Lurlene McDaniel
Discuss This Author
“I write the kind of books I write because I want to help kids understand that nobody gets to pick what life dishes out to them. What you do get to choose is how you respond to what life gives you. No matter what happens, life is a gift. And always worth living.”—Lurlene McDaniel
Lurlene McDaniel is a recipient of the RITA Award and several of her works have received the IRA–CBC Children’s Choice Award.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Everyone loves a good cry, and no one delivers heartwrenching stories better than Lurlene McDaniel.
But there’s more to her books than that. McDaniel has written over 40 novels about kids who face life-threatening illnesses, who sometimes do not survive. These are powerful, inspirational stories about courage, love, and strength in the face of overwhelming trauma. McDaniel’s books touch the hearts and spirits of the teenagers and adults who read them. Her following is a devoted group of appreciative fans. McDaniel says: “These are books that challenge you and make you think.”
Some readers—and their parents—have wondered why McDaniel chooses to write about sad situations. “I tell them that sometimes tragedy hits people—kids, too. They want answers. They want to know ‘why.’ By using novels, I show ordinary kids confronting and overcoming great odds.” McDaniel’s books are ultimately optimistic and life-affirming.
McDaniel began writing about young adults when her son Sean was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 3. His illness changed the lives of everyone in her family forever. “I saw what life was like for someone who was chronically ill, and I experienced how it affected the dynamics of the family,” says McDaniel. She says she found that writing about the trauma and its effects was therapeutic.
To make certain that her books are medically accurate, McDaniel conducts extensive research. She interviews health care professionals and works with appropriate medical groups and hospice organizations, as well as the Tennessee Organ Donor Services. “I study medicine and traditional grief therapy techniques to give the novels a sense of serious medical reality,” she says. “I also study the Bible to instill the human element—the values and ethics often overlooked by the coldness of technology.”
Growing up, McDaniel lived in different parts of the country because her father was in the Navy. Eventually her family settled in Florida. She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she earned a B.A. in English. She now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In addition to her popular YA novels, McDaniel has written radio and television scripts, promotional and advertising copy, and a magazine column. She is a frequent speaker at schools, writers’ conferences, and conventions.
McDaniel’s books have been named to several bestseller lists, including Publishers Weekly. Three of her novels were
selected by children as IRA–CBC Children’s Choices: Somewhere Between Life and Death, Too Young to Die, and Goodbye Doesn’t Mean Forever. Six Months to Live has been placed in a literary time capsule at the Library of Congress, to be opened in the year 2089.
The One Last Wish books focus on the interconnected stories of the residents and counselors of Jenny House—a group home for critically and terminally ill young girls. Through the kindness of a secret benefactor, each girl receives a cashier’s check for $100,000, to be used to make her last wish come true. Every One Last Wish novel is a compassionate story of triumph and inspiration that makes McDaniel’s dedicated fans come back for more.
McDaniel’s works include To Live Again, one of the Dawn Rochelle books; Angel of Mercy, the companion to Angel of Hope; and How Do I Love Thee, three stories about young couples who are inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s beautiful sonnet. In her novel, Telling Christina Goodbye, McDaniel shows that everything can change in the blink of an eye.
PRAISE
ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME
“An interesting blend of romance, mystery, and problem novel. The characters are captivating and sensitively drawn and the plot is fast paced.”—School Library Journal
DON’T DIE, MY LOVE
“Touching scenes abound in this crisis novel. . . . Fans of tear-jerker teen romances will enjoy this offering.”—Booklist
I’LL BE SEEING YOU
“A satisfying story for those who like to take their romance with tears and gutsy characters who know what it means to live beyond the pale of ‘normal.’ ”—School Library Journal
SAVING JESSICA
“Readers of McDaniel will enjoy; it’s good to read positive stories about teens.”—VOYA
SHE DIED TOO YOUNG
“McDaniel has a way of getting you to look at the complicated emotions experienced by YAs with major medical problems. . . . Another winner in her One Last Wish series.”—KLIATT
STARRY, STARRY NIGHT
“[The stories] are absorbing, the characters are well developed, and the author does not resolve the girls’ dilemmas with pat solutions. . . . This has solid YA appeal.”—School Library Journal
TOO YOUNG TO DIE and GOODBYE DOESN’T MEAN FOREVER
“These companion novels . . . cast the events of high school into a meaningful perspective and allow for convincing character development. McDaniel’s writing is light and well suited to this refreshing and involving story.”—Publishers Weekly
Author Bookshelf
Angel of Hope
When Heather Barlow returns from Africa, the joy she felt during her missionary trip fades. She's still suffering from unresolved grief over the death of her friend Ian, and now that she's back...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Angel of Mercy
Heather Barlow has always been idealistic, and now that she has finished high school, she's ready to make a difference in the world. After graduation, she joins a mission group on a hospital mercy ship...
Discuss This
Angels in Pink: Holly's Story
Pink Angels and best friends Holly, Raina, and Kathleen have been through a lot over the past year. The summer before their senior year promises to be busy but fun, as Holly and Raina return to their full-time...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Angels in Pink: Kathleen's Story
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Garden of Angels
It is 1974 and the country is still struggling to come to terms with the Vietnam War. In the small town of Conners, Georgia, Darcy has just started high school, her older sister Adel goes to weekend dances...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Telling Christina Goodbye
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
- Abridged Audiobook Download
The Girl Death Left Behind
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
The Time Capsule
In first grade, twins Alexis and Adam wrote down what they wanted to be when they grew up and put it in their teacher’s time capsule. Now entering their senior year in high school, they are surprised...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Prey
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Hardcover Library Binding
- Paperback
Angels in Pink: Raina's Story
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
As Long as We Both Shall Live
A change is coming, April Lancaster’s fortune cookie reads. Be prepared. But how could she be prepared for the news that she has an inoperable brain tumor? April’s life will never be the same....
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
How Do I Love Thee
Though written more than a century ago, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s beautiful sonnet rings true today for three young couples who believe in the power of love. ...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Letting Go of Lisa
Nathan Malone has been homeschooled his whole life. He’s never spent much time with kids his own age and he’s never dated. His mother is now busy with his new twin sisters, so Nathan must enroll...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
A Rose for Melinda
Told in letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages, the heartbreaking story of an aspiring ballet dancer battling leukemia.From: Melinda SkyeTo: ReadersSubject: JesseHi!...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Till Death Do Us Part
The doctor's diagnosis for April Lancaster is not good. April has a brain tumor which cannot be operated on. She's only 18, and her future is uncertain. But when she meets Mark Gianni, a 21-year-old with...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
The End of Forever
Somewhere Between Life and DeathThe celebration isn't supposed to end in tragedy. But the lives of sisters Amy and Erin come crashing down when Amy takes the car and has a horrible accident.Time to Let...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever
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...
Discuss This
Somewhere Between Life and Death
The celebration isn't supposed to end in tragedy. The night of their high-school drama group's cast party starts out as fun for sisters Amy and Erin.Their lives come crashing down when Amy takes the car...
Discuss This
Time to Let Go
The doctors assure Erin Bennett and her parents that they can't find a physical cause for her headaches. But the throbbing, violent pain is so intense that Erin knows she needs help. Even landing the lead...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
Sometimes Carrie Blake feels she just can't stand life's problems or pain. At fifteen, she's had leukemia for three years, and although the disease is in remission, she's...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
When Happily Ever After Ends
Fifteen-year-old Shannon Campbell knew her father had been troubled since he served in the Vietnam War, but his violent suicide still shocks her. Shannon always shared so much with her father--why wasn't...
Discuss This
Baby Alicia Is Dying
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...
Discuss This
A Time to Die
Sixteen-year-old Kara Fischer has cystic fibrosis and only months to live. But the close-knit bond she develops with Vince, who also has the disease, helps her come to...
Discuss This
Mourning Song
You don't know me, but 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.It's been months...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Mother, Help Me Live
Sarah McGreggor has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. It is at this critical moment that Sarah learns she was adopted. When the "One Last Wish" check...
Discuss This
Someone Dies, Someone Lives
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...
Discuss This
Sixteen and Dying
You don't know me, but 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. It's hard for...
Discuss This
Always and Forever
16-year-old Melissa Austin has always worked hard to get what she wants. As the school year begins, her work is paying off: Her grades are up and she’s landed a coveted spot on the Brain Bowl team....
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True
Who is JWC and how was the One Last Wish Foundation created? Discover the tragic story behind a struggle for survival against impossible odds. Follow the interwining story of true love and friendships...
Discuss This
Please Don't Die
When Katie O'Roark receives an invitation from the One Last Wish Foundation to spend the summer at Jenny House, she eagerly says yes. Katie is ever grateful to the anonymous "JWC," the person...
Discuss This
She Died Too Young
Chelsea James and Katie O'Roark met at Jenny House and spent a wonderful summer together.Now Chelsea and her mother are staying with Katie as Chelsea awaits news concerning a heart transplant. While waiting...
Discuss This
All the Days of Her Life
Out of control - that's how Lacey Duval feels in almost every aspect of her life. There's nothing she can do about her parents divorce, there's nothing she can do about the death of her young friend,...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
A Season for Goodbye
Together again. It's been a year since Katie O'Roark, Chelsea James, and Lacey Duval shared a special summer at Jenny House. The girls have each spent the year struggling to fit into the world of the...
Discuss This
Don't Die, My Love
Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower have always been school sweethearts. Now both are in high school and deeply in love. Luke, a talented football player, is almost certain to receive an athletic scholarship...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
I'll Be Seeing You
Carley Mattea never expected to become friends with a boy as handsome as Kyle Westin--especially not in the hospital. Seventeen-year-old Kyle was blinded when a chemistry experiment exploded. His doctors...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Saving Jessica
Jessica McMillian and Jeremy Travino are a perfect couple. But now Jessica has been diagnosed as having kidney failure. She is on dialysis three days a week and is so depressed...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Reach for Tomorrow
Katie O'Roark is thrilled to learn that Jenny House is being rebuilt. After the fire last year, Katie thought she could never return to the camp, where she spent the summers with teens like her who faced...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Lifted Up by Angels
The companion to the Publishers Weekly bestseller Angels Watching Over Me.This inspirational novel follows the story of Leah and her friendship with the Amish family she met while hospitalized for cancer...
Discuss This
Until Angels Close My Eyes
Be sure to read this summer's highly anticipated companion to Angels Watching Over Me and Lifted Up by Angels:Until Angels Close My EyesWhen Neil, Leah's warm and loving step-father, reveals that his cancer...
Discuss This
Let Him Live
A candy striper helps a 17-year-old boy deal with his uncertain future as he awaits a liver transplant. Together, they use his "One Last Wish" money to build a center for terminally ill kids.From...
Discuss This
Keep Me in Your Heart
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Trade Paperback
True Love: Three Novels
Love, romance, and friendship abound in this three-in-one omnibus edition of Lurlene McDaniel's bestselling inspirational young adult novels, all of which explore the timeless question "Can love survive,...
Available In:
- eBook
- Trade Paperback
One Last Wish: Three Novels
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,...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Angels Watching Over Me
Happy Holidays! Bah humbug. "Happy" is not the way Leah Lewis-Hall would describe herself at the moment. She's spending her twelve days of Christmas in an Indianapolis...
Discuss This
The Angels Trilogy
Leah is not happy about being stuck in the hospital for the holidays while her mother is thousands of miles away on a honeymoon with husband number five. Until she meets her hospital roommate, Rebekah,...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
For Better, For Worse, Forever
In this companion to Till Death Do Us Part, grief-stricken April Lancaster is devastated by the loss of Mark Gianni, and she and her parents have gone to the island of St. Croix for an extended...
Discuss This
Red Heart Tattoo
At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded....
Available In:
- eBook
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
Briana's Gift
Thirteen-year-old Casey's mother always said that Casey's sixteen-year-old sister marched to the beat of a different drummer. But it isn't until Briana runs away with an older boy that Casey begins to...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Breathless
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
- Trade Paperback
Hit and Run
It was an accident. But when the people involved don’t come forward, doesn’t it become a crime?Four young people whose lives intersect, who never dreamed of hurting each other. Each makes choices...
Available In:
- eBook
- Paperback
Heart to Heart
From Lurlene McDaniel, the bestselling author of young adult inspirational fiction, comes Heart to Heart. This emotionally charged novel explores loss, love, renewal, and the ways in which these complex...
Available In:
- eBook
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
- Trade Paperback
Starry, Starry Night
The star that led the three wise men could be the same star wished upon this Christmas-time by three young women. In the opening story, "Christmas Child," 15-year-old Melanie feels...
Available In:
- eBook
- Trade Paperback
Reaching Through Time: Three Novellas
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...
Available In:
- eBook
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
- Trade Paperback
Journey of Hope
HEATHER BARLOW HAS always been idealistic, and now that she has finished high school, she’s ready to make a difference in the world. After graduation she joins a mission group on a hospital mercy...
Discuss This
To Live Again
Dawn Rochelle looks like any other 17year-old girt, but looks can be deceiving. At the age of 13, Dawn was diagnosed with leukemia. Now almost five years into remission, Dawn's a senior in high school...
Discuss This
