Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Lily Andrews is talking with Katie Myers, author of Being Seen: My Journey to Self-Love.

FQ: First off, congratulations on your new book! Some memoir authors mention the need to examine their past lives with a more mature perspective as the inspiration behind their writing. Was it the same for you or is there something else that inspired you to write this moving book?

MYERS: Thank you! I was going through failed infertility treatments and this was one way I could birth something. It started as a journal entry that I just kept coming back to. About 6 months into writing it, I realized I wanted it to be a book for others to read.

FQ: So many aspiring memoir authors fall short with their memoir titles, which are sometimes too long to recall, or use dull colors to create their book covers. Not so in your work. The title of your book is catchy and the book cover has an aesthetic appeal. Tell us about the process of coming up with the two.

MYERS: I had an incredible team who helped create the title and book cover. Joyce Beverly, editor extraordinaire, Karen Adams, talented artist, and Victoria Wolf, digital creator mastermind, all came together to birth what you see on the cover today. We went through several iterations before we landed on what felt right.

FQ: You have been unflinchingly honest in your writing. How did you balance this with the need to protect your privacy and others in your story?

MYERS: This was tricky, of course. However, it was important to me to not burn bridges or damage character while still maintaining integrity over my experience. Many parts were edited with great care so that both could hold space simultaneously. My privacy was much less of a concern than my family's.

FQ: Are there some parts in your memoir that you found to be rewarding and others challenging? If yes, mention some of these parts to us.

MYERS: I found the entire thing to be both rewarding and challenging all at the same time, lol. It was rewarding to put my professional experience and my mental breakdown into words when, for so long I've felt it, but couldn't always express it. It was also liberating to be as candid as possible talking about my mental health journey. I've gone back and forth with great pride in overcoming so much, and also shame because there is still stigma in our society.

The most challenging parts were about my family. I truly believe that they did the best they could with what they had, AND they missed the mark in some pretty severe ways. And we've all changed over the years (some more than others) and so I didn't want the past to damage the current and future. I had to trust that my truth would bring more healing than harm.

FQ: There are valuable lessons sprinkled across your memoir. What is the main lesson that you would want your audience to take away from your story?

MYERS: There are several, but the two that stand out right now are that we are meant to journey together and if I can overcome, so can you. We are hard-wired for relationships, but our past and current struggles can lead us to isolate. Shame leads us to isolate. Fear leads us to isolate. Isolation will kill us. We are meant to share the burden and journey with others.

FQ: Is there a part of your book you wished to have expanded more? If yes, which one?

MYERS: Yes and no. Yes, because I had much more to say about my family. No, because I believe the right parts made it into the final copy.

FQ: Writing is an art, as you have so ably demonstrated, and also a cathartic experience for the writer. Upon finishing your memoir, what was it like for you?

MYERS: Upon finishing the last of the edits, I felt a cornucopia of emotions. There was elation that I (we--my editor was incredible) had created something I was so proud of. Impatience to get it live and accessible to the world. Disbelief that it was really complete. Relief that it was done, and a huge sense of accomplishment. I also felt a little nervous and vulnerable that my baby was about to go live and I would likely receive feedback and critiques of my baby. No one wants to be told that their baby is ugly, but the reality is that not everyone would connect with my story...and I had to become ok with that.

Upon publishing, it was a little anticlimactic, honestly, lol. I wasn't sure what to expect, but after we hit "publish" and the initial frenzy of support from loved ones died down, there was this space that I wasn't quite sure what to fill it with. Everything had been so focused on completing the book and getting it live that once that was done, I was kinda like, "now what?"

FQ: I admired your remarkable balance between the pain you have gone through in life and offering hope to readers. I especially enjoyed reading your thoughts and perspectives about life despite the many setbacks you have faced in the past. What drives you to continue charging forward?

MYERS: Thank you! I'm so grateful that I can say that there is so much that drives me. Historically it has been a deep belief that I was created for something big. My spirituality has carried me when I thought I could go no more. Today it is my son and my husband. My little family is a miracle...in so many ways. But it is always my faith in something much bigger than me that propels me in dark times.

FQ: Are you working on something else at present that you would like to share with your readers?

MYERS: Yes! My family was actually going through something extremely challenging at the time of publishing "Being Seen." I am currently writing about that time period and how we have grown and come out the other side a little bruised, but not broken. Hmmm...that could be a working title! Current working title is "Grenades and Grace." Stay tuned!!

FQ: Writing about family as you have done in your memoir can sometimes leave authors feeling susceptible to public opinion. How have you navigated around this?

MYERS: I felt very naked and vulnerable once the book was live. I looked at the reviews and ratings multiple times a day. And it has been mostly positive, thankfully! But I am prepared for the reader who does not love what and how I've shared such personal things. I wrote my book for a certain kind of reader. If someone doesn't connect with or appreciate it, then they are not my target audience.

FQ: Your book is receiving a warm reception from readers with others giving positive feedback. Has there been a particular response or comment from your audience that has stood out for you?

MYERS: Omg, the feedback has been overwhelmingly beautiful and humbling. I'm so grateful that I can't pick out just one comment, because there are so many that warm my heart. Anytime someone says that they felt seen is my favorite. So many of us feel unseen or we hide in hopes to not be truly seen. Being seen is the best 🙂

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