Today’s author is Annie Cathryn, whose debut novel, The Friendship Breakup, will be published on February 7, by Alcove Press. A story about the importance of female friendship, the dynamics that can leave someone out in the cold, and the effort it takes to re-establish relationships, this book has both humor and some tears. A perfect “mom-com” – it’s not a genre I’ve come across before, but I could certainly relate to some of the issues. Did I mention that the book also features chocolate?

I know that Annie lives in Chicago, where the book is set, and that she features book reviews on her website and social media, and interviews with authors on her YouTube channel. So I was impressed that she found time to produce a book of her own, and asked her where the magic happens. I love her tidy desk, and the inspirational vintage typewriters she has around her!

I believe that my writing space must be a place I enjoy, as this in turn fosters creativity. When I started writing (three books that now live in a black hole), I used a small, solid-oak rolltop desk in the corner of a spare bedroom. When I became a bookstagrammer in addition to a writer and needed more space for all the books I accumulated, I turned our empty den into my office. My ivory desk sits in the middle, and in front of me is a large window that faces our street. I love being able to look out and see exactly when the mailman is arriving with more books.

My office does not have an overhead light, but an abundance of natural light from three windows. My desk is L-shaped. On the long side facing south with two windows, I have a printer, a computer monitor, and a pink QwerkyWriter keyboard that click-clacks like a typewriter. On the shorter side facing east sits my laptop, and that is the trusty device I used to write The Friendship Breakup.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with books arranged by color line the west wall and provide the backdrop for my podcast and Zoom calls. In the southeast corner of the room is a well-loved, turquoise leather La-Z-Boy that belonged to my father-in-law. It is the most comfortable chair in the universe. If I curl up in it with a book, I always drift off to sleep.

In nooks and crannies around the room, I’ve placed high-vibrational crystals to invoke a sense of peace and calm. What I love about my office are the books, the comfy chair, and the natural light, but most of all, it’s the place I wrote my debut novel, and it will forever be special to me.

You can connect with Annie via her website, or here.