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Joy to the World

13 Dec

Has been an up and down sort of time for my family. As already noted, we lost our beloved pet recently and on top of that we’ve all been sick. And yet, there is so much to celebrate. That we are together. That we are whole. That we love one another.

And yesterday, all of the blurbs for my book came in; joy to the world, indeed! I’m truly grateful to these writers who have lent their names to my book. Thank you!

“Myfanwy Collins tells a deep and resonant story about people she loves, and along the way shows us how to love them as well.” —Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina and Cavedweller

“Fearless, elegant, and accessible, Echolocation is literary fiction at its best. With heartbreakingly beautiful prose, Myfanwy Collins tells a gripping and tender tale of broken souls yearning for wholeness. These are characters who will stay with you long after you turn the last page. It’s a dazzling debut!”
—Ellen Meister, author of The Other Life

“Myfanwy Collins has the goods. It’s that simple. Echolocation is about love in all its magnificent slipperiness; it’s about how secrets bind us rather than rend us; it’s about the endless series of personal reinventions we call a lifetime. And these are things we had all better be thinking–and reading–about, if we plan to try and get out of this alive.” —Ron Currie Jr., author of God is Dead and Everything Matters!

“Myfanwy Collins’ debut novel calls to mind the grim and radiant work of Daniel Woodrell. From page one, I was chilled by the landscape, caught up in the trouble, and riveted by these women of northernmost New York who slam back together and figure out how live with what’s missing.” —Pia Z. Ehrhardt, author of Famous Father and Other Stories

“A moving and delicate novel, tracing the poignant destinies of women who long for a home they never had.” —Laila Lalami, author of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits and Secret Son

“Get ready to fall madly, sadly in love with the fiction of Myfanwy Collins.” —Benjamin Percy, author of The Wilding and Refresh, Refresh

And then there is this beauty–give it a listen:

Joy to the World

my novel, ECHOLOCATION, available for pre-order!

12 Sep

Absolutely thrilled and delighted to announce that my novel, Echolocation, is available for pre-order here: Echolocation

here’s the first beautiful blurb:

“Fearless, elegant, and accessible, Echolocation is literary fiction at its best. With heartbreakingly beautiful prose, Myfanwy Collins tells a gripping and tender tale of broken souls yearning for wholeness. These are characters who will stay with you long after you turn the last page. It’s a dazzling debut!”—Ellen Meister, author of The Other Life

The Other Life, by Ellen Meister

9 Dec

I am extremely fortunate to have received an advanced review copy of Ellen Meister‘s soon-to-be-released and breathtakingly great new novel, The Other Life. I can’t wait for the book to be released and for the rest of the reading public to join me in celebrating this beautiful book.

Before I had a child, I often wondered what it would be like to have one and wondered how my life would change if I did. I wanted a magic vision–some way to see what it would be like. But there is no such view into the alternate worlds we imagine for ourselves; experience is the only answer.

At its core this book explores the question of the road not taken. If we are honest we can all admit that there comes in a time in our lives when we wonder what would have happened if we had chosen another path. Most often, we push the thought away, satisfied as we are with our partners and families if we have them or happy not to have them. Whatever the case may be.

But what if you could experience that other life?

During an extremely volatile and emotionally devastating time of her life, Quinn is able to make the leap to her other life. She is able to experience all of the emotion of an alternate life, while retaining the knowledge of her current existence.

It is almost what one might believe of heaven–an other life which allows you your experiences from your true life. And in that other life, you might encounter those who had passed before you, living as they once did.

The problem for Quinn is not in experiencing this alternate reality, and not in choosing which place is the best for her–instead the problem is about what she is willing to sacrifice and for whom. In the end, her decision is based not on holding onto the past, but in believing in the future.

This book will break your heart and piece it back together. Not only is it beautifully written, it’s also a great read. Without hesitation, I say, buy this book for someone you love and I promise you they will thank you for it.

The Smart One, by Ellen Meister

21 Aug

My mother always told me, “Friends may come and go, but a sister is forever.” She had six sisters, so she knew what she was talking about. My father had four sisters and I have three. I grew up in a world of sisters and feel like I have a pretty good handle on sisterhood, and so does Ellen Meister.

At the core of her charming, thrilling, and often hilarious new book–The Smart One–are sisters. Three sisters to be exact–Bev, Clare, and Joey–each playing the role she thinks is expected of her. It seems the sisters hide behind these roles of smart, pretty, and wild, especially when they are together.

It is only when they bond together to try to solve a decades old mystery that they learn the truth about each other: and that is that they no longer need these labels. In fact, maybe they are all smart, pretty, and wild. What’s most important is that they love each other and they are there for each other (even when irritated with each other).

Like Ellen herself, this book has a lot of heart and these characters will stick with you long after you have finished reading. Like sisters to you, they are forever.

Read this book.

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