Stephanie's story:
texas
NIGHTMARES
She was shot in the face at 17...and that was just the beginning.
Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier - author and addiction recovery writer - spiraled through decades of violence, addiction, poverty, and unthinkable loss.
Now, she's telling it all—the raw truth, the heartbreak, and the impossible climb back.
This isn’t just a comeback story. It’s a reckoning.
.png)
About Stephanie:
Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier is a survivor, mother, artist, and truth-teller. Shot in the face at 17 by the father of her children, she somehow lived—and kept going. For decades, she battled addiction, abuse, poverty, and systems that failed her at every turn. Now sober and thriving, she’s the founder of The Vibe Recovery Co-op in San Marcos, Texas, and co-owner of Ramirez Murals with her family.
Stephanie writes with raw honesty, dark humor, and zero sugar-coating. Her words hit like a punch to the gut—but somehow leave you standing taller. texas NIGHTMARES is her memoir.
She’s also working on The Shitty Coffee Diaries, a series based on her early sobriety blog—equal parts gritty, hilarious, and holy.
about the book
texas NIGHTMARES
comparable titles
-
Educated by Tara Westover
-
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
-
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
-
Heavy by Kiese Laymon
-
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
hook
At 17, I was a pregnant teen mom shot point-blank in the face by my abuser—and that’s not even the worst thing that ever happened to me. I’ve survived addiction, violence, poverty, and a justice system that protected him instead of me.
This isn’t a victim story. It’s a war cry. I came back swinging and built a recovery movement to pull others out with me.
stephanie's bio
I’m Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier—ADHD, dyslexia, CPTSD—survivor of domestic violence, addiction, and being shot point-blank in the face. Think I’m exaggerating? Think again. I’ve lived through things most people can’t imagine; I am still standing.
I’m a woman in long-term recovery, a mother, a business owner, and the founder of a recovery co-op that gives others a second chance at life. I’ve spent decades owning my mistakes, hunting down the truth, and fixing what I broke while trying to stay alive long enough to make it all mean something.
This memoir isn’t polished. It’s real. It’s messy. It’s mine. And it’s for anyone who’s ever wondered why life keeps swinging and how the fuck you can survive it.
author platform
Stephanie is already building the world she writes about. She founded The Vibe Recovery Co-op, an intentional sober living community in San Marcos, Texas, that serves over 20 homes, designed for long-term healing. She also owns Ramirez Murals, a family-run mural company with a strong local following and growing visibility across Texas.
Stephanie has documented decades of raw, vulnerable, and often viral storytelling through her personal Facebook and blog archives. She’s built deep trust with her recovery community and has been the “go-to voice” for women surviving addiction, domestic violence, and broken systems. That authentic, gritty voice is the heart of this memoir.
With a lifetime of lived experience, a built-in audience, and a vision for using her story to liberate others, Stephanie isn’t just telling a story—she’s starting a movement.
audience
-
Women in recovery or surviving domestic violence, addiction, or poverty
-
Survivors of trauma who want truth, not sugarcoating
-
Readers of memoirs by badass, complicated women (Educated, The Glass Castle, Know My Name)
-
Fans of true crime - told by the survivor, not the system.
-
Advocates, therapists, and people working in recovery, justice reform, or social work
-
Anyone who's ever felt “too broken” to heal—and needs proof they aren’t alone
-
And anyone who’s ever had to rebuild after trusting the wrong man, the wrong system, or the wrong goddamn story
synopsis
At seventeen, Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier was a pregnant teen mom in a small Texas town when the father of her children shot her point-blank in the face. The bullet ricocheted through her skull seven times and lodged in her spine. She lost her vision—but somehow walked, talked, and lived. That moment should have been the end, but it was just the beginning of a much longer nightmare.
Told with raw grit, dark humor, and unflinching honesty, texas NIGHTMARES takes readers through decades of addiction, loss, abuse, survival, and unlikely miracles. From strip clubs to recovery co-ops, from losing her children to fighting to get them back, Steph lays it all bare. This isn't just a comeback story—it’s a reckoning.