Welcome, and thank you for finding this website!

Your cancer journey is as unique as you are.

I’ve been through cancer twice.
I understand how it feels and what it’s like to be terrified by its threats and lies.
But I also know the relief and joy of leaving chemo, surgery, and radiation
behind me as I marched into my survivorship.

Now I write words I wish I could have found during the initial period of cancer,
especially during the first bout in 2012.
I didn’t have time for long books or theoretical treatises,
so I tried to find short, practical, quick-read books,
and I wanted someone to tell me in simple,
no-nonsense terms that I had a future.

Can you relate?
If so, thank you for coming to this website.
 I pray my books and blogs will give you at least
some of what you need at this crucial time in your life.

When I talk to new patients and other survivors,
 I can see a quiet knowing in their eyes,
and they can see it in mine.
We understand what it’s like to fall to our knees
  and meet mercy in ways we never dreamed
would or could happen to us.

Some parts of cancer feel so private,
patients hesitate to share them even with each other.
The truth is: everyone’s journey is unique,
and there is no template.

Now here we are, you and I, along with my books and blogs.
I don’t have to meet you in person to care and understand.
You will hear my voice and heart in what I write,
my faith, and my compassion.

Take a deep breath, and let’s do this together.

Cancer changes you. It just does.
How do you want that change to look? You get to choose . . . 

Beating Cancer

Cancer is like a maze.
Buy Now

         Two Books, One Passion:
Click on either video for an overview. 

8 Steps to Getting Real with Cancer includes my personal experience, addressing both patients and supporters.

Beating Cancer One Truth at a Time focuses exclusively on patients and includes additional information, practical tips, and opportunities for reflection. 

Either one is a good place to start!  Please visit their individual pages for more information, endorsements, and reviews.

About the Author

Marianne McDonough, a freelance journalist, was twice diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and 2019. Both times, she found that soul-level honesty, “getting real,” empowered her to be stronger and more proactive. Now, as a survivor, she encourages other cancer warriors to fight this brutal disease with confidence and freedom. She is adamant that these books are not about her but about all the brave cancer patients who are in the trenches day in and day out.

It’s that simple. 

She writes, “When you read my books, I hope you will attack cancer and bring it to its demise in your body and life. I also want you to understand that, by virtue of the fact you are standing up to cancer, you are already a winner and champion worthy of respect. Cancer is notoriously intense, sometimes confusing, and always life altering, but it is not in charge of your life. Your life is yours to lead. And know, too, that lots of us survivors are out there cheering you on for your own sake but also to add to the many exciting testimonies of victory. What you believe truly will determine your journey. 

For more about me as an author, please visit www.mariannemcdonough.com.