Colorado author turns childhood trauma into debut memoir

Tania Rife has released Finally, I Can Breathe: Finding Perfect Love Inside Fear, a memoir about surviving a childhood encounter with a serial predator and the long road to healing. The book debuted June 1 and quickly reached No. 17 on Amazon’s Survival Biographies list, with forewords from two officers who worked the case.

Why it matters: - The memoir adds a survivor’s first-person account to a case already known through true-crime coverage. - Rife’s story centers on how childhood trauma can shape adult life long after a criminal case ends. - The book’s early Amazon ranking shows immediate reader interest in trauma, faith-based memoir, and survival narratives.

What happened: - Tania Rife, a Colorado author and licensed speech-language pathologist, released her debut memoir, Finally, I Can Breathe: Finding Perfect Love Inside Fear. - The book launched June 1, 2026. - It reached No. 17 on Amazon’s Survival Biographies bestseller list within two days of release. - Amazon rankings for the paperback, hardcover, and Kindle editions all moved at the same time. - Rife also released an audiobook narrated by herself. - The memoir revisits a childhood crime that happened in November 1987, when Rife was 6 and a serial predator followed her home from school in a gray sedan.

The details: - The man later accepted a plea agreement and received three life sentences. - The crimes were previously covered in Steve Jackson’s true-crime book Bogeyman. - Finally, I Can Breathe focuses on what happened after the crime, including fear, trauma, faith, and healing. - Rife says she built a life as a wife, mother of five, and speech-language pathologist while still living with trauma’s effects. - She describes those effects as influencing her thoughts, emotions, relationships, and daily experiences. - The memoir uses vivid storytelling and spiritual reflection to show how unresolved fear can shape a person’s worldview. - Rife said the book is not about becoming fearless, but about learning that healing is possible even when fear remains. - She said survival was not the same as truly living. - Her healing process included EMDR therapy, marriage counseling, and faith. - The book includes forewords from retired police officer Bruce Bradshaw and Detective Gary Sweet, both of whom worked the original case. - Their forewords add an inside view of the investigation and the wider impact violent crime has on survivors, families, and law enforcement. - Rife said the memoir is aimed at readers dealing with trauma, anxiety, loss, and emotional hardship. - The book is also positioned for readers interested in faith-based memoirs, true crime, mental health awareness, resilience, and personal growth. - Rife said the book may also help counselors, ministry leaders, caregivers, and others seeking to understand healing. - Rife is the founder of Bloom Therapy Resources, where she provides virtual speech-language services to children and families. - She also hosts The SLP Advocate podcast, which focuses on the IEP process and advocacy for children with communication needs. - Rife lives in Palmer Lake, Colorado, with her husband, Shawn, and their five children. - The memoir is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook formats. - More information is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Between the lines: - The memoir reframes a solved criminal case as an ongoing recovery story rather than a finished headline. - The forewords from two case officers suggest the book aims to connect survivor testimony with law-enforcement perspective. - Early bestseller momentum suggests the market for trauma-focused memoirs can extend beyond traditional true-crime audiences.

What’s next: - Rife is opening the book to review copies, interview requests, podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and other media inquiries. - The book’s next test will be whether early sales translate into sustained readership across formats. - The memoir may also expand Rife’s public role as an author and advocate beyond her therapy work.