Order Now!
my local book store
Published By: Regalo Press
Distributed By: Simon & Schuster
Literary Agent: Richard Abate, 3Arts
Also available at BARNES & NOBLE, TARGET, BOOKS-A-MILLION, BOOKSHOP.ORG, and other retailers, including many independent booksellers!
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
May 14th, 2026
Live Interview & Book Signing (sold out)
Nikki Mammano in Conversation with Warren Zanes,
author of Deliver Me from Nowhere, the Bruce Springsteen biopic
Speaking & Apperances:
Let's Come Forward Foundation DC April 25th- 26th, 2026
NYU Langone June 2026
Westhampton Library June 2026
Podcasts & Interviews:
Strangers With Kittens Click here for the episode
Recovery Rocks Click here for the episode
Just Justice Click here for the episode
So Money Click here for the episode
Two Moms No Fluff Click here for the episode
iHeart Radio WRFX Charlotte
iHeart Radio KKAO San Luis Obispo
iHeart Radio KOA Denver
iHeart Radio KONE Lubbock Texas
iHeart Radio KXRA Minnesota St. Paul
iHeart Radio KZRR Albuquerque
iHeart Radio WMHM Minnesota St. Paul
iHeart Radio WLS Chicago
iHeart Radio WPLR New Haven
Montclair Pod
Sirius Doctor Radio Show
Groove with Portia
On The Pulse Podcast
Why? The Podcast
A Guided Life
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.