Local author turns pain into purpose, hosting book signing Feb. 21

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – One Bowling Green woman is turning her pain into purpose and creating space for others to rise alongside her.

Ciara Lewis is an author and founder of Fierce and Fearless Entrepreneur and the visionary behind the “Fear and Fearless Phoenix: Rises from the Ashes” anthology. After surviving domestic violence, she says the turning point came when she realized her story couldn’t stay silent.

Lewis says, “I think I had decided it about a year after I went through my domestic violence. I said, ‘this has to be stopped. We can’t keep having this going on within our communities and the world.’ And so I knew I had to do something to try to help other women come out of these situations.”

Lewis now uses her platform to spotlight women and men who are making an impact in their communities, focusing not just on success but the struggle it took to get there.

And for anyone who feels stuck in an abusive situation, she offers this message of hope:

“There’s definitely always a way out. It may not be the easiest way. Do not let fear control you, because that is one thing that I think prevents a woman from actually leaving. Also, let them know it is okay to reach out to someone, even if it’s through a domestic violence hotline. That’s what it took for me, is to finally break through and tell somebody, ‘hey something is happening here and I need help.'”

Lewis will host her first book signing Feb. 21 at Ray’s Southern Foods in Atlanta from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Copies of “Phoenix Rises from the Ashes” are available directly through Lewis.