What happens when we make a conscious decision to make our identities more than only being an adoptee? What if we were first to do the hard work necessary to move residual trauma out of our bodies and then dedicate ourselves to writing ourselves a new story? I want to share with you my own experience of doing just that and how creating The Gathering Place has helped me transform. This magical and mysterious place has shown me that when I choose to fully breathe and make space for new thoughts and ideas about myself and the world around me, I can, and we all can, be set free from former ways of being.

About Emma
Emma Stevens, who is also known as Linda Pevac, is the author of two earlier memoirs: The Gathering Place: An Adoptee’s Story and A Fire Is Coming. Her adoption journey began when she was relinquished as an infant and adopted at three months old. Only in hindsight does she understand how being an adoptee has shaped and formed her entire life.

In her first memoir, The Gathering Place, Emma describes a magical space she has created for healing, comfort, and restoration for the younger parts of herself that never felt safe, seen, heard, or understood. A Fire Is Coming is Emma’s cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of selecting a therapist thoughtfully. She alerts readers to the psychological nightmare that can result from an unethical therapist, doctor, or counselor.

Emma’s third memoir, Choosing to Breathe, brings together all three themes. It takes readers back to The Gathering Place, where they discover what it means to integrate their identities as Emma releases multiple layers of trauma.

After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma, she pursued master's-level coursework in psychology at Pepperdine University in Orange County, California. In March 2024, Emma won an Independent Author Award for her second book, A Fire Is Coming, at Tucson’s 2024 Festival of Books. She was a finalist in the 18th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards for the same book.

Emma loves traveling and spending time with her two adult children and her two lively, affectionate Bengal cats. www.emmastevenswriter.com