In A Life Not My Own, Tina shares her personal experiences of child abuse and neglect, her struggles as a teenager and in her young adult life. The book started as a journal and was her attempt to address many of the secrets she kept from her family, pushing it all to the back in her mind. As the memories continued to resurface, she was forced to address the issues that ultimately led to her sharing her past with readers around the globe as a powerful force of encouragement and inspiration.