Local author inspires others with books she wrote for her kids

LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) - “The Sorry Monster lives only in your head, not in your closet, not under your bed,” said Lowville author and artist Trish Michael, reading from one of her books.

“He wreaks havoc, making you say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ all day.”

Her books were inspired by her situation, as she and her three children escaped a difficult situation and navigated the fear and guilt that came with it.

“The bigger he is, the more he’s in charge,” she read.

“I’ve written four books and three have been published,” she said. “The three were written for my children during the course of an abusive relationship.”

“The Sorry Monster” is about dissecting why you feel sorry all the time and better ways to take responsibility.

“Turns out, he isn’t a monster at all.”

“Light” is about making positive thoughts and choices and letting go of the things that prevent those.

“It’s been very powerful for anyone currently in a toxic relationship,” Michael said.

And “Find Your Happy,” well, you can probably guess that one.

Aside from an abusive relationship, Michael is a three-time cancer survivor, so finding her happy hasn’t always been easy.

“The weird thing about cancer is it puts your mortality right in your face,” she said. “Life could be taken at any moment, so I want to make sure every moment that I’m living, I’m uplifting people, helping people, and taking care of myself, and you can’t be in that space if you’re afraid, so it’s my choice to focus on being happy instead of being scared.”

She says these children’s books aren’t just for children. They’re for anyone who needs to hear that things can be okay, despite the circumstances.

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