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Also available at BARNES & NOBLE, TARGET, BOOKS-A-MILLION, BOOKSHOP.ORG, and other retailers, including many independent booksellers!
Published By: Regalo Press
Distributed By: Simon & Schuster
Literary Agent: Richard Abate, 3Arts
Breaking Good
An evocative, insightful, and unflinchingly
raw odyssey of addiction, recovery, and the
criminal underworld of Waikiki.
My Story
In my life, I’ve been an abused child, a rebellious teenager, a 21-year-old drug kingpin, a homeless junkie hooker, and an openly gay suburban soccer mom struggling to hide my past behind a façade of bake sales and carpools. Healing from my childhood trauma has not been pretty, but facing those demons with honesty, humility, and a little humor saved me in a way that running from them never could.
Now in my 50s, I live what appears to be a typical suburban life that belies a lifetime of wild and dangerous experiences. After all, how many PTA moms have been on the run from the feds?
I share my story in the hope that it helps others on their own healing journeys. While the details of my life may not be typical, beneath them lie struggles we all face: the search for love, understanding, and peace. The desire to be good parents, friends, and partners. And while I don’t have all the answers, there’s one thing I know for sure.
The only way out is through.
Events, Signings, & Speaking
Live Interview & Book Signing (sold out)
Nikki Mammano in Conversation with Warren Zanes
Author of Deliver Me from Nowhere, the Bruce Springsteen biopic
Speaking:
April 11th - 12th, 2026 Let's Come Forward Foundation
Podcasts:
March 2026 Strangers With Kittens
TBD Recovery Rocks
March 3rd, 2026 Just Justice
TBD Montclair Pod
TBD So Money
TBD iHeart/Premiere Network Radio Tour
TBD Groove with Portia
TBD On The Pulse Podcast
TBD Why? The Podcast
Nonprofit Work
Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE) is an Oahu-based non-profit organization
established in 2018 that provides free resources to local youth ages 14-24 to help them get off the streets and build safe, stable lives in which they can thrive.
Homelessness, especially among youth, is a pervasive problem in Hawaii even today, which is why an organization like RYSE is so crucial. I knew and lived among kids like these during my time on the streets of Oahu, and if not for a mix of luck and timing, I might never have made it out. Statistically, a lot of those kids didn’t, but they might have if an organization like RYSE had existed back then.
In addition to an emergency shelter, RYSE offers long-term, deeply affordable housing programs, medical and mental health services, education and employment assistance, financial literacy courses, and more. The Kawailoa Access Center in Kailua is open daily, and the mobile outreach team is available 24/7 to reach youth where they are, when they need help.
I urge everyone to learn more about this amazing organization at www.rysehawaii.org. Together we can make a difference in so many lives.