a little about Ballycotton Press

a little about Annie

Never imagining she would become an award winning author, Annie wrote her first novel for family and friends to know the real story of how she and Noel met in Connemara in 1998. After retelling their story over and over again, Noel told someone, “You can read it in our book!” From that time on they joked about their book, and after Noels’ death, Annie decided to honor his memory so family and friends would remember Noel as a man, uncle, brother, husband, and most importantly a Granda.

Annie always kept journals, so was able to accurately document dates, events and conversations. After taking several writing classes, she found herself in a memoir class led by Jean Ardell, at Newport Beach Public Library. Thinking she would write a small manuscript that would be copied for family and friends, the book took on a life of its own and has now been published and loved by many across two continents.

Annie Quinn lives in Newport Beach, California, where she manages the family real estate business and indulges her seven grandsons. Her love for both travel and the ocean is reflected in her collection of shells gathered from the beaches throughout the world. She loves to garden, write, and read. She often spends time at her home in Ballycotton, Ireland, where her door is always open to family and friends.

a little about A Moment in Connemara: an Irish Love Story

Annie Quinn in her award-winning memoir A Moment in Connemara: an Irish Love Story relays the magical tale of falling in love after fifty. Her story is inspiring. Divorced after three decades of marriage, Annie decided to go to Ireland with her two best girlfriends, Joan and Yvette, to celebrate their fiftieth birthdays. In a hotel overlooking Galway Bay on the Connemara Coast, destiny and fate intersected and Annie’s life, yet again, took on a new direction. Noel Quinn, a widower, was sitting alone in the pub, sipping a drink and reading a book. Due to a bit of Blarney, circumstances intervened and Noel was invited to join the conversation. By chance, the only chair available was opposite Annie’s. What follows in A Moment in Connemara: an Irish Love Story is the story of how two people meet by chance and develop a friendship and eventually fall in love through letters, phone calls, and visits. Annie and Noel continued to live each moment of their relationship with love, optimism, laughter, joy, and gratitude. Annie comments, “One never knows the mysterious feeling of unexpected love. Noel and I learned to ENJOY THE MOMENTS.”

a little about the Awards

For her efforts, A Moment in Connemara: an Irish Love Story won two awards: It was a Finalist in the 2016 Book Excellence Awards; and won a Living Now Book Award for 2013 and a bronze medal in the category of Inspirational Memoirs: Female from the Independent Publishers (IPPY) Book Awards. For more information about Living Now awards, click here.