Erika Jackson Bailey

Writing From Lived Experience

How I narrated my own journey through chaos, struggle, loss, and betrayal

Welcome to Erika Jackson Bailey world of writing, reflection, and lived experience. Her memoir opens a door. What might readers discover when a life is told without someone else’s version? Come inside.

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About Erika Jackson Bailey

From Plainfield Outward

Erika Jackson Bailey was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and became the first in her family to attend college. She studied at Virginia State University and went on to earn a Master of Science in Counseling and Education. Her professional background is in counseling, a field she entered after completing her education. Writing came into the picture in its own way and eventually became another part of what she does. Erika Jackson Bailey is a wife and mother, as well as an author and counseling professional. There is a good deal of ground between the person who left Plainfield for college and the woman putting her experiences into a book today.

Before You Begin.

More Than Just Me ushers readers into a memoir shaped by candor and reflection. Its pages examine the ground between what happens to us, what we remember, and what we eventually learn to say about it.

Hard Truths

Erika Jackson Bailey does not soften difficult parts of her past. Some memories are painful, some are uncomfortable, and some took years to understand.

Family Ties

Family sits at the center of many memories in the memoir, bringing affection, tension, expectations, and the lasting effect of words spoken long ago.

Mixed Feelings

Not every memory carries one emotion. There is room for humor and affection alongside grief, disappointment, anger, and uncertainty.

Looking Back

The book returns to earlier years with the perspective Erika Jackson Bailey has now. Things that once felt ordinary can look quite different years later.

Themes You’ll Discover In More Than Just Me

What You'll Discover

01

Theme 1: Defying Social Stigmas

Erika Jackson Bailey channels childhood trauma and negative predictions from doubting family members into a relentless drive, ultimately achieving academic and professional milestones that defy their limitations.

02

Theme 2: Preserving Personal Identity

Fearing that maternal expectations would erase her personal identity, Erika Jackson Bailey successfully balances higher education, marriage, and parenting, proving she is far more than one label.

03

Theme 3: Anchors of Strength

Sustained by her mother’s enduring resilience, Erika Jackson Bailey cultivates deep, protective friendships with loyal male companions and college sisters who provide essential emotional anchors during crises.

About the Memoir

More Than Just Me

More Than Just Me is Erika Jackson Bailey memoir about the experiences that became part of who she is and the questions that remained along the way. Written with candor and reflection, the book looks at family, identity, difficult relationships, grief, and the choices that can change how a person sees herself. Some memories are tender. Others are harder to sit with. Together, they show a woman looking back with the perspective she has gained over time. The book does not attempt to explain every part of Erika’s life. Instead, it opens a window into the moments she chose to put into words and invites readers to consider what they might remember differently.

More Than Just Me

Available In Two Different Editions

Paperback

$19.99 USD

A physical edition of Erika Jackson Bailey memoir, presented in a traditional paperback format.

Digital eBook

$9.99 USD

A digital edition of Erika Jackson Bailey memoir, available in electronic formats for reading on compatible devices.

“Reading More Than Just Me felt like being trusted with memories someone had carried for years. I finished it thinking about my own experiences differently.”

Jeremiah Vincent

Editorial Expert & Avid Reader

From Erika Jackson Bailey

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More Than Just Me

By Erika Jackson Bailey