Check Out Victoria Parra’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Parra

Hi Victoria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Kansas City, MO to a blue collar dad and a Spanish teacher mom. I’ve been creative since I was a kid, always curious and asking questions, but writing was the outlet I was most talented at. It is still what I am best at, I think.

I had a tumultuous teenage experience and dropped out of high school, getting my GED through the Missouri Option program instead. This allowed me to finish school and graduate with my class. Even though I dropped out of school, I never felt like I had any option but to go to college. There didn’t seem to be an alternative. I started my freshman year at the University of Kansas, but by the end of my freshman year, I’d failed out. I just didn’t have the necessary student skills to handle a university workload. I also had very severe unmedicated ADHD, so in a lot of ways I was fighting against a current of things that should have kept me from moving forward. But I kept going. Every year I got better at school until I finally got accepted into grad school.

But during the interim, before grad school, I took about five years (plus a year off) to finish my bachelors degree. While I was in undergrad, I started performing at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, where in 2010 I’d been cast as a faerie. I went back and was cast again the next year, but due to some false accusations stemming from homophobia were cast upon one of our leaders, we as a group chose to leave KCRF. We went on to spend the next four years performing as the Fae of the Wildwood, a dance and theater group where we performed as fae in costumes of our own design. We hired seamstresses, purchased professionally made wings by Renae Taylor, and created our own dances. It was beautiful. We were beautiful. It was truly some of the happiest time of my life in a lot of ways, and definitely the time I felt the most creatively fulfilled. I had a group of close friends (most of whom I am still very close to nearly 15 years later) and a creative outlet that checked off a lot of boxes.

By the end of the Wildwood, I had to choose to step away to focus on school. About a year later, I started grad school, and it feels like that’s all I’ve been doing since.

In about 2018, I started writing a fantasy romance book. It went through a lot of changes, but by the time the pandemic hit, I’d all but given up on it. I couldn’t finish the book. Then I got laid off during the early days of the pandemic, leaving me with unemployment checks boosted for COVID, time on my hands, and the realization that I no longer wanted to rely on a single source of income. For the first time since I started grad school, I had time to focus on my writing. And focus I did. I cranked out a few drafts of my book The Painted Woman. I spent a lot of time deciding if I wanted to self-publish or go the traditional route. In the end, I decided on self-publishing, since there are quite a few indie fantasy authors who have found success this way. I also didn’t want to give up a bunch of creative freedom to a publishing company, so self-publishing was the way to go.

I started my PhD in sociology at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in August of 2021. I drove across the country, from Kansas City to Vegas, with my brother, everything I owned that I could pack in my SUV, and two cats. I’d never even been to Vegas before, but I’d received funding, so the deal was too good to give up.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I struggle with bipolar disorder, but I didn’t get a proper diagnosis until I was 25, and it was a few more years after that before I found the right medications. I think mental health has been the biggest struggle. Bipolar, ADHD, depression, anxiety, it has been a difficult journey. I’ve been fortunate to be able to access healthcare along the way, so I’ve been able to treat my issues. It wasn’t and isn’t always easy, as medication and doctor appointments can get expensive.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a writer, scholar, and artist. I published my debut fantasy novel, The Painted Woman, in April 2022. I am proud of this book, it is my first publication and I learned a lot along the way. I’m working on the sequel along with another secret project.

My writing reflects a lot of myself, and I tend to write about social issues that are important to me. The Painted Woman is about a courtesan in a world where her people, elves, are second class citizens. Through a fantasy lens, I like to tackle various issues, whether it be colonization, sex work, or even climate change. I believe art, whether it be writing, painting, music, or any creative path, can be a great reflection of our times. They can give hope, inspire, or create fear.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I feel like I’m a pretty open book. I talk about various aspects of my life on my social media, and I’m generally not afraid to share certain vulnerabilities. I think people would be surprised I’m actually very shy. I’ve learned through a lot of exposure therapy (aka forcing myself to be personable) how to be outgoing when I need to be, but naturally I’m very much a shy homebody that likes to spend time at home and work on hobbies. I love to go out and see friends, don’t get me wrong, but social interaction can be draining for me. I like and need time to myself.

Pricing:

• 14.99 – The Painted Woman

Contact Info:

• Website: https://victoriaparra.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hobbit.studies/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@faelosophy
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hobbitstudies