St. Andrews Graduates and Best Friends, Cameron Crews and Cassie Legg, Create Bestselling Poetry Book
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It all started in 2015 when Cameron Crews and Cassie Legg were placed next door to each other in their dorms at the esteemed University of St. Andrews. They quickly found their creative endeavors, like their personalities, complimented each other in a special way. It came as no surprise that when Cameron was offered a deal on her poetry book, “To The Monsters of My Past,” she immediately asked Cassie to be her illustrator. The pair have now sold over 30,000 copies of a poetry book that has already sold out internationally and is projected to be a top selling book this year.
“To the Monsters of my Past” (published by Xlibris) is written over the course of eight years. It marks the life-altering circumstances that led Crews to find solace through writing. Family turmoil, relationship heartbreak, grief, and more will rip your heart open then sew it back together stronger in 146 pages of short, colloquial paragraphs. Vulnerable and candid, it shares the struggles, heartbreaks, losses and triumphs that Crews comes to appreciate as she moves on by leaving her pain on the page. This book is deeply personal, proves a fantastic read for people of all ages and backgrounds, and is uniquely paired with beautiful illustrations by dear friend Cassie Legg.
When asked about Cassie, Cameron beams with excitement. “Cassie is so insanely talented. Her love of art paired with her talent to create is truly extraordinary to watch. When Xlibris offered me a deal that gave me creative authority over the book, Cassie was my first thought. She knows me so well, she held my hand through parts of the book, and I knew she would be able to capture me and the poems in a genuine way. Publishing something so personal has been a bit intimidating but having Cassie along for the ride has made it something special beyond the fact that I’m achieving my goal of publishing. It has made it something that we have gotten to do together,” Cameron shares with pride.
When asked about Cameron, Cassie has just as much adoration for her writer friend. “My initial feeling was utter disbelief and excitement when Cameron told me about the book. I have followed her poetry and creative drive since our first year in college when she began writing in her iPhone Notes App. I’ve always felt that we exist on a similar wavelength and therefore work really well together creatively. We almost bounce off each other, where she expresses in words I express in images and I think we really inspire each other in more ways than one. The idea that I was being offered the opportunity to join her in this journey seemed too good to be true. My immediate response was a huge YES and I never looked back,” explains Cassie.
The two have served as support and inspiration for the other through the years, and the success of “To The Monsters of My Past” can be seen as a result of love of craft and love of each other. “Having the opportunity to work in a professional creative realm with one of my closest friends has made the process one of joy, acceptance, support. Our friendship really has been the backbone of this entire process and the reason I believe it’s been so successful,” Cassie reveals.
It is safe to say “To The Monsters of My Past” is just the beginning of a successful creative future for the two friends. They are currently both running Instagram accounts for their work (@camjcrews and @cassiecrawford_) and are playing with the idea of starting a greeting card business together. These two are a testament to how friendship is a powerful ingredient to success. Shoutout to the University of St. Andrews for bringing these two together.
“To The Monsters of My Past” is availible for purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, and through various local book stores. You can find more information at https://cameroncrews.wordpress.com
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