image Ladies, describe yourself for our visitors.

May: I’m just a Southern girl from the Panhandle of Florida who loves cooking, writing, and singing old hymns at the top of my lungs. I have a funny little Chihuahua that I dress in sweaters and right now I’m busy planning a wedding.

Anne: I’m from California, and I now live in Brooklyn. I like to eat and I like to run (hobbies that work well together), and I have a penchant for tacky religious art. I have a husband named Wayne and two cats, named Jezebel and Pants.

How do you find time to connect with God?

May: Lately I’m trying to pray without ceasing, as Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians. This means that any time is a good time to spend with God. It’s radically changed how I think about my day-to-day interactions and my daily mindset.

Anne: I pray while I’m waiting for the subway every morning. I stand there waiting for the train and lift up the concerns of the day. I pray for the world and for New York City.

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?

May: I’m in the process of rereading one of my favorite books of all time: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It’s about a young girl who runs away from home and lives in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I also love Stephenie Meyer, Camy Tang, and C.S. Lewis.

Anne: Steinbeck will always be my first love, but I’ll read just about anything. I’ve been reading a lot of Sarah Dessen and Melody Carlson lately.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

We met when we were both editorial assistants at a major New York book publishing company. We knew what was out there, in both the Christian and mainstream publishing worlds, but we didn’t feel like anything really spoke to us as young women trying to make it in the big city while trying to remain true to our faith. We decided we wanted to write books that are relevant and fun and got to work on Emily Ever After. We were blessed to get our dream agent on board (we love you Claudia!), and she really took a chance on us. She helped us find the right publisher for our first book and has been our champion ever since.

Publishing is a long and frustrating process, but because there are two of us, we’ve been able to help each other every step of the way. We can talk things through, bounce ideas off each other, and work together to make the books come to life.

Tell us about your current book?

Miracle Girls The Miracle Girls is a four-book series meant for readers of all ages, and it kicks off in September. A new book will publish every six months.

The first book in the series tells the story of Ana Dominguez. She starts off her freshman year in high school just after her father moves the family to Half Moon Bay, California. Starting off high school as a nobody isn’t exactly what Ana had in mind, but when she ends up in detention with Riley, Zoe, and Christine, they discover something very strange. They’re all real live miracles. Each has survived something that should have killed them, and they begin to understand that what holds them together is bigger than any of them ever imagined. As these four strangers become something like friends, they begin to see that miracles are all around them. Meanwhile, the drama of high school life has only just begun.

How did you come up with ideas for this book?

After penning three novels together, we wanted to try something new, and we really wanted to write about high school. No one ever said high school was easy, and it certainly wasn’t for us. We both found it difficult to figure out our place in the social pecking order and live out our faith. But real friends, the kind who will be there no matter what, can help you survive anything…even high school. We wanted to explore the way close friendship develops, and we loved that there is something miraculous, almost otherworldly, about the relationship between our four main characters. Plus, because of their strange pasts, the Miracle Girls have really unique stories. Each of them has had a second chance at life and that makes them wrestle with how to live now.

List your three most recent books.

  • The Book of Jane
  • Consider Lily
  • Emily Ever After

What’s next for you?

We’ll be working hard on The Miracle Girls series so that our readers can enjoy two books a year!

Where can visitors find you online?

Visit us at www.anneandmay.com and join in the fun on our blog, learn the stories behind the books, see candid photos, connect with other readers, and more.