A WIRRAL woman who now lives in Australia has released her first novel after the success of her autobiography 'A Girl From Birkenhead'.

Mum-of-four Trish Ollman, originally from Birkenhead, emigrated to Australia aged 21 after a poor childhood living in the borough.

Now she has released her first novel 'Escape to Paradise Island', completely different to her debut autobiography 'A Girl From Birkenhead' in which describes her times of desperation before moving to Australia. 

Trish, 65, told the Globe: "I spent the first 21 years of my life growing up in Birkenhead, before emigrating to Australia.

"I had married at age 16, we eloped to Scotland,  had my first baby shortly after, then a second aged 17.

"On Ian's poor Cammel Lairds wages, we barely survived.

"Ian's mum and dad ran The Angel Inn in Beckwith Street, Birkenhead, but we got no help from either them or my parents, who lived in Woodchurch.

"At one stage Ian, the two babies and I were homeless in the freezing winter and had to break into a derelict house which was condemned, had no water, electricity, gas or toilet.

"Amazingly we lived there for four months.

"At 21, having nothing to look forward to, and able to cope financially, we emigrated to Australia, any my book tells of our struggles there, right up to the present day.

"From the age of 11, I had always wanted to be a writer, but life got in the way.

"Last year, I was a member of Birkenhead Memories, a Facebook Group. I started to Post various memories from my childhood.

"Where other people were getting 10 or so likes or comments, I was getting 300 - 400.

"Soon people told me to write a book and so was born 'A Girl From Birkenhead'.

"I sold thousands of copies of that book.

"However, spurred on by the success of my first book, I decided to try my hand at a Novel.

"I have now just released that - it is called 'Escape to Paradise Island', again, very different for me - think sun, sand and sex with a few problems, relationships and affairs thrown in.

"The four main characters in this novel, all unknown to each other, have lives and relationships which are problematic.

"All four see an advert for Paradise Island, a luxury Resort in tropical North Queensland, and decide to spend a week there to see if a week of sun, sand and sex on a beautiful, relaxed tropical Island, will allow them to evaluate their lives, and see if it can help make things better for them.

"Once on the Island, the book gives a continuing separate chapter to all four characters as the story unfolds.

"I now have radio interviews, book signings in stores here in Canberra, and newspaper reviews.

"I have come from virtually 'rags to riches' in my life, and it all started with 'A Young Girl from Birkenhead'."

To get a copy of Escape to Paradise Island visit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1979055017/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508883310

For more information about Trish's other work visit http://www.trishollmanauthor.com/