A child goes through the difficult process of adjusting to the sudden illness and death of a brother.

Textbook for Death & Dying courses in psych, soc, soc work, nursing, development, and counseling depts.

The news of my brother's suicide "rubbed me raw like sandpaper." Joey and I were born on the same day, eleven years apart, and for me, we would die on the same day eleven years apart-destiny and "my promise." I waited nine years to grieve. I kept "my promise" to myself for ten long years. The grief from suicide is more traumatic than a "normal" grief. My other promise was to stay sober in Joey's honor. I failed sobriety quickly, drinking to numb my life and no longer for fun and relaxation. I wish I could say my brother's suicide and our alcoholism are the end of this memoir, but my sobriety revealed I had mental health problems. Unfortunately, a correct diagnosis took years. After sobriety, I tried multiple self-harm behaviors to bring about a sudden rush of adrenaline. This contributed to my 9 year "career" of at least 30 trips to mental health hospitals. Thank God I stumbled upon something to bring the miracle of life to me. "With suicide being more than double that of homicide in the United States, answers are challenging to find. The reader will learn how to work with someone who is standing on that ledge of life and leaning toward death as their solution. Most often when those who have lost someone to suicide inform our clinical work it is by sharing their story in hopes of sparing others the torment that they experienced ..." -Dr. Michael Arch, PhD, LCSW, CT

Nicky the Psychopath & Rose the Christian [till death do us part.] A Love Story to Die For. A Blessing Lost. By: Lewis [the mask poet.] Fishburne This story of Nicky and Rose is a tale of a love that gets distracted by two unlikely lovers, one being a drug-dealing psychopath who loves writing poetry and dressing up in women’s clothing as a disguise to satisfy his insatiable need to kill. The other is a faith-loving Christian who is making a difference in her life by pursuing a career in the medical profession. Their paths of chosen destiny cross, so it is necessary to expose the many dangers in this unevenly yoked affair. Nicky & Rose [till death do us part.] A Love Story to Die For. empowers the women who might be trapped in these types of relationships, forcing them to focus and take a deeper look into themselves and realize they need to leave the pain of the abuse and get the needed help.

Wisconsin coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen attempts to solve a mystery steeped in shocking family secrets, tragedy and murder. Maggy Thorsen's new neighbours, Philip and Vivian Woodward, are forging ahead with their plans for The Big Steep tea shop. Philip's enthusiasm to turn the neglected cottage once owned by Vivian's reclusive grandparents, the Koepplers, into a tea lover's paradise is infectious, but Vivian seems less excited. And when Maggy's sheepdog Frank arrives at Uncommon Grounds coffeehouse bearing a 'gift' he discovered in the Woodwards' compost heap, the tea shop project takes a chilling turn . . . As the Woodwards' backyard becomes a crime scene, a deadly chain of events is set in motion. Can Maggy dig up the truth of what happened at the cottage many years ago before further tragedy strikes?

A journey to find physical, emotional and spiritual healing, Unexpected Grace will inspire you to discover the courage to handle life-changing challenges with ease and grace. Facing illness and disability, as well as the loss of dreams and expectations, each phase of the journey unfolds, bringing new truths, lessons and perspectives. True acceptance, center and balance are revealed through ultimate surrender and a strong connection to loving, supportive friends. And at the end of the journey, we come - quite unexpectedly - to a place of grace.

“A comprehensive and unsurpassed anthology of women writers from Appalachia . . . Exceptional in diversity and scope.” —Southern Historian Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia is a landmark anthology that brings together the work of 105 Appalachian women writers, including Dorothy Allison, Harriette Simpson Arnow, Annie Dillard, Nikki Giovanni, Denise Giardina, Barbara Kingsolver, Jayne Anne Phillips, Janice Holt Giles, George Ella Lyon, Sharyn McCrumb, and Lee Smith. Editors Sandra L. Ballard and Patricia L. Hudson offer a diverse sampling of time periods and genres, established authors and emerging voices. From regional favorites to national bestsellers, this unprecedented gathering of Appalachian voices displays the remarkable talent of the region’s women writers who’ve made their mark at home and across the globe. “A giant step forward in Appalachian studies for both students and scholars of the region and the general reader . . . Nothing less than a groundbreaking and landmark addition to the national treasury of American literature.” —Bloomsbury Review “A remarkable accomplishment, bringing together the work of 105 female Appalachian writers saying what they want to, and saying it in impressive bodies of literature.” —Lexington Herald-Leader “One of the keenest pleasures in Listen Here lies in its diversity of voices and genres.” —Material Culture “Besides introducing readers to many new voices, the anthology provides a strong counterpart to the stereotype of hillbillies that have cursed the region.” —Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Full of welcome surprises to those new to this regional literature: specifically, it includes particularly strong selections from children’s fiction and a substantial number of African American writers.” —Choice