Allison Intrieri shifts from TV dramas to children’s books, bringing humor and heart to stories about family life.
It was a script meeting like countless others. The clock had already pushed past midnight, and Allison Intrieri sat in a Manhattan writers’ room surrounded by whiteboards covered in timelines, suspects, and courtroom beats. As a veteran television writer and producer for shows like Law & Order: SVU, Bull, and East New York, she was no stranger to the weight of high-stakes drama. Every detail mattered, every storyline carried emotional weight, and every script had to deliver a mix of tension and catharsis that would keep millions of viewers glued to their screens.
Years later, when her spirited toddler staged an all-out mutiny at bath time with tears, protests, and chaos, Intrieri realized she was living inside a new kind of drama. Only this one was not for television. It was for parents, for kids, and for anyone who knew the exhausting hilarity of family life. Out of that moment came her debut children’s book, Thatcher Hates the Bath (Roaring Potato Press, 2025).
This was not just a book. It was a reinvention. It was a story about chaos, humor, and heart told by someone who knows exactly how to craft drama worth paying attention to.
The Origins of a Storyteller
Storytelling has always been the throughline of Allison Intrieri’s career. On television, she mastered the art of writing tightly structured episodes that revealed the complexity of human behavior while still delivering empathy and resolution. Her work on SVU taught her how to dig into character and sustain narrative urgency.
But the shift into children’s books was about more than changing genres. It reflected a life transition.
After choosing to become a single mom by choice, Intrieri found herself navigating a new set of storylines, ones not fueled by crime scenes or courtroom battles but by late nights, toddler resistance, and moments of profound joy.
“As much as I loved writing crime dramas, parenting was the wildest story I had ever lived through,” she reflects. “And unlike television, there was no script. It was all trial and error, chaos, and comedy.”
Her son, spirited and imaginative, became the muse for Thatcher Hates the Bath. More importantly, parenthood itself gave her the perspective to see humor where others might only feel stress.
Ripped From the Headlines of Parenthood
In her debut picture book, what should be a simple routine spirals into a full-scale emergency, complete with helicopters, alarms, and absurdity that grows page by page.
The book’s perspective is unusual. Instead of focusing solely on the child, Intrieri centered the parent. The result is a narrative that entertains children with its escalating action and playful illustrations while simultaneously validating parents who have tried every strategy to make bath time smoother.
“It is not about failure,” Intrieri notes. “It is about learning, trying, and realizing you are not alone in the struggle.”
This dual-audience approach is what makes Thatcher Hates the Bath stand out. Children laugh at the chaos; parents laugh because they recognize it.
The Obstacles of Reinvention
Reinvention was not without its hurdles. Transitioning from network television to independent publishing required Intrieri to master a new industry. Instead of pitching story arcs to executives, she found herself navigating ISBN numbers, distribution channels, and cover design. “I became a creative director overnight,” Intrieri said.
To bring her debut to life, she founded Roaring Potato Press, a publishing imprint named with the same humor and playfulness that characterizes her stories. The imprint gave her creative freedom but also placed her in charge of every detail, a challenge she embraced with the same rigor she once brought to late-night script rewrites.
Independent publishing demands both creativity and logistics. For Intrieri, the reward was clear: full ownership of a story that mattered deeply to her and to the families she hoped it would reach.
A Turning Point From Darkness to Light
If television crime procedurals taught Intrieri how to mine tension and emotion, motherhood taught her the importance of levity. That shift from dark narratives to lighthearted comedy was her turning point.
“When I became a mom, I realized I did not want all my creative energy to live in the darkness anymore,” she says. “I wanted to write something that made kids laugh and made parents feel seen.”
That decision to pivot defines her brand today. She is no longer only a writer of intense scripts but also a chronicler of family life, transforming universal struggles into stories that comfort and entertain.
The Unique Signature of Roaring Potato Press
What makes Roaring Potato Press distinctive is not just its debut book but the mission behind it. The imprint is committed to creating stories that acknowledge the unpolished reality of family life while celebrating the joy inside it.
Thatcher Hates the Bath embodies this philosophy. Its energetic illustrations, witty pacing, and parent-centered humor offer something rare in children’s literature: authenticity without judgment. It does not ask parents to be perfect; it invites them to laugh at imperfection.
This tone, equal parts absurd and heartfelt, is what Intrieri plans to carry forward in future titles under Roaring Potato Press.
A Human Story: The Single Mom by Choice
Behind the brand and the book is a personal story of resilience and commitment. Intrieri’s decision to become a single mom by choice informs her work. It is not just background; it is the heart of her storytelling.
As a single parent, she knows the exhaustion of carrying it all. But she also knows the fierce love and joy that come with it.
Her book, then, is not only a gift to children but also a subtle tribute to parents doing their best in real-world circumstances. It is a reminder that humor is often a lifeline.
The Road to September 6, 2025
The official launch of Thatcher Hates the Bath is set for September 6, 2025, aligning with National Read a Book Day. But families don’t have to wait—the book is available now for pre-order in both hardcover and paperback through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark.
With hardcover (ISBN 979-8-9990237-0-4) and paperback (ISBN 979-8-9990237-1-1) editions, the book is designed for accessibility and wide reach. It is also cataloged with the Library of Congress (LCCN 2025916735).
A Closing Reflection
For Allison Intrieri, Thatcher Hates the Bath is more than a debut. It bridges her acclaimed career as a television writer with her present as a single mother and children’s book author. It demonstrates how chaos can become comedy, how the hardest nights can turn into the best stories, and how laughter can be a parenting strategy.
“Parenting is not about perfection,” she says. “It is about showing up, trying again, and sometimes just riding the waves.”
Her book extends an invitation to laugh, to find connection, and to remember that every parent is doing a better job than they think.
Learn More and Pre-Order
Thatcher Hates the Bath (Roaring Potato Press, 2025) is a children’s picture book for ages 3–7, filled with humor, chaos, wild illustrations, and laugh-out-loud moments that make it the perfect read-aloud for families.
📚 Pre-order today:
Available in hardcover (ISBN 979-8-9990237-0-4) and paperback (ISBN 979-8-9990237-1-1). Cataloged by the Library of Congress (LCCN 2025916735). Distributed via IngramSpark.
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