From struggles and pain to living a purpose-driven life—such is the redemptive love story of award-winning author Felicia Kelly-Brookins. Felicia is a survivor of intergenerational trauma and is now encouraging and showing others how to do the same.
“You can survive this,” Felicia says. “I pray readers will be courageous enough to want to transform themselves into agents of light, instead of trauma.” Weaving her love story into the pages of her books, Felicia writes under the tagline, “Setting the emotional, spiritual, and mental captive free, even if that includes me.”
Felicia is also the Founder of Inspired Resources, LLC, under which she hosts the WriteTheVision Writers’ Conference which connects aspiring writers and authors with experts in the fields of publishing, social media, and marketing. Further, Felicia hosts the virtual literary event, Prison to Pens, which features previously incarcerated individuals who share the restorative and rehabilitative power of the freedom of expression through writing or the spoken word.
There’s no greater time than now to be purpose-driven to help create a brighter future for everyone. Here, Felicia talks about why her book series focuses on intergenerational trauma and the hardest part of writing her first book. Her life reminds us that no one is beyond the restorative grace and mercy of God.
VBD: Who inspires you to write?
FELICIA: My love for reading makes writing a natural progression for me. When I was growing up, my mother inspired me to read, so I developed a joy for it. I thought about writing and publishing a book, but after writing and directing my first stage play, I knew that if I could create a fictional experience on paper and present it live on stage, I could pour my creativity, personal experiences, and love of fiction, into writing my first book, Sister Nadeen's Ways, which is book 1 of a trilogy.
Sister Nadeen’s Ways received several literary awards - 2016 Southern Laced Literary Award, 2018 AAMBC Urban Book of The Year, 2018 Finalist for Best Book Award from AmericanBook Fest, and 2020 World-Wide Writer's Best-Selling Author of the Year.
Book 2, Reprobate Ways, will be published in Fall 2022. Both books were birthed from my own personal experiences, observations, and growth spiritually, mentally, and emotionally as a wife, mother, and woman of God.
VBD: What was the hardest part about writing the story?
FELICIA: The hardest part about writing this story was the pictures that flashed in my mind as I wrote about the physical and verbal abuse of my children, Patsy, Ann, and Josie. It was also difficult shining a light on a male being a victim of domestic abuse. This is a topic that is still not taken seriously but happens in relationships every day.
VBD: Why does your book series focus on intergenerational trauma as one of its topics?
FELICIA: There comes a time in our lives when we must decide if we are strong enough to step back as we look over our past and current lives and admit our contribution to the success or failure of relationships. We also must find what caused this outcome. Intergenerational Trauma is not always easy to see nor is it easy to accept.
Many of us have been through it and don’t realize we wear the residue of it or make decisions on how we react to a situation based on it. For me, I personally had to look my own self in the mirror one day and admit that the loss of my very first serious relationship was partially due to my own actions based on the things I’d learned and observed as a young girl.
I had to admit that I loved this young man with my whole heart and in the beginning, he loved me the same way but as time went by my ‘learned behavior’ caused him to drift away from me in subtle ways. It was part of my own violent actions and reactions that caused the ‘shift’ in our relationship. I had to accept that what I had done was wrong and toxic to my relationship.
I had to face the fact that I had unconsciously responded to the man I loved in a manner that didn’t show love and it was based on what I observed, heard, and learned. It was years later that I realized I was carrying the seeds of the next generation of trauma and if I did not decide to dump it out and bury it at the Throne of Grace and Mercy, that I would repeat this pattern of behavior and would never have a healthy and loving relationship with a man. I would also pass this along to my future child/children.
Intergenerational Trauma is sometimes brushed off as ‘just the way they are.’ Others make excuses for verbal, physical and mental abuse or justify it. The victims of such trauma leave their childhood homes unaware of the ‘Trauma-Coat’ they take with them. They never take it off because it’s comfortable. They have been wrapped up in it so long they no longer feel the weight or effects of it. It’s not recognizable. The different forms of trauma cause the carrier to miss it. For me the form was verbal and physical. I justified it in my past relationships with the fact that I had been disrespected in some way, so the recipient of my wrath deserved what was given. The loss of that other person’s love for me never crossed my mind.
I also had to recognize my desire to always be involved and busy was also a part of that trauma. I saw it as me just enjoying giving my all and being a ‘social butterfly’ but that too was trauma fitting itself into whatever situation or environment I was in so that I couldn’t recognize it. I am a survivor of intergenerational trauma but not a conqueror. I have so many nightmares that I still fight my way out of.
I have so many trigger sounds that recreate fear within me but most of all I now have the love of a man that doesn’t mind coming to rescue me each and every time. I never bothered to tell him before we got married that trauma came along with my love for him and my wedding vows to him.
He does know however that I chose to change the narrative for the next generation, and I chose love for us in my words, deeds and actions until God calls us home and even then, I will take it into Eternity.
VBD: What’s next for you?
FELICIA: My next projects are my stage play, The Brownie and the publishing of my Ways Trilogy series workbook for women.
Connect with Felicia:
Book Link: Amazon
Click & Visit https://inspired-resources-llc-feliciab.square.site
Facebook: @BookAuthorFeliciaB
Twitter: @FeliciaBrookin4
Instagram: inspired_resources_llc
