Annie’s Song Blurbs. Pandamoon Publishing. One Love Dog Rescue.

Annie’s Song is Book 1 in an Experiential Cross Genre Creative Fiction Memoir Series – with Essays, Poems & Music.

Annie McDonnell’s work was acquired by Pandamoon Publishing, and she couldn’t be happier or more honored! It is exactly where she is meant to be.

Known to the literary world as one of its best book reviewers, Annie reveals her gift for storytelling in this soaring blend of essays and poems that traces tragedies and joys that mark her life and her determination to find that joy despite great suffering and innumerable losses: from the shocking rape and murder of her twelve-year-old best friend to facing the fact that she’d never have children after a hysterectomy at age twenty-three to giving up a career she loved due to disabilities and much more. Annie sees life through the lens of two people; one with a foot here and one with a foot in heaven. One of her writing teachers says she “lives in two worlds.” Annie’s response: “With such a huge loss as a child, I had to learn to believe fiercely in heaven to help me cope.”

Here are the Blurbs:

“If you want to see what a heart looks like, broken into words, read this book. If you want to see what courage looks like, brick by brick all the way to heaven…read this book.”

—Jeff Arch, author of award-winning novel, “Attachments” and Oscar nominee for “Sleepless in Seattle”

“Annie McDonell has a true, honest, powerful voice, and she puts it to beautiful use in Annie’s Song. And she’s right: The prose sings.”

—Darin Strauss, author of The Queen of Tuesday

“Annie McDonnell is a fresh and welcome voice in literature.”

—Camille Pagán, the bestselling author of Good for You

“Annie’s Song is an open-hearted memoir about a life spent loving the most vulnerable among us. These are stories full of joy and life that keep loved ones close, even after they’ve passed from this world. This poetic writing of untiring advocacy, compassionate witness, and deep love. Annie’s Song is a gift to the enormous community of writers—yes, those who have felt seen and uplifted by Annie McDonnell over the years, but also those who might be hearing her voice saying ‘you matter’ for the first time. This book is our chance to see how a life of empathy is born.”

—Diane Zinna, author of The All-Night Sun

While some confronted with challenging life circumstances would be ground down, McDonnell has used her experiences with miscarriage, grief, and illness to hone herself into a fine diamond. This book is a tale of loss, but it also shimmers with the joy of discovering one’s true self amidst the chaos.

—Tonya Mitchell, author of A Feigned Madness

“Annie’s Song” is a beautifully honest and profound journey through grief and loss, illness and hope. Whether it’s lost children, lost friends, or a body slowly breaking down, Annie McDonnell reveals both the joy and heartbreak in a life spent carrying “luggage I could never unpack.”

—Marco Rafalà, author of How Fires End, winner of the Italian American Association Book Award

Few people have done more for readers and writers than Annie McDonnell. Annie’s latest contribution is her long anticipated literary work. The essays and poems take the reader on Annie’s unparalleled journey of fierce love and tragic losses. The words beautifully tear at your heart and lift you up daring you, too, to face hard challenges and still find joy. Like Annie, this work is both generous and delightfully unique. There are playlists that accompany each work. And, all proceeds go to support one of Annie’s greatest loves, dog rescue. Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams, and Dogs, a wonderful addition and lasting legacy for the book world.

—Grace Sammon, author of The Eves and host of The Storytellers

Annie’s Song, a memoir of a woman facing her own passing, speaks of love in its many iterations and of the strength that love brings into her life. With a strong voice and forgiving heart, McDonnell writes tenderly of unconditional “puppy love” and powerfully of missing the love of a lost child. Though crippled with a debilitating illness, McDonnell rises above and grabs the reader by the heart with a moving testament to the human spirit.

—Dawn Reno Langley, author of more than 30 books.

Annie McDonnell has written an honest, emotional, heartfelt, memorable, and thought-provoking book that will touch your soul.  

—Linda Zagon, Linda’s Book Obsession, Book Reviewer, Influencer, and Lover of Books and Literature

Annie McDonnell may have a frail body, but she has the heart of a lion and the mind of a poet. With prose and poems both heartbreaking and uplifting, she has painted poignant and beautiful word pictures in Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams and Dogs” that invite readers into a world filled with both physical pain and boundless love for the humans and fur babies in her life. Carefully selected popular songs are the prefect companions for all her works, especially my favorite, “Move Me.”

—Mickey Goodman, Author/Freelance Writer

Annie McDonnell’s powerful mixed genre memoir, Annie’s Song, is, as the author herself says, “a love song to trauma survivors, dog lovers, people who make wishes, love seekers, and dreamers.” But it’s also a tribute to Annie’s perseverance in the face of incredible suffering. Her beautiful poetry and lyrical prose are full of heartfelt pain, but also hope.

—Susan Cushman, author of eight books, including the mixed genre memoir Pilgrim Interrupted

Annie’s Song is poignant and touching. It is lyrical journey, and a tale told of an extraordinary life through prose and poetry. This is a stirring memoir constructed with tears and laughter, bonded together with joy and slices of pain.

—Eoin Dempsey bestselling author of WHITE ROSE, BLACK FOREST, and THE LONGEST ECHO

“Annie’s Song is filled with wisdom, sorrow and healing. These essays and poems are borne from great loss, the weight of illness, and love. Annie McDonnell shares her dreams, her fears and her deeply-felt emotions with candor and courage. Fall into Annie’s Song to feel the weight of the human experience.”

– Carol Van Den Hende, award-winning author of ORCHID BLOOMING and GOODBYE, ORCHID

Poetic and lyrical, Ann McDonnell writes in a variety of genres to give poignant expression to her deeply-felt emotions, compassion, and caring. Annie’s Song brims full with ache, loss, and above all, big-hearted love. Not to be missed!

— Jennifer Rosner, award winning author of The Yellow Bird Sings and Once We Were Home

“In Annie’s Song, Annie McDonnell’s new multi-genre memoir, she opens her heart fully and shares it with her reader. It was a deeply moving experience to sit with Annie’s words and images of love and loss and longing. By giving so completely of herself, Annie brought me to tears of recognition of all the beauty—and its opposite—in my own life. I recommend Annie’s Song as a wonderful exploration of the deepest—and often most hidden—parts of all of us.”

—Deborah Goodrich Royce, Award-Winning Author of Reef Road, Ruby Falls, and Finding Mrs. Ford

Annie McDonnell, creator of The Write Review, is an insightful interviewer who has been an avid advocate for writers and readers since 2006. In her heartfelt memoir, Annie’s Song, she shares the experiences that have transformed her, showing how loved ones can lift us up with their kindness or destroy us with their callousness. Her story will win your heart.

—Janet Skeslian Charles, NYTimes Best Selling author, “The Paris Library”

“Annie McDonnell has devoted years to bringing other authors’ voices to the world. Now she is sharing her own words… open, honest, raw, and poignant.”

—Patricia Sands, author of the “Love in Provence” Series and more.

This is a book I highly recommend for folks who are struggling with loss. Whether it is the loss of your own life and well being or the loss of someone you love, this book will help you understand the losses you faced in a different light. Annie has a way with words and the ability to put her feelings on paper that will make you stop and ponder about some of the things we will all go through at some time in our lives. 

—Phyllis Jones Pisanelli, Book Reviewer and Blogger

“Wow! Annie’s Song grabs hold of your heart in the very beginning and does not let go. It is a raw and highly emotional look inside the heart of a woman with everything to lose and nothing to gain. It is at times inspiring and uplifting, and at times heartbreaking. This is a powerful story that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. Highly recommended.”

—Bette Lee Crosby, USA Today Bestselling author

“Annie McDonnell’s “Annie’s Song” is filled with raw emotion that will at times bring you to tears. The beautiful prose float off the page, and the pain and longing in her essays and poems is striking. McDonnell has a powerful way of bringing the reader in to her world. Annie’s Song is a must read for anyone who has ever experienced the hard things in life, which is most of us.”

—Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author of After Happily Ever After and The Stories We Cannot Tell

“Annie’s Song”, a treat for the senses. A journey of the heart, that will ultimately touch your soul. A must read! A musical journey for the heart that will ultimately touch your soul.”

—Meg Nocero, award-winning author of The Magical Guide to Bliss, Sparkle & Shine, and Butterfly Awakens: A Memoir of Transformation through Grief

Lyrical and heartfelt, Annie’s Song hits all the right notes–exploring subjects like love, loss and the trial and tribulations we face in life with an honest lens. Breathtakingly honest, heartwarming, and poignant.

—Samantha Vérant– author of Seven Letters from Paris

“Annie’s Song” is a deeply poignant search into Annie McDonnell’s heart and soul and her true self-journey. Annie writes with such sincere passion that I felt like I was experiencing these things with her and could feel the emotion and joy in each and every essay. Anyone that has ever had difficulty pushing through difficult stages of their life should definitely read this book for heartfelt inspiration and to gain the ability to see past the obstacles that are placed in one’s path and find the light at the end, no matter how dim it may seem at times.

I am truly honored to be able to call Annie McDonnell a dear friend of mine.  

– Serena Soape, Avid Reader, Book Reviewer, Book Influencer and began The Write Review Book Club with Annie

“Annie’s Song” is an inspiring true story of one woman’s battle against a rare and debilitating neurological illness, Stiff Person Syndrome. The book is beautifully written and told with unflinching honesty. Annie’s story is uplifting, poignant and a gift that will give readers greater empathy for loved ones struggling with chronic illness.

—Susan Schild, USA Today Bestselling Author

“Annie opens her heart and invites us in. She had me at hello.”

—Vince Spinnato, Memoir “My Pursuit of Beauty”, Documentary “Skin Deep”, VS Vincenzo Ltd., Inc.

“A brave and moving portrait of one woman’s  struggle to survive in the face of great physical challenges and lack of emotional support. The author has spilled her great big heart onto every page. If resiliency was a life test, McDonnell could lead the class!”

—Suzanne Simonetti, USA Today bestselling author of The Sound of Wings

“A deeply personal, emotional and incredibly moving collection of essays and poems that will stay with me long after turning the final page.” –

—Soraya M. Lane, bestselling author of The London Girls.

A tireless advocate for aspiring writers (including myself), Annie McDonnell’s debut memoir, Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams and Dogs, offers an unflinching glimpse into her beautiful soul and tragic past. While the view is often dark, shimmers of light persistently shine through, and we are reminded that loss and grief—while indelible—need not define us.

—Frank M. Oliva, author of “Walking Among the Trees”, coming soon

“The Heart breaking and heartwarming, ‘Annie’s Song’ is a slice of resilience and kindness in an unfair world. A reminder that love is all that really matters.”

—Mary Turner Thomson, International best-selling author

Annie’s Song is an intimate glimpse into an extraordinary life, written with immense compassion, humanity, and heart.

—Eddy Boudel Tan, author of After Elias & The Rebellious Tide

“Poignant, heart-wrenching, riveting, and beautifully-written, Annie’s Song by Annie McDonnell is a must-read for 2023. I loved this unforgettable book so much!”

—May Cobb, award winning author of MY SUMMER DARLINGS and THE HUNTING WIVES

“Annie’s Song is an honest and inspirational memoir, filled with essays and poems that speak to your heart. Her writing is transformational, taking the reader to a place of understanding, connection, and love.

—Lauri Schoenfeld, Author of Little Owl

Picture a warm sunny day with a soft breeze and white clouds in the sky. As you lie in the grass and close your eyes, “Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams, and Dogs” transports you to her vivid world filled with love and heartbreak, health and illness, joy and sorrow. By sharing her creative fiction memoir like a dandelion shares its seed in the wind, she allows the reader to explore a gamut of emotions, some welcome and some uncomfortable, but all thought provoking and powerful. Annie has survived multiple traumatic experiences such as the murder of her best friend, a devastating car crash, and the diagnosis of an incurable chronic illness. Having met Annie in college, I have witnessed her rebuild herself again and again through the written word and now she is sharing those uninhibited moments in this book. Her poetic debut is not to be missed and you may find yourself reading it over and over to fully capture and digest her incredible journey. Highly recommend!

—Erica Firkin, Avid Reader & Book Reviewer

“An inviting and transcendent mixture of poetry and prose, Annie’s Song welcomes us deeply into the bright soul of a champion of stories and storytellers. With candor and grace, Annie McDonnell chronicles heartrending loss and trauma, but also those illuminating, essential moments of unimaginable empathy, compassion, and perseverance which teach us what a life well-lived and well-loved can and must be.”

—Jonathan Haupt, coeditor, Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy

Annie’s Song is so good. It’s a collection of essays and stories which tell of the most impactful times in Annie’s life. It’s not easy… there are challenging chapters. But beyond the grief is Annie’s ability to see past the difficult and to turn despair into direction. Highly recommended.

-Charissa Costa Bauhaus, Founder of Charm City Readers, Book Reviewer

Annie was most likely born with a book in her hands and hasn’t let go since! She was definitely
meant to grow up to be a literary citizen. Annie has been called a “zany force of nature”, “fun
and creative”, and let’s not forget “effervescent”. Annie has been so expressive in her love for
books and authors, it was no surprise that she’s become an author with the same excitement!
Annie first became a published book reviewer and poet in her elementary school newspaper in
3rd Grade! This was sparked by Mr. Andrew Book, a teacher who helped her with reading
comprehension and encouraged her to get involved in the school newspaper to improve her
skills. He would later become her 6th grade teacher, and even now at 98 continues to be proud
of her accomplishments. She has had many poems and stories published in magazines over the years, and at the age of 53 had her first book, “Annie’s Song”, finally brought to life!
Back in 2006 she began reviewing for Elle Magazine. Being a book reviewer and promoter was
her initial passion until Annie realized she had a bug for writing too, proving words were always
in her bones! She then dived into both by creating an online book club in 2019 called The Write
Review Literary Community that includes book reviews and interviews with authors and
participating in endless writing courses to continue expanding her literary knowledge. She has
hosted book drives for many worthy groups such as schools, low-income children, Navajo
Nation and military women. Her love of the literary field truly has no bounds.
Annie is disabled with several rare diseases, one being Stiff Person Syndrome. She tries to be
the funniest at the weekly infusion no matter how she feels. Despite many health difficulties,
Annie doesn’t ever give up! Laughter and love are the best medicine!
Annie lives in Mastic, NY, with her husband, three dogs and six cats. She also volunteers in
many facets.
100% of the proceeds from her books will go to One Love Dog Rescue, of Smithtown, NY.
https://www.facebook.com/OneLoveDogRescue

(A second charity is being considered)

Publications
-Best-Selling Author of award-winning Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams & Dogs”

-Annie Asks” column and Contributing-editor with “Well Read Magazine”.
-2023/early 2025 Contributing-writer with InFlow Literary Magazine out of New Zealand.
-2021 Contributing-writer to “Once Upon Another Time” anthology out of Scotland.
-2023 Contributing-writer to “Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Book”
-2024 Contributing-writer to “Well Read Magazine’s Best of 2023: vol. 1” anthology.
-Founder of The Write Review Literary Community, Podcaster, and Book Review Workshops