Stories of Success: Author and Professor Genevieve Ryan keeps trailblazing

By Theresa Birmingham

Professor, published mystery author, and Massachusetts native, Genevieve Ryan talks success in this month’s passion issue for Mind Key.

 

The Professor

Genevieve Ryan, Gen, is not only a published author, she has a Masters in Forensic Psychology and Legal Studies, and she is currently in the process of writing her dissertation. Upon completion of this, she will obtain her Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology.

Mind Key/Theresa: Tell us about what you are doing with your life.

Genevieve Ryan/Gen: I am a full-time psychology professor at an all women’s college and a writer. I am legitimately finally in a spot in my life where I am living my dream! I am a mood writer, so I haven’t written in a while. [However] I am so blessed to have a publisher, [to] be able to mold the minds of women looking to continue their education, and [to] travel and meet some many amazing people.

Theresa: How did you first know that this was your life path/career?

Gen: I didn’t. Education . . . literally fell into my lap. I had just graduated with my Masters and got a phone call to teach a night class at a small, two-year college. I hesitated but decided, what the hell. The rest is almost four years in the past. I instantly fell in love. There was something about having a hand in helping someone pursue their dream of obtaining an education that fueled me. I love when a student falls in love with psychology and learning.

And isn’t that the most important thing, always? Doing what we love and helping others fulfill their dreams as well?

 

The Author

Gen stated, that writing also “fell into my lap.” She added that, while pursuing her Ph.D., she was stressed and needed an outlet.

Gen: So I started writing my first book, Beautiful Masterpiece. I had no intention of anything happening with it but when a few people read it, they convinced me to reach out to publishers. Now, about 3 years later, I have nine works under my belt with Hot Tree Publishing.

You can find Gen’s books on Amazon, and if you like a good mystery/romance thriller, she’s a great go-to in the genre.

 

Passion through discovery

Theresa: What are your greatest talents/strengths? How do you balance your strengths and weaknesses in your work?

Gen: I often take on too much. I have a hard time saying no, coupled with my sporadic whims on doing “things” (I have a bit of a squirrel mentality). This, I find, is one of my strengths as well. I am loyal, even if to a fault, and will always help someone.

…so how does she balance it all?

Gen: Excellent time management skills and lots of coffee. (Side note: I legit have a coffee cup tattooed on my ankle. Coffee is my life).

Theresa: What do you like to do in your spare time? How do your hobbies compliment career?

Gen: I exercise a lot. Running primarily. I used to hate it, but it really helps keep me grounded and clear my head. Writing is something I do as well, but lately, that has taken a backseat as I navigate through the craziness of my life. My husband just came back from a year-long deployment, so we are adjusting. The week he came home, I received the job I always wanted—a full-time professor role at the college I was adjuncting at for the past three years. My daughter will now have her college paid for and I have a deeper hand in education!

 

Genevieve Ryan talks success and the future

The future has an infinite amount of possibilities, and Gen is ready to tackle them all!

Gen: My plan is to continue to pursue what I love and to not hold back. I am pleased with where the past four years in education have taken me but I have always been fearful of big change and going for what I truly what. I can’t exactly say what I am going after but just know it has been a dream since I can remember. Even if it doesn’t pan out, at least I can say I tried.

That’s what life is all about—trying things out. I was always afraid of failure and rejection, but in those moments, looking back, I learned and grew the most. Fear doesn’t have to be debilitating, it can be freeing and exciting. That is what fear is for me now. It’s a challenge I’m willing to face head-on.

So I see myself headed in the direction that I should have been headed my entire life, toward happiness and pushing through my fears.

Theresa: What’s up next for you, not just in your life path/career, but also in other aspects of your life?

Gen: Right now I have no publishing goals, which is odd for me because the past three years I’ve been focused on writing as much as I can. I’m tired and my muse is still there but my focus is on finishing my dissertation and becoming Dr. Ryan while working on becoming the best version of myself that I can!

 

Follow your passion and fight the fear

Gen: I used to sit and think about how I made mistakes and should have done something differently but everything happened in my life the way that it should have. I had my daughter at 19 and I am a firm believer that she has given me that extra push to be the best woman, mother, and person I can be.

My advice is to follow your passion and fight through the fear. Fear can be crippling, especially when facing the unknown. Go for it. You only get one life.

 

Gen Ryan is an international best-selling author who spends her days as a forensic psychologist filling the minds of college students with everything they need to know to be good at their jobs. From profiling to interrogation and ending with her absolute favorite, serial killers. Her nights, however, are spent crafting stories that will tear a reader’s heart out and twist their minds at the same time. She brings a unique twist to romance, a twist always rooted somewhere deep inside the character’s psyche. You can find her on Facebook or check out her books on Amazon.