A Book and a Chat with Melinda Marchiano

Melinda Marchiano was a happy thirteen year old, academically at the top of her class, enjoying dancing six days a week and enjoying life, when suddenly her world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with “Hodgkin Lymphoma”.

As Melinda shared with us during the show, in some ways to finally have a diagnosis it was a relief.

Over the next “forty-eight doses of chemo, a trip to the ER, two doses of morphine, three drug reactions, forty-one shots, over one hundred-fifty needle pokes, fourteen days of radiation, an eating disorder, a mass the size of a softball, a PICC line, a port, two biopsies, a bone marrow aspiration, total hair loss, nine months of intense therapy and so many doctor appointments…” A first in her journal and then in her now international award winning novel Melinda shared a written record of her diagnosis, treatment for and recovery from Hodgkins.

Throughout the bad times, as we learned, Melinda’s faith, her love of dance, therapy dogs, and warm blankets kept not only Melinda aiming for the future, to beat the illness, help others and lead to an enhancement in her own faith and believe.

Her book “Grace: A Childs Intimate Journey Through Cancer And Recovery” is filled with countless upbeat, smiling photos of Melinda - posing with friends and family members, snuggling with the therapy dogs that kept her company during chemo, mugging for the camera in the hospital with a water bottle balanced on top of her bald head. But every chapter or so, her tone changes, becoming more serious, somber even, as she tries to make sense of her health crisis.

It is an uplifting story of thirteen-year-old Melinda Marchiano’s battle with cancer—told in her own unflinchingly honest words.

Melinda has taken on the mantel of advocate on behalf of many different organizations, her way of expressing gratitude for her life. Her story is a gift that will aid others both those fighting such an illness or those who have friends and love ones going through such times.

The first edition of Grace won 2010 International Book Awards: Award Winner in the : Health/Cancer Category and Finalist in the : Spirituality/Inspirational

I will leave the final words to Lance Armstrong…

“In her book, Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery, Melinda Marchiano offers an honest and inspiring portrayal of her cancer experience through the eyes of a teenager and proves there is medicinal value in love and laughter. Melinda and I share a common bond. We are survivors. And we believe in the importance of empowering fellow survivors to live life on their own terms. By sharing her story, Melinda is giving a voice to this global epidemic that needs immediate attention. I am grateful to Melinda for having the courage to speak up and for her generosity in helping others fighting cancer.”
-Lance Armstrong

So listen to an interesting and entertaining show as I spent thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Melinda Marchiano"

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Melinda Marchiano".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Melinda Marchiano"

You can find out more about my guests and their books at:

"Melinda Marchiano - Grace"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with "Kaylin McFarren"

My special guest on today's show is award winning author Kaylin McFarren. Kaylin has always been into the arts, spreading her wings as director of a fine art gallery, she assisted in furthering the careers of numerous visual artists who, under her guidance, gained recognition through promotional opportunities and in national publications. While she'd been actively involved in both business and personal writing projects for many years, it was the illness and death of her beloved father to colon cancer after an intense two and a half year battle that finally pushed Kaylin to release her emotions and produce this her first and certainly not last novel "Flaherty's Crossing". A lot easier to type than say as I found out during the radio show.

As we found out during the show, the production of the novel has not been as straight forward, as some others with the unfinished story put away in a draw for many years until with the aid of her daughter Kaylin was finally able to complete this wonderful novel. The inspiration behind the book has not been forgotten either. As Kaylin was proud to share that 100% of her proceeds from the sale of Flaherty's Crossing will be donated to the cancer research center at Portland's Providence Medical Center.

The show covered many aspect of both Kaylin work and life, from how she found out that Champagne Books, had offered her a contract, to the requirement for wine, chocolate and a book of tissues should be added to most authors must haves.

Kaylin also shared with us some of the ways she has managed to promote her book which should be available in paperback around May time, as well as the response she has receipted for the early chapters of her next book "Severed Threads" which looks like it could be a trilogy not to miss.

The show proved to be a full thirty minutes of entertainment and interest for all to enjoy.
So sit back and listen to show or else download it's mp3 file and listen later to "A Book and a Chat with Kaylin McFarren"

Barry

Direct Link:
"A Book and a Chat with Kaylin McFarren"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Kaylin McFarren"

You can find out more about Hope and his books at:
"Kaylin McFarren- Flaherty's Crossing"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:
Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond
Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat
Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry