We’re excited to welcome Eileen Garvin to the blog. Today, we’ll be talking about her latest release CROW TALK. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?
Hello! I’m from originally from Spokane, which is in eastern Washington, and I now live in Hood River, Oregon. Writing is my full-time job.
How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first “book” as a six-year-old (a volume of poetry with a cardboard cover bound with yarn. It was a big hit in Sister Jane’s classroom, if I remember correctly). I’ve been writing professionally for more than twenty years—first as a newspaper reporter and later as a freelancer. My first book, a memoir called How to Be a Sister, was published in 2010, and my debut novel, The Music of Bees, came out in 2021.
What does your typical writing day look like?
Coffee first. Then, if I’m lucky, a few of hours of work on whatever project I have underway. In the afternoon, I like to work on revision, answer emails, and catch up on administrative tasks.
Tell us about your latest release? Where the idea came from? Perhaps some fun moments, or not so fun moments?
My new book is a novel called Crow Talk. It’s about three wounded people whose fates intersect at a remote alpine lake when one of them rescues an injured baby crow. The main characters include Frankie, a grieving ornithologist; Anne, an Irish musician and young mom; and Aiden, a bright, curious five-year-old boy who has suddenly stopped speaking.
I got the idea for this story during a not-so-fun moment—early in the pandemic when all the trails in Oregon shut down. I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my life, but until the closure happened, I never knew how much I depended on the outdoors—not only for peace of mind, but also because I get new ideas when I’m in the woods. Once the trails reopened and I got back outside, I thought I would play with the idea of how nature can help us heal and connect. These three trouble souls emerged, and I set them up to meet in this beautiful, if moody, setting (the book takes place in fall) and see what might happen.
Who has been the most difficult character for you to write?
The most difficult character to write was five-year-old Aiden. When the book opens, it’s apparent that he has stopped speaking, and no one knows why. All the chapters from Aiden’s point of view take place inside his head. It was challenging to inhabit his mindset and reveal bits and pieces of his story without giving too much away.
If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be?
I guess I’d choose Anne. She’s a talented Irish musician and composer. I love to sing, but I have no professional training. I think it would be fun to get a sense of a composer’s creative process, and the vocal talent would be a thrill.
If you could spend the day with your character, what would you do? What would that day look like?
I’ll pick Frankie for this one. Because she’s an outdoorsy person, I’d like to go mushroom hunting or huckleberry picking with her (huckleberries are a bit like wild blueberries but better). I know she’d know the best spots, and it would be fun because we could have time together and time on our own. As an introvert, I appreciate that kind of social activity!
What’s your take on research and how do you do it?
I try to write as much as I can through a first draft and incorporate research later during revision. For me research includes reading, watching movies, and interviewing people.
Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write?
I really appreciate the writing advice I’ve read from Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird), Stephen King (On Writing), and Ursula K. Le Guin (Conversations on Writing), among others.
Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
Do hobbies count as talents? I’m a kiteboarder and a beekeeper. For in-born talent, I’ll say I do play a mean mouth trumpet! (Think: Louis Armstrong and Chet Baker, but no instrument…)
Your favorite go-to drink or food when the world goes crazy!
Red rooibos tea with bee pollen. As much as I love coffee and red wine, my nervous system needs more calming substances these days.
What is your writing kryptonite?
House guests.
What is the one question you never get ask at interviews, but wish you did? Ask and answer it.
Why, thank you for asking this one! Here’s my question: What’s one priceless treat or gift that you would most welcome when you’re deep into a writing project?
Answer: A great meal with a loved one that I do not have to make or clean up.
HA! Great answer! Thank you so much for joining us today. Readers, here’s a quick look at CROW TALK:::
Frankie O’Neill and Anne Ryan would seem to have nothing in common. Frankie is a lonely ornithologist struggling to salvage her dissertation on the spotted owl following a rift with her advisor. Anne is an Irish musician far from home and family, raising her five-year-old son, Aiden, who refuses to speak.
At Beauty Bay, a community of summer homes nestled on the shores of June Lake, in the remote foothills of Mount Adams, it’s off-season with most houses shuttered for the fall. But Frankie, adrift, returns to the rundown caretaker’s cottage that has been in the hardworking O’Neill family for generations—a beloved place and a constant reminder of the family she has lost. And Anne, in the wake of a tragedy that has disrupted her career and silenced her music, has fled to the neighboring house, a showy summer home owned by her husband’s wealthy family.
When Frankie finds an injured baby crow in the forest, little does she realize that the charming bird will bring all three lost souls—Frankie, Anne, and Aiden—together on a journey toward hope, healing, and rediscovering joy. Crow Talk is an achingly beautiful story of love, grief, friendship, and the healing power of nature in the darkest of times.
