Like so many other people and for many years as I thought about the mess my life was in I often used to find myself pondering the questions ‘Why, why why? What am I here for, what am I supposed to do with my life? What’s the point? How can I turn something so awful into something positive.? Always, always I would get the same answer ‘write a book.’ I never knew how to or where to start but for many years before the books were published I knew it was what I was meant to do.
When I had a breakdown in my mid twenties, I found writing a great comfort and release. Some of my writing was angry, some of it incredibly sad. By writing down my thoughts and feelings I was able to release some of the pain that I had hung onto for many years and that had expressed itself in the form of depression and mental illness. A few years later when my dear brother Glen died in 1997 I promised him that I would write our story. I was so angry that he had died so young and I felt I needed to do something for him and all of us children that had suffered so much when we were younger. At least if our story was there in black and white, Glen would never be forgotten by the world that had in some ways let him down so badly.
I am deeply passionate about personal development and growth. I truly believe that with the right help and support anybody can overcome childhood trauma and the devastating effects that it can have in our adult lives. I find great inspiration from people who have been through awful experiences and have managed to come out the other side and lead happy rewarding lives. If sharing my experiences and the steps I took to heal myself inspires anyone to help themselves out of the pain, then I have achieved what I set out to do. It is not an easy road but it has been the most rewarding of my life. I have had to learn to love, respect and forgive myself, I have had to learn to love, respect and forgive others but most importantly I have found myself. I am a very happy woman, I love being me!!!!
Daddy’s Little Earner and Escaping Daddy were written before I became a Christian. I honestly thought writing these books would have been the end of it all and I could finally leave the past behind me. Unbeknown to me God had a far greater plan and I became a Christian after Daddy’s Little Earner but just before Escaping Daddy were published. It certainly showed me how Gods timing is perfect. If I had written my books as a Christian I doubt they would ever have been published let alone become UK top ten best sellers, published internationally and to date translated into four languages. I believe God had something to say through me and rather than Daddy’s Little Earner and Escaping Daddy being the end of something, they are in fact the beginning of a journey far more remarkable than I ever could have imagined.
Maria Landon 
Hi Maria. I’ve been blessed enough to have read your work recently and it is very moving and eye-opening; for me, even though I’ve fortunately never experienced that sort of abuse, it’s been epiphanic. I want to thank you for telling these important stories.
Thank you Blaine. No point writing these books if people don’t read them so thank you too. Its reassuring to know that people do actually care 🙂
Don’t ever stop writing, Maria; what you do is too important. If it opens other people’s eyes like it opened mine, you will be doing the world a huge service.
Thank you Blaine. I definitely hope to continue writing. Thank you for your support and encouragement. God bless love Ria x
Hey there Maria,
I have recently begun to read ‘Daddy’s Little Earner’ and this is the first time I visit your website. I am so happy to hear that even after your torturous and heartbreaking past you have been able to witness God’s love and become close to him. I honestly credit you and ask God to bless you always because many like yourself are unable to see and feel God’s love after such an experience. I wish you the very best and God bless you.
Your sister in Christ Daniella
Thank you Daniella. God bless you too xx
Hi Maria,
I am from New Zealand and just started reading ‘Daddy’s little earner’ yesterday and have now nearly finished it. It is an extroidinary book and has brought me to tears numerous times. You are such an inspiration to everone lucky enough to be able to read your bookd, even as far as a country like little old New Zealand. I have learnt many things from your book even though i can not relate to anything that happened in it, fortunatley for me. But i want you to know i care, and i you have opened my eyes up to many things. im about to head out this afternoon and search for a copy of ‘Escaping Daddy’. i wish you all the best and i hope you now have people in your life who tell you what a beautiful person you are everyday.
Thanks,
Ellen
NZ 19years old.
Dear Ellen
Thank you so much for your kind words and for caring so much.
God bless
Love Ria xx
Thank you Ellen.
What a lovely caring young lady you are.
God bless you
Love Ria x
I have nearly finished reading Daddy’s little earner and I was intrigued to know more about you and thus googled you and found out your are a Christian. As I am reading the book I am thinking ‘if only she would meet someone who was a Christian and could tell her about the love of God and so I was so blessed to read that you do know Jesus. Praise God. I am sure God is using you to bring life and truth to others who have gone through such terrible abuse. God bless love Sue x.
Thank you Sue. So glad I found Jesus, I could never have survived without him and yes, my prayer is that I can help others know Him and the gift of new life He has for them. Thanks again, God bless love Ria x
Thank you Sue. Yes I found my way into Gods arms eventually. Praise him indeed as he amazes me with his continuous patience and grace!
God bless you, thank you for caring. love Ria x
Dearest Maria, I have just finished reading your book daddy’s little earner cover to cover. I could not put it down. I felt like the first time ever a story that I could so personally relate to. And living with the conflict of my mind and feelings from the scars of abuse. There were so many emotional similarity’s to our childhoods that I could so deeply relate to, and also some similar circumstancal similarity’s although mine were on a much lower scale to your story, Reading your feelings was like I was reading to myself about my own feelings I had as a child and still struggle with today. I really didn’t realise that this book would be such a trigger to those feelings that I thought I had dealt with but obviously haven’t. I know a lot of people would of probably be yelling at the book saying “why would you go back” or “why do you care about protecting your dads feelings or the truth about what’s going on to save him” but I truly understand why you did what you did and I think that’s the biggest conflict in my mind that I live with today is how can I still care about someone who has treated me so badly as a child. I still cant answer that question for myself but it was somewhat reassuring to myself that other people might feel the same and struggle with the same conflict. I only just learnt of the sequel and will set out to buy it tomorrow. I just want to say that it really warms my heart that you have come out of the other side of the tunnel and are at peace, you are such an inspiration and I hope your books make you millions, you deserve every bit of luck, love and kindness that comes your way. Thank you for being so brave to share your story even though some people wouldn’t of understood the turmoils of your emotions and feelings with your father. God bless you Maria and thank you xox
Dear Bonnie. Thank you for your kind comments. I am sorry that you suffered abuse too and that my book has brought back those painful memories. I truly hope that you will be able to work through them and that they will no longer cause you pain. You must forgive yourself Bonnie, I know people speak a lot about forgiveness and how important it is but it really is in this case. You don’t have to justify or to explain yourself to anyone why you did what you did , no matter what they may be. Any decent human being should understand that children love their parents and want to be with them even when they hurt them. I adored my dad and believe it or not, he had some great qualities and as a child they were what I loved about him. I often think of him and imagine the amazing man he could have been. That is why we go back, hoping and praying they will change and be the parent they are supposed to be! I used to feel so guilty about that but have long since forgiven myself because I know why I wanted to go back to him even if others don’t understand. Goodness me! even adults stay in abusive relationships, why do people find it so hard to understand that a child hopes and prays that their parents will change and will love them and keep them safe like they are supposed to!
Sorry to rant, it just makes me so cross when I hear that people still carry some guilt over abuse.
Please forgive yourself Bonnie and struggle no more!
God bless
Love Ria x
Dear Maria,
I just finished reading your book Daddy’s Little Earner, a few minutes ago . i noticed we were born in the same year. What month were you born in? so as i read your shocking life journey i would stop and reflect what was i doing at that age. I thought how that could have been me.
Even though i have not experienced what you went through i understood your yearning for your fathers love. You always had that hope and love for your father. You are an incredible woman! Isn’t it wonderful that God never gave up on you. Even though it is hard to understand why these things happened, he held you in his hands the whole time. How many times were you close to ending it and you were stopped each and every time.
I have told many friends about your book and told them what an inspiration you are.I wish you every happiness and love.
Jelena xx
Thank you Jelena
Yes God amazes me with his patience and understanding. In the sequel to ‘Daddy’s Little Earner’ my roller coaster way of life is a very frustrating read sometimes as I look for love in all the wrong places. But its funny now because although I couldn’t see him back then, he was never far away and you can see him walking with me throughout the book (‘Escaping Daddy.’) He never gives up does he, hoping for us to turn to Him, He continues to amaze me with his never ending mercy and grace, I just love Him so very much! Thank you so much for you love and encouragement, God bless you. Much love from Ria x
Hi just recently came upon your website from watching you on one of the Christian Channels in the UK . Even though I tune into the programme at the very end and did not quite get the full story – your name and website address was imprinted on my mind and I could not let it go until I looked you up on-line. And boy how I have wept and wept to know how the still small voice of the LORD was leading me to make some contact and begin my journey of healing. At this point in time – I am contemplating ending it all because I can not seem to find any help any where. Without at this stage going into the specifics of my own traumatic and abusive childhood – I can identify with the pain and anguish that you have clearly been through and the prevalence of this evil practice of child abuse – in a so-called civilised western country. Thank you for sharing your story and reaching out to others so that they can start the road to healing.
Dear Ade
Thank you so much for contacting me. It is feedback such as yours that encourage me and the very reason I wrote my books. Please please please wipe those awful negative feelings aside, you must not give up. I know how hard it is and sometimes how you feel that there’s no point fighting anymore because the pain never seems to go away. I have been in that dark place on far too any occasions but I want you to know there is a way forward, there is freedom from abuse. You CAN heal from this pain, you do not deserve to carry the burden of guilt and shame, put it back where it belongs, on the shoulder of your abuser. There isn’t much advice I can give you at the moment because I do not know your circumstances but I am so happy to know you have moved closer to your saviour Jesus. Please keep gping to Him, He will not let you down…. no matter how hard it seems, how many tears you have to cry, know that he is holding you close and that every single tear you shed, is a step further toward your healing. I am not sure where you are in the world but if you would like to contact me privately please email me at ria.landon@gmail.com or you can find me on facebook at Maria Landon or my personal page Ria Landon. Do keep in touch and let me know how you’re doing and if I can help in any way please get in touch. You are not alone, you are in my heart now and I will be praying for you. God bless you love Ria xx
You are doing a wonderful job. Having had a wonderful childhood, I can not begin to imagine how soul destroying this must have been. Jesus can lift us out of everything through his love and I am so pleased that you have found him, I know hew will continue to bless you and your work.
You will be in my prayers.
Thank you Trudy 🙂
Hello Maria,
I have just finished reading your book (over 2 days), could not put it down. I also wanted to know more about you, went online & discovered your website. So many feelings that your book can stir in the reader, despite their own life circumstances. You are an amazing woman. I am 40yo, a Midwife in a Regional Public hospital (see the full spectrum, drug addict mothers/withdrawal babies, prostitute mothers, alcoholic mothers, Bi-polar/personality disorder mothers, etc). I am dealing with a “dysfunctional” relationship still after 11yrs on/off – he drinks, smokes,gambles, lives in the UK, I am in Australia. But the love between us is the pull! I had a great first 10yrs childhood. One that I look back on with happy memories which helps me get thru the testing adult years. I can see why people go back (as in your situation). I have not experienced personally any of what you have but I have had enough life experience & exposure to see how both sides can be. I too am a Christian woman. I grew up knowing Jesus (thanks to my Mum). What I want to say is – I had a best friend from 9yrs old to 11yo ( after my first 10ys my dad moved us a lot & I changed schools a lot -always the new girl! ) We had a great time together, she loved staying at my house. I slept over hers sometimes. There is a lot more I could go into, but the point of it is- she too like you Maria was being sexually, mentally, physically abused by her single father (she had a sister & 2 brothers). She was the oldest. I never knew this was happening at the time. She never told me & had obviously been sworn to secrecy. It wasn’t until our early 20’s that I learned of all the horridness. Looking back thru my mind, I can now see the signs, the reasons for certain behaviours of my friend, the images of her father, his aggression etc from a childs view point, (yes I can now realise that his nakedness during one of my sleep overs, he had an erection. At the time I was 10yo – you just don’t know). She testified against him, & he too ended up with a jail sentence. He screwed her life up big time. She ended up becoming an IV drug addict, in & out of failed relationships, etc. I know you would have heard all this many times over, but why I am telling you this is because, her father was a “Christian”. At the time, he was a well respected man. He was friends of my mother & father. He was a “hero” as he looked after his 4 children after their mother walked out on them & never came back. You know exactly what I’m saying… I know as maybe you do too, examples of people turning away from Christianity due to “humans” using it as a cover, wrecking it for others & it turns people off God. My own relationship with Jesus has stayed strong over the years, praise God. But I can see how people can be turned off (heartbreakingly so), due to the horrid actions of other humans. I guess my point of all this is to say: I am so glad you found Jesus & that if your own father had been “religious”, perhaps you may still be on a destructive path. I hope you know what I am saying. Sorry for length of post. May you always find strength in Jesus…. ‘We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us’. God bless you Maria.
Belle73
Dear Belle
I am so sorry for the late reply but I have been really poorly this last few years and this year has been no exception.
Thank you for your message and for sharing so much. God bless you for your kindness in the work you do and the empathy you so obviously show to others. I hear what you are saying about my Dad maybe being a Christian. I have to say that I am glad there was no confusion regarding God when I was growing up. he did tell me I couldn’t go to Sunday school and that I couldn’t be in the school nativity because I was so fat, ugly and useless they didn’t want me. Unfortunately I took that to mean that God didn’t want me, but I did believe in Him and when I think back I can clearly see his presence in my life at so many times. I have always known the Lords prayer but couldn’t tell you where I learnt it 🙂 And since becoming a Christian in the last 5 years I have discovered that I know the words of some hymns that I didn’t even know I knew! Does that make sense? But yes, it infuriates me when I hear of so called ‘Christians’ abusing their children. I don’t mean to sound judgemental but do they actually know what the Bible says about such abuse? Its so sad that so many people turn away from God because of other peoples actions. I continue to pray that they would find their way into His healing arms.
I do hoe all is well with you and your relationship and that your partner has been able to overcome his addictions so He can love and respect you as you deserve to be. Just as Christ loves the church in fact! Thanks again. God bless you…love Ria x