North Yunderup resident Louisa West made a decision a year ago that changed her life forever.
After being made redundant from her day job she found herself in the midst of a competitive and unstable job market post COVID-19.
It was then that she decided it was time to go all-in on her dream of becoming an author.
"I've always wanted to be a writer," she said. "But it had always seemed like a pipedream. Creative industries are often looked at like they aren't real jobs."
Despite her trepidation, West dived in headfirst, and began writing her Paranormal Women's Fiction book series Midlife in Mosswood.
I decided to make a go of it while I waited for the world to get better.
- Louisa West
Ms West has been nominated as a finalist in the Australian Romance Writers Association's 'reader's choice awards,' and is nominated among New York Times bestselling authors.
The Midlife in Mosswood protagonist is a mother in her late 30s who feels stuck in her life and moves with her daughter to a new town where an array of mystical and magical things happen.
The representation of her protagonist's demographic is important to Ms West as a mother herself.
"I needed something to relate to," Ms West says. "I've had to start again, and it's important to know that just because something in your life didn't go as planned it doesn't mean that your life is over."
Ms West now works as a fulltime author.
Her Midlife in Mosswood series is available on Amazon, and her first audio book will be released in March.