Memoirs I Have Ghostwritten

Around The Ridges

Doug was in the early stages of dementia when his family approached me and asked me to write his life story before he lost any further memories.

A boy from the bush, Doug was a cheesemaker before joining the Australian Army and serving in the Civil Affairs Unit in the Vietnam War. He spoke fluent Vietnamese till the end of his life. Back in Australia, he was in charge of disaster management for Queensland, gained a PhD in Biological Science and started Global Education Designs, a company that creates bespoke educational programs for international students.

Doug enjoyed recounting his adventures to me and his family were thrilled with his story. He has since passed away, leaving an impressive legacy. You can read more about his life here.

The Life Of Doug MacLennan

The Ambo

‘Training? We’ve tried all that rubbish, it doesn’t work,’ the Superintendent said. 

This attitude was what Bob had to contend with when he joined the Queensland Ambulance in 1947, to discover that the equipment and procedures were antiquated and there was no training for officers.

Due to his perseverance and visionary outlook, Bob and his team succeeded in introducing a training program and bringing treatment in line with modern medicine. Over his 39-year career in the Ambulance, he helped lay the foundations for the progressive and highly skilled service of today’s Queensland paramedics.

It’s a story of determination and dedication, as he constantly came up against apathy, resistance and fear of change.

The Ambo has been highly praised both within and outside the Queensland Ambulance Service. Bob was 96 when it was published and received a lot of media attention, being the oldest author in Australia at the time.  

It’s available here. The Ambo

The Austin 7 Odyssey

'You’ll never fix that,’ the neighbour said as Nick’s father Rod towed the 1929 Austin 7 into the driveway of the family home. If it were a person it would have been in intensive care.

The neighbour was wrong – the car was repaired and this Baby Austin has now been in the Sinclair family for over 60 years.  I ghosted the story of the many adventures of The Bomb, as it was lovingly called by the Sinclairs, in New Zealand and Australia.

It’s had its share of rough treatment and neglect, but the Austin 7 was built for resilience and Nick has restored it to its former glory, with some modifications for safety.

A Larrakin's Life

Stealing a demountable toilet and throwing a nail gun cartridge into a combustion stove were all in a day’s work for Rod Sinclair. Roderick McLeod Sinclair (1917 - 1995), successful businessman, innovator, sportsman, traveller and adventurer, was also the quintessential Aussie larrikin.

He loved nothing better than pushing the boundaries and stirring up trouble - and he couldn't resist a practical joke, particularly if it involved blowing things up.

I wrote this biography of Rod for his son Nick, a rollicking story of a hell-raising character. There were many like him in those days – they may now be a dying breed!

Characters And Campfires

Graham and Deb Reid are the owners of Travel West, a travel company that specialises in personalised tours of the Australian Outback. They wanted a book they could use as a gift to whet the appetites of their regular clients and attract new ones.

This is a short e-book of light-hearted yarns about Graham's earlier adventures driving road trains throughout remote Australia. Close calls on the rugged bush tracks and offbeat outback characters are all part of the fun.

You can get a free copy of the book here. The link is in the footer of the page.
https://www.travelwest.com.au/

Red Moon - Secrets Of A Sixties Schoolgirl

Author Pam Mariko had already written her coming of age memoir, taking place in 1960s London – the era of The Beatles, beehive hair and ‘free love.’  

She asked me for a critique to help her improve it. I helped her re-shape the narrative, refine her voice and edit and polish the story until it sparkled.

Red Moon has earned 5 star reviews on Amazon and was a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

It’s available to buy here.

Red Moon - Secrets of a Sixties Schoolgirl

Breast Cancer Stories of Humour and Joy

When Robin Storey first heard the words, ‘You have breast cancer,’ she burst into tears. In an instant, her world had tipped upside down.

But as a comedy fiction author, she couldn’t help finding the humorous side as she underwent treatment, and learnt more about herself and others along the way.

This is my own memoir about my experience of breast cancer. You can read more about it by clicking the link below.

Making The Breast Of It