Don't Judge a Book by its Cover?

One of the most exciting parts of the publishing process for me has been seeing all the different countries’ covers being created. Each one is so unique, bringing to life each culture’s unique take on my book. The U.S. covers focus on the “feelings pages,” and I think the bright, bold colors really pop and stand out on the shelf. Recently, I was blown away by the Japanese cover—a beautiful artist’s rendition of Zach in his hideout.

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Rhiannon Navin
Motherhood

I received a huge Mother’s Day surprise that I can’t stop smiling about. Oh, the breakfast made by the 8-year olds (OK, Nutella on toast, but still, made with love!) and beautiful homemade cards and pictures made me smile, too, of course, as did the heart-shaped pillow hand sewn by my twelve-year old, which mysteriously features the letters “M” and “F”…”

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Rhiannon Navin
The Unkind Editor - On Working with a Writing Coach

A question I am asked often is, How long have you been writing? The honest answer: For about two years, since all of a sudden this random story idea popped into my head and wouldn’t leave me alone. I picked up a pen and wrote the first scene of Only Child in one sitting, scribbling furiously in one of my kids’ school notebooks because it was the only paper around.

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Rhiannon Navin
Firstborn Book Baby

The pub day of ONLY CHILD is almost here! Pinch me, please, someone. Because I can’t believe this is actually happening. I get to share this story that I found—or I should say, that found me—with all of you. It feels like the due date of my fourth child is right around the corner, except that most of the “labor” is already behind me (yay.)

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Rhiannon Navin
Public Speaking Phobia Pool

Last month, the Penguin Random House library marketing team put together an incredible event at the Penguin Random House headquarters. They hosted over one hundred librarians from the tri-state area and invited four authors to introduce their book to them. I was so honored to be chosen as one of the authors and beyond excited to get the chance to tell the librarians a little bit about me and my book, Only Child.

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Rhiannon Navin
Keep it Together!

One of my Facebook friends shared an article from the HuffPost about the funniest wildlife photos of 2017 and hey, that sounds right up my alley and who couldn’t use a good laugh in the middle of all this…you know. So of course I jump right in and the very first picture is hilarious and also, it’s basically a picture of me during the holiday season:

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Rhiannon Navin
The Nerf Dilemma

Below is a picture of my younger son’s final Christmas wish list. This is not the original list; that was about seventeen versions ago. Writing the list was serious business. Brow creased in concentration, my son wrote and rewrote, revised and crumpled up papers—until he was ready to hand it over to our house elf, Sam, to deliver it to Santa. Now, if you look closely at his list, five out of eight of his must-have-or-this-Christmas-will-be-the-worst-one-ever-items are Nerf products.

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Rhiannon Navin
My Promise to My Son

Yesterday, you returned from a weekend away with your dad and on your way home, you saw images on the airport television that scared you. “Did you hear about the shooting?” was the first thing you asked me when you walked in the door. 

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Rhiannon Navin
Half Marathons and Showers

There are those long hours in the middle of the night, four to six am preferably, where my brain is on fire and I have so many brilliant, earth-shatteringly profound thoughts that I couldn’t possibly go back to sleep. 

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Rhiannon Navin
Meatloaf

I make a really good meatloaf. It’s moist and tasty (I know at least half of you just got the willies when they read the word moist. Moist meatloaf. Shudder) But seriously, it’s good. I add my “secret sauce” to it (no, I’m not telling you my recipe, it’s a SECRET, I want to remain the best meatloaf-maker in the universe.)

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Rhiannon Navin