ARC Arrival: Unplanned Journey

Unplanned Journey: A Triumph in Life and Death by Tanya M. Unkovich

Publisher: VMI Publishing

I received this book for a First Wild Card Tour in August.

About the book: Phil Morrow's 48th birthday party was interrupted by a phone call that would change his life: he had been diagnosed with small cell carcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the lung. The prognosis was grim, yet he clung tenaciously to the faith that God was not finished with his life yet.

Unplanned Journey: A Triumph in Life and Death tells the story of Phil's journey from diagnosis to death, chronicling his spiritual process and that of his wife, Tanya, as they finally accepted his fate. The book has been lovingly penned by Tanya Unkovich to carry out Phil's deep desire to share his story with the world. Phil's own words are woven through Tanya's narrative, giving readers a true glimpse of his character and the faith in God that carried him through his journey.

"Phil was a man of few words; when he spoke, they were significant. When he wrote, they were transforming and often expressed in poetry," Unkovich recalls. "Throughout the pages of this book, from Phil's words and my own, readers will walk beside us and share our experience during those five months. They will also accompany me on my journey of healing during the first year following his death. It is my wish to communicate how goodness can come from what at times feels like the deepest depression."

Unplanned Journey: A triumph in Life and Death will speak directly to anyone who is struggling to cope with a tragedy in life. Unkovich holds nothing back, sharing the depths of her healing process - everything from her initial shock and dismay over the uninvited interruption of her "picket fence dream" to her acceptance of Phil's death - and inviting readers to join her as she finds meaning in her experience. At the time of the book's release, she will also be releasing an accompanying workbook that will help guide grieving people through their own healing processes.

While there are many painful moments in the book, Unkovich's tone is an overwhelmingly hopeful one. "In the year following Phil's death, God revealed a purpose in my life, even in the times when there appeared to be none," she says. "Today I feel at peace with our separate journeys knowing that they were both triumphant in their own different ways. Phil triumphed in death, and I, in life." (from B&B Media Press Release sent with book)

About the author: In both her professional and personal life, Tanya Unkovich describes herself as "a mixed bag." As a qualified CPA and expert in accounting software, she provides counseling and consulting services. Later in life, she received training as a life and corporate coach and now maintains a private coaching (therapy) practice in Auckland, New Zealand. Her latest career developments include writing articles for local magazines, publishing Unplanned Journey and the accompanying workbook, and fulfilling speaking engagements. On the personal side, Unkovich traces her passionate approach to life to her Croatian roots. She pursues health and wellness on all levels - physical, emotional, and spiritual - and prefers to fill her hours with fun, creativity, friends, family and Fergus the cat, who is a source of absolute joy. (from B&B Media Press Release sent with book)

Unplanned Journey
Publishers/Publication Date: VMI Publishing, Jan 2009
ISBN: 978-1-933204-75-8
240 pages

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