I am a huge Anne of Green Gables fan. When asked who has most influenced my writing, I always answer Lucy Maud Montgomery. So when I was approached over a year ago to be part of Acorn’s Annethology it was a no brainer. Of course I would be honored to be involved. Then the hard work began. I had to write a short story which for me was a brand new undertaking. I then had to reimagine a modern Anne with some of the same qualities and challenges of my beloved Anne. This proved to be a bit daunting but with the encouragement of fellow authors Judith Graves and Hope Dalvay I muddled through a second attempt. Then Robin Sutherland took over with her excellent editing instincts and patient guidance. What ended up was my submission to the collection entitled Matthew Insists on Ripped Jeans. I now hold the book proudly in my hands and offer it up along with my other thirteen titles. How great is that! On Sunday night Burton and I joined Judith Graves, Hope Dalvay , Deirdre Kessler and Robin Sutherland in Charlottetown, PEI for an in person launch and celebration. I was thrilled to be in such company and even though the crowd was small ( mostly Hope’s family and friends) the evening was wonderful. The next night I participated in a virtual launch with the nine other contributing authors and our editor Robin. It was very well attended and each author and their Annes shone brightly. It was wonderful to meet them all and to hear how their Anne came to be. After the two events I am even prouder of be in such good company. In jest one of the authors apologized to Maud. It is possible at first reading, some Anne fans may be slightly caught off guard when introduced to every unique, diverse Anne and where she finds herself in each story. I believe this Annethology serves to truly honor the amazing longevity and value of the words LM Montgomery penned decades ago. With this Annethology we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Acorn Press, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 150th birthday , the 1908 publication of Anne of Green Gables and all the Anne fans in 2024. What a tribute to the work and life of LM Montgomery. Could any author wish for more?
In Good Company!
