In October 2024, Curtis Reliford and his editor and friend Rachel Kaplan approached us to consider working with Curtis to complete his memoir. “I’ve been working on this for more than 15 years,” said Curtis. “It’s a dream of mine to tell my story.” After many rounds of editing, rewrites, and a search for the right photos, Madness To Surrender was completed this past July,  Curtis has sold hundreds of copies from his truck and through our website. The  book signing at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Wednesday, September 23 is the capstone to this great accomplishment.

The Good Times of Santa Cruz published this insightful piece:

Driving Hope

Julia Horner writes in the San Lorenzo Valley Post:  “One of Santa Cruz’s enduring local characters, Reliford has never been afraid to speak boldly about the lessons he’s learned or the values he believes serve the greater good…the memoir chronicles Reliford’s descent into addiction and crime, tracing the relentless cycle of drugs, gun running, and life on the margins. He moves from shotgun shacks to seedy inner-city hotels, drifting from state to state in search of connection and a measure of peace while fleeing the law and his own demons. Throughout, he wrestles with depression and anger, repeatedly asking himself, ‘Why am I here? What am I doing? Where am I going?’

“Yet even in his darkest moments, Reliford never loses his sense of dignity or hope. Readers will connect with the flashes of humor, moments of joy, and deeply honest self-reflection that make his first-person storytelling so compelling. From the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to the stark realities of Native American reservations, Reliford recognizes his own struggles in the suffering of others. Ultimately, he transforms a lifetime of hardship into an unwavering commitment to empathy, compassion, and service.” (SLV Post August, 2026)

Please spread the word that sales of Curtis’ book from his website www.madnesstosurrender.com or through our website help support him to continue his philanthropic work. You can donate to Follow Your Heart Action Network by Venmo @Curtis-Reliford (last 4 digits of phone number 4240) or by Paypal to 831-246-4240.

Shine on, Curtis!