Asha Nyr

Asha Nyr: I’m an accidental author of fantasy romance who writes to process unspeakable trauma from childhood sexual, verbal, and physical abuse. When I became disabled from medical conditions and lost my job, I focused on my DBT therapy and wrote a novel as an exposure therapy exercise. I had no intention of ever publishing, but I also didn’t want to go through the process alone. Confronting trauma is a painful and risky endeavor, so much that I had to put distance between it and myself with a medieval fantasy setting. I posted chapters online and readers came flooding in, including survivors who also said they found healing in the story. Shortly after, readers started asking for sequels and physical copies, and I realized that maybe this was how I could find meaning to my life again. Since then, in October 2021, I’ve written 11 fairly hefty novels, each one focusing on a different aspect of my trauma. I am gradually publishing them all in an attempt to restart my life and have many more books waiting for me to write them. [Brief bio comes from the website of Awesome Gang.]

Instagram: @authorashanyr/

X (formerly Twitter): @AuthorAshaNyr

Facebook: @AshaNyr

What is your favorite non-reading activity?

Painting and illustrating, which I’ve done my whole life. I’ve also been writing music since I was a teenager and have taken to not only painting my characters but composing themes for them. It’s an incredibly cathartic way to relax after writing a heavy chapter. It’s all art, but each form is restorative in different ways.

What’s the difference (at least for you) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?

I never actually thought of the different definitions. I’d say that I’ve been a writer this entire time, telling stories to process pain, but it was the act of publishing that felt more like being an author. Perhaps I see it as being the front-facing business side, the marketing to new readers, and seeing people choosing to spend money on them for the first time in years. It’s a great question. I’ll probably be thinking about this for days.

Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing?

I’ve been an artist since I was capable of picking up a crayon, so like before, I’d say that painting and illustrating is my favorite escape. It’s a different kind of storytelling where you have to capture a moment within an image instead of describing every emotion and act on the timeline. The impact is different, but each strikes to the core in their own way.

If you could create a museum exhibition, what would be the theme?

I would love to take all the creatures I’ve featured in my novels and put them in an exhibit. Most of them are based on folklore from different countries, and I want to share the cultural significance behind them, as I do in my author’s notes. A great example is the fear gorta from book three of Healing Fate, The Packless and the Fae Prince. It’s a zombie-like faerie, a harbinger of famine, that may be mythically tied to Ireland’s 1800 Great Famine.

Who do you think would really enjoy reading your book?

I have such a diverse audience that it could be enjoyed by many who choose to pick it up. I always warn that there are dark parts that may be hard to read, as these were written solely for exposure therapy, and I’ve been told it is not for the faint of heart. I’d say the safest answer would be lovers of dark fantasy romance, but there are a lot of lighter elements with comedy to balance the experience. The books have drawn in a lot of survivors of assault, like me, but they’ve somehow hooked others, even someone going through cult deprogramming. There is a lot of healing in all of them, so I think that anyone could potentially benefit if they can get through the challenges of reading stories intended to push boundaries.

What is something other than writing that brings you great joy?

The two greatest joys in my life are my cats and my readers. I’ve been fortunate to adopt such loving animals that give affection and cuddles so easily. My readers have become my family too, so much that we refer to each other as a pack, and some have even earned titles. We cheer each other on, comfort each other, and joke around to lift spirits. They’re the reason why I published to begin with. They asked and I did it, and now I see a path forward in my life, all thanks to them.