The Albany Gazette - The Regrets They Carried and the Love They Rebuilt: Authors Katie & Chris Bowick Share Their Relentless Journey Through Addiction, Codependency, and Redemption in Coloring Outside the Lines

Coloring Outside the Lines: A Love Story in the Gray of Addiction, Recovery, and Redemption is a gripping, dual-perspective account of the Bowicks' journey through addiction, codependency, trauma, and, ultimately, healing. Told in two raw and unforhttps://spectaclephoto.com/able voices, their story weaves together pain and perseverance, heartbreak and grace, and the surprising pathways that lead toward hope.

Chris, a charismatic, witty, and accomplished entrepreneur, breaks many stereotypes about what many believe addiction should look like. His outward success masked profound internal pain: unhealed childhood trauma, loss, grief, and ultimately, full-blown addiction. Katie's story is equally compelling. Caught between love and impossible choices, she became the keeper of secrets, manager of chaos, and tireless advocate for a life that seemed to be slipping away. Her resilience was fueled by her faith and a deep belief in the quiet beauty that exists in both the people and world around her. Even in their darkest moments, she held on to the hope that healing, for both of them, was still possible.

Coloring Outside the Lines quickly climbed the charts, becoming a #1 New Release in five categories, including Substance Abuse Recovery and Psychological Pathologies, and earning the #2 bestseller spots in Codependency, as well as Drug Dependency & Recovery. The book's striking cover was designed by Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photography, with photography by Angelli Nguyen and creative direction by Samantha Joy

The Bowicks' unique experience navigating addiction led them to many forms of recovery. What they found was that many traditional models for addiction rehab did not work for their lived experience. Eager to help Chris get to the other side of addiction, they began to seek alternative forms of rehab and therapy.

"We want to change how people see addiction. It's not a character flaw or a moral failure. It's something that touches us all, and the sooner we stop treating people like villains, the sooner real healing can begin." - Chris Bowick

Together, the Bowicks pull back the curtain on the often-invisible toll of addiction. Despite deep diving into the realities of addiction, Coloring Outside the Lines is not simply a story of struggle; it is a story of rebuilding and reckoning, of choosing healing not just through traditional recovery models, but also through plant and animal medicine, therapy, faith, and deep self-exploration.

Katie and Chris Bowick, beautifully photographed by their wedding photographer, Steve Stanton

At its heart, the book is about love. Not the romanticized version, but the unflinching, gritty kind. The kind that shows up at 3 a.m., forgives without forhttps://spectaclephoto.com/ing, holds space without enabling, and learns to set boundaries without abandoning the heart.

"We stopped trying to fit our healing inside the lines and started coloring with every shade to get out of the gray. Loving someone through addiction means living in that in-between space, where hope and heartbreak collide. I had to learn that healing wasn't just his journey. It was mine too." - Katie Bowick

Coloring Outside the Lines is a mirror for anyone who has ever loved someone battling addiction or has ever lost themselves in the process. Through raw storytelling and dual perspectives, readers witness the collapse of a marriage and the painstaking reconstruction that follows.

Addiction is messy, but so is healing, and I think we forget that sometimes. This book takes you through every emotion but ultimately leaves you with a deeper understanding of what addiction is, what an addict endures, and how they can come out the other side, and the kind of support it truly takes to get there - Ashley P.

Published by Landon Hail Press, this memoir offers readers both the heartbreak and the hope that come with rebuilding a life touched by trauma, relapse, boundaries, recovery, and the radical relearning of unconditional love. Dedicated to creating a sacred and transparent space for writers, Landon Hail Press allows authors to own the creative direction of their book and their brand. LHP books have been sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, bookshop.org, and more, and featured in major publications like The Daily Mail and People.com.

"Katie and Chris do what most substance abuse programs do not, highlighting the bonds that are forged (and broken) in the storm of active addiction and recovery, giving the reader reference points for every step of the journey. It includes the partner's perspective of what it's like to love an addict and the emptiness it brings, being out of the spotlight, cast away in the darkness," says Samantha Joy, Editor-in-Chief at Landon Hail Press. "Their stories emphasize how nonlinear this process is, and that overcoming addiction in its simplest form is making the conscious choice to come back home to yourself and each other again and again."

Are you an aspiring author? Book a free consultation with Landon Hail Press here.

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

SOURCE: Landon Hail Press

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(C.Young--TAG)