proposal
overview
“I was seventeen, pregnant, and running for my life when the man who promised to love me shot me point-blank in the face.”
texas NIGHTMARES is a raw, unflinching memoir of survival, motherhood, and the fight to reclaim power after suffering violence, addiction, and systemic failures.
Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier takes readers deep into the heart of Texas and the darkest corners of her past—from the night she was nearly murdered to the relentless years that followed, battling for custody, sobriety, and a future her abuser tried to erase.
But this isn’t a trauma tour. It’s a story of grit, grief, healing, and hope.
Told with unapologetic honesty and streaks of dark humor, exas NIGHTMARES is a decisive contribution to survivor literature and a testament to the women who refuse to die quietly.
For readers of The Glass Castle, Know My Name, and Somebody’s Daughter, this book will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to rebuild from the ashes—and wanted to scream while doing it.
storyteller bio
Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier is a survivor, mother, artist, and advocate in San Marcos, Texas. At 17, she survived a point-blank gunshot to the face, an event that left her blind in one eye but ignited a relentless drive to reclaim her life. Overcoming addiction, trauma, and systemic injustices, Stephanie transformed her pain into purpose.
Today, she is the founder of The Vibe Recovery Co-op, a community space dedicated to healing and empowerment. Her murals adorn the streets of Texas, each telling stories of resilience and hope. Through her writing, Stephanie offers an unfiltered look into the complexities of survival and the strength found in vulnerability.
texas NIGHTMARES is her debut memoir, a testament to her journey from victim to victor. Stephanie continues to inspire others by sharing her story, proving that even in the darkest moments, there is light to be found.
query letter
I’m seeking representation for my memoir, texas NIGHTMARES, a raw and unflinching account of surviving a point-blank shooting at seventeen, decades of trauma and addiction, and the journey to building an addiction recovery movement in Texas.
Completed with a length of approximately 44,000 words, this memoir blends the emotional power of The Glass Castle with the survivor's fire of Know My Name.
I was a pregnant teen mom when, on February 1, 1994, the father of my children shot me point-blank in the face. The bullet ricocheted through my skull seven times and lodged in my spine where it still remains. I survived—blind, broken, and thrown back into the hands of my abuser. What followed was a decades-long fight through addiction, loss, street life, motherhood, spiritual searching, and ultimately, radical healing. Today, I run The Vibe Recovery Co-op, a sober living community I built from the ground up, and I use my story to liberate others still caught in the fire.
I’m a neurodivergent woman in long-term recovery. My voice is bold, messy, and deeply human. Through years of public storytelling, my story has already resonated with thousands, and I’m ready to share it with a broader audience.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration—I’d be honored to speak further.
Warmly,
Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier
stephanieramirezpelletier@gmail.com
San Marcos, TX
May, 2025
target audience
texas NIGHTMARES will resonate with readers who crave raw honesty, complex healing, and reminders that some women aren’t made to die quietly.
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Women in recovery or surviving domestic violence, addiction, or poverty
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Survivors of trauma who want truth without sugarcoating
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Readers of memoirs by badass, complicated women (Educated, The Glass Castle, Know My Name)
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Fans of true crime—as told by the survivor, not the system
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Advocates, therapists, and people working in recovery, justice reform, or social work
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Anyone who’s ever had to rebuild after trusting the wrong man, the wrong system, or the wrong goddamn story
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Anyone who’s ever felt “too broken” to heal—and needs proof they aren’t alone
comparable titles
texas NIGHTMARES will appeal to readers of bestselling and award-winning memoirs that blend trauma, resilience, and fierce storytelling. While texas NIGHTMARES fits in the tradition of these works, it also stands alone: a survivor’s memoir that doesn’t flinch, doesn’t sugarcoat, and doesn’t apologize.
Educated by Tara Westover
A story of escaping familial control and reclaiming identity through truth. Steph’s memoir echoes this journey of survival but offers a rawer, less polished account—told not from the ivory towers of academia but from a battered trailer in Texas.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Both books give voice to the silenced. But where Miller faced the courtroom, Steph faced bullets, addiction, and broken custody systems. texas NIGHTMARES shows what happens when trauma doesn’t end with a verdict—it multiplies.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
A deeply personal narrative of growing up under impossible circumstances. Steph’s voice is similarly vulnerable and electric, but her memoir dives deeper into generational trauma, child loss, and survival at all costs.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A classic story of dysfunctional childhood and maternal complexity. Steph’s memoir takes these themes further by exploring what happens when a girl becomes a mother before she is even an adult—and still fights to end the cycle.
marketing & author platform
Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier is not a “pre-launch” author—she is deeply embedded in the communities her story serves.
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Founder of The Vibe Recovery Co-op, an intentional sober living community in San Marcos, Texas providing transitional housing and long-term support for people in recovery from addiction.
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Co-owner of Ramirez Murals, a family-run art business with a strong local presence and active social media following.
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Active speaker, mentor, and advocate for recovery, justice reform, and neurodivergent inclusion.
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Currently developing personal website and blog at stephanieramirezpelletier.com, where she will share essays, behind-the-scenes chapters, and recovery resources.
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Currently developing a podcast and speaking tour based on the themes of Texas Nightmares.
Stephanie has an established, documented, loyal audience—women in recovery, social workers, mothers, and fellow survivors—who’ve followed her story for years through Stephanie's Facebook posts, blogs, and community work. She is ready to leverage her platform for media, events, and partnerships.
author disclaimer
Content Warning:
This manuscript contains references to domestic violence, sexual assault, grooming, child loss, attempted suicide, and addiction.
Reader discretion is advised.
Ethical Note:
Every experience detailed in Texas Nightmares is rooted in truth. The events described—particularly those involving abuse, systemic failure, and survival—are based on lived experience. Where possible, names have been changed, identities blurred, or timelines condensed to protect privacy or maintain narrative clarity.
The most serious allegations—rape, violence, coercion—are supported by readily-available documentation, medical records, and eyewitness accounts.
These are not stories told lightly.
But memoir is memory.
And survival requires shape-shifting.
Some scenes blend multiple events into one, and some characters amalgamate more than one person. But every word is written from the body of someone who lived it.
I didn’t write this to make peace.
I wrote it because I survived.
Introduction – "Brave"
A seventeen-year-old girl. A newborn baby in her lap. And a bullet to the face that should have ended everything. Instead, it was the beginning of a story she never planned to survive.
Chapter 1 – "This Curse"
Steph introduces the legacy of generational trauma she was born into—poverty, abuse, addiction, and silence. Her earliest memories are marked by chaos and harm disguised as love.
Chapter 2 – "Little Girl Lost"
Steph was mothering children and being hunted by predators before she could drive. She recounts how abandonment and manipulation shaped her early views of womanhood and worth.
Chapter 3 – "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
The man who would later shoot her didn’t start with violence—he started with charm. This chapter details how grooming, addiction, and power slowly stole Stephanie's autonomy while she was still a child.
Chapter 4 – "The Shooting"
One moment of horror changes everything when the man Steph trusted points a gun at her face and pulls the trigger. The bullet ricochets seven times inside her skull and lodges in her spine, but she wakes up alive.
Chapter 5 – "Runnin'"
After weeks in the hospital, Steph is released back to her abuser’s family. She begins planning her escape and clings to faith, desperation, and her babies as her only guides.
Chapter 6 – "Just Keep Runnin'"
Arkansas becomes a blurry, broken haven. She finds a whisper of safety—but also addiction, trauma bonding—and the letter that would force her back into the hands of the people who nearly killed her.
Chapter 7 – "Michelle, Ma Belle"
After losing custody and nearly everything else, Steph begins the slow, brutal climb back. Her family surrounds her like a shield and she begins the long fight to be trusted again—starting with her own children.
Chapter 8 – "Build, Run, Cry, WTF"
Steph tries everything—religion, therapy, cults, AA—to heal her grief and find identity. But nothing sticks because she’s still running from the girl who was shot in that trailer.
Chapter 9 – "Red Letters, Big Lies"
Jesus feels like a lifeline, but the church fails her again and again. This chapter explores the deep disconnection between organized religion and the realities of trauma, motherhood, and recovery.
Chapter 10 – "Da Boiiiiii"
Steph dives headfirst into high-functioning alcoholism and spiritual exhaustion. She gives birth to Logan, drowns in work, and slowly loses herself under the weight of unresolved pain.
Chapter 11 – "Another One Bites the Dust"
Steph marries again—but this time, the relationship is centered on emotional abuse, not physical. The scars are deeper, more invisible, and harder to name. But Logan keeps her anchored.
Chapter 12 – "I Don’t Wanna Have to Go to Rehab..."
Everything breaks. Stephanie drinks, rages, breaks furniture, and collapses into detox. Rehab isn’t a healing place—it’s just another battlefield.
Chapter 13 – "You Said What?"
Fresh out of treatment, Steph gets hit with a new diagnosis and a pile of unpaid medical bills. She moves into a tiny apartment, raises Logan alone, and begins rebuilding from the bottom up.
Chapter 14 – "Anyone But Her"
Her middle daughter disappears into the same cycle of pain and addiction Steph once knew. What's worse - she disappears into the care of the man who shot Steph—and the family that protected him.
Chapter 15 – "Fuck This"
Steph reaches her breaking point when her daughter overdoses and pushes her away. After years of fighting, she decides to stop begging and start protecting herself.
Chapter 16 – "No Fucking Way"
Back-to-back losses—first her grandmother, then her mother—shatter Steph’s foundation. She doesn’t relapse, but the grief nearly kills her. She begins to rebuild, once again. This time for her grandson’s sake.
Chapter 17 – "The Last Relapse"
Grief becomes unbearable. PTSD, rage, and trauma drive Stephanie to the edge again. But this time, instead of relapse, she finds Sasha and a chance to choose life again.
Chapter 18 – "Icing"
She meets Erich, a man who doesn’t flinch at her darkness. Together, they build something soft, stable, and sacred: a blended family, two homes, and a life that finally feels safe.
Chapter 19 – "Tiger Lily"
Steph's daughter comes home—but not for long. This is the most fragile chapter: hope, love, and devastation all crash together as her child vanishes again, and Steph spirals...
Chapter 20 – "Breathe"
After a suicidal spiral, Steph checks herself into a hospital. What follows is the slow return to self—eating again, breathing again, dancing again. It’s not a full recovery, but it’s enough. Enough to choose life. Enough to write this book.
The full manuscript of texas NIGHTMARES is complete at approximately 44,000 words and is available upon request.