About Annabel
Annabel Youens writes for women who are done pretending everything’s fine.
Women who’ve ticked the boxes, built the life, held it all together—and now find themselves asking questions they can’t ignore anymore.
Her work speaks to that moment when the noise gets too loud, the expectations too heavy, and something inside you starts to shift.
She writes fiction and essays that explore what it means to let go of old stories: about success, identity, motherhood, marriage, ambition, aging.
Her debut novel, Thread Traveller, blends emotional realism with a speculative edge. It’s about falling out of your life—and finding something better than the plan.
In her monthly author newsletter Annabel shares bookish TikToks and mid-life insights.
Annabel’s Substack, Saved By The Spell, is where she writes about the messier side of midlife: creative burnout, waking up in your own skin, and the kind of magic that shows up when you finally stop rushing.
She’s not here to give advice. She’s here to tell the truth—hers, and maybe yours too.
Annabel’s Journey
Annabel originally studied creative writing at the University of Victoria in her 20s, when she fell into her own alternate dimension, the world of tech. After being hired as employee number 11 at Abebooks.com, an online marketplace for rare, used and out-of-print books, Annabel witnessed how the internet could connect people and help independent, used bookstores thrive.
Annabel followed her desire to build community and collaboration with her husband. They founded two global technology startups and after living in New Zealand and L.A. they settled back on Vancouver Island to be close to their families.
In early 2022, at age 46, Annabel realised the speculative fiction novel she kept putting off needed a chance to grow. She resigned her Chief Marketing Officer position and began her journey as an authorpreneur, bringing her tech, marketing and community skills to forming Salt Line Press - a new independent publishing house focused on stories of transformation, particularly for women in midlife.
Annabel’s debut novel, available October 2025, was inspired by the idea that perimenopause should be seen as a positive powerful stage, even reality busting.
Annabel lives in Victoria, B.C. with her husband, daughter and cat, Hubble. When she’s not typing, she’s sewing her own garments and swimming every chance she can in the Pacific Ocean.