She Survived: Melissa

She Survived: Melissa
Author: M. William Phelps
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2015-01-01
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0786034564

From the bestselling author of The Killing Kind, a woman shares her story of survival after an attack during a home invasion. A few days before her twenty-sixth birthday, Melissa Schickel returned to her Indianapolis home and went to bed. An hour later, she was yanked from her dreams into terror. An intruder held her down, brutally beating and stabbing her. Melissa fought fiercely. The assailant fled, leaving her to face a long road to recovery from deep-seated fear and post-traumatic stress. She tells her exclusive true story as part of a compelling narrative by bestselling crime expert M. William Phelps. Her strength and courage will inspire all women with similar experiences to think of themselves proudly as survivors—not victims. Praise for New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps “One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No Lies “Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.” —Suspense Magazine “Phelps is the king of true crime.” —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist

She Survived: Jane

She Survived: Jane
Author: M. William Phelps
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2015-02-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0786034572

New York Times-Bestselling Author: A woman’s terrifying story of surviving the Golden State Killer, written with “one of America’s finest true crime writers” (Vincent Bugliosi). Jane Sandler had just kissed her husband goodbye as he left for work that morning. When he pulled out of the garage, another man walked in unnoticed. Seconds later, as her three-year-old nestled by her side, Jane heard footsteps—and then saw an intruder wearing a black ski mask. He had a rope and a knife in his hands… This is the harrowing account of Jane’s all-too real nightmare, told in her own words as part of a compelling narrative by award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and host of Dark Minds M. William Phelps. It is also the true story of Jane’s battle and will to survive, of how she fought back and learned to share her unspeakable ordeal to empower others—even as the remorseless murderer and rapist, who came to be known as the Golden State Killer, went on to attack dozens more. “Anything by Phelps is always an eye-opening experience.” —Suspense Magazine “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan “An exceptional true crime writer.” —Kathryn Casey

She Survived: Anne

She Survived: Anne
Author: M. William Phelps
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0786034580

From the bestselling author of The Killing Kind, a woman shares her story of survival after a man holds her captive at gunpoint. By the time Anne Bridges saw the gun in Jimmy Williams's hand, it was already too late. The bad things she had heard about him—how he had drugged a woman and held her hostage—Anne now realized were true. Only now it was her turn. What began as a well-intentioned attempt to reconnect with an old friend became, for Anne, a struggle to survive. In her own words Anne shares a chilling minute-by-minute account of her ordeal—the shotgun blast that nearly ended her life, her desperate struggle to escape, and the courage that sustained her on her long road to recovery—as part of a compelling narrative by award-winning, New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps. She is telling her story in hopes that other women will not have to go through what she endured at the hands of a violent attacker. Praise for New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps “One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No Lies “Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.” —Suspense Magazine “Phelps is the king of true crime.” —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist

You Carried Me

You Carried Me
Author: Melissa Ohden
Publisher:
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2020
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780874862980

"Melissa Ohden is fourteen when she learns she is the survivor of a botched abortion. In this intimate memoir she details for the first time her search for her biological parents, and her own journey from anger and shame to faith and empowerment"--

Unleaving

Unleaving
Author: Melissa Ostrom
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2019-03-26
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1250132827

"For fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak..."--Voices of Youth Advocates In a book that is both urgent and timely, Melissa Ostrom explores the intricacies of shame and victim-blaming that accompany the aftermath of assault. After surviving an assault at an off-campus party, nineteen-year-old Maggie is escaping her college town, and, because her reporting the crime has led to the expulsion of some popular athletes, many people—in particular, the outraged Tigers fans—are happy to see her go. Maggie moves in with her Aunt Wren, a sculptor who lives in an isolated cabin bordered by nothing but woods and water. Maggie wants to forget, heal, and hide, but her aunt’s place harbors secrets and situations that complicate the plan. Worse, the trauma Maggie hoped to leave behind has followed her, haunting her in ways she can’t control, including flashbacks, insomnia and a sense of panic. Her troubles intensify when she begins to receive messages from another student who has survived a rape on her old campus. Just when Maggie musters the courage to answer her emails, the young woman goes silent.

The Beloved Wild

The Beloved Wild
Author: Melissa Ostrom
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2018-03-27
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1250132800

A debut YA American epic and historical adventure from Melissa Ostrom about striking out for your own destiny. She's not the girl everyone expects her to be. Harriet Winter is the eldest daughter in a farming family in New Hampshire, 1807. She is expected to help with her younger sisters. To pitch in with the cooking and cleaning. And to marry her neighbor, the farmer Daniel Long. Harriet’s mother sees Daniel as a good match, but Harriet doesn’t want someone else to choose her path—in love or in life. When Harriet’s brother decides to strike out for the Genesee Valley in Western New York, Harriet decides to go with him—disguised as a boy. Their journey includes sickness, uninvited strangers, and difficult emotional terrain as Harriet sees more of the world, realizes what she wants, and accepts who she’s loved all along.

Never See Them Again

Never See Them Again
Author: M. William Phelps
Publisher: Kensington Books
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2012-02-28
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 075827825X

Follows the case of Christine Paolilla, who brutally murdered four people with the help of her boyfriend, who later committed suicide.

If Looks Could Kill

If Looks Could Kill
Author: M. William Phelps
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Total Pages: 498
Release: 2011-10-24
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0786030143

The true-crime story of a millionaire beauty queen and the murder of her ex-lover, by the New York Times bestselling author of Because You Loved Me. On a day like any other in Akron, Ohio, in a parking lot like so many across America, a black-clad motorcyclist rode up to an occupied vehicle and fired a gun—and didn't miss. The shock rippling through the community led to former beauty queen Cynthia George, a respected church member and devoted mother. Married to a wealthy businessman, she seemed to lead a charmed life. But did her beauty mask a heart cold enough to kill? M. William Phelps, award-winning master of the non-fiction thriller, updates this gripping saga of illicit love and murder with startling, unforgettable new insights. Praise for If Looks Could Kill “Phelps, one of America's finest true-crime writers, has written a compelling and gripping book about an intriguing Ohio murder mystery.” —Vincent Bugliosi New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter “Starts quickly and doesn't slow down. The author's thorough research and interviews give the book a sense of growing complexity, richness of character, and urgency.” —Stephen Singular, author of Unholy Messenger: The Life and Crime of the BTK Killer “Phelps' sharp attention to detail culminates in this meticulous recreation of a tragic crime. This gripping true story reads like a well-plotted crime novel and proves that truth is not only stranger, but more shocking, than fiction. Riveting.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No Lies Includes sixteen pages of photos

What She Lost

What She Lost
Author: Melissa W. Hunter
Publisher: Cynren Press
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2019-10-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1947976168

For thirteen-year-old Sarah Waldman, life in the small Polish town of Olkusz is idyllic, grounded in her loving, close-knit family and the traditions of their Jewish faith. But in 1939, as the Nazis come to power, a storm is gathering—a relentless, unforgiving storm that will sweep Sarah and her family into years of misery in the ghetto and concentration camps, tearing them apart. Will Sarah’s strong will and determination be enough for her to survive when everything she loves is taken from her? Is it possible to resurrect a life—and find love—from the ruins? Or will Sarah be forever haunted by the memories of what she lost? Part memoir, part fiction, What She Lost is the reimagined true-life story of the author’s grandmother growing into a woman amid the anguish of the Holocaust. It is a tale of resilience, of rebuilding a life, and of rediscovering love.

Blush

Blush
Author: Danielle Ripley-Burgess
Publisher:
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre:
ISBN: 9781646451265

NOBODY SAID growing up is easy. For Danielle, the safe suburbs of Kansas City always felt warm. Inviting. But one day, everything changed. Not only did she hate what puberty was doing to her body, she had spotted a few scary specks of blood after going number two. Gross. As an insecure tween who blushed during the talk, one who refused to buy toilet paper at the store, nobody could know her little secret. So she hid it from everyone-Mom, Dad, her brother, and her friends. This went on ... for years. Busted. Eventually, her secret came out. Danielle was rushed to the doctor and into a colonoscopy. Shock took over when she was diagnosed with a rare colon cancer (something the internet called an old man's disease) just a few weeks after her seventeenth birthday. Seriously!? High school mornings in classrooms morphed into nightmare days in cancer-center waiting rooms. Yet Danielle stayed hopeful, even grateful, for her illness. The way she saw it, fighting cancer spiced up her otherwise-boring testimony. And it brought her true love. Not until she heard the dreaded It's cancer again at age twenty-five did she start to resent so much suffering and question her faith. Yet Danielle wasn't about to stop. From Times Square to the White House, she became an outspoken survivor by starting a blog, as well as a young wife and a mom. Eventually, she found the self-acceptance she'd been looking for-it was guided by a still, small voice that had been with her all along. In this soul-baring memoir, Blush: How I Barely Survived 17, Danielle reminds us that growing up is never easy, and she shows us how to go head to head with God. With out-of-body wisdom beyond its years, Blush beautifully inspires us to accept our imperfections and embrace every season of life. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Danielle Ripley-Burgess is a two-time colon cancer survivor first diagnosed at age seventeen and an award-winning communications professional. She writes and speaks to encourage those facing trials, under a motto of faith that survives. She's the author of Blush: How I Barely Survived 17 (Redemption Press, 2020), The Holiday Girls (Little Lights Studio, 2018), and Unexpected: 25 Advent Devotionals. Her story has been told around the world through outlets like The Today Show, BBC's World Have Your Say, Sirius Radio's Doctor Radio, the Chicago Tribune, the Huffington Post, among others. Home is in Kansas City with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Mae. When she's not writing, she can be found baking her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's a good one. Follow her blog at DanielleRipleyBurgess.com or connect on social media at @DanielleisB.