!
I mean, this one just seemed like an obvious pick for #FeistyFeb #FlowersonCovers. I think about this book often. There's just something about the way Mann depicted the characters and settings and the unexpected story that has stuck with me.
#feistyfeb #flowersoncovers Shades of pink. @RealLifeReading
So sorry it's taken a while but here you go @Eamann . Your book outside Elgin Cathedral in bonnie (ok it's about to chuck it down) Scotland. The cathedral was set alight in the 1300s by the Wolf of Badenoch. He was annoyed about something apparently! This is Scottish as I could get on what is going to be a driech day 😀
So last month I held a contest and one of the winners never claimed their prize and could not be found (maybe they're on the lamb?). Anyway, I pulled another name from the proverbial hat and I'm so excited to announce that @TheNextBook has won a paperback. Please email your address to ea@eamannwriter.com and I'll send it straight away. Congrats!🎉🎊🍾
pickThis #recommendsday I'm finally posting my overdue review of this terrific book. There is such good writing here and Robin's story is captivating, funny, honest and poignant with a bit of mystery and adventure thrown in for good measure. Best is Robin herself who feels so real—a friend you laugh with, root for, argue with and care about in the way that only happens with the best characters. In short, JUST READ IT PEOPLE! You won't regret it.
One of the benefits of having my book on Amazon is the free access to deep insights that only Big Data can provide. Apparently my readers are obsessed with small toilets. Based on this, I've diverted my entire advertising budget to parenting magazines and small-toilet hobbyist blogs.
Lucky me! My prize of beautiful cover artwork for this delightful book arrived yesterday and I found the perfect place for it above my bureau where it will always find itself keeping company with a big stack of books. Thanks so much @Eamann , I love it and will soon send along a picture with its new west coast environment in the bg.
@Eamann my book arrived today! Thanks so much! I have a giant stack of library books at the moment but as soon as I make a dent in them I'll start your book. Most of the library books are cozy mysteries that I read in a night or two a piece. So shouldn't be long. :) #anamericanrobin
#bookmail! I received this book through a Litsy giveaway and it's going straight onto my #LitsyAtoZ challenge, so I'm sure to read it soon. Thanks @Eamann
Look what came in the #bookmail today! It's even more beautiful in person. What an honor to have "met" such a talented author and gracious person via the best social network in the world, @Litsy . I have the feeling there's even more goodness in this story that I've yet to unearth. Is it too soon for a reread? Nah.
pickAuthor @Eamann is on Litsy, which is how I discovered (and downloaded on my own volition) One American Robin. Lots of great metaphors such as the one I highlighted above, which regards her father who has dementia. Without giving the ending away, I liked how Robin discovered her inner strength to forge ahead in life -- no clichéd ending here. ?
I'm excited to announce that the winners of the OAR paperbacks are: @Shannonsq @saresmoore , @wen4blu , @Vexingcircumstance and @kellock !!
Winner of original art is @KVanRead (!!)
Please send an email to ea(at)eamannwriter.com with your shipping address and any name you'd like your book signed to. I'm away from home right now but should have it all sent out within a week. Thanks to everyone who participated - I had a lot of fun!
This is how much I care about you all. I wasn't about to leave your prize winning chances up to some random number generator, so I geeked out and bought some dice from a local game shop. I'll be announcing the winners of the One American Robin contest tomorrow night- good luck everyone! 🎲 🍀
pickI loved it—just a really beautiful and unexpected story. And I think it's been emphasized that Mann did a phenomenal job of writing a female MC who is both likable and real. I'm not typically a highlighter of fiction, but there were so many unexpected & transportive metaphors that gave me pause without removing me from the story. So good! Brilliant work and I highly recommend!
#photoadaynov16 Yes, I know it's December but the last couple of days were "busy, busy, busy" and it's only going to get worse. But I'm determined to finish the challenge so here are my #bestofNovember (pictured above) It was an amazing, record setting reading month for me, all thanks to Litsy! December will be getting off to a slow start but looking forward to some reading binges during the holidays! @RealLifeReading
"I never had less than three books going at once, using them the way a climber uses multiple carabiners to stay clipped onto the mountain. Finishing a book, for me, is a small death, and it's important to have a second one going to combat the feeling of loss when it ends."
I ❤️ Robin!
More to be thankful for: my friend Maddie's stupefyingly good drawing of a scene from my book. Don't forget: you have until December 9 to add OAR to your stack or post about it. Each increases your chances of winning a free paperback or original artwork.🍾🍾
#photoadaynov16 Just a few things I'm #currentlyreading. I can finish all these by the end of the month, right? Okay. Bye, then. If anyone needs me I'll be READING. 📚📚📚📚📚📚😂
So excited for this amazing deal (free on Kindle) and hoping to get one of the paperbacks from @Eamann ! Check it out!
pickThis was a beautiful but heartbreaking novel! Meet Robin and her dementia-ridden father, her quirky home-improvement-obsessed neighbor, and her often-dysfunctional family. Throw in humor, pathos, and a great storyline and you may stay up all night to finish it! Plus, I appreciate a man who can write from a woman's perspective as we're pretty complicated and hard to figure out. Rock on @Eamann !
pickSad, funny and redemptive without being sentimental, One American Robin suggests that there are times when people, like houses, are in desperate need of repair—and it reminds us that that's okay. We are only human, after all. This is a fast, engaging read, peppered with dry, witty insights and observations alongside solemn, earnest truths. Robin's voice is distinct and memorable.
Well done, @Eamann !
#litsyproblems I love all you Littens so much, but the problem with following so many wonderful folks is I seldom get through my feed any more. Case in point, I'm only now discovering that @Eamann 's book is out! So excited to read it. I just ordered 2 copies —one for myself and one for my #secretsanta match!
pickEach individual's life story can be engaging, both familiar and surprising, if you take time to listen. I felt this authenticity many times, reading Mann's debut novel.
Robin is not so different from any of us, but the unique details of her story drew me in.
I loved reading as she muddled through and dealt with issues that impact all our "normal" lives: aging, regrets, circumstances beyond our control, awkwardness, fumbling, and even resilience.
Apparently my #readinginbed has been rather floral of late. @Eamann I am really looking forward to starting this one! 🎅🏼 has assured me that a Kindle will be under the 🎄 this year so my head won't hurt from late night iPhone reading anymore!
#photoadaynov16
Though it's feeling a little self conscious surrounded by all these beefcakes😳, my book is excited to be #17 in the Women's Fiction and #20 in the Literary Fiction categories. For anyone who hasn't pulled the trigger, it's still free until midnight!
I am chomping at the bit for the best readers anywhere - Litsy people - to read my book. I made it free on Amazon for the weekend, and I'm also running a contest: any time you add my book to your stack or post about it between now and December 9, you're entered to win one of five paperback copies of the book or a unique print from my cover artist. Ok that's all - happy reading everyone.
Getting ready to do a reading in the coolest artist's studio ever
When you're finishing a book you read through it so many times that the words start to lose meaning - either that or you start secretly hating it. So it's nice to come across a passage and still think 'hey, this isn't bad!'
You're probably saying to yourself: "you know, the only thing EA has ever been sure of his whole life is that he wanted to write a novel. I wonder if he did a little ugly cry when he held his first proof in his hands?" Good question...
