May 14, 2026

Who made these books?

Hello. I wrote the stories, painted the illustrations, and built the publishing company, Macchi’s Den, that brought them to market. I did all of this while working full time. It took about a year from the first idea to the books being live on Amazon.

How did the writing come together?

Not easily at first. The first book was slow.  It took over a month before I started trying to type it out. Every word felt like a conscious effort. Every paragraph a small victory. But, by the second book something shifted. The writing started to flow instead of grind. By the third book I was cutting material because there was too much, not struggling to fill the page. It’s like getting into shape for a sport. The beginning always looks easy, and then you start the actual work and it’s more work than you expected. It turns out that the practice is what makes you realize you can actually finish.

What about the illustrations?

I painted them myself, in watercolor. I used to paint when I was younger and had set it aside for decades. I’m sure everyone has remnants of hobbies lying around. One day I found an old painting I had done and thought, “I wonder if I can still do that?” The most surprising thing wasn’t how hard it was. The surprising thing was how calming it turned out to be. Working on the illustrations was genuinely de-stressing in a way that regular work rarely is. That was a very welcome side-effect.

Where did the name Macchi’s Den come from?

One day I looked up from my work and saw my dog Macchi on a blanket, watching me. And that was the name. No overthinking. Just the right moment.

Any advice for someone sitting on their own idea?

You don’t have to make progress every day. But whenever you can, make as much progress as you can.