Celebrating 10 Years of Books
Today, May 30, 2025, I celebrate 10 Author Years in publishing since my first book released on May 20, 2015. It’s been amazing journey with many people to thank. Today I’m taking a look back at the books that have shaped my first 10 Author Years.
I began writing my first manuscript in 2008, penning a fictional story of my journey with anorexia. This manuscript became the first two books of the Being Me series. When I started I hadn’t intended to publish the work, but with encouragement from my indie published friend, Tia Silverthorne Bach, who became my editor, and my sister-in-law, and to show that a thriving recovery is possible, I decided to publish. More importantly I became hooked on writing. I loved creating stories in my head, characters with flaws and journeys of their own to tell, and challenges to show how they used their own gifts to succeed. In this I found magic and I hope everyone finds it in my books and themselves.
Tia and Jo Michaels of Indie Books Gone Wild were instrumental in helping publish my book with editing, proofreading, and formatting services. I found an amazing local cover designer, Daryl McCool, of Dam Cool Graphics. Lady Amber’s PR & Reviews, Itsy Bitsy Book Promotions, Creative Edge Publicity, The Audio Flow, and Pink Flamingo Audiobook productions have all been a wonderful party of my author and publishing journey. But most of all I love connecting with readers who love my characters and stories as much as I do.
2015
In 2015 I published the first two books in my coming of age, college new adult Being Me series, including Is This Me? and If I Could Fly. These books chronicle college co-ed Amanda’s freshman year as she survives a brutal tumble onto the volleyball court, a first crush, a second crush, a jealous ex, and her demanding father.
2016
In 2016 I published the second two books in my coming of age, college new adult romance Being Me series, Think You Know Me and Being Me. Think You Know Me leads your through a dark turn in Amanda’s journey as she grapples with a random assault that leaves her angry, hurt, and reeling in emotional turmoil. Her emotions overwhelm her and she turns all inward, shutting everyone out. Her spiral leads her down a dark path into anorexia. But Being Me sees Amanda face her disease, pull up her boot straps, and decide to live the beautiful life she deserves.
Also in 2016 I published my first young adult fantasy, Drops of Sunshine. Although my writing journey began with the fictionalized account of my experience with anorexia, the fantasy genre has always drawn me and I dipped my toes into the water, or perhaps sunshine, with Drops of Sunshine. This novel is inspired by my summer spent as a camp counselor at a camp for the blind. In the novel the campers have some very special talents and Nina, our protagonist, has a very special connection to their community.
2017
In 2017 I fully committed to the young adult fantasy genre releasing the first three books in the YA urban fantasy series, the Kingdom Journals, including Kingdom of Embers, Kingdom of Darkness, and Kingdom of Honor. These journals follow a trinity of witches, Alena, Camille, and Hunter, and their heralds, I won’t give any spoilers for those, and their quest to stop an evil witch from gaining power over all the witch souls damned to purgatory. To do so they must break a curse on the witch lines releasing the souls and saving their own souls from being locked in eternal hell.
2018
In 2018 I jumped back into the Being Me series, releasing a stand-alone new adult romance spinoff, Deepest Scars, that follows one of the characters from the Being Me series. I also dove into the dystopian genre with Lovelock Ones that finds Jema and Troy in a remote desert community trying to find a cure for her sister. I also published a prequel in the Kingdom Journals series, Kingdom of the Damned, that retells Alena’s mother’s, Anne’s, story. A vampire born in 16th century France, Anne’s family is burned by a coven of witches. Two decades later her vampire fiance is killed by a member of his own tribe. Anne sets on a quest to bring peace to all the factions that spans centuries.
2019
In 2019 I created a new, new adult romance series, the Perfect romance series, that began with Perfect. Perfect is an alternate ending book that illustrates five different paths for Chloe’s life each one ending with a marriage proposal. Who does she marry? Who should she marry? You can decide in Perfect.
Also in 2019 I published the finale to the Kingdom Journals series, Kingdom of War. Kingdom of War finds Hunter and the trinity of witches in a fight for their very lives against his grandmother, Sonia, father, and half-brother. Kingdom of Embers was honored with an EVVY Award for Young Adult Fiction by the Colorado Independent Publisher’s Association and I was thrilled to attend the awards ceremony.
2020
In January of 2020 I released my first audiobook, the audiobook for Kingdom of Embers narrated by Amy Deuchler. Amy had the perfect voice to bring Alena, and then Camille in Kingdom of Darkness, to life. Amy introduced me to Dan Delgado who became the voices for Jude and Hunter in Kingdom of Honor and Kingdom of War.
In 2020 I published the follow up to the dystopian YA Lovelock Ones, Torch. Torch finds Jema, Troy, and their band of patriots, plotting to oust her uncle and his hold on their country’s government and supply of a cure for the pandemic sweeping the world.
Also in 2020, I published the second book in the Perfect new adult romance series, Perfect Always. Set in Lexington, Kentucky, Perfect Always tells Chloe’s true romance story.
Further in 2020, I released Of Witches and Vampires, a short story about Sonia’s parents, siblings, early childhood, and the origin of witches and vampires.
2021
In 2021 I dipped my toes into the realm of fae fantasy with the first two books of the Realm Chronicles series, To be a Fae Queen and To be a Fae Guardian. The multi-award-winning book and audiobooks To be a Fae Queen and To be a Fae Guardian chronicle Titania’s rise to the monarchy, the challenges she faces in her kingdom and realm, and secrets she discovers about herself and her family. The amazing Eleanor Lloyd-Jones of Shower of Schmidt Designs designed all my covers for this series.
In 2021 I ventured into the podcasting world. I began the Finding the Magic Book Podcast chiefly because I missed seeing my fellow authors at conferences and because I need a project for Toastmasters. But like writing, my podcast became a fun new venture for me. You can find the podcast on your favorite podcast channel or check out special episodes with authors like Jennifer Armentrout or J.D. Barker on my podcast page here.
2022
The year 2022 brought yet another new venture with a collaborative illustrated work entitled Azreya, Aztec Priestess. Matt Maes and I developed Azreya’s story, I wrote it and Matt illustrated it to bring her character and world to life. Azreya is born with a mark on her hand, a mark a shaman tells her parents that means she is cursed. They send Azreya to live with the shaman at the age of four. He trains her to keep her dark nature at bay. But by twelve Azreya realizes that the shaman is taking advantage of her ability to see the future. When he deceives the king of their city state, Azreya sets off to share her vision of how to save the Aztec empire from the invading Spanish.
In 2022, I also added to the Perfect romance series with As Close to Perfect under my new romance pen name, Maria Jane. As Close to Perfect features Chloe’s best friend, Bree, and her search for love.
2023
In 2023 I added to the Realm Chronicles fae fantasy series with To be a Fae Legend. To be a Fae Legend was my longest published book to date and includes the crossover Kingdom Journals characters and some dangerous foe. To add to my audiobook collection, To be a Fae Queen was produced by The Audio Flow with narration by Jillian Yetter brought Titania to life perfectly. Jillian and I won a Benjamin Franklin Silver Award in YA Audiobooks for our To be Fae Guardian audiobook published by my publishing company, True Bird Publishing, LLC.
2024
In 2024 I published the fourth book in the Realm Chronicles fae fantasy series, To be a Fae Rogue. To be a Fae Rogue leads us to the finale of the Realm Chronicles series out July of 2025.
Also in 2024 I added to the Perfect romance series with Perfect Office Pact penned under Maria Jane. Perfect Office Pact features Chloe’s and Bree’s friend Mira and her potential office romance, Declan.
In 2024 I also became represented by Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity.
2025
This year, the finale to the Realm Chronicles fae fantasy series, To be a Fae, is set to release July 29, 2025! I can’t wait to share this epic finale that wraps up both the Kingdom Journals and Realm Chronicles series.
I am so immensely grateful for all the readers, authors, and partners who have shaped my journey. From Tia Silverthorne Bach, my first editor, to Jo Michaels, to Jennifer Oberth, all of Indie Books Gone Wild, to Jillian Yetter, narrator, Mickey Mikkelson, of Creative Edge Publicity, Amber Garcia, of Lady Amber PR & Reviews, Daryl McCool, Damn Cool Graphics for cover designs, Eleanor Lloyd-Jones, of Shower of Schmidt Designs for covers and logos, my family and friends who supported me, THANK YOU!
Happy reading & happy listening!
Tricia