Growing Up O’Malley is a Historical Fiction novel, based on true stories from your family, of an Irish immigrant couple raising seven boisterous children in Ohio during the early 1900s as they face famine, war, love, heartbreak, and rebirth. Why was this an important book for you to write?

It’s a gentle reminder of life’s simplicity before the onslaught of technological advances. Stories passed down from my parents, and interviews of their remaining siblings (some passed before my journey as an author began) reveal lives searching for purpose and a quest for truth. They highlight the importance of a common sense approach to life’s dilemmas as a universal convergence present throughout history. Reliance on faith, love, and empathy applied to everyday life serve as mainstays toward understanding one another. Life has become divisive and Growing Up O’Malley transports the reader to a time highlighting the application of these principles in our search for individual peace.

Since you based this book on true events from your family history, how did you decide what to include and leave out in your book?

The goal of my writing is to inspire and enrich the reader, hopefully uplifting those facing insurmountable odds. The majority of stories in Growing Up O’Malley are based on facts with a touch of blarney to make them enjoyable. One example is the 1923 birth of my aunt, Veronica O’Malley Collins, clearly before my time. My aunt, Marge O’Malley DuChez, told me two important facts: (1) a bundle was placed on the kitchen table and Marge, the oldest, believed it was a doll until it moved. Her iconic response, “It’s a bay-by” was included exactly as she relayed; and (2) William O’Malley was heartbroken because his father promised him the next baby would be a boy—upset with yet another girl in their abode, he tried to ignore her. With these two facts, I mentally travelled back in time and imagined my own mother’s response at the age of three! I could feel my mother’s smile from heaven as I relived life more than a century past. Although negative incidents are mentioned, I attempted to offset them in two ways: humor or the power of faith to combat problems, many of them universal and inescapable.

What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?

I had two primary objectives: (1) create a book where the reader felt they were either part of the story or could identify with its characters; and (2) include historical events without making the reader feel they were being schooled (like the series “Beyond the headlines” revealing background facts without sensationalism). I conducted a brief informal history quiz on Gen Z kids and was shocked to discover they were unaware of many important events shaping our history (one example is McCarthyism). If my book has enriched even one person’s life with facts no longer covered in today’s curriculum (and shared those with others), my goal would be achieved.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I’m actually working on two books: When I Grow Up: A Collection of Short Stories and Never Truly Alone, a psychological thriller. My goal is a release of short story compilations in 2026 and, hopefully, my thriller in 2026 as well.

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