Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Bruce-Rawlings.
Hi Nadia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up all over the world because my father worked in the oil industry. At 21, I moved to Los Angeles and began a career in film distribution. Unfortunately, drugs called my name, and by the time I was 31, I had lost everything I owned to a crack addiction. However, on April 29, 1998, I got sober – I spent six months in a residential treatment center in Los Angeles and then ended up with a successful career in film business affairs. I was a single mom to a wonderful little girl who has grown up to be a 23-year-old tattoo artist with her own shop in Chicago. About fourteen years ago, the arthritis in my spine became a bit too much for my body to handle. I had to quit working due to the extensive surgeries. I’ve now had 14 levels of my spine fused and two hip replacements! But while taking the time off working, I was able to focus on my true love of writing short stories and poetry.
In 2014, Punk Hostage Press published my first anthology of short stories and poetry entitled SCARS. They published my next anthology about six years later; this one is entitled DRIVING IN THE RAIN. I have also edited several books, and I currently am the Reviews Editor for a literary magazine called A Thin Slice of Anxiety.
My husband and I (and our six kids, all now grown) left Los Angeles in 2011 and settled in Nashville. The kids have mostly scattered about the country. We have a small pug-mix dog named Carlos, who makes us laugh daily.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I definitely did not have a smooth road, due mostly to my own poor choices. As I mentioned, I lost everything I owned due to an addiction to crack cocaine. It wasn’t a good time. I definitely have the disease of alcoholism, but have managed to pull together 25 years of sobriety. I had a great career and life prior to discovering crack, though in retrospect, I was definitely an alcoholic.
I was very fortunate that Punk Hostage Press chose to publish my books and that I have been able to touch some lives with my words. My books are both memoirs and deal with the topics of abuse, addiction, and recovery.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think I’m most proud of my short story “Scars” which is featured in the book SCARS. It tells of my physical scars and the emotional scars behind them. I am proud to have taken part in a theatrical event that Lois Berg and I created and in which we also starred. Debuting at The Darkhorse Theatre in Nashville, the show served as a fundraiser for battered women and earned notable recognition as a Critic’s Pick in the Nashville Scene.
I think my writing is different in that it is very honest and, while dark, offers hope. It’s not meant to shock, it simply tells the truth…
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve had many people that helped me along the way in the past 25 years of sobriety and in my writing career. My family, of course, once they were able to trust me again, were huge supporters. My old boss and mentor, Lisa Wilson, gave me a chance at a job while I was still in rehab and promoted me from that to being a Vice President in less than a year. She taught me so much. My 12-step sponsors of course have been amazing. My current sponsor lives in LA; she is 85 and full of life…a real estate agent who still works and is extremely active. She is my rock. And of course, Iris Berry and Razor from Punk Hostage Press, who read one of my stories and said, “We want to publish your work,” making me the happiest woman in America.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.nadiabrucerawlings.com
- Instagram: @nadiabrucerawlings
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiabruce
Image Credits
Photos by Denise Cordner
