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My New Year's Resolution for 2024 is to spotlight the small and independent publishers who bring such diversity to readers, but on a tight, sometimes minimal budget. These are the publishers who relish original ideas, strong voices, and take risks on the type of books they accept. But the industry is harsh. The Big 5 publishers have the money to push their books front and centre in your local chain bookshop - the books in the windows and on the tables when you walk in, often with discounts that would devastate a small press. Smaller publishers rely more on their loyal band of supporters and readers to spread the word and tell people how great they are. And they really are, genuinely and absolutely, great. Over the course of the next few months, I'll be spotlighting independent publishers on my Facebook page. Please check in, and follow the links. You never know what hidden gem you might discover. Here are some ways you can help small publishers and discover brilliant new authors...
specially to everyone who has supported me, bought my books, reviewed them, and commented on my social media posts. It's been an accidental whirlwind of a year. I started off with the planned publication of The Clock in My Mother's House, and then the rewriting and republishing of Cat and The Dreamer and The Boatman. The latter two were supposed to be a quick cover swap, blurb polish, and off again... But once I started reading them, I couldn't help bring out the red editing pen. In fact, I swear it appeared by magic.  2024 sees the release of my next novel, One Tuesday, Early, which I'm so excited about and can't wait to tell you more. You’re on your own and you shouldn’t be. Your partner is missing. The streets are empty. Even the birds have disappeared. What do you do? More on that next year! Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates, and a wonderful New Year to you all x It's always wonderful when one of your older books gets a bit of love on a drizzly November morning. Thank you Lorraine for Readers' Favorite for this new ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review!  "The story is heartbreaking. The tension is palpable. The conclusion both shocks and thrills. Crawford puts you in the story, compelling you to walk in Grace’s shoes. You will acutely feel Grace’s pain and frustration, weep for her, and root for her ultimate redemption. Crawford’s descriptions are vivid and her characterizations are superb. The story is captivating and entirely believable. This is a book readers will struggle to put down, and a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. It is just superb writing."
Want to see why so many people love this collection?
Grab your paperback or ebook from most major retailers here! Welcome to my irregular update of how things are going in my life. It wasn't meant to be a weather update, but I'm British and it's in my contract to mention that... wow! we're having a bit of a heatwave. Not an official one, but the temperatures have been up around 26/27C which is hot for September. On Friday I was writing in the garden because I could not spend a moment longer in the house. It was glorious and I got so much done.
I'm also refreshing Our Beautiful Child for a republishing date later this year. I say refreshing, but really I'm slashing it to pieces. I didn't mean to, but once I started to clean things up, make a couple of interactions a little more mindful of post #metoo sensibilities, remove or rename a few of the characters, and change the order of the three novellas in the collection, it's become almost a brand new book. Hopefully, by November (with my fingers crossed), the collection will be out with a new title, a new cover, and a smoother read.
“I loved the mystery surrounding Zenna. It’s sort of creepy but in a good way. The writing style is lyrical, accessible, and totally gripping. Excellent novel.” “You get to know Jo so well in this story. Loved all the suspense and trying to work out what was going on with Zenna. This is a story of lost memory, slow awakenings and, above all, suspense.” “The writing style is easy to follow, the plot is complex – but not too complex. Possibly ‘clever’ is a better word to describe the plot! But it’s the protagonist who steals the show! I thought Jo was fascinating, her art, her memory loss, her way of looking for answers. All in all, a wonderful story I’d recommend to readers who enjoy smartly-plotted novels.” “The story unravels in a smart, evenly paced way.” Huge thank you to everyone who read my novel, and helped to organise the awards - they are a fantastic way to raise awareness of the brilliance of small and independently published books . If so, you might be interested to know that my short story collection That Sadie Thing is available through KU! With thirty-one 5⭐ reviews on Goodreads, and a 4.51 average rating, people seem to like it.
And for readers who prefer a physical copy, That Sadie Thing is available from most retailers.
After what has felt like forever, my first-born novella is finally refreshed, rewritten (just a little) and on sale again. And for the first time, it's available in paperback. Here's what a few people are saying: "Beautiful prose takes us to the heart of this sensitive topic with an ending that made me question everything I'd read before." - Anne Goodwin, author of Lyrics for the Loved Ones "Annalisa Crawford has such a gift for twining the supernatural and surreal into reality so you don’t know which is which, a method that brings out the haunting nature of human nature. Eerie, yet wildly beautiful." - Martha Engber, author of Bliss Road "Readers with a preference for character-oriented literary fiction ... will relish the poignant experience and the hopeful ending." - Rosh Reviews Review from Martha Engber, author of Winter Light:
Ethereal moments drift through this ghostly novella about a girl, then a woman, trying hard to escape a life-changing, almost life-ending, moment in her youth. Quiet, chilling, this slender tale is absolutely thrilling! Annalisa Crawford has such a gift for twining the supernatural and surreal into reality so you don’t know which is which, a method that brings out the haunting nature of human nature. Eerie, yet wildly beautiful.
To learn more about Small Forgotten Moments, click here.
Cat & The Dreamer is 11 today 🥳 Before Christmas I announced that the rights to my first two books had reverted to me. Ever since then, I've been working hard to bring a slightly updated and refreshed version of Cat & The Dreamer to life. And, I'm almost there. With no fixed publication date yet - although I'm hoping for the end of March, start of April - I thought this would be a great time to show off the new cover. It's not like you turn 11 every day of the week!
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