I was uncertain of dropping my married name after getting officially divorced in Fall of 2015. Weighing the delightful mischievousness of it with the inevitable annoyances it would cause, I was not sure I cared enough to take on the project. One friend told me I couldn't change my name because I had established myself as a brand. Then another friend reminded me that every story of spiritual transformation is accompanied by a name change and I knew I had no choice.
My birth name is Kira Sloane Van Nostrand. My mother chose the name Kira. My father chose the name Sloane. When I married, I dropped the dutch mouthful and replaced it with Ryder. I am now simply Kira Sloane.