Best Selling Books by Lurlene Mcdaniel

Remember the true meaning of the holidays with three touching novellas from best-selling author Lurlene McDaniel. In the opening novella, "Christmas Child," 15-year-old Melanie is just getting used to the idea of having a sister when she learns that the child will only live for a few hours. But Melanie learns much about love during her sister''s brief but poignant life. In "The Last Dance," Brenda is faced with the difficult choice between good intentions and what she really wants when she becomes the last chance for happiness for a dying boy. In "Kathy''s Life," two 16-years-olds seem to have everything on the surface, but not everything is as perfect as it appears.

What is the toughest request anyone can be asked to fulfill? Travis Morrison is a champion diver and one of the most popular kids at school. On the first day of summer vacation, while boating on the lake with his friends, Travis attempts a silly stunt dive that goes wrong. He fears he has broken his leg. Instead, his trip to the hospital reveals he has a rare form of cancer, and to save him, the doctors tell his parents they must amputate. In an instant, Travis’s life and the lives of everyone around him are forever changed. Travis is determined that he and only he should decide the course of his life. He has a plan, but he can’t carry it out alone. Will he convince one of his friends to fulfill his most important request? Lurlene McDaniel tackles a controversial subject, probing the issues of personal choice and quality of life.

In the vein of Eat, Pray, Love, but for teens, this inspirational novel is set against the backdrop of Tennessee horse country as well as the historic cities of Italy and the Italian countryside. The story unfolds as three teenage girls, recently graduated from high school, plan the next phase of their lives while dealing with immediate life issues. McDaniel subtly explores the many types of love the girls experience--including love for one''s family, one''s friends, and intimate love--and the sacrifices they choose to make (or not) for each of them.

In this newly repackaged trade paper edition, Hit and Run explores moral and ethical issues, bringing to light the alarming increase in hit and run car accidents in this nation and the lives that are forever changed as a result. It was an accident. But when the people involved don''t come forward, doesn''t it become a crime? Hit and Run is the story of four high school teens whose lives intersect due to a tragic car accident. For better or worse, the choices each one decides to make cannot be reversed. Can they find the courage and strength to face the consequences of their choices, in order to find peace in their new realities?

Cassie, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, receives an anonymous letter offering her a single wish.

When baby Gabriel''s health takes a turn for the worse, the lives of those involved are forever changed.

Jory Delaney has always had lots of money. But there''s one thing she knows she cannot buy--and that''s her best friend Melissa''s life. Although Melissa''s leukemia is in remission, it''s hard for both girls to hold on to the possibility of a very bright future. When Melissa''s health begins to deteriorate, Jory watches her friend''s courageous battle and is overwhelmed by a sense of loss. Distanced from her parents, Jory grows closer to Melissa''s mother and older brother, Michael, as they give each other untold strength in the face of tragedy. As she grapples with the unfairness of Melissa''s imminenet death, can Jory find a way to turn her anger into the hope and inspiration that Melissa wanted to leave behind?

This heartfelt digital original short story by Lurlene McDaniel features many of the same characters connected to her poignant contemporary novels The Year of Luminous Love and The Year of Chasing Dreams. When Ciana Beauchamp awakens from a dream about Jon Mercer, her initial happy thoughts are muddied by the reality that they haven''t talked in months. Indeed, Ciana has no idea where Jon is. Her emotions are confused as she both longs for him and is infuriated with him. Jon has put distance between them. He’s off riding broncos on the rodeo circuit. But the miles don''t stop thoughts of Ciana from swirling in his head. He knows he must come to a decision about what to do with his life if he is to reconnect with her. Lurlene McDaniel offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of two people who are deeply in love but must overcome their pride to come together again.

Readers will be touched and inspired by this latest novel from bestselling author Lurlene McDaniel: Beth''s world has been torn apart. She cannot figure out how to go on when a car accident claims the lives of her entire family, and she is the only survivor. Things seem to get even worse when she moves in with her aunt and her spoiled cousin, Terri. But with the love and support of her aunt and some unexpected friends, Beth struggles to overcome the despair that threatens to consume her. Will she be able to move past the painful memories without feeling guilty for being a survivor?

Jeremy is determined to donate one of kidneys to Jessica so that she might live, but his parents are fearful of losing their only living child.

As thirteen-year-old Dawn Rochelle deals with cancer, she befriends others in similar positions, in four stories about loss, survival, and courage.

"Sorry, John Green fans, but McDaniel''s been making us cry . . . for decades." --Bustle.com An inspirational story about love, tragedy, heartbreak, and renewal as a young woman deals with her serious health issues, a fractured family life, and the prospect of romantic love while trying to remain focused on her studies and a lifelong dream. Kenzie Caine is enrolled at Vanderbilt University, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. When she lands a summer job caring for and helping to rehabilitate abused horses at the Bellmeade Estate stables, she is over-the-moon happy. One place she does not want to be is at home with her parents. Since the tragic death of Kenzie''s younger sister, her mother has unraveled and her father has lost Kenzie''s trust. At the stables, Kenzie is in her element. But a serious heart condition limits her ability to complete the more physical aspects of the job, so her employers have tasked the charming Austin Boyd with helping her. But Austin has secrets. And as Kenzie and Austin become closer, those secrets threaten to harm their relationship, as well as reveal other startling truths. Once again Lurlene McDaniel delivers the type of story for which she is famous--and readers everywhere will be reaching for their tissues.

Anne is diagnosed HIV positive, and decides to spend the summer on a dude ranch living as normally as she possibly can.

The companion novel to "The Year of Luminous Love" and "Wishes and Dreams." After a tragic death, Ciana Beauchamp is pressured to sell her family''s land to a developer, and a long-buried family secret threatens to end her relationship with Jon, the man she wants to marry.

A teacher is supposed to impart a love of learning and a thirst for knowledge. It’s a bit different with Ms. Lori Settles. All the kids are talking about how hot she is–and she is especially interested in Ryan Piccoli. When she starts giving Ryan extra attention, he’s feeling more than happy–at first. He’s used to being the class clown, but really he’s a loner. One day after school, the friendship with Lori Settles goes farther than he ever expected. She’s his teacher. She’s at least twice his age. Intimacy with a teacher is wrong, yet it feels so good in every way. Soon, Lori is making demands and Ryan begins to feel overwhelmed, but Ryan refuses to even admit anything is going on. Something immoral is going on and before too long the choices made will change lives forever.

It''s Christmas time, and Leah Lewis-Hall finds herself spending the holiday season alone and stuck in the hospital. Luckily, she quickly befriends her hospital roommate, a young Amish girl, and her close-knit Amish family. She becomes especially close to Ethan, the handsome and gentle older brother who can barely look Leah in the eye. When Leah receives frightening news about her condition, Ethan will show her that miracles can happen- and that sometimes angels appear in the most unexpected places. This nationally bestselling book is the first of three stories in The Angels Trilogy by Lurlene McDaniel.

Four years after the tragic death of her young husband, Callie had nearly lost all her confidence in God''s faithfulness. A strange quirk of events thrusts her into the life of Marc, a popular Christian musician she had idolized as a teenager, when he was still a riotously successful rock star. When Marc invites her to contribute her musical talents to a Christian musical he is composing, Callie''s life is turned aournd.

Melissa Austin finds her life completely altered when she discovers that she has leukemia.

Retraces the history of the One Last Wish Foundation, introducing readers to JWC, her battle to survive, her struggles with family, and her desire to leave something lasting behind.

Trisha Thompson and her best friend Christina are having a great senior year. Trisha and her boyfriend, Cody, are making plans to attend Indiana University together in the fall, while Christina has already received a scholarship to the University of Vermont. Everything would be perfect if only Trisha got along with Christina’s controlling boyfriend Tucker, who is trying to convince Christina not to go away for college. But suddenly their lives change one night when Tucker is driving the four home from an away basketball game. When his car hits a patch of black ice and overturns, Tucker walks away with barely a scratch, but Trisha is injured, Cody is in a coma, and Christina is dead. Those left behind must learn that it takes time for their scars—both visible and not—to heal. And they must find the courage to move on with their lives.

Told in letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages, the heartbreaking story of an aspiring ballet dancer battling leukemia. From: Melinda Skye To: Readers Subject: Jesse Hi! I can’t believe it. What a surprise from Jesse. When he got my e-mail about being accepted by the Washington School of Classical Dance’s summer program, he called to congratulate me! I loved hearing his voice. We’ve been friends forever–could it turn into something more? Melinda From: Jesse Rose To: Readers Subject: Melinda I couldn’t believe the news. Melinda is so young! How could she be sick? How did she get leukemia? She’s got to get better. She’s got to. Jesse

What''s Happened to Me? Sarah finds herself in a strange place, and she can recall only one thing—her name. A young man, Heath de Charon, explains to Sarah that he found her unconscious on the grounds of his family''s estate and has been caring for her. Sarah is thankful, but when she starts hearing voices that whisper for her to come back, she is confused, and desperate to find out where she really belongs. When the Clock Chimes Drake Iverson lands a summer job on Sandstone Mountain. There are no computers; he has to do all the work by hand in a large leather-bound book. He doesn''t mind, as long as he can be near Gina, who is pretty and kind. But when Gina falls ill, Drake is asked to leave. He is determined to find out what happened to Gina and to uncover other mysteries he encounters on Sandstone Mountain. The Mysteries of Chance Dylan Sorenson offers his help to a girl who seems to be in distress. The girl, Maura, explains that she''s simply overwhelmed by the heat and quickly runs off. But Maura is soon drawn back to Dylan and a friendship and budding romance begins. However, Maura doesn''t reveal the whole truth about herself, and Dylan has secrets of his own. Can their relationship withstand the deception?

"A young woman who''s skyrocketed to fame is guarded but hopeful when she receives an email from a stranger who claims not only to have information about the father she never knew but also to be her half sister"--

When a pregnant seventeen-year-old girl is hospitalized and in a coma, her younger sister faces several difficult choices while dealing with loss, love, and life at Christmastime. Reprint.

Three of Lurlene McDaniel''s bestselling novels in one volume. Readers will relate to the compassion and strength of the characters as they piece their lives back together after tragedy strikes. Letting Go of Lisa Nathan Malone has been home schooled his whole life. He hasn''t spent much time with kids his own age, let alone dated. Now that his mother is busy with his new twin sisters, he must enroll at the local high school for his senior year. On the first day of school a girl catches his eye. Lisa is a loner and doesn''t care what anybody thinks of her. Nathan is intrigued. When he and Lisa finally start spending time together, he is the happiest he''s ever been. But Lisa has a tragic secret and when she decides to deal with it herself, Nathan has to make a choice. Can he ever let go of Lisa? Saving Jessica Jessica McMillan and Jeremy Travino are a perfect couple. When they met in high school, Jessica''s upbeat spirit helped Jeremy to see that there must be a reason he was spared in the car accident that killed his brother. But now Jessica has been diagnosed with kidney failure. Her only hope is a kidney transplant but no one in her family is a match. Jeremy can''t watch another person he loves die. He believes that his life was spared so he could save Jessica by donating a kidney. But his parents are terrified of losing their only child. Will Jeremy go against his parents'' wishes to do what he must to save Jessica? Telling Christina Goodbye Trisha Thompson and her best friend, Christina, are having a great senior year. Trisha and her boyfriend are making plans to attend Indiana University, and Christina received a scholarship to the University of Vermont. Everything would be perfect if only Trisha got along with Christina''s controlling boyfriend, Tucker, who is trying to convince Christina not to go away for college. Their lives are forever changed when one night Tucker drives them all home from a basketball game. He hits black ice and the car overturns. Tucker walks away with barely a scratch, but Trisha is injured, Cody is in a coma, and Christina is dead. Those that are left must learn to heal, in order for their lives to move on.

In the vein of This is Where It Ends, this exploration of grief and tragedy in the aftermath of a bomb explosion at a high school is sadly topical and powerfully heartrending. At 7:45 a.m. a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically wounded. Twenty-two are injured. One is blinded. In the aftermath of the violent tragedy, survive struggle to cope and heal as a result of something they may never understand. Told in alternating points of view, Red Heart Tattoo deals with issues of violence, death, and trauma in the lives of five teens.

Raina is happy and relieved that her friends Kathleen and Holly found volunteering at the hospital rewarding. They loved their summers at the hospital so much they will be working for credit during their junior year. Raina is also looking forward to spending as much time as possible with Hunter during their last year of high school together. Kathleen is still dating Carson, but they are at different schools and she’s worried it won’t last. And poor Holly’s still waiting for her parents to let up on their rules so she can actually go out on a date. Everything is going well until Raina’s old boyfriend Tony shows up and threatens to ruin the thing that matters to Raina the most—her relationship with Hunter. But she isn’t the only one with a secret. When Raina’s mother reveals her family secret, Raina feels betrayed. Luckily she has Holly and Kathleen to lean on.

Leah takes a summer job near Ethan''s Amish community. Ethan and Leah must decide whether their feelings for each other are stronger than family obligations. Sequel to Angels Watching Over Me.

It’s the summer after sophomore year and Raina has convinced her best friends since the sixth grade, Kathleen and Holly, to spend their summer as “pink angels” in Parker-Sloan General Hospital’s summer volunteer program. Kathleen is reluctant to do it—she has enough responsibility at home caring for her sick mother. But when she meets Carson, a cute and flirty fellow volunteer, she is happy that she joined the program. Or, at least, she thinks she is. Carson’s “old friend” Stephanie keeps showing up at all the wrong times. And Kathleen’s mother keeps complaining that she needs Kathleen at home. But with friends Raina and Holly by her side and her Pink Angel t-shirt on her back, Kathleen is able to realize that helping others also allows you to help yourself.

You don''t know me, but I know about you.... I can''t make you live longer, I can stop you form hurting. But I can give you one wish, as someone did for me. Three letters. Three last wishes. In Mother, Help Me Live, Sarah discovers that her birth mother, whom she''s never known, is the one person who may have the bone marrow she needs to survive. When Sarah journeys to find her mother, she learns the real meaning of family. Let Him Live tells the story of Megan''s friendship with Donovan, who is hoping to receive a liver transplant. Megan helps make Donovan''s wish for his mother and little brother come true, along the way, Megan comes to understand true giving. In Sixteen and Dying, when Anne finds out that a blood transfusion she had seven years ago has made her future uncertain, being given one wish helps her face her pain. She chooses to spend the summer with her father on a ranch out west—and there she meets someone who will change her life.

Leah has never been more in need of support, so Ethan chooses to leave his Amish life on the farm to move in with Leah and her family. However, once he arrives, they both realize that Ethan''s Amish values are quite different from those of Leah''s complex "American" world. Worlds collide in this heart-rending conclusion to the bestselling Angels Trilogy as Leah and Ethan must finally determine whether love will be enough to overcome their differences.

A collection of two novels about sixteen-year-old Melissa Austin.

Desi thinks it''s totally unfair that innocent baby Alicia was born HIV positive. Now the eight-month-old Alicia lives at Childcare because she was given away by her sick teenage mother. Desi can relate to feeling unloved. Her parents give her all the material things she needs, but there seems to be a wall between her mother and herself. Working at Childcare has opened Desi''s heart and allowed her to feel the love that she''s been longing for. But Alicia is not her child and there is no cure for her condition. Can Desi cope with the harsh realities and still believe in love? Working at Childcare has opened Desi''s heart and allowed her to feel the love that she''s been longing for. But Alicia is not her child and there is no cure for her condition. Can Desi cope with the harsh realities and still believe in love? --u003e

You don''t know me, nut I know about you. . . . I can''t make you live longer, I can''t stop you from hurting. But I can give you one wish, as someone did for me. Katie O''Roark feels miserable, even though she knows she''s incredibly lucky to have received an anonymous gift. Still, the money can''t but her a new heart or bring her back to her track-star days. When a donor is found with a compatible heart, Katie undergoes transplant surgery. While recuperating, she meets Josh Martel and senses an immediate connection. When Katie decides to start training to attain her dream of running again, Josh helps her meet the difficult challenge. Will Katie find the strength physically and emotionally to live to become a winner again?

Thirteen is supposed to be a great age--dances, cheerleading, boys--she never thought it would also include cancer. Dawn Rochelle is about to face the toughest fight of her life--a fight she has to win. Otherwise, she has only six months to live.

A cynical teenager discovers that angels appear in the most unexpected places when sixteen-year-old Leah is hospitalized during the holiday season and meets a large, warm, and loving Amish family.