Today is the official launch day for The Kiss of Jesus!

September 29, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

Today is the official launch day for my memoir, The Kiss of Jesus. I think it’s very nice that it “happens” to land on the feast of the ArchAngels!

One woman shared her thoughts after reading The Kiss of Jesus:

I read the whole book after returning at 10:00 PM from choir practice and finished it in TEARS at 3:00 AM. God bless you for such a true descrption of your life, I still cannot envision the hardships and trials that you have endured and survived with such a positive, loving attitude.There are so many lives you have touched and changed for the better.

Here is the official press release for The Kiss of Jesus:

Suffering as The Kiss of Jesus?

Accomplished author recounts how years of sorrow led to redemption and mercy

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2015 – Few people who follow Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, popular author, radio and TV host and inspirational speaker, would have guessed that her life had been rife with so much suffering. While her story sometimes reads like a heart-pounding novel, it is, nonetheless, a true story, which Cooper O’Boyle tells in a beautiful, selfless fashion in her latest book, THE KISS OF JESUS.

Cooper O’Boyle has had an eventful life. The seventh of eight children, she enjoyed a relatively normal youth. However, all that would change, as she would come to endure horrors few could imagine.

In the years that would follow, Cooper O’Boyle had her freedom taken away by a troubled man who held her hostage, lost three babies to miscarriage and dealt with a husband’s drinking problem. She also suffered abuse, divorce and single-motherhood.

As trying as her life was, Cooper O’Boyle did experience unexpected joys along the way. She was blessed to raise five children, and claimed a memorable 10-year friendship with Blessed Mother Teresa, who served not only as a close friend, but also as a spiritual mother.

Throughout it all, Cooper O’Boyle’s faith buoyed her spirit. Not only has she survived, but she has thrived and discovered the beauty of the Cross.

“This extraordinary story will bring hope to all who are suffering,” Dan Burke, executive director of the National Catholic Register, says of THE KISS OF JESUS.

Please order your autographed copy here. As well, you can order a copy of my memoir at the publisher, or Amazon, or at your local Catholic book store.

New cover for my memoir: The Kiss of Jesus

August 20, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

There’s a new cover for my memoir: The Kiss of Jesus. It’s pretty similar to the earlier cover except that the designer “turned up the contrast” on certain parts to make it more striking and tweaked some things. What do you think?

Here’s the first version:

Here is the final version:

There’s a NEW dust jacket!

August 12, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

There’s a brand new dust jacket for my upcoming memoir: THE KISS OF JESUS! Click on the image below to enlarge it for easier viewing.

New description of the book on the dust jacket:

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic author, a radio and television host, and an inspirational speaker known and admired from coast to coast. Yet with all of her public exposure, she has revealed very little about her personal history, that is, until now. When she discovered that sharing her struggles gives encouragement to others, she was persuaded to write this story of her life.

Growing up in a Polish-American Catholic family, Donna-Marie was blessed with hard-working parents who provided a stable home for their eight children. At times her childhood was golden and carefree, but other times it was tarnished by pain that she felt was best left unspoken as she sought God for help and strength.

After she left home after high school, her path took some harrowing turns. A Vietnam veteran fiancé snapped and held her against her will. She suffered pregnancy loss, serious illness, divorce, and single motherhood. Perhaps her greatest trial was an epic custody battle in which she needed to defend both her reputation as a mother and the safety of her five children.

Yet through all the dark valleys, Donna-Marie kept the fire of her faith burning. Helping her to see the beauty of the crosses in her life, and to rely on the presence and the providence of God, were saintly souls who became her friends and mentors. One of these was Blessed Mother Teresa, who was her confidant and spiritual mother for ten years.

Pre-order your autographed copy (on sale!) here.

What do you think?

“An emotional roller coaster”

July 29, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

A heartfelt thanks to Mark Shea for his endorsement of my upcoming memoir: THE KISS OF JESUS:

“Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s The Kiss of Jesus is no ordinary spiritual autobiography. It is a gripping account of spiritual adventure and an emotional roller coaster telling of God’s faithfulness in times of terror, abuse, and profound encounters with grace and holiness. The world is richer for her existence, her work, and her fidelity.” ~ Mark P. Shea, Author, By What Authority: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition.

Earlier this year in March, Mark Shea had me as a guest on his radio show “Catholic and Enjoying It.”

One Woman’s Reaction to THE KISS OF JESUS

July 28, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

I received a very beautiful email from a woman who attended the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN) Trade Show last week. She was present for my talk at the Ignatius Press event and she received a complimentary advance reader copy of my book: THE KISS OF JESUS.

With her permission, I am sharing her sentiments here:

I finished reading The Kiss of Jesus this morning. Ignatius Press just might have a best-seller on their hands! It would certainly make a great movie with a profound message! After reading the account of your life, strangely, the incident that stands out in my mind the most, because it so affected me (tugged at my heart most) was the incident of you going into the trailer of the worker at the county fair and what ensued there. When you are 15 you just don’t think and are not capable of thinking beyond to foresee consequences. I say strangely because it certainly was the least of all of your crosses I read about in the book. Certainly, the driving force you felt coming from your motherly heart and the love and devotion you had for your children rings on in my heart. I can’t even begin to understand the strength you showed sitting on that courtroom stand and raising your hand in oath as it shook in utter fright. Such an amazing story and journey.

Your book is SO interesting and I could have read it in all one sitting had I not gotten tired and needed to sleep or had the babysitting duties etc I’ve had these last couple days.

Reading The Kiss of Jesus is like traveling along side of you, walking through a dark tunnel with no end in sight and finally coming through at the end into a field of beautiful flowers showered by brilliant sunlight.

It is just a beautiful book Donna-Marie! Thank you so much for sharing your story! I am certain others will be changed for the better when reading it as was I! I expected it to be a great book but I have to say it was even better than I expected… leading one to faith and hope in God.

Hot off the Press! The official dust jacket of my memoir!

July 18, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

Here is the official dust jacket for my memoir THE KISS OF JESUS. if you click on the image below you will be able to read it.

My book will be releasing soon. You can see more about it here and pre-order your copy.

My recent visit on EWTN’s JOURNEY HOME

May 22, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

I was recently blessed to visit with Marcus Grodi of EWTN’s “Journey Home” show. It will re-air at 1:00 PM EST on Friday, May 22nd.

You can also see it on You tube right here. I hope that you enjoy it. I am hearing from people from all over the world who have told me that they have been impacted by the show. All glory to God!

My upcoming memoir: THE KISS OF JESUS: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross (which I mention on the Journey Home show) will reveal even more twists and turns in my life. I hope you get a chance to read it. I have it for sale at a discount on my website here.

God bless you and keep you!

Donna-Marie

Chatting about “The Kiss of Jesus” with Mark Shea

March 22, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

I recently had the honor and blessing of being a guest on Mark Shea’s radio show: “Catholic and Enjoying It!”

We discussed a number of Catholic things and focused a lot on my upcoming memoir which is due to be released in August: The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross.

You can learn more about The Kiss of Jesus here and you can also sign up for updates.

You can listen in to our visit right here. Perhaps you’d better pour a beverage for yourself and pull up a chair. This is a long one.

Enjoy!

Here’s the dusk jacket text with a few of the endorsements:

When Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle was growing up, she had no thought of one day becoming a popular author and television host. She was fully immersed in her life as the seventh of eight children in a Catholic family. Sometimes that life was carefree and fun, spending time with relatives dancing the festive Polkas at family weddings, and enjoying picnics in her back yard. Other times, life for Donna-Marie was very dark and tarnished with struggles and pain. Struggles that she felt were perhaps best left a secret.

Donna-Marie retreated to the beauty of nature, thanking God for its splendors, pondering and meditating. She plunged her heart and soul into a deeper meaning of life as she tried to navigate the ups and downs in a large struggling family. She turned to God for help especially as she became increasingly misunderstood by her family and her peers.

Life took some bizarre turns, and Donna-Marie was forced to deal with a crazed man who managed to take away her freedom and hold her hostage. Eventually escaping the nightmare of her prison, Donna-Marie married and began raising her family, believing she had finally found her true vocation. But she couldn’t seem to get out from under the shadow of the Cross. She lost three babies to miscarriage, struggled with her husband’s serious drinking problem and was later abandoned by him just before she gave birth to her third living child.

Raising her family alone, she was subjected to abusive neighbors, appalling living conditions, and did her best to overcome the obstacles, hanging onto hope for better days.

Her knight in shining armor finally came on the scene. Or, was he? Another unexpected adventure unfolded causing Donna-Marie to be thrust into a more affluent yet controlled life. “Prince Charming” had charmed his way into Donna-Marie’s life. But under the veneer of his charm was a dark side.

Survival mode eventually took over as Donna-Marie had to fight for her life and for her children’s safety. Thankfully, a saint or two had crossed paths with Donna-Marie—one was Blessed Mother Teresa who would become her spiritual mother.

The Kiss of Jesus is an inspiring true story told by the woman who lived it. It is a story of struggle, suffering, and ultimately of faith, hope, and profound love.

“I have no doubt that this extraordinary true story can and will bring hope to those who are suffering or have suffered and are struggling to make sense of it all.”
– Dan Burke, Executive Director, National Catholic Register

“In Donna-Marie’s beatific smile and warm eyes, we glimpse her earnings from a life fraught with poverty, denied friendships, betrayal, abandonment, and real violence, yet filtered through a most unexpected, and arduous, ‘vocation to love’. The Kiss of Jesus is a courageous, sometimes stunningly personal memoir.”
– Elizabeth Scalia, Author, Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life

“The Kiss of Jesus is no ordinary spiritual autobiography. It is a gripping account of spiritual adventure and an emotional roller coaster telling of God’s faithfulness in times of terror, abuse, and profound encounters with grace and holiness.”
– Mark P. Shea, Author, By What Authority: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition

“The Kiss of Jesus runs the full gamut of virtue and vice, flesh and spirit, demonic and holy. Donna-Marie’s extraordinary life bears witness and hope to us all that ‘nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ ”
– Jim Pinto, Co-Host of EWTN,@ Home with Jim and Joy

“No mere conversion story”

March 10, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

An endorsement from Al Kresta for my upcoming memoir, The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross.

“The things we carry with us, the stories that make us who we are usually remain hidden from the watching world. Until now, that has been true of Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle who, for years, I’ve known as a writer of rare luminous simplicity and maternal sensitivity whose spirituality bears the mark of her encounters with Mother Teresa. But I was unprepared for the shocking assaults, penetrating injuries, wounds of betrayal, shame of poverty and neglect that alternately enraged and grieved me as I read her memoir. These dark episodes form a devilish veil that can only be pierced by the sword of Christ’s severe mercy. This is no mere conversion story. The power of His grace far exceeds God’s momentary acceptance of a sinner. Here grace is an active, personal force molding, shaping, nurturing, and transforming her. Transformed for love and service. She is led into moving evangelistic encounters with family, strangers and neighbors. So please, don’t deprive yourself of the tough, relentless grace that fills this book. Take up and read. Share in the dispensation of grace Donna-Marie has received and you will learn love and peace in the midst of tribulation.”

~Al Kresta, President, CEO Ave Maria Communications Host, Kresta in the Afternoon

You can pre-order The Kiss of Jesus here.

Praise for The Kiss of Jesus

February 11, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

Praise for THE KISS OF JESUS

I feel very honored and humbled to share some of the endorsements for my upcoming memoir, The Kiss of Jesus.

“Perseverance, faith, hope, and humility are the currents of grace that flow through The Kiss of Jesus. Donna-Marie proves that God works all things to the good no matter how ruthless, devastating, or humiliating they may be. This candid and poignant account pierces the heart and leaves the reader changed by the experience.”
– Johnnette S. Benkovic, Founder, Women of Grace®

“Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle allows us to enter into her heart, a heart touched personally by Mother Teresa, and accompany her on a remarkable spiritual journey in The Kiss of Jesus.”
– Brian Patrick, Anchor, EWTN News Nightly

“For anyone who wishes to move beyond anger and resentment, this book is an answer to prayer.”
– Mike Aquilina, EWTN host and author of The Feasts

I have no doubt that this extraordinary true story can and will bring hope to those who are suffering or who have suffered and are struggling to make sense of it all.
– Dan Burke, Executive Director, National Catholic Register

“In Donna-Marie’s beatific smile and warm eyes, we glimpse her earnings from a life fraught with poverty, denied friendships, betrayal, abandonment, and real violence, yet filtered through a most unexpected, and arduous, ‘vocation to love’. The Kiss of Jesus is a courageous, sometimes stunningly personal memoir.”
– Elizabeth Scalia, Author, Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life

“The “Kiss of Jesus” runs the full gamut of virtue and vice, flesh and spirit, demonic and holy. Donna-Marie’s extraordinary life bears witness and hope to us all, ‘nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’”
– Jim Pinto, Co-Host of EWTN’s @ Home with Jim and Joy

“The Kiss of Jesus is no ordinary spiritual autobiography. It is a gripping account of spiritual adventure and an emotional roller coaster telling of God’s faithfulness in times of terror, abuse, and profound encounters with grace and holiness.”
– Mark P. Shea, Author, By What Authority: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition

“This book knocked my socks off! I would have never expected that such a sweet, joyful and soft-spoken woman had lived such a perilous, abusive and violent life. Yet she never lost her joy or her hope. God was always with her, just as He is with each of us.”
– Gail Buckley, Founder & President, Catholic Scripture Study International

A dust jacket description of the book:

When Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle was growing up, she had no thought of one day becoming a popular author and television host. She was immersed in her life as the seventh of eight children in a Catholic family. Sometimes that life was carefree and fun, spending time with relatives dancing the festive Polkas at family weddings, and enjoying picnics in her back yard dappled with fruit trees and flower gardens. Other times, life for her was very dark and tarnished with struggles and pain. Struggles that she felt were perhaps best left a secret.

Donna-Marie retreated to the beauty of nature, thanking God for its splendors, pondering and meditating. She plunged her heart and soul into a deeper meaning of life as she tried to navigate the ups and downs in a large struggling family. She turned to God for help especially as she became increasingly misunderstood by her family and her peers.

Life took some bizarre turns, and Donna-Marie was forced to deal with a crazed man who took away her freedom and held her hostage. Eventually escaping the nightmare of her prison, she married and began raising her family, believing she had finally found her true vocation. But she couldn’t seem to get out from under the shadow of the Cross. She lost three babies to miscarriage, struggled with her husband’s serious drinking problem and was later abandoned by him just before she gave birth to her third living child.

Raising her family alone, she was subjected to abusive neighbors and appalling living conditions, struggling to overcome these challenges as she held onto hope for better days.

Her knight in shining armor finally came on the scene. Or so she thought. Another unexpected adventure ensued, thrusting Donna-Marie into a more affluent yet controlled life. “Prince Charming” had charmed his way into her life, but under the veneer of his charm was a dark side.

Survival mode took over as Donna-Marie had to fight for her life and for her children’s safety. Providentially, a saint or two crossed paths with Donna-Marie and impacted her life greatly. One was Blessed Mother Teresa who would become her close friend and spiritual mother.

The Kiss of Jesus is a powerful, moving true story of a well-known Catholic author who faced great suffering, abuse and rejection, but through faith, hope and love she found redemption and the beauty of the Cross.

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Check out this The Kiss of Jesus page on this website to learn more.

And, also here to check out the page at Ignatius Press and sign up there too if you’d like.

So excited to announce my upcoming memoir: The Kiss of Jesus

February 5, 2015 - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

This is the very first time that I am unveiling the book cover of my memoir, The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross.

The publisher, Ignatius Press has just announced it on their website. You can sign up there to learn more about the book.

The time is getting closer. My memoir, The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross will be released in August.

Here is the very first sneak peek at the dust jacket description:

When Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle was growing up, she had no thought of one day becoming a popular author and television host. She was immersed in her life as the seventh of eight children in a Catholic family. Sometimes that life was carefree and fun, spending time with relatives dancing the festive Polkas at family weddings, and enjoying picnics in her back yard dappled with fruit trees and flower gardens. Other times, life for her was very dark and tarnished with struggles and pain. Struggles that she felt were perhaps best left a secret.

Donna-Marie retreated to the beauty of nature, thanking God for its splendors, pondering and meditating. She plunged her heart and soul into a deeper meaning of life as she tried to navigate the ups and downs in a large struggling family. She turned to God for help especially as she became increasingly misunderstood by her family and her peers.

Life took some bizarre turns, and Donna-Marie was forced to deal with a crazed man who took away her freedom and held her hostage. Eventually escaping the nightmare of her prison, she married and began raising her family, believing she had finally found her true vocation. But she couldn’t seem to get out from under the shadow of the Cross. She lost three babies to miscarriage, struggled with her husband’s serious drinking problem and was later abandoned by him just before she gave birth to her third living child.

Raising her family alone, she was subjected to abusive neighbors and appalling living conditions, struggling to overcome these challenges as she held onto hope for better days.

Her knight in shining armor finally came on the scene. Or so she thought. Another unexpected adventure ensued, thrusting Donna-Marie into a more affluent yet controlled life. “Prince Charming” had charmed his way into her life, but under the veneer of his charm was a dark side.

Survival mode took over as Donna-Marie had to fight for her life and for her children’s safety. Providentially, a saint or two crossed paths with Donna-Marie and impacted her life greatly. One was Blessed Mother Teresa who would become her close friend and spiritual mother.

The Kiss of Jesus is a powerful, moving true story of a well-known Catholic author who faced great suffering, abuse and rejection, but through faith, hope and love she found redemption and the beauty of the Cross.

Please take a quick moment to subscribe at this simple form to be among the first to learn more about this book AND to receive a discount! I will be in touch to let you know when you can pre-order The Kiss of Jesus. All sign ups are entitled to a sale price (to be announced)!

[Have no fear! I promise that your email address will never be shared.]

The Kiss of Jesus Email List

Information about The Kiss of Jesus book