Kelly Ryan
Childhood abuse sent two sisters spiraling into addictions.
“This beautiful memoir aptly describes the insidiousness of addiction, the potential and promises that are fulfilled in recovery, and the power of love. Truly inspirational!”—Claudia Black, PhD, author of Unspoken Legacy and It Will Never Happen to Me
Karen Burd
Would their tragic stories end there?
They couldn’t save each other—but could they save themselves?
Karen, a crack cocaine addict, lived in a drug induced psychosis most of the time. Kelly, a high-functioning drunk, kept up a great façade while her life and marriage crumbled around her.
Their riveting story explores the secrets we keep under the guise of protecting each other, the lies we tell to justify our behaviors, and the truths that must be embraced before we can heal.
Warrior Sisters reveals one family’s raw and honest journey from chaos, pain, and destruction to the redemption and restoration that comes from recovery.
It also proves that happiness and freedom are possible even when you think all hope is lost.
About the Authors
Kelly Ryan
is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has spent over thirty years in the field of Special Education, mental health, substance abuse and Educational Consulting placement services, helping families, troubled adolescents and young adults. She enjoys the splendor of the outdoors and spending time in nature.
Kelly is always open to new adventures and travel. She loves gardening, reading, and hiking. She’s grateful to her family’s endless support in all her endeavors and particularly as an author. She resides in Colorado with her husband of thirty-one years.
Karen Burd
spends most of her time giving back to the communities that have
helped her along the way. She’s active in a women’s jail ministry, the local recovery community, and her church. She lives in DeLand, Florida, with her life partner, Bob, and their precious pug, Marty. She looks forward to spending time with her family, enjoys reading, walking on the beach, and spending time at the local dog park with Marty and his friends.
Praise
for Warrior Sisters
In this family memoir readers will be captured by the candidness and vulnerability of authors, Kelly and Karen, sisters raised in an abusive alcoholic family. Their life stories reflect familial pain, consequences of different ways of coping, and the search for ways to emotionally and physically survive. It’s a beautiful memoir that aptly describes the insidiousness of addiction, the potential and promises that are fulfilled in recovery, and the power of love. Truly inspirational!
– Claudia Black, PhD, author of Unspoken Legacy and It Will Never Happen to Me
Alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, and co-dependency are the weeds in the garden of life. This is a compelling story of a journey that explains how the weeds take root and destroy the garden. Family, faith, and professionals can help restore sanity and sunshine. Warrior Sisters made me appreciate the small blessings of life. Triumphant and courageous!
– Patty Evans, CMO, Meadows Behavioral Healthcare
Kelly and Karen have pulled off a page turner from beginning to end. Each of their stories is raw and insightful and has an “everyman” element to it. I found myself walking away from each chapter with the sense that I’d been watching my own life while reading about theirs. Warrior Sisters brilliantly describes the feelings and images of their struggles with addiction. It is for anyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear. Warrior Sisters beautifully delves deeply into the painful despair of addiction and then turns the corner toward relief and healing. The tone changes dramatically toward the experience of peace, joy, and hope. This is a great book to share with anyone. It begs for more stories to be told. And just maybe the next story is yours?
– Tim Timmons, author of Anyone Anonymous
Warrior Sisters is an inspiring and honest true story of two sisters and the visible and hidden lies of addiction. An incredibly vulnerable and moving story of recovery that grabs you from the start with simplicity and hopefulness and doesn’t let go. I cried, I laughed, and when I read the last word, I was speechless—what a story. I couldn’t put the book down. A must read for anyone who is feeling stuck and hopeless. Truly heart-warming!
– Karen Eusebio, MS life coach
This story of heartbreak and healing, addiction and broken expectations that only God almighty could redeem ranks as one of the most moving stories of God triumphing over evil that I have seen in my two decades of experience. “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11 ESV). Warrior Sisters is a beautiful human interest story and a must-read life redeeming message of hope.
– Mike Modica, pastor of First Assembly DeLand Church and DeLand police chaplain
Warrior Sisters is an engrossing story of two sisters and their very different paths to addiction, the dangerous relationships addition leads to, and the common ways the disease destroys anyone attempting to love the addict. It will open your eyes to the way the disease lulls its victims with denial and a dark and blurry existence. It is horrifying the way the disease stalks some family members and spares others. Read this book to realize how fragile we all are, to attempt to understand anyone around you who seems to have succumbed, and to learn how holding secrets and allowing lies to go unchallenged is what provides fertile ground for the disease of addiction.
– Fran Gallaher, Intuitive life coach, writer, and speaker
Family Photos
Family restored: Jerry, Mom, Karen, Kendra, Kolleen, Kelly.
Karen, first born, July 22, 1961
Kelly, third born, September 19, 1963
Bob and Kelly’s wedding, August 25, 1990
Kelly’s first day of kindergarten
Kelly’s first Holy Communion
Karen's high school photo
Kelly's high school photo
Easter Sunday: Ages 3, 2, 1
Karen, 21
Karen’s first day of kindergarten
Karen’s graduation and completion of her minister’s license, July 20, 2017
Karen's Mugshots
Mom and Karen relaxing on the grounds of the Stanley Hotel
Karen’s first Holy Communion
Mom was a talented seamstress, and we loved our Easter outfits.
The dreaded haunted room #217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park during our family vacation July 2014. Karen was out of rehab and sober.
Fun in sobriety: Kelly’s tandem skydiving jump to celebrate her fiftieth birthday.
Mom and Jerry’s Wedding, July 6, 1985
Hey Look, Kolleen’s arrived! Karen, 11, Kendra, 10, Kelly, 9, and Kolleen, 6
