It's Good to Be the Queen!

I'm headed for the beach! While you're reading this, I'm packing and hopefully not forgetting the important things like my laptop...or the camera. We forgot the camera last year, fortunately everyone in my family has a phone with a camera, so we have pictures.

So, while I am away, please welcome Annalisa Crawford. She has a new book out that honestly looks and sounds delightful. I got mine in the mail last week, and I can't wait to read it. Knowing Annalisa, a treasure of literary surprises awaits me.

Annalisa asked me for a question she could answer, so I asked...

Who was the best British Monarch past or present, and why?

Oh gosh, this could be a long answer…

Growing up I was intrigued by the Victorian Era. Queen Victoria was 18 when she succeeded to the throne, loved her husband so passionately she went into permanent mourning when he died, was a queen and empress, and oversaw the most amazing changes in social and industrial history. It was an amazingly romantic story.

However, these days, knowing more about her—about her less than happy marriage, and her almost loathing of her children—I’ve kind of changed my mind. She doesn’t come across as a very nice woman.

Instead, I choose our present queen, Elizabeth II. She too appears to love her husband very much and has seen a huge leap in social and technological advances during her reign. At 90, she’s still active in her royal duties, and has a great sense of humour. Just check out her involvement in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony!

I’m not a flag-waving, queuing-up-at-5am-to-meet-her Royalist, but I like the tradition and sense of identity that the Royal Family gives us.

You. I. Us. is a collection of vignettes, small scenes which hint at the story beneath.

Annalisa has taken that idea to another level, because she asked 15 bloggers to ask her one question each, creating small insights into her life and writing. 

 You. I. Us.

Publication date: June 10, 2016
Genre: Short Stories (Single Author)

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Book Depository // Kobo // iBooks // Nook

In You. I. Us., Annalisa Crawford captures everyday people during  poignant defining moments in their lives: An artist puts his heart into his latest sketch, an elderly couple endures scrutiny by a fellow diner, an ex-student attempts to make amends with a girl she bullied at school, a teenager holds vigil at his friend’s hospital bedside, long distance lovers promise complete devotion, a broken-hearted widow stares into the sea from the edge of a cliff where her husband died, a grieving son contacts the only person he can rely on in a moment of crisis, a group of middle-aged friends inspire each other to live remarkable lives.

Day after day, we make the same choices. But after reading You. I. Us., you’ll ask yourself, “What if we didn’t?”

About the author

Annalisa Crawford lives in Cornwall UK, with a good supply of moorland and beaches to keep her inspired. She lives with her husband, two sons, a dog and a cat. Annalisa writes dark contemporary, character-driven stories. She has been winning competitions and publishing short stories in small press journals for many years, and is the author of Cat & The Dreamer and Our Beautiful Child.

www.annalisacrawford.com

Join the Goals Blog Hop Here!

Misha Gericke & Beth Fred host this monthly goal update. 

Here's an update on my balanced goals for 2016!

1. Lose weight. Vacation is always a challenge. We'll see next week!

2. Declutter rooms to declutter the mind. Slowly clearing stuff out. Taking more boxes to Goodwill in the morning. 

3. Publish two books. Vacation is always a great time to daydream and plot.

Thanks to our hosts Lexa, L.G, and Tonja Drecker for this weekly good things check in! 

I'm on vacation!!! 

I will celebrate that! 

I'm also doing a book signing while on the island (many of my books are set on the Outer Banks) 

If you happen to be in Duck, North Carolina, stop by and say hi!

Wednesday June 29th from 2:30-4:00 PM
Island Bookstore - OBX
1177 Duck Rd Ste 21, Duck, North Carolina 27949