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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Not My Circus?

My journey to becoming an author is a story of resilience, self-discovery, and the transformative power of the almighty pen (or computer nowadays). My name is Delicia Niami, and I recently released the second book in my ResilientAF memoir series, Not My Circus: Triumph Over Abuse, Trauma & Family Secrets. If you had asked me a few years ago if I ever saw myself as a writer, I would have laughed at the idea. Writing wasn’t something I’d ever seriously considered, despite the repeated urgings from various psychics who told me that my story would someday be turned into a movie. Their confidence in my narrative potential was intriguing, but I never felt that I had a positive message to share. My life was filled with the echoes of past traumas, and I didn’t see how sharing those painful memories could benefit anyone. Everything changed when I read The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk. This book was a revelation, offering profound insights into how trauma is stored in the body and how healing was possible. Intrigued and inspired, I attended one of his workshops. It was there that the true turning point in my journey occurred. During the workshop, surrounded by people who had their own stories of struggle and resilience, I realized that my life wasn’t just a series of traumas. I had survived, grown, and emerged as a happy and well-adjusted person. This epiphany was monumental. I saw that I had not only made it through life’s challenges but also found a way to thrive. I did have a positive message to share after all. That transformative weekend, I began writing Kissing Asphalt. For the first time, I felt a need to put my experiences into words, not just as a therapeutic exercise but as a way to inspire and help others. The process was cathartic and empowering, allowing me to revisit my past from a place of strength and hope. Writing this book was a journey in itself, filled with moments of reflection, revelation, and healing. As the pages filled up, I felt a growing sense of purpose. I realized that my story wasn’t just about trauma; it was about resilience, survival, and ultimately, triumph. I wanted to use my story to encourage others to know that we are all ResilientAF and we can all make it through anything that life throws our way. It takes work, but no matter what we have been through we can find joy, and I am living proof of that.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Not My Circus, what would they be?

"Thank you For Being a Friend" (Golden Girls theme song), and "Eye of The Tiger" by Survivor.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Self-Help and yes, kind of...

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The Artists Way.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I think it was more revelations than scenes since this was my life, some were fun to go back to others were not so much fun!

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I need quiet.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Yes, a couple. Smile and Move on and Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about dancing in the rain!

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

We are ALL resilientAF and we can ALL make it through anything life throws our way.

 

Delicia Niami is the author of the new book Not My Circus

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Reflections on Life's Illusions?

For a long time I'd been experiencing a vague sensation underneath my contented professional work and daily living patterns, telling me in that kind of knowing beyond words that a major life shift was on its way. Also, as I say in the book's introduction, the story rose out of a concern for climate change, a problem that I and many others had been aware of since the '70s, and one that had inspired me to do what I could over the course of a forty-year career to strengthen grassroots communities to address the multiple environmental and social challenges it raises. After months of trying to ignore that vague sense of impending change, I found myself looking at my work calendar for the next quarter, noticing once again that I had uncharacteristically failed to do the footwork I usually enjoyed to fill it with new consulting projects. Mentioning this odd state of affairs to my husband, he replied, "You know, you could retire if you wanted to," something I'd never considered possible or desirable before. Looking at my finances and realizing he was right, I also suddenly understood what was silently demanding my attention. A sense of urgency was calling me to write that big picture story that no English teacher would ever approve as a workable topic. By choosing to retire, I could dive into the project without worrying about whether it was publishable. The writing process itself could be the primary focus. The story seemed to be calling for two things; learning what it means when authors describe how they let the book write itself, and in exploring that process discovering more deeply how we in the U.S. came to this challenging cultural tipping point. My own developmental story could be the centering theme around which to weave the narrative, coupled with an exploration of what we can wisely do to show up in this time.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Both fiction and nonfiction of many varieties interest me, especially the relatively new genre of creative nonfiction, which is mostly what I 'm writing these days. Reading and writing poetry also plays an important part in my life, although I've not yet tried to publish any of my own.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert, is a go-to book I've read more than once between projects. It's proving its worth once again as an inspiring support for my daily writing practice. I'm also a big fan of Rebecca Solnit's work, with Hope in the Dark in my current pile. Casting Indra's Net, Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community, by Pamela Ayo Yetunde is also there. Since I always read more than one book at a time, I'm also looking forward to the 2023 version of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, by John Perkins, having been fascinated and appalled by the story in the first edition that lacked numerous new chapters. Finally, I always want some good fiction to read before bed, usually discovered while browsing at my local library. I recently enjoyed Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett, in that category.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Unfortunately, that's impossible to answer since the whole writing process felt like a continuous flow, with each part delivering its own unique joys, challenges and discoveries.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Perhaps it's a bit quirky to admit that the most essential part of my office is not my desk, but the loveseat on which I always sit to write, laptop on lap, with various books and notes strewn next to me, along with a note pad and pen, just in case...

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Something like that might be described this way: Be as present and aware as possible in every moment of your life so that you can respond to each situation with as much wisdom and kindness as you have the capacity to muster.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That none of us is separate from nature or any other being, raising the importance of self-reflection and its capacity to reveal choices between multiple stories about wise responses to any situation, some that hold inspiring, life-giving potential and others that do not.

 

Jane Gallagher is the author of the new book Reflections on Life's Illusions

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Sawyer (The Stewarts of Skagway #4)?

Sawyer is the fifth of six Stewart siblings, and the youngest of three brothers, so he's the most laid-back of the Stewart crew. I liked the idea of pairing him with a rich, high-maintenance woman who loves theater; since Sawyer is outdoorsy and athletic, auditioning for and performing in a play would place him outside of his comfort zone. And "Wuthering Heights," with its rich-girl/poor-boy story seemed like an idea way for art to imitate life!

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Sawyer (The Stewarts of Skagway #4), what would they be?

At one point, Sawyer and Ivy dance to "Harvest Moon," by Neil Young, and Sawyer sings along softly, confessing that it was one of his late mother's favorite songs. I think the line "Because I'm still in love with you, I want to see you dance again," is especially sweet, since Sawyer is also a second-chance love story.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

OMG. My favorite genre to read (right now) is definitely Suspense! I just read THE GOD IN THE WOODS by Liz Moore and it was a total banger. 500+ pages and I read it in 3 days - I couldn't put it down!

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Mia Sheridan's All The Little Raindrops (Mia is my best friend!) and You Like it Darker by Stephen King. I have to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind for a King book, though! They're so skeeeeeery!

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Oh, gosh...so many! Some books are really hard to write and you struggle with the characters, but Sawyer and Ivy were like butter. I really loved writing their three flashbacks - I think it gives the reader so much context (and they were hot, too!)

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Not really. I write at my desk in my home office, or at one of my local coffee shops. I do count my words every day and keep a very neat wordcount spreadsheet. Is that quirky?

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

"Is it necessary? Is it kind?" I try to ask these questions before I share opinions.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That if you're meant to be, love will find way. Even if it's in Skagway, AK, during the off-season, performing a new adaption of a very old love story.

 

Katy Regnery is the author of the new book Sawyer (The Stewarts of Skagway #4)

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