Meet Brianne Ritchie Córdova

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brianne Ritchie Córdova. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brianne Ritchie, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My parents led by example with their hard work, whether it was pulling insane hours during planting and harvesting seasons or doing the unpaid, often thankless domestic labor at home. I come from a family of farmers on my dad’s side, and he made sure we understood the importance of a strong work ethic.

Saturdays would often be spent helping neighbors with service projects or doing projects around the house, like fixing our fence, weeding the garden, and catching up on “pooper scooping” after our dogs–much to my and my siblings’ dismay. While I hated it at the time, I recognize now how important those experiences were in teaching me the value of hard work and the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a multi-genre author of romantic comedies and urban fantasy. I like to say that I write for “sensitive souls” (like myself) who want an escape from the heaviness of life. My books deal with heavy topics, but they have an overall lighthearted feel and a guaranteed happy ending, with minimal angst and no open-door scenes along the way. My first urban fantasy novel will be published January 13, 2026 through Conquest Publishing, a small publishing house. I also have two rom-coms published with Conquest; two rom-com novellas in anthologies from Moondust Productions, another small press; and I’ll soon be self-publishing a novella through my own company, Pink Ginkgo Media.

Along with publishing my books through Pink Ginkgo, I do character art and design book covers and other custom graphics. I’ve always enjoyed art, but I hadn’t seriously pursued it in adulthood until after I’d written a few books and suddenly found myself wanting character art and book covers at a price I could afford… which was laughably low. I’m adamantly against generative AI for ethical reasons, so I decided to pick up art again. After showcasing my progress on social media, my friends encouraged me to open commissions and start a business that would help other authors like me find ethical, quality artwork and covers at affordable prices.

Pink Ginkgo Media will be publishing its first book, The RE-Do, a Little Red Riding Hood rom-com retelling written by yours truly, November 13th. It has been a wild ride getting to this point, but I can’t wait to see something I’ve personally created–in every aspect–find its way into the world!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Honestly, I think perseverance, humility, and having a support network have been the most impactful qualities and skills in my journey. Art and writing are skills you can learn–but only if you have the humility to accept constructive feedback, the persistence to not give up, and people who have your back.

I’m fortunate to have my family as my biggest supporters. The way they show their support differs based on their strengths, but if it weren’t for them, I never would’ve finished a single book, and I certainly never would’ve launched my own company. They cheer me on, help me know what is and isn’t working with a project, and enable me to chase my dreams.

If your support network looks different (or nonexistent), that’s okay! I’ve recently made some genuine, lifelong author and bookish friends through social media. Your people are out there, I promise.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

This may sound counterproductive, but let yourself have a good cry when things feel like too much. Crying helps remove cortisol from your body and balance neurotransmitters in your brain. I’ve found that, after a good cry, I can approach things clearer.

Something I’m trying to do more of when I feel overwhelmed lately is to ask, “What is the worst possible thing that could happen if I don’t get X done?” That sparks creativity as I catastrophize, and I often realize just how unrealistic it would be for my imagined scenario to actually happen. Then I ask, “What’s the best possible thing that could happen if I don’t get X done?” This one always stretches me more. My naturally anxious self has no issues jumping to horrible conclusions, but jumping to unrealistically great conclusions is a lot more effort. Finally, after having come up with the two ends of the spectrum, I can ask myself, “What is the most likely thing that would happen if I don’t get X done?” This answer falls somewhere in the middle, and seeing how much more probable it is to happen and how much better it is than the worst case scenario usually gets me out of my paralysis enough to keep going.

If I need to, I then apply the same strategy, but asking myself about what could happen if I ask for grace and an extension if needed, take a break from one of my projects, etc. This gives me actionable steps as well as helps me prioritize. Since I have ADHD and struggle hardcore with decision paralysis and executive dysfunction, having a way to sort tasks has helped a lot. And, on a related note, having a friend, partner, etc. ask you these questions when you’re in the thick of it all boosts accountability and gets you out of your own head enough to think.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pinkginkgomedia.weebly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkginkgomedia/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianne.adeana/