1--What is the title of your latest release?
CRASH LANDING
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Crash Landing is a second-chance romance about two exes forced to reunite when a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island. It’s told in a dual timeline, so readers get to see the main characters, Piper and Wyatt, falling in love in high school for the first time and then reconciling on the island in the present.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Once I decided on a plane crash on an island as the premise, I searched Google Maps for areas where it would be possible to crash between Atlanta, GA (where the plane was leaving) and the Bahamas (where the plane was supposed to land). An unnamed small island in the Caribbean was the winner, though the island in Crash Landing is not based on a specific location. I also liked the Caribbean because it felt more realistic that my characters would be rescued fairly quickly since so many boats and planes travel through that area.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely! Piper is very loyal to her friends, quick witted, and kind. She loves books and we would have a lot in common to talk about.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Smart, bookworm, people-pleaser
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned so many random survival skills that I hope I’ll never have to use! For example, I now know you can collect water from plants by wrapping a bag around a branch of leafy greens and letting them naturally transpire, collecting water that would have been evaporated into the air.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I do a little bit of editing as I go, especially for scenes that stay stuck in my mind and I can’t let go of quite yet. But overall, I try to wait until I get a decent first draft down before going back to make changes.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
An ice cream sundae with hot fudge and Reese’s cups.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have a gorgeous, cozy office that is painted a peacock blue with white built-in shelves to hold all my books. However, I end up doing a lot of my writing sprawled on my couch in an angle that can’t be good for my neck.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I admire more authors that I can count, but one whose career I really look up to is Katherine Center. I love that her career was a slow burn, and she found joy in the writing and her stories instead of looking for validation in immediate success. I read an interview where she said to “work from the heart, not from the head,” which is advice I’m doing my best to follow. I also love that all her books feel like a warm hug.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Every few months I swear I read a book that feels life changing! But at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I read Beach Read by Emily Henry, and it inspired me to write a romance of my own. I’d say that changed my life in the best way possible.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was not expecting “the call” about my book deal because we had been told it would likely be a few weeks before we heard anything after initial interest. But when I saw my agent’s name light up my phone screen, I just knew in my gut that this was it. She told me that Avon was offering me a book deal to publish Crash Landing, and I had a full out-of-body experience before crying happy tears. It was the middle of a workday, and I had to hop on a Zoom meeting ten minutes later, so I showed up teary-eyed. Thankfully, my boss has been so supportive of my writing, so my co-workers ended up being the first people I told, and they were so excited for me.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Besides romance books, I love reading thrillers.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
When Harry Met Sally has remained my favorite movie for years. The chemistry between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal is unmatched, and the New York backdrop is so romantic.
15--What is your favorite season?
I am a summer girl all the way.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I don’t love being the center of attention, so a quiet birthday at home is always my first choice. But there must be cake!
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I just finished watching Paradise on Hulu, and besides having a riveting plot, the character development is incredible
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I could eat Mexican food every day of the week
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Besides reading and writing, I love taking trips to the beach, spending time with my nieces, going to concerts, and hanging out with my fiancé and friends.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
My second book will not involve a plane crash, but it is an action-packed romance set in the mountains of North Carolina. I can’t wait to share more soon!
A funny and heartwarming debut romance about two exes forced to reunite when a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island.
Piper Adams is completely, totally, one hundred percent over Wyatt, the former love of her life. At least, that’s what she tells herself. After he broke her heart, she stopped taking risks and focused instead on building a perfect—and perfectly safe—life. But bumping into Wyatt at the airport on the way to her best friend’s destination wedding wasn’t part of the plan. Neither was a canceled flight nor Wyatt’s offer of a ride on the tiny plane he’s flying to attend the same event. Desperate to make it on time, she accepts his offer, but things go from awkward to full-blown nightmare when their plane crashes in the Caribbean, stranding Piper on a deserted island with the last person she ever wanted to see again.
At first, rule-following Piper clashes with adventure-driven Wyatt, but as the days tick by, she can see the boy she once loved has grown into a man. A man who makes her laugh, knows his way around a fire, and is annoyingly hot shirtless. A man she could love again. As the chemistry still simmering between them boils over, Piper begins wishing Wyatt was more than just a survival partner. But for their love to survive a second chance, she’ll have to not only trust Wyatt again, but also learn to trust herself and find the courage to let go of her carefully curated life for the chance at something far greater—if they can survive the island long enough for rescue.
Romance Comedy | Women's Fiction [Avon, On Sale: April 1, 2025, Paperback , ISBN: 9780063374867 / ]
Annie McQuaid writes contemporary romance with a side of adventure and is repped by Cathie Hedrick Armstrong at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Like many writers, Annie’s love of books started young. She was a flashlight-under-the-covers reader devouring everything from The Babysitter’s Club to Sweet Valley High. After a brief R.L. Stein and Stephen King phase, she found her way to Harlequin romances and has been a sucker for a happy ending ever since.
Annie McQuaid lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and works as a marketing director for an education technology company. When she’s not putting her characters in life-or-death situations, you can find spending time with her adorable nieces and spoiling her sweet cat, Sadie.
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