Julie Rooney was forty-eight years old in the summer of 2010, and to anyone looking in from the outside, she appeared to be living the dream. She and her husband owned houses in Silicon Valley and Hawaii, flew first class and stayed in five-star hotels. Their four children were all in college. But Julie was on her last legs. She suffered from Addison’s disease, Crohn’s colitis, diabetes and hypothyroidism, and after years of synthetic steroids she weighed almost 200 pounds. She had blood drawn more often than most women had their nails done. The bones in her feet were as brittle as glass, and the team of doctors who had cared for her for years had run out of ideas. “If your illnesses don’t kill you,” her endocrinologist told her, as gently as she could, “the drugs will.” And then, when Julie had nearly given up hope, a scrap of paper with a hastily scrawled name and a phone number changed her life. Eighteen harrowing months later, against all odds, she had weaned herself off all her medications and her labs had come back normal for the first time in more than ten years. The lessons she learned during her extraordinary journey of healing will resonate with all those who have struggled to regain their health, and more importantly, to understand their own role in the process. “We can heal ourselves and each other with our thoughts, our actions and our stories, and in so doing we can heal the world." – Julie Rooney Book Review 1: "In this well-crafted memoir, debut author Rooney chronicles her journey toward holistic wellness as she healed from a host of debilitating diseases and years of “emotional malnutrition.” At age 49, Rooney “was being treated for a laundry list of auto-immune diseases,” and her family was falling apart. As she paints this bleak picture, she introduces readers to her past through flashbacks—physical and sexual abuse as a child, her joyful marriage disintegrating as her husband’s career progressed, and dozens of doctors piling on diagnoses and medications. In 2010, Rooney’s life took a life-altering turn when she moved to Hawaii and met Xavier, a shrewd, composed Eastern healer who guided her toward health. With his help, she separated herself from the “toxic environment” of her family, established a healthy diet, and learned to nurture herself. But the biggest hurdle was weaning herself from the heavy medications she had become dependent on for years (prescribed “by licensed drug dealers,” as Xavier puts it). As she made monumental strides to improve physically, she also engaged in the grueling emotional work of overcoming the “pattern of self-destruction rooted in an inability to love [herself].” Rooney’s writing style is genuine and engaging; short chapters keep the pace lively. She casts herself as a skeptic of Xavier’s suggestions and highly stubborn in implementing them, which adds some levity: “Do I really have to love myself unconditionally to get well?” she asks. “Can’t we just double up on the acupuncture and…sing a rousing rendition of Kumbaya?” It also makes her a particularly effective advocate of alternative medicine for critics who hold the same views she once held. Lastly, she captures Xavier’s advice in memorable stories and phrases, like his observation that in healing, “there’s a point...where you stop swimming away from something and begin to swim toward something.” An astonishing yet plausible story of recovery told with authenticity and a healthy dose of humor." -- Kirkus Reviews Book Review 2: "Til Health Do Us Part: One Woman's Extraordinary Story of Healing addresses the problems of over-medication and drug interactions and follows author Julie Rooney's downward spiral from a series of debilitating diseases, charting the even more debilitating side effects caused by the many medications she was prescribed. Given modern concerns about drug interactions and impacts, the timing of this story could not be better. An increasing number of patients are finding that the side effects of supposedly-benign treatments cause major problems. The question then becomes one of what to do, and Rooney maintains that patients can actually be empowered to take back their lives (albeit, not haphazardly). Her process of investigation, information, and recovery will serve as a blueprint for others facing similar issues, even if their diagnoses are different. Hers is not a generalized discussion, however. Chapters pinpoint specific drugs prescribed for specific problems even as she notes that "...long before my list of medications lengthened, the drugs I was taking had begun to cause problems of their own. But that’s the great thing about Western medicine. There’s always something else to take for that." From her step back from steroids even in the face of a medical emergency to the confusion resulting from trying to decide what to do ("My body’s telling me one thing, while each of the many voices in my head is telling me another. And they’re all squawking like mynah birds trying to make themselves heard. So which voice am I supposed to listen to? Which voice am I supposed to believe?"), readers receive specific details that juxtapose Rooney's life, choices, and struggles with information about popular medical treatments and lesser-known alternatives. Anyone who has dealt with the medical community may be already familiar with this progression of events; but the element of informed discovery is what keeps Rooney's story from being just a singular experience, in effect creating a game plan for anyone facing similar circumstances. As Rooney charts the progression of her changes and their emotional and physical impact ("The afternoon passes very slowly. It’s amazing how much time frees up when you don’t have to spend almost every waking moment treating your illnesses. I know I need to do something. Not just sit around and think."), readers receive keys to how to take charge of their own medical care and choices. Patients would do well to read this title and follow the example of this ordinary individual, whose increasing medical challenges required a different approach not just to single drugs, but to healthcare as a whole. 'Til Health Do Us Part is very highly recommended for its astute observations and blend of personal and medical revelations." -- Midwest Book Review

True crime writer and sometime-sleuth Bailey Weggins took the world by storm in Kate White's sexy and suspenseful debut novel, If Looks Could Kill. Now, in Bailey's latest outing, she takes the plunge into a world of domestic divas and deadly nuptial doings... When she gets a call from Ashley Hanes on a frigid night, Bailey expects to be hit up for fashion show tickets. Instead Ashley reveals that two bridesmaids from Peyton Cross's wedding have recently died in freak accidents...and Ashley is terrified she's next. A bridesmaid herself-with the dress to prove it-Bailey dashes off to Ivy Hill Farm, the home of Peyton's catering empire in Greenwich, Connecticut. Bailey's barely warmed up after the cold drive before another bridesmaid takes a walk down the aisle of no return. Now following a dangerous trail of clues that will take her from New York's trendy Lower East Side to a fabulous oceanfront hotel in Miami, Bailey could become the headline of the next true crime story: Four Funerals and a Wedding.

Nothing in April Lancaster's future seems certain as she battles a brain tumor that doctors say is inoperable. The hospital is the last place she would expect to find love - until she meets Mark Gianni. Mark is handsome and charming, and he also has terminal Cystic Fibrosis. Despite initial reservations, the two quickly fall in love and plan to spend the rest of their lives together...no matter how long that may be. When a sudden accident aggravates Mark's condition, April must make a decision that will change the course of her life forever. This is a heartbreaking story by bestselling author Lurlene McDaniel that is perfect for fans of The Fault in Our Stars.

A former nun offers a lifeline for anyone who is facing, has faced, or will face marital crisis, helping readers transform negativity into celebration of life and renewal. Yarnell tells the story of her own fairy tale romance and how the process of the breakup caused her to come to terms with her own potential for intimacy and love.

Young, handsome Colin Whelan was a magnet for women, who always fell for his seductive charms. Little did they know that underneath his cool exterior lay a twisted desire to kill. Behind the facade of normality lay a psychopathic mind struggling to control its homicidal urges. Having seduced and married his sweetheart Mary Gough, Whelan immediately began planning her brutal murder. While his young wife dreamed of a love-filled marriage, Whelan searched the internet for information on serial killers and the methods they used to strangle their victims. Compelling and disturbing, this book reveals how Whelan murdered his wife to claim a hefty life insurance policy, and how he faked his own suicide when he became the prime suspect for the murder. Till Death Do Us Part offers a fascinating insight into the true motivation behind one of Irelands most notorious murders, and is a horrifying story of love, lust, revenge and murder - all the more shocking because every word is true.