The First Time I’ll Share My Book...Live at RISE 12

In one month, I’ll stand on stage at RISE 12 and do something I’ve never done before..

I’ll read from my book.

Not just any book.

The book I’ve been carrying inside me for years.

In the notes app on my phone.

In the margins of old notebooks.

So many journals.

In random Google Docs named “untitled.”

In the quiet moments I thought no one saw.

The words I’ve written and rewritten in my head a thousand times.

The ones I didn’t know if I’d ever say out loud.

This book holds

… the version of me who hit "rock bottom" and still found a way to ask for help.

… the messy, awkward, beautiful beginnings of recovery.

… the kind of grief that leaves you gasping for air and the slow fight to breathe again.

... relationships, relapse, and redemption

… the hard, holy work of forgiveness.

… the truth about love and building a life after loss.

… the gritty moment I finally let go of the victim mentality and reclaimed my story.

... and the truths behind starting over.

It’s the whole picture. Not just the highlight reel.

Vulnerable. Imperfect. Painfully real.

Why now?

Last fall, the life I thought I knew shifted overnight. We left a job I thought we’d have for years. And in the space that followed, in the heartbreak, the uncertainty, God handed me time.

Time to breathe.

Time to heal.

Time to finally stop pushing my own story to the side.

When I sat down to write, it didn’t feel forced.

It felt like I was finally coming home.

The words came at 5 a.m., before the sun rose, coffee in hand, watching the light spill into the room while my fingers flew across the keyboard.

No forcing. No overthinking. Just telling the truth. My truth.

What this book means to me

This isn’t a “how-to” book.

It’s not a checklist, a step-by-step, or a quick fix.

It’s my story. Unedited and unvarnished. The messy, beautiful, gut-wrenching, and hope-soaked parts.

It’s about the long, often unglamorous road back to yourself. About rebuilding self-worth when you didn’t even know you’d lost it. About healing from the kind of wounds you don’t post about. About recovery in all its forms, grief that changes you forever, forgiveness that feels impossible… and learning to live in a way that finally feels like you.

It’s for the person who’s convinced they’ve missed their chance.

It’s for the one who’s been silenced so long they forgot the sound of their own voice.

It’s for the one staring down the mess and wondering if it’s even worth trying again.

Because it is.

And so are you.

Why RISE 12 is the moment

RISE 12 isn’t just another event to me.

It’s the heartbeat of the last twelve years of my life.

It’s where I’ve seen stories change lives... including mine.

And on September 12th, I won’t just be sharing this book with my community for the first time…

I’ll be sharing it alongside my partner, Anthony. The person who’s been there for every draft, every tear, every “I don’t think I can do this” moment.

He’s been my biggest supporter, my loudest advocate, and the steady leader who’s helped me grow and encourages me to keep showing up for my family, for RISE, and for myself.

We’ll stand on that stage together, surrounded by people who’ve believed in us since the beginning. Family, our friends, and a community that’s walked with us through the highest highs and the lowest lows.

It’s not lost on me how special and sacred that is.

To stand in front of a community that's seen every version of me... the messy, the determined, the grieving, the hopeful, and still chooses to believe in what I carry.

To share the stage with someone who’s not just my partner in life, but in purpose. Who’s built dreams with me, sat in the trenches with me, prayed with me, and reminded me who I am when I’ve forgotten.

To look out and see my family in the crowd... the people who shaped me, who’ve cheered for me in every season, even when the road wasn’t clear.

To feel the weight of twelve years’ worth of stories, victories, heartbreaks, and miracles all meeting in one room, on one night, for one reason: to believe that stories can save lives.

It’s humbling. It’s surreal.

And it’s everything I’ve been working toward without even knowing it.

Where we go from here

This year, it’s about more than just a milestone.

It’s about stepping boldly into the next season of RISE as we celebrate 12 years of change. For over a decade, we’ve poured our hearts into building safe spaces, amplifying youth voices, and proving that peer-led change works. Now, we’re looking ahead to what’s next. Deeper impact, bigger reach, and a renewed commitment to the mission that started it all.

RISE 12 isn’t just an anniversary. It’s a turning point. A moment to honor the road behind us, to stand in gratitude for the present, and to step into the future with open hands and open hearts.

This is just the beginning.

The book is coming.

And I can’t wait to keep sharing pieces of it with you as we get closer to release.

If you’re there, you’ll hear a story I’ve been saving for the moment I knew it mattered most. A story that’s taken my whole life to live and my whole heart to tell.

And maybe, just maybe, a story that sounds a little like yours.

See you on September 12th.

With so much love,

Nadine

Get your RISE 12 tickets HERE: https://gibsoncommunitymusichall.ticketspice.com/rise-12-a-night-of-stories-laughter-and-music-at-gcmh