EVERGREEN- A Novel ANNE CROWN Evergreen is women's fiction and tells a story about choices and how an unexpected event can change the course of one's life. Much of the book is set in Provence. It's an unusual love story of twists and turns with a surprise ending. Readers can expect the unexpected. Evergreen earned First Place in the Novel Category and in Book Design in the 2023 Delaware Press Association Professional Communications Contest. In 2024, Evergreen received a finalist award for first novel in the international Next-Generation Indie Book Awards. Published by Byzantium Sky Press, the book is available at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach Books, Hockessin Bookshelf, and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. On Writing Writing is much like painting and can be a solitary creative process. Both provide ways to tell stories. I select topics for writing based on what I know or want to know. During the writing process, my imagination comes into play in developing scenes and dialogue. I write what I see and hear in my mind and let the characters guide me throughout the story and plot. I often use my understanding of art in describing imagery and characters. This is particularly true in my novel. Whether writing or painting, I try to remember Maya Angelou's statement, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Background I've always been a writer. In high school and college, I wrote mainly poetry. While studying languages at Georgetown University, I wrote poetry in Spanish and read and recited Spanish poems at special programs. Throughout my professional career, both in the private and public sectors, I wrote and edited a host of publications on diverse topics, including safety and health, environmental assessments, Latin American affairs, and Southeast Asian politics. I also managed a four-color magazine on worker safety and health. After moving to Rehoboth, I began to focus more on writing for myself. I have been a member of the Rehoboth Beach Writers' Guild since it was first established in 2004. As a member, I have spent more time writing, taking classes, doing readings, interacting with other writers, attending free writes, conferences, and other related events. At the same time, I continued to travel and paint both in Europe and the US. Because of my experiences as a guild member, I completed and published my first novel, Evergreen, as well as poems and short stories. My poem, "The Button Box," was a winner in the Random Acts of Poetry contest sponsored by the University of Delaware in 2016. My article, "I Could Go Anywhere on My Backyard Horse," appeared in The Chronicle of The Horse, May 25, 2006. My artwork is published in the anthology, Scenes: A Collaboration of Coastal Writers and Artists, and I participated in the collaborative poem published in the Guild Cento Flipbook. I am finishing up a children's book and have two other projects in progress.

BOOK CLUB Are you an avid reader? Do you belong to a book club? If so, a new novel, Evergreen may make you think twice about your love relationship or the one you wish you had. Emma Collins, a travel writer with Condé Nast in Paris, reflects on her own shortcomings in the area of romance. With settings throughout southern France, readers will ponder Emma's choices and love interests. Take a journey with Emma through some of the most beautiful countryside in the world where she finds a new love. Fill your senses with lavender, breads, cheeses, sunflowers, and blue skies. You will wish you were there. Evergreen has won two awards in the novel fiction category in the last two years: First Place in Novel and Book Design, 2023 Delaware Press Association Professional Communications Contest; and 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, First Novel (70,000-90,000 words). Here is what readers are saying about this story "I didn't want it to end." "I read it twice." "Will there be a second book?' "Loved it!" "Love that it was not predictable." "Love the relatable characters." "Incredible read!" "Beautifully written." "An emotional, lifelong love story with a surprise ending." "This is what they make movies about." "The author writes like a painter." "The author's description of France took my breath away." "A captivating story." Author Anne Crown invites you to share Evergreen with your friends and book clubs. Take a look at the discussion questions provided here. The author is available to answer any questions readers might have during an in-person or Zoom discussion session.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Did the beginning pages of the book get your attention, grab you, make you want to keep reading? 2. What did you think about the relationship between Emma and her sister Katie? 3. Was there a character in the story with whom you closely identified? 4. Which character did you like the most? 5. Which character would you want to go to dinner with? Or not? 6. Which character was most like you or someone you could have a lasting friendship with? 7. What did you think about Emma's relationship with René? What did you think about her choice regarding René? Would you have made that choice? 8. What do you think Emma and Trevor had in common? Do you think they were good at communicating their feelings? What do you believe might have been helpful to them in the long run? 9. Have you been to any of the places mentioned in the story? 10. Do you believe the author did a good job in describing the settings and locations in the story? 11. What stood out the most about the French culture? 12. Is Provence someplace you would like to live or travel to after reading the story? 13. Were you surprised by the ending of the story? What were you hoping for and why? 14. Do you have a main takeaway from the story and why?

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