Meet Terrina Troy | Author of All But Six

We had the good fortune of connecting with Terrina Troy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terrina, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Being a creative person was just a gift that I was born with. Whether I am designing custom homes and landscaping, creating art or writing, I always enjoy the process of expressing myself. I recently tackled a lifelong goal of writing and publishing a book. I published a memoir called All But Six, which I dedicated to my father. After years of joking about doing it, I finally decided the time was right. The process of writing and publishing requires utilizing the right brain and left brain, so I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Being an entrepreneur for the last 22 years has proven to mesh well with my personality and I’m grateful I took the leap of faith. I always encourage people to invest in their dreams–you only get one life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Writing my memoir All But Six was the most challenging project I’ve ever taken on. Being raw, honest and baring your soul for the world to read is terrifying. It took a long time to process the story, write it and then finally publish it. As a writer you never know how your words will be perceived and you sort of brace yourself when your creative masterpiece is released to the world. One of the reasons that I am so proud of my book is because it has touched so many people. Hearing others tell me that by reading my story they felt some healing or learned to see things differently, made all the hard work worth it. I wrote the book to not only honor my father, but to honor all those parents out there that might not feel that they have much influence or impact on their children’s lives. In a world that is hyper-focused on being rich and famous, it’s easy for the Everyman to feel less important. I’m here to say that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m all about great views and beautiful ambiance. My guests are always encouraged to take multiple walks or hikes in the beautiful Catalina State Park or Honeybee Park.

The Oro Valley Marketplace has a great independent bookstore called Stacks BookClub where you can grab a snack, take in some great books or walk some well marked paved trails. On Saturdays there is a wonderful Farmer’s Market at Steam Pump not too far away, too.

If they enjoy biking, the Oro Valley Bike Shop rents bikes and they can enjoy the paved path that goes all around Tucson–it’s amazing.

Visiting Hacienda del Sol for a day at the spa, lunch or dinner or just walking the grounds is a definite must!

Tucson Botanical Gardens is a great way to spend the afternoon, too, with a great lunch spot right there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My father was a lifelong entrepreneur and I owe a lot of my success to him. He was always the first person to tell me to believe in myself and to know that with enough hard work and persistence you can achieve anything you set your mind to. He believed the worst crime one could ever commit was being lazy, so I definitely learned a strong work ethic and to never underestimate the power of true grit. I’m so grateful he instilled confidence in me. My dad also taught me to think independently and not care what anyone else thinks. He thought it was important to question everything and not just follow the crowd. Sometimes having the ability to truly think outside-of-the-box is a real game changer. My father was not an educated man, he was not rich or famous, but I thought he was brilliant, and his amazing lessons changed my life.

Website: TerrinaTroy.com

Image Credits
Headshot by Britta Van Vranken