Meet Tricia

I’ve lived a life full of unexpected turns—and unexpected strength.

There was a time I saw my future clearly: living a creative life, continuing my art lessons, and working to contribute. But life doesn’t always follow the picture we imagine. I was told to stay home to raise our children. Then he wrecked every plan I made for art lessons saying, my place was in the home. I still remember the moment I asked my husband about life insurance for the children and me. He says no, I’m never paying for life insurance. That conversation changed everything my future could be. 

Years later, a widow on a pension and unwell, I realised for years I’d been blindly living on the pension, that life he’d planned for my future. I got angry. But in that dark moment, something stirred in me—a kind of quiet, late-blooming fire. I’d already earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, and I had one novel rejected but the editors who read it said, “keep writing.” I’d stopped writing. But, deep down, the stories hadn’t stopped coming.

I pulled my laptop towards me and began typing every day, in my bed. It took over nine years, to have ten novels and two fairy books to sell. So here I come. I’ll be eighty next year, and I’m just getting started.

Why I Built This Site

This site was originally made to sell my books. But it became something more.  I realised I had three areas of experience that could help others move forward:

1. Writing from Bed and Building a Creative Life Anyway

If you’ve had to let go of dreams—or if you’ve carried them quietly for decades—I understand. Whether you’re starting again late in life, living with chronic illness, or just looking for meaning in the small hours, I want to help you find a way to create anyway. I wrote ten novels from bed. You don’t have to do that much—but you do deserve something of your own.
Many of my free downloads will be chapters of stories.

2. Illustrated Picture Book Reviews and Insights

When I was young, I loved picture books so much that I can still remember individual pages from decades ago. I had a few formal art lessons before I married, and I quietly taught myself by borrowing any art related book in the library I could find. So unbeknown to my husband who always took me to the library, I had twenty years of an indepth study of veriety of art subjects.  

Later, I joined an illustration unit at university. One of the assignments was to write a picture book review. I received a credit—but it drove me to find out everything I hadn’t known. I spent hours in the university library reviewing every children’s book on the shelf. The result? I became an expert in what publishers actually look for.

I didn’t find anyone else online who specialised in this the way I did—so I created the resource I needed when I started out. If you’re an illustrator or aspiring children’s book creator, I’ll help you understand what makes a picture book work—and what makes it sell. 

3. Moments of my Childhood

Since childhood, I have carried stories with me — tucked away like treasures in an old drawer. As a young adult people sought me out to remember what they didn’t. I wrote them down so they can live beyond my memory. A memory of our childhood. These stories are drawn from my own early years, full of small insidents, family life, and the lessons that time leaves behind.

To me my world was wonderful, yet it was just another day. For a few years I felt like I walk in two words, and I did but that time passed too. I never thought I would ever grow up it took so long, but I was glad of the journey.

I believe childhood stories connect us all. They remind us that our beginnings matter, and that even the quietest lives are filled with meaning. By sharing mine, I hope to spark recognition in others — a smile, a memory, or perhaps a moment of belonging. Welcome to my world.