Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie McQuaid.
Hi Annie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always loved stories – reading, watching, and writing them. My favorite subject throughout school was English, and writing (and publishing) a book was a childhood dream of mine. At Elon University, I studied Communications and Creative Writing, but also dabbled in psychology and film studies. I’m lucky that I had parents who encouraged me to follow my passions instead of choosing a potentially more practical major.
When I graduated, I took a job at an edtech company that turned into a career in marketing. I love the storytelling aspect of marketing and am currently a marketing director focused on customer retention at Cengage Group. I kept writing fiction for fun in my free time but didn’t become serious about it until the world shut down during the pandemic. At the time, my company closed their office, I was working from home for the first time and still healing from a breakup. Like many people, I felt alone and driftless and turned to the comfort of books as an escape. By November 2020, as we entered the first holiday season in a COVID world, I pushed myself even further and wrote my own story, creating a book world to escape into.
That book became CRASH LANDING, my second-chance adventure romance about exes who crash on an island and are forced to work together to survive. Once I finished my first draft, I got more involved in the writing community and became determined to give traditional publishing a shot. Thanks to a mentorship program and amazing mentors (author Erin Rose), I polished my manuscript and began querying to seek a literary agent in July of 2022. After a few months (which felt much, much longer), Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong at Marsal Lyon offered me representation! We worked together to revise my manuscript further and went on submission (a process where your work is pitched to editors at publishing companies) in the spring of 2023.
I had no idea what to expect, but I was thrilled when Tessa Woodward at Avon/HarperCollins read my book and offered me a two-book deal! From there, it’s been a whirlwind of more edits, cover art, and solidifying a pub date of April 1, 2025. It’s been an adventure, but I can’t wait to see CRASH LANDING on a bookshelf next year!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an author, having a job that is both creative and business-driven is always a bit of a struggle. You spend years working on a story that is very close to your heart and then release it into the world as a product. One thing I didn’t prepare for is the public nature of publishing a book. Now that advanced copies of CRASH LANDING are out in the world, people have opinions and post reviews online. Thankfully, I’ve received a lot of wonderful support, but I’ve had to train myself not to read reviews or take in negative opinions.
Writing book two has also been a struggle that I did not expect. I know so much more about the craft of writing and the business of publishing, and it’s been harder to switch my brain to “creative play” mode and just write without overthinking. I know this is a common challenge among newer authors, and I’m taking it day by day. Overall, I’m so grateful for my publishing journey so far, and when struggles come up, I lean heavily on the writing community I’ve built over the past few years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an author specializing in contemporary romance and rom-coms. My stories have a unique aspect of showcasing adventure and action in them and are plot and setting-driven. I love the books that make you want to devour them in one sitting, and that’s what I aim to write. My debut, CRASH LANDING, features exes stranded on a remote Caribbean Island recovering from a plane crash and working to find a way to survive and get back home. It’s told in a dual-timeline narrative, so we also get to see my characters falling in love as teenagers.
I think this viewpoint is changing, but in general, the romance genre does not get the respect it deserves. I’m proud of my vulnerability and resilience in writing the stories that are in my heart, even if they may not be held in the highest esteem. Now more than ever, we need happy ever afters and a safe place to land and I’m proud of my contribution to bringing readers joy!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
This is such a great question and one I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I think it’s so easy to get caught up in the milestones of book sales, making exclusive lists, being picked for book clubs, getting a movie deal, etc. But the goalposts are always moving and that’s a quick way to burn yourself out or feel less than when comparing yourself to other authors. Right now, I’m focusing on the fact that my dream was to write and publish a book and that’s happening! To me, success will be seeing my book find its readers and hearing that my story has brightened someone’s day.
Pricing:
- Paperback: $18.99
- eBook: $12.99
- Audiobook: $22.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anniemcquaid.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annie_m_writes/
- Twitter: https://x.com/AnnieWithAnE
- Other: Preorder Crash Landing: https://amzn.to/48GIMzL
