Doctor! Please, I'm Alive! - Tapa dura

heart-wrenching fictionalized account of one close-knit family's strength to save the life of a comatose relative and to expose a deadly medical cover up. When Jennifer goes into the hospital, her kidneys abruptly fail and she suddenly sinks into a coma. Skyler, Jennifer's husband, is advised to pull the plug on his supposedly brain-dead wife. But Jan begins to notice something isn't quite right. The physician, Dr. Malakai, is suddenly so close-mouthed and so cold, and his notes are full of inconsistencies. And why was Jennifer screaming? When a new physician, Dr. Nicastro, is called onto the case, he reveals shocking details about a vast conspiracy of medical research and drug dealings. But before the family can act, Dr. Nicastro is found murdered! Meanwhile, Skyler begins to get to know a beautiful woman named Annie, and to his shock, he discovers her ex-husband is Dr. Malakai himself! Could Dr. Malakai be experimenting on his own patients and is he involved in a deadly Colombian drug cartel? Edwards has created a stunning novel about one family's determination to find out the truth. Honest and disturbing, the book is a prescription for hope against all odds, and a devastating look at our hospitals' not-so-vital signs.

TALICS:"If you're looking for a heartfelt story of a real-life family grappling with loss and love, and a white-knuckle suspense thriller, Jan Edwards' remarkable book is just what the doctor ordered." --Ellen Tanner Marsh, best-selling New York Times author INSERT JAN EDWARDS PHOTO, LEFT JUSTIFIED, TEXT WRAPPED TO RIGHT: The author has lived the proverbial rags to riches story. Born into a poor family in the hills of West Virginia where coal mining was the main source of income, Jan is the eldest daughter of six children. At just 18, she moved to our nation's capital where she later met and married her husband. He, too, was from humble beginnings as the eldest son with seven children. The team set their sights on greater things and have achieved much in over 45 years of marriage. Jan retired in 2002 from American Express after 26 years of service in their Florida and North Carolina Centers. She worked her way up from the typing pool to the Executive Assistant for the Senior Vice President/Centerhead of the North Carolina Center. Jan was well known to the CEO, Kenneth Chenault, and President, Al Kelly, for her hospitality and hard work. Their confidence made her determined to be the very best and to encourage others to work hard at making the company proud. Today, when asked about her career with American Express, she smiles and quietly whispers the words. "I owe Amex a lot of credit because without them, my life may not have taken such a beautiful path. Where I come from, you had to try hard to be the very best or one would fail, and to a country girl, that is simply unacceptable."