I am a girl you go on adventures with and sometimes talk about personal transformation – K.S. Brixey
Step through my portal and go on an adventure with me. I am so happy you are here. I am a debut novelist whose story has been simmering in my head since 2012. That is a long time for it to roll around in there. I may have been caught up in a few distractions along the way.
What Took So Long?
I had two beautiful distractions that moved back to the United States when they were two years old, my first two granddaughters captured my heart and attention. I have four adult children who brought a few other adult children into my life through marriage. We added a couple more this year and our numbers are now an even dozen. I have built my life around them and I am grateful that they still want to include me in theirs.
Escaping The 9 to 5
One day, as I watched my father losing his battle with COPD, I decided to relocate my horses, sell the ranch, retire, and move to my childhood favorite place, a house on the lake. Here, I would write my stories and go on amazing adventures. And so I did.
The Love of Writing Buds
My writing began in with the Blue Jeans Notebook of Poetry. My friend, Shari, had been hurt in a car accident and I spent an afternoon keeping her company while she laid in bed recovering. She showed me her poetry notebook and I knew I needed one of those. At first I wrote my poems and lyrics by hand on notebook paper, which is the original edition of the Blue Jeans Notebook. I owe my love of cursive handwriting to my mother who has the most lovely penmanship I have ever seen.
My First Published Work
Eventually, I began typing the poems with a used black ink ribbon and liquid white out to correct my many mistakes. My love of typing came from my dad. I used to stand in his office doorway and watch his fingers fly over those keys. When he got a new electric typewriter, he gave me the old manual typewriter to pluck away at. I polished up one of my favorite poems with as little white out as I could and had it accepted for publication in a somewhat shady anthology. The only people buying that book were the authors in it. I currently publish one Blue Jeans Notebook poem every month in my newsletter, The Portal. It’s free and you can sign up for it on any page of my website if you’d like.
The Journey of Grief
My debut novel, released November 20, 2023, is a story of a young widow trying to traverse the journey of grief. Grief is the loneliest path you will ever have to walk. Even though others may be grieving alongside you, they can never walk on your road. No one else can understand the ups and downs you face on your way. They certainly didn’t understand Lacy’s, especially when magic was involved.
When I was grieving the loss of my husband in 2002, I wished I’d had a magic portal to escape through. I wanted to be there more for my children but they each had their own journey to travel. We all just muddled through the best we could. I have had to go through a lot of grief in my life, it has taught me how fragile life is. It has made me stronger, kinder, albeit a little calloused. But it has also made me more in awe of the world around me; of people, places, and all of creation.
My Writing Life
Today I am more disciplined in my writing. I don’t want to wait another eleven years for my next novel. Don’t worry, book two in the Tales from Avenrand series is already in the works. It should be coming out in November of 2024. I write something everyday. I have a blog where I share insights on living life well, on the amazing things I am learning, and a little bit about my super cool family. I am intrigued and love to share what I learn about the human brain, the planet, and beyond.
I love to escape to fascinating places near and far in person and in a good book. My favorite stories are portal adventures. I can’t think of anything cooler than finding a magic doorway to somewhere mysterious. I guess that is why I love writing Portal Fantasy.
I hope you enjoy going on a Great Escape with me!!