Melinda Marchiano's first edition of Grace won 2010 International Book Awards:

                                        Award Winner: Health/Cancer Category
                                        Award Finalist: Spirituality/Inspirational 

 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

                                                                                                                                                                     For more on Grace visit www.marchiano.net  

 Melinda Marchiano first felt an eerie weakness on a family trip to Yosemite National Park. After doctors found a rock-hard lump in her chest, she received the devastating diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma. With eloquence, humor, and wisdom beyond her years, Melinda shares the ensuing battle of her young life.

As she struggles through treatment and fights to continue her study of ballet—her greatest passion—Melinda recounts the trials and triumphs of her illness: the elaborate pill schedules, the wretched nausea of chemotherapy, the never-ending support of her family, and the smiles and determination of the doctors and nurses who put her on the road to recovery.

Whether cancer has touched your life or not, Melinda’s tenacity, faith in God, and complete abandonment of self-pity make this survivor’s tale a truly unforgettable experience.

 About The Author

Melinda Marchiano lives in the rolling, oak-studded hills of the Central Coast of California. Homeschooled through the eighth grade, she enjoyed from a young age the freedom to write and create. Now in high school, she is academically at the top of her class. Melinda dances six days a week and performs with the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo and with San Luis Jazz.  A childhood cancer survivor, she gives thanks for her life by speaking and fundraising for such organizations as the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, the Children’s Miracle Network, and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.     

 “Grace is more than a book.  It is a rare gem.  With breathtaking insights and exquisite writing, as I read Grace, I kept wondering if Melinda was actually an award winning author with multiple novels to her credit.  No, in fact she is a 15-year-old cancer patient telling it like it is and she's utterly compelling.”

 -Kairol Rosenthall
                                                                                         
Author of Everything Changes: The Insider's Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s