Aesop meets Anaïs Nin in these absurdist stories of very unexpected redemption

Getting to the Shamrock Motel isn’t easy. It’s just off Concession #18, but you can’t get there through a sequence of lefts and rights. To find the Shamrock you have to be lost – not just on the map, but in your heart and soul.

The Shamrock Motel does not accept reservations. The only way to get a room is by walking into the office and asking Rosemary, the owner/operator for one. Try not to stare at her hair.

Fair warning: no one spends the night, or even an hour at the Shamrock without experiencing some form of transformation. Whether it’s accidently sleeping with a bear, turning yourself into a river, or getting entirely too intimate with the sun, time spent at the Shamrock will make you wiser, stronger, sexier, and more yourself. Even if that’s the last thing you want.

These linked stories explore the intersection of personality and desire, love and lust, the joy and sadness of being alive and in love. Heated pool, cable TV, and a shot at redemption: the Shamrock Motel offers it all. Credit cards are accepted, but cash is preferred.

Andrew Kaufman lives and writes in Toronto. He was born in Wingham, Ontario, making him the second-most-famous Canadian writer to come from Wingham. He is the author of international bestseller All My Friends Are Superheroes, The Waterproof Bible, ReLit Award-winner The Tiny Wife, and Born Weird, which was named a Best Book of the Year by The Globe and Mail and was shortlisted for the Leacock award.

Andrew Kaufman lives and writes in Toronto. He is the author of international bestseller All My Friends are Superheroes, The Waterproof Bible, ReLit Award-winner The Tiny Wife, and Born Weird, which was named a Best Book of the Year by The Globe and Mail and was shortlisted for the Leacock award.

Andrew Kaufman's profile page

Praise for the author:

“Expansive and imaginative.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Irreverent and bursting prose…Fans of Mark Leyner will enjoy Kaufman’s messy string of outrageous scenarios.”– Publishers Weekly

“All My Friends Are Superheroes is a breeze to read, as quick of wit and light on its feet as Spider-Man.” – Quill & Quire

“This book is like a kiss in the afternoon sun. Somebody should write Mr. Kaufman a letter and thank him for his tender heart and the way he puts things down so gently. I expect this story will replace boxes of chocolates and flowers in courting rituals to come.” – Sheila Heti

“Kaufman’s greatest strength has always been his playfulness, and The Ticking Heart flexes that strength.” – Tara Cheesman, BARRELHOUSE

“Tender and brutal, optimistic and despairing, this modern fable by the author of the cult hit All My Friends Are Superheroes takes a fresh look at what it means to fall into, and out of, love.” – Hamilton Review of Books

“The Ticking Heart manages to use metaphor to encourage readers to consider the tangled mysteries of their own hearts – puffs of purple smoke not necessarily included.” – Quill & Quire