The Introduction Post
As someone with social anxiety, introductions are never easy for me. Drunk, I can make friends with a roach. Sober—which I am most of the time—I feel painfully awkward and overanalyze every word I say. Because I have no intentions of becoming an alcoholic, I have two options in everyday life. A, be silent and brooding, coming across as rude, when, in reality, I’m having an internal meltdown. This is the option I choose when possible.
However, sometimes, you have to be a big girl and actually interact with people, which leads me to the second one. Powering through and moving past any blunders I make. I could freak out in the comfort of my bed, where my embarrassing moments keep me up at night and contribute to my insomnia.
Since I’ve spent the majority of my life unmedicated with zero social awareness, I have no shortage of those. If anyone from my unmedicated days stumbles across this post, I sincerely apologize that you had to interact with that version of myself.
All of that prelude to say this: I don’t know how to start this post. But that’s the beauty of a blog. In essence, it’s a digital journal that you share with the world, and there’s no wrong or right way to start a journal.
In theory, anyway, because I can think of many awful ways to start a journal.
So, to kick off my official introduction, here are some facts about me. On June 16th, I turned 22. I’m a Gemini, and though I’m not an astrology freak, I know for a fact that’s the best sign. Likewise, I believe that 2003 is the best year of birth, and happens to be the year of the goat in the Chinese zodiac. I send condolences to anyone not born in a goated year.
I have eleven tattoos and counting. My recent tattoo was obtained on May 2nd, in honor of my deceased kitty, Thor. Shoutout to my tattoo artist, your work is always amazing.
If you’ve read my About section, you know that I graduated with a BFA in Creative Writing back in April. Technically, I graduated on March 28th, but being an online student throws things off a bit. I still had classes to finish, and it took months for me to get my degree. The wait was worth it, however, as I discovered I’d been nominated as the salutatorian of my class. I’m a proud first-generation graduate, something that I’ll rub into the faces of my sisters. (Love y’all)
I love the Sims and have been a fan of the franchise since 2012, when I was just nine years old. That was the same year I also became an avid Roblox player, and due to my older sister, it was the same year I was introduced to the Assassin's Creed and Mortal Kombat franchises. My love for gaming continues, and my Steam library continues to grow. I hate dishes, but I love to cook, and seeing as I’m an author, I, of course, love reading and writing.
Currently, I reside in the Houston area, where I’ve lived since I was two. What happened when I was two? Hurricane Katrina. That raging…ahem, storm, forced my family to leave my birth city of New Orleans. Yet, I hold the city close to my heart, even if I haven’t set foot in it since 2014. My mother and grandmother have done a great job keeping my connection to the city alive, sharing stories with me, informing me of the history, teaching me the recipes, and introducing me to some of the songs that could be heard on the vibrant streets.
Speaking of them, my grandmother was a professional author, and my mother continues to publish new works. I sucked up the knowledge they provided about the publishing industry and professional writing, storing it away for when I launched my own career. They are both huge inspirations, but especially my mother. She’s written under many different names, but these days, she goes by Kathryn C. Kelly.
Her love of pseudonyms led me to believe that a pen name was crucial to becoming a writer. I chose mine—Nevaeh Ryn—in my sophomore year of high school. ‘Nevaeh’ is Heaven backwards, and ‘Ryn’ is the last three letters of my first name. I thought it had a nice ring, and now, I’m too attached to even think about changing it, so here we are. My real name will remain a poorly guarded secret, but most people could probably find it with minimal digging, as I’m too lazy to take proper measures to ensure it stays a secret. Because, well, it isn’t that big of a deal if people know my real name, seeing as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I use a pen name.
For most of my life, if you asked me what I wanted to be, I’d say a writer, because I’ve known I wanted to be an author since I was about eight. I’ve always loved to create, and as a child, my brain worked best with my little sister. We’d destroy coloring books together, roleplay with our dolls and LPS (Littlest Pet Shop) figures, give backstories to random cars and their drivers, and mimic American Idol and create songs to sing together. As we got older, the stories we created with our toys made their way on paper, and we’d have little competitions from time to time to write a very, very short story.
Today, we both love writing, but she’s pursuing a Dental career, while I’m trying to make my creativity a profession. She’d probably end up making more money than me, but I can’t see myself trapped in a job I don’t love, and I don’t love anything more than writing. There’s nothing more fun than creating my world, crafting something magical from scratch while drawing inspiration from my life. The former is why most of my stories will be fantastical, and the latter is why most of my heroines will be Black and bisexual, with some exceptions to both statements.
Fun fact: I design all of my covers!
On May 26th, 2025, Mesmerized, my first novel, was published, and the world was introduced to Kamika, my brainchild and beloved heroine. Mesmerized tells the story of her returning to a fictional small Louisiana town for her grandmother’s funeral. While dealing with grief and uncovering secrets, she mesmerizes a woman named Delaney and a man named Beau. Spoiler alert: Beau is a vampire, and Delaney is a werewolf.
This year is the first in which I’m fulfilling my childhood dream of being an author. Now that my writing career has been launched, I’m finding out just how difficult living a dream is. I’ve always known that writing for a living isn’t easy, as my mother never shied away from the harsher realities of being an author. The market is oversaturated in just about every genre, income fluctuates, and smaller self-published authors are the first to feel the sting when splurging on books doesn’t become economical. The competition could be cutthroat, reviewers could be ruthless, and standing out can feel impossible.
Hearing about something is different than living it. You may think you understand and be able to feel sympathy, but it’s difficult to fully comprehend a situation you’ve never been in. I do not regret my career path, nor will I give up so early on. Yet, already, this has proven to be a learning experience, one I suspect most self-published authors go through.
These struggles led me to delay the sequel to Mesmerized, Bewitched, which I delve deeper into in another post.
On the upside, I’ve met my goal of ten books being sold, and over 1,000 pages read on KDP.
At first, I aimed to have Bewitched out before my next project, Melting Point, which comes out December 5th. Three novels in a year would surpass my New Year's Resolution of releasing two novels. Yet, I realized that isn’t feasible for me, so Bewitched will be released on May 26th, 2026, the first anniversary of Mesmermized.
Looking on the bright side isn’t my strong suit, seeing as I suffer from anxiety, depression, and brokenness. It’s easy to focus on the negative, and everyone should be allowed to wallow in self-pity when things don’t go their way. But no matter how difficult it can be, forcing yourself to feel hopeful is sometimes the only way to keep going, and celebrating an accomplishment, no matter how minor it seems to others, could be a minor source of joy.
The journey has already been rough, and I know it won’t get easier any time soon. The publishing industry is notoriously difficult to break into and can be incredibly ruthless. For self-published authors, making it big is all the harder. I aim to be a hybrid author because I’m a glutton for punishment who wants the worst of both worlds.
Beyond all else, I hope to become a successful author, rich enough to live off my writing in comfort, and take care of those I hold dear. That, however, isn’t my call to make. All I can do is write, engage with however many fans I acquire, and promote my stories. My success will lie in the hands of my readers. I hope you, person behind the screen, will become one of them, or at least stick around to enjoy the ride.
Until next time, dear reader
