Pamela Q. Fernandes's Blog, page 3

Spanish Cover Reveal: Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman

Yay, just in time for my birthday, the Spanish cover for Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman is here. And that means next month the book will be released in Spanish.

Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman

So in 2017, the first edition of Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman came out. It was well read by women, single and married. Last year we started on the Spanish translation for this book after the phenomenal success for Ten Reminders for the Grieving Christian in Spanish.

COVERS SIDE BY SIDETen Reminders for the Single Christian Woman

So the cover on the left was done by Laura Moyer nee Gordon back in 2017. I loved her cover as I was looking for premade book cover designs on Bookcoverdesigner.com. Fast forward 8 years later, I used the same themes and worked with Les. Les has done the rest of my Ten Reminder Series books including the Spanish cover of Ten Reminders for the Grieving Christian.

In keeping with the covers for Spanish audiences, we went with a lighter theme but chose the exact same colors and flowers. We changed to a cursive font and used the same style for the rest. I’m so very happy with the way it turned out. My translator, Marina Lorenzin wrote my blurb and that’s what we used.

Print Cover

This time I’m probably going to go wide in terms of print. So we had to develop multiple formats of print. This what we ended up creating. There are subtle differences but overall, the cover remains the same.

I honestly wanted to capture the joy and vibrancy of this time and so kept the colors the same.

Pub Date

We’re looking at a publication date of May 20th. It’s honestly a busy time but hopefully, I should be able to get everything ready by then. We’ll also be doing a signed giveaway in May, so stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, what do you think of my Spanish cover? Yay or nay.

The post Spanish Cover Reveal: Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

107 Anima Christi Prayer & Suffering

“I will go through this suffering with you.”

Kimberly Andrich

WHO IS KIMBERLY ANDRICH?

Kimberly Andrich is a wife and mother of five, to two big boys and three little ladies. Her professional background is in physical therapy, but her passion is writing, especially about the faith. Kimberly writes from the perspective of having a hidden, chronic illness and experiencing a deep, continuous conversion through being yoked to Jesus in the day-to-day trials and joys of life. You can find more of her work on her blog, fallingonhisgrace.stubstack.com, on spiritualdirection.com, and in her monthly articles at catholicmom.com.

107 The Anima Christi Prayer & SufferingPQF · 107 Anima Christi & Suffering

In this episode Pamela talks to Kimberly Andrich about the Anima Christi and suffering. She explains:
i. What is the Anima Christi prayer and how does it relate to her ministry?
ii. What do we do when we are called to enter into suffering?
iii. You mentioned being emptied by suffering. Can you explain this further?
iv. Through your personal experience, how does suffering transform us?

THE ANIMA CHRISTI Prayer

From the EWTN website

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.

Within Thy Wounds hide me.

Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.

From the malignant enemy, defend me.

In the hour of my death, call me,

And bid me to come to Thee.

That with Thy saints, I may praise Thee.

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Our own wounds and suffering

I reached out to Kim after reading her post on suffering emptying us. Kim talks about three steps when we go through suffering

-Acknowledging our wounds and suffering

-Consenting to the suffering

-Surrendering to the will of God.

Kim repeats this many times through the podcast, “you are not alone. God is with you, and we need to unite with Him.” Because no pain is wasted with the Lord. Every hardship, every wound, every pain is used by the Lord to draw us to Him. I recently watched the documentary on the wounds of Jesus and it’s almost hard to compare our suffering to His. Kim says He underwent rejection, betrayal even as a child and so He understands us better than anyone else. This episode is filled with encouragement for someone going through a hard time.

How do you deal with suffering?

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St Therese of the Child Jesus, and Pentecost If you liked this podcast, like us, and leave a comment. Share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

The post 107 Anima Christi Prayer & Suffering appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

Kicking off Birthday Month with Audiobook Starting Anew

Starting Anew Audiobook

It has taken me a long time to do anything substantial through last year as far as writing is concerned. I only worked on one manuscript. Barely finished it. Everything else that I started just took so much time. Editing and translations. Finally, I managed to get Starting Anew recorded. It was honestly ready a few months ago but I was on my ED rotation and then floors and just couldn’t catch a break. Between showering, eating and sleeping, I’ve done very little except for create plots for my next ten books.

Starting Anew is the third book in the Henderson County series. And while the last book in the series should be out this year, the audiobooks are slowly getting recorded. Daphne Fields narrated this one and I was happy to have a different voice for Mira. She captures some of the thrilling moments so well.

The Book

Just to remind you about this spring romance:

When Mira returns to Henderson County after a decade, her sole focus is her mother’s recovery. Her chance encounter with Logan leads to the start of a new relationship.

Logan Graymore can’t believe Mira Kasnell, the Emmy-winning star is back in town. Except, she is not the brash, confident woman she portrays on screen. Mira is afraid of something in Henderson County and he’s determined to find out why.

One stormy night, the past comes back to haunt her and it’s up to Mira to fight for the man she loves.

Get it Online

You can find the audiobook at a special price until my birthday at the end of the month and then it goes back to full price.

Nook, Storytel, Chirp

Kobo/Walmart, Libro, Google Play

First Free 50

Since it’s my birthday month and we’re celebrating, I’d like to give away 50 free copies of the audiobook Starting Anew to interested listeners. You can simply sign up to my newsletter and I’ll send you a free Spotify code to listen to this audiobook. Yay!!!

I have already written about the mess up with newsletter. So I’m starting from scratch with a new brand. Let’s hope things go better this time.

What’s Next?

Next up, I should start the editing and final release for Book 5 in the Henderson county series. I’m also working on the Spanish translation of Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman. Then I’ll complete my series for Touchpoint press and go back to writing either the Boothbay Harbor series or my women’s fiction novel. It is shaping up to be an unusually busy year for me especially since I didn’t do a lot during the first few months of the year. However, I’m more relaxed now and writing slower.

I can’t believe it’s already April! Happy Spring.

The post Kicking off Birthday Month with Audiobook Starting Anew appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

106 Discernment: Do What Brings You Peace

“When it comes to discernment, do not be afraid to get it wrong.”

Christy Wilkens

Who is Christy Wilkens?

Christy Wilkens is a Catholic wife, mother, nurse, and author of Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Restored Our Faith (Ave Maria Press). She is a Dame of Magistral Grace in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a lay religious organization with a charism to serve the sick and the poor, which she joined after the pilgrimage described in her book.

Christy serves as a lector at her parish, a peer minister for Be Not Afraid, and a member of the Order of Malta’s medical team and communications committee. She has appeared on Catholic Faith Network, Sirius XM’s Catholic Channel, Many Hail Marys at a Time, Ave Maria Radio, and The Jennifer Fulwiler Show. Her writing has been featured at CatholicMom.com, Blessed Is She, and Accepting the Gift.

Link to book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/awakening-at-lourdes

Website: https://christywilkens.com

Facebook: @faithfulnotsuccessful

Instagram: @csawilkens

Twitter: @csawilkens

106 Discernment: Do What Brings You PeacePQF · 106 Discernment: Do What Brings You Peace

In this episode Pamela talks to Christy Wilkens about discernment. She explains:-
i. What is discernment and when do you use it?
ii. What to do when we’re grappling with indecision?
iii. What do you mean by try for size?
iv. Why peace?

Using Discernment

I found Christy on Catholic Mom where she wrote a post on Discernment. It’s so weird because last year I was looking to do this episode and couldn’t find a speaker on the subject and this year while looking for something else on Lent, I found Christy. I sent her an email and she very quickly responded to doing an episode.

Christy does know what she’s talking about. She’s used discernment to make multiple life changes. It’s like every other gift, the more you wield it, the more it grows. I love how Christy talks about her personal experiences and uses the presence of peace to determine if the decision is right. Often times the Holy Spirit leads us to understand that something isn’t right. I love how peace is the consolation that the Holy Spirit gives you when it comes to making the right decision.

We recorded during Holy Week on a weekday and I’m so grateful that Christy agreed to record. I loved her insight and honesty when it comes to discernment. She says on this side of heaven, we may never fully understand why God leads us down a path. But in the end we trust that His plans are always the best.

Happy Easter

It’s been a very fruitful Lent for me this year. With all the many challenges, I’ve learned that you put your shoulder to the cross and do as the Savior did. I hope you can use discernment not just for the big decisions, but the small decisions as well. Let God lead you and show you the path. Allow yourself to be directed by Him. I wish you all a very blessed Easter.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St Therese of the Child Jesus, and Pentecost If you liked this podcast, like us, and leave a comment. Share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

The post 106 Discernment: Do What Brings You Peace appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

Newsletter Mess & Clean-Up

If you have been following my newsletter, then you’ve already read what happened. Chances are most of you are following my newsletter have no idea why you didn’t get one this month. And that’s because the primary service that I was using for this has my list! And they won’t give me access to it.

The Problem

For the past two years I switched to Mailerlite for my newsletter service. I had tried so many other services and plugins before and they didn’t work. Either the mails went out late or I had no tracking. In one case, they wouldn’t let me access my account and password recovery became an issue. So I chose Mailerlite.

It was fantastic. The emails went out on time. The design was drag and drop. I loved it. It was great and when I had an issue once, the customer team helped me out immediately. Of course, things were great. I managed to get the list to up to 800+ followers in Jan 2024. I know to most people, 800 people might not be much, but too me that was a lot of people to share details with about the books and the podcast and my life.

Mailerlite sent out its email last year in December saying they would be transitioning to the new version. They encouraged people to get on the the new application by Feb 1. They also said we could have access to our old account if we needed to. In January, I seamlessly moved everything to the new version. I assumed the subscribers would also move.

Imagine my horror when I try to send my newsletter in Feb and now have no email list. So I track back to my old account and they have since suspended it with no way to access my own list.

The Other Problem

I tried reaching out to customer care. Apparently, it is only being offered to premium members so I cannot request access to my own email list. Surely, you have your own email list, some of you may ask. I do.

However my list is over a 1000+. Over the year, people have gotten off the newsletter list. I take newsletters very seriously. I personally hate when people who I have been in contact with or I do business with tack my email on to their mailing list without me subscribing. I mark all those as spam. I don’t read a single one of them. For that reason, I’m not going to email people when they have already unsubscribed. The issue is I have no idea who the unsubscribed are. I would have to sift through my emails of two years to find them.

New Newsletter

Finally, since things didn’t look too good, I have switched to Convertkit at this point. It’s been hard getting used to the new system. I sent out one email newsletter this month to less than a hundred people. And so I begin again!

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auto;} Why A Newsletter?

I believe the newsletter is the best way of keeping my readers posted about all the new developments, sneak peeks, behind the scenes view of my books. I also always release pre-orders, discounts and sales to my newsletter people. They have been with me on this writing journey for a while. Some have even made recommendations of names for some of my characters which I used in my books. I remember when I moved to Pennsylvania and said I had no car, my newsletter readers offered me advice about car rentals and car dealerships.

Of late, I’ve been kind of de-transitioning from social media. I closed down Facebook and Pinterest. I’m debating getting off Twitter as well. So it’s only a matter of time where I won’t be using social media anymore. On my newsletter, I do share personal pictures and where I’m traveling. It’s a closer group of people, unlike sharing everything on social media. I’ve come to love doing the newsletter, planning my month and what’s going to go into it. Pictures like these…

Sign up

If you have been a previous follower, I apologize for the kerfuffle. I honestly hope you can just sign up to the new newsletter. As for me I have learned my lesson. As tedious as it maybe, I need to start keeping my own list and updating it every month. If anyone has any advice or solution, let me know. At this point, I’m just hoping that my readers will come across this post and understand what’s really happened.

The post Newsletter Mess & Clean-Up appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

20 Best Medical Fiction Reads

I read a lot! It’s been a while since I did one of these lists. So I thought why not add a list of the best medical fiction reads. I know I have even recommended these books on Bookbub so you can read my reviews there. They’re a mix of everything for everyone. I enjoyed reading some these and loved some more than others.

20 BEST MEDICAL FICTION READS

Here we go. These are in no particular order.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Top of my list of the best medical fiction is this book. A long read but so worth it. It will make you angry and then sad.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects. They helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death. Scientists were investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. Though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?

Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

Cutting for Stone

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

The Andromeda Strain

From the author of Jurassic Park, Timeline, and Sphere comes a captivating thriller about a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism, which threatens to annihilate human life.

Five prominent biophysicists have warned the United States government that sterilization procedures for returning space probes may be inadequate to guarantee uncontaminated re-entry to the atmosphere. Two years later, a probe satellite falls to the earth and lands in a desolate region of northeastern Arizona. Nearby, in the town of Piedmont, bodies lie heaped and flung across the ground, faces locked in frozen surprise. What could cause such shock and fear? The terror has begun, and there is no telling where it will end.

Still Alice

In Lisa Genova’s extraordinary New York Times bestselling novel, an accomplished woman slowly loses her thoughts and memories to Alzheimer’s disease—only to discover that each day brings a new way of living and loving.

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring, and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what it’s like to literally lose your mind…

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Boisterous, ribald, and ultimately shattering, Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel has left an indelible mark on the literature of our time. Now in a new deluxe edition with a foreword by Chuck Palahniuk and cover by Joe Sacco, here is the unforgettable story of a mental ward and its inhabitants, especially the tyrannical Big Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the brawling, fun-loving new inmate who resolves to oppose her. We see the struggle through the eyes of Chief Bromden, the seemingly mute half-Indian patient who witnesses and understands McMurphy’s heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them all imprisoned.

The Hot Zone

The bestselling landmark account of the first emergence of the Ebola virus.

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic “hot” virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their “crashes” into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

Coma

They called it “minor surgery,” but Nancy Greenly, Sean Berman and a dozen others–all admitted to Boston Memorial Hospital for routine procedures–were victims of the same inexplicable, hideous tragedy on the operating table. They never woke up.

Susan Wheeler is a third-year medical student working as a trainee at Boston Memorial Hospital. Two patients during her residency mysteriously go into comas immediately after their operations due to complications from anesthesia. Susan begins to investigate the causes behind both of these alarming comas and discovers the oxygen line in Operating Room 8 has been tampered with to induce carbon monoxide poisoning.

Then Susan discovers the evil nature of the Jefferson Institute, an intensive care facility where patients are suspended from the ceiling and kept alive until they can be harvested for healthy organs. Is she a participant in–or a victim of–a large-scale black market dealing in human organs?

The Silent Patient

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him….

My Sister’s Keeper

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate a life and a role that she has never questioned until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to ask herself who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister – and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

Told from multiple points of view, My Sister’s Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child’s life . . . even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you?

The Children’s Hospital

 Adrian delivers a second work of visionary imagination in this magnificent tale of a children’s hospital that survives, afloat, after the Earth is flooded beneath seven miles of water, and a young medical student who finds herself gifted with strange powers and a frightening destiny.

Jemma Claflin is a third-year medical student at the unnamed hospital that is the only thing to survive after an apocalyptic storm. Inside the hospital, beds are filled with children with the most rare and complicated diseases. In this new-age Noah’s Ark, there are two of each kind of sickness. As Jemma and her fellow doctors attempt to make sense of what has happened to the world, Jemma becomes a Moses figure, empowered with the mysterious ability to heal the sick by way of a green fire that shoots from her belly.

The Plague

A gripping tale of human unrelieved horror, of survival and resilience, and of the ways in which humankind confronts death, The Plague is at once a masterfully crafted novel, eloquently understated and epic in scope, and a parable of ageless moral resonance, profoundly relevant to our times. In Oran, a coastal town in North Africa, the plague begins as a series of portents, unheeded by the people. It gradually becomes a omnipresent reality, obliterating all traces of the past and driving its victims to almost unearthly extremes of suffering, madness, and compassion.

The Medical Examiner

A woman checks into a hotel room and entertains a man who is not her husband. A shooter blows away the lover and wounds a wealthy heiress, leaving her for dead. Is it the perfect case for the Women’s Murder Club . . . or just the most twisted?

Mountains Beyond Mountains

In medical school, Paul Farmer found his life’s calling: to cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Tracy Kidder’s magnificent account shows how one person can make a difference in solving global health problems through a clear-eyed understanding of the interaction of politics, wealth, social systems, and disease. Profound and powerful, Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes people’s minds through his dedication to the philosophy that “the only real nation is humanity.”

The Painted Veil

Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920s, The Painted Veil is the story of the beautiful but love-starved Kitty Fane. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic. Stripped of the British society of her youth and the small but effective society she fought so hard to attain in Hong Kong, she is compelled by her awakening conscience to reassess her life and learn how to love.

The Painted Veil is a beautifully written affirmation of the human capacity to grow, to change, and to forgive.

The Queen of Hearts

Zadie Anson and Emma Colley have been best friends since their early twenties, when they first began navigating serious romantic relationships amid the intensity of medical school. Now they’re happily married wives and mothers with successful careers–Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon. Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, are chaotic but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague unearths a secret one of them has been harboring for years.

As chief resident, Nick Xenokostas was the center of Zadie’s life–both professionally and personally–throughout a tragic chain of events during her third year of medical school that she has long since put behind her. Nick’s unexpected reappearance at a time of new professional crisis shocks both women into a deeper look at the difficult choices they made at the beginning of their careers. As it becomes evident that Emma must have known more than she revealed about circumstances that nearly derailed both their lives, Zadie starts to question everything she thought she knew about her closest friend.

Emergency Contact

For Penny Lee high school was a total non-event. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a million light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his bank account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch – via text. Soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

The Rosie Project

Love isn’t an exact science – but no one told Don Tillman.

A thirty-nine-year-old geneticist, Don’s never had a second date. So he devises the Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner.

Enter Rosie – ‘the world’s most incompatible woman’ – throwing Don’s safe, ordered life into chaos.

But what is this unsettling, alien emotion he’s feeling? . . .

Heartbeat

RUN RUN RUN. That’s what twelve-year-old Annie loves to do. When she’s barefoot and running, she can hear her heart beating…thump-THUMP, thump-THUMP.

It’s a rhythm that makes sense in a year when everything’s shifting. Her mother is pregnant, her grandfather is forgetful, and her best friend, Max, is always moody. Everything changes over time, just like the apple Annie’s been assigned to draw a hundred times.

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech masterfully weaves this tender and intuitive story told in free verse. It’s about a young girl beginning to understand the many rhythms of life, and how she fits within them.

Me Before You

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Find Me in the Snow

When Althea meets Morgan Hunter at Muldoon’s pub for the first time, she thinks he’s a handsome, ego tripping, prissy-pants executive. She quickly rebuffs him only to find him thundering at her in the operation theater, the very next day. He’s dogged in his censure of her, but not immune to her allure. Through a snowy December Morgan courts Althea and wins her heart but not her trust.

When she travels with him at his request for Christmas to his home in Finesse, a tumble in the snow leads to the discovery of Morgan’s missing ex -girlfriend. Dead. Morgan pushes Althea away and she doesn’t understand his reasons. Althea returns to build the new rural clinic in Finesse. She discovers the truth about Morgan’s heritage, the murdered ex-girlfriend and the secrets about the Hunter clan. Can she save the man she loved from going to prison?

Do You Have a Favorite?

I’m sure you’ve not read all these books on my list of the best medical fiction reads. There’s a mix of everything, suspense, romance, truth, sci-fi, action. Take your pick. For those who love a medical bent, these are some starter books to whet your appetite. What are your recommendations for medical fiction books?

The post 20 Best Medical Fiction Reads appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

105 Communication & Temperament: I Said This, You Heard That

Every word that comes out of your mouth is a gift to the person that you are speaking to.

Kathleen Edelman

Who is Kathleen Edelman?

Kathleen Edelman has one goal in life… to help people learn to speak kindly to one another. She has spent 30 years counseling and coaching kids and families on the art of communication, using the four temperaments as a foundation. She has a master’s degree in Christian Counseling Psychology, a big heart for educators, and a surprising passion for fast cars and martial arts. She is married and has two grown children.

Here’s her website I Said This, You Heard That website. You can do one of her assessments here: Temperament Assessment.For Business leaders who want to use it in a work setting (not faith-based): The ColorWorks Group website. Temperaments in regards to Kids (perfect for parents, teachers, coaches, grandparents, etc: Kind Words Are Cool website. You can also find her on Instagram: @isaidyouheard  & @kathleenedelman, Facebook: I Said This, You Heard That & Kathleen Edelman.

105 Communication And TemperamentPQF · 105 Communication And Temperament

In this episode Pamela talks to Kathleen Edelman about communication and temperament. She explains:-
i. What is our natural wiring?
ii. What are these colors that represent our personalities?
iii. How knowing a color help us know how God wants us to be?
iv. Can you give an example of improved communication with this concept?

Understanding Temperament

I have always had problems communicating partly because I don’t like talking as much. Often, I prefer the quiet. I don’t like to reach out and I’m too much of a thinker. I was going through my reading list and Kathleen’s book, I said this, You Heard that, jumped out at me. She talks about understanding the four temperaments (which is different from personality). This is our natural innate wiring which never changes.

Each of the above four temperaments has strength and weakness, and speak a different language.

You can listen to Kathleen as she passionately talks about how we are wired differently and so we need to communicate differently based on the individuals temperament. This was very eye-opening to me.

For example

Strengths of a Phlegmatic: relaxed, quiet and calm, content with themselves, kind, consistent, a steady and faithful friend, accepting, affectionate, diplomatic, peacemaking, rational, curious, observant, an easy friend maker

Weaknesses of a phlegmatic: sometimes shy, fearful of change, judges others, stubborn, passive-aggressive, indecisive, permissive, may avoid responsibility, unenthusiastic, too compromising, sarcastic, discouraging, indifferent.
UNHEALTHY PHLEGMATICS STRUGGLE WITH BEING:

Fearful – GENESIS 12:10-13Passive – GENESIS 16:1-6Without Faith – GENESIS 20:1-2

SPIRIT LED PHLEGMATICS ARE OFTEN:

SPIRIT-LED PHLEGMATICS ARE OFTEN….PEACEABLE – GENESIS 13:5-9RELIABLE – GENESIS 14:11-14FAITH-FILLED – GENESIS 22:1-3Understanding your Wiring

Kathleen has some wonderful words of wisdom. She says, “your find your purpose in the strength of your temperament when you are living that out.” Imagine all of us using kind words to each other, understanding the innate needs of the people in our lives. We would be able to change relationships, friendships, marriages, children, workplaces and businesses if only we could communicate better. I myself have learned so much. And I’m certainly going to try and learn to apply these. If you’re interested, you can do one of her assessments here: Temperament Assessment.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St Therese of the Child Jesus, and Prayer If you liked this podcast, like us, and leave a comment. Share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it.

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The post 105 Communication & Temperament: I Said This, You Heard That appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

Medical Professionals: Your Word is Your Bond

In the world of medicine, it’s very common to hear doctors and medical professionals say stuff. Stuff that they never follow through with for whatever reason. You hear them talk to staff and patients; say a ton of stuff and the follow through is nil.

In the Arab world, a person’s word is his bond. It’s one of the reasons King Herod, acquiesces to Herodias’ daughter and chops off John the Baptists’ head. Our words mean our commitment. A sort of covenant. Anything else makes us appear shallow and self centered. I was actually going through quora on why people do this in general. The responses range from hilarious to worrisome. Some people bluff continuously, someone said.

Now, I don’t mean that doctors who don’t follow through on their promises are self seeking or unbothered. They’re busy and have tons of things to do. I know between emails and Tiger texts, when I’m on inpatient floors, my brain feels like a fish salad sometimes. There’s always just one more thing to do. However, I’m very aware and need I say hyper aware of what I say when I open my mouth. This is because, all the time, patients and medical staff are depending on my word. There’s a lot riding on it. So how can you make sure that your follow through on what you say is 100%

10 Steps when Your Word is Your Bond

These are some steps I have devised and some I have noticed practiced by the best physician communicators. They include the following

Think Before You Open Your Mouth

This is easier said than done. A lot of times, we hear a question, especially those long winded questions from some people who lose their train of thought and we already have an answer. Think. Compose your answer in your brain first, before letting random words form a sentence in your mouth. If it’s a yes or no question, respond in kind. If someone is asking for your reasoning, let them know. Take your time responding. Don’t be afraid of silence. Think. Think. Think!

Ask Yourself: Can I deliver this promise?

Don’t over-extend yourself. A patient asks you to have their tests done today. You know it’s late in the afternoon. The test can be ordered today but the techs will only add them to their queue tomorrow. They’re going to stay another day. Don’t say, “let me see what I can do.” You can do nothing. Before you respond, ask yourself can I deliver on this promise I’m making.

Can I really have these meds sent? Can I honestly discharge them today with so many things pending? Can I honestly schedule them within the week for an appointment? Can you deliver? If you can’t, don’t make that promise. Don’t make promises, however good your intentions maybe if you know there’s a 50% chance it won’t get done.

Be Honest

Tell the truth. Don’t lie. Patients know it and your medical colleagues know it. They’re just nice enough to not call it out to your face. Being honest, may sound like, “I don’t know. I cannot do that for you. I’m afraid that’s not going to happen today. We cannot fix everything. You’re at an age where your recovery is slower,” etc. If you forgot to do something, apologize and say so. Don’t lie. People can call your bluff.

Be Succinct

I’ve noticed that the best people who do this are surgeons. I recently completed my rotation with surgery and they are the best communicators with their patients. I’m not sure if this is because they round at 6:30 am (LOL) or because they’re more liable to litigation and so more careful. However, the surgeons tend to be brief, to the point and without promises. They say it like it is. No jargon, no unnecessary long discussions.

Stop Being a People Pleaser

Most people make promises because they’re simply trying to please the other person. In the heat of the moment, people say they will do many things, that they cannot do. You don’t need to please anyone. You need to do your job well. Often, people have unrealistic expectations. Communicate what’s within your power and what isn’t. If there’s something beyond your power, don’t offer it just to look good. You’re accountable for what you say, even when you think no one is watching or listening.

Learn to Say No

Say no if you cannot meet a deadline, have a meeting or cater to a request. There’s no need to pander to everyone. Say no. Don’t just stay quiet and hope the matter will resolve itself or die down. Just say no.

Err on the side of caution

Again, learned this from the surgeons. Stay cautious. Most people are focused on themselves and want their matters dealt with immediately. You know your priorities. If you think a request is more of a fine line, say no. Don’t overpromise.

Write it Down

Write what you have promised down. Make note of things, if you’re simply forgetful. I always carry a fresh page with me daily. I’ve learned from my own attendings, how they use their page to organize. Every fresh request or order gets written down. I know if i don’t write it down, it will never get done. I’m also a checklist person. I have one for my daily life. LOL. So it makes sense to keep a document all the time. If you’re more tech-savvy, use the notepad on your phone. Alternatively, you can use an app like Ticktick or Google tasks.

Reduce Distractions & One touch policy

I usually can follow through on most of what I say I will do by reducing distractions and focusing on one thing at a time. Discharge summary done, move on to next. I don’t open more tabs than I can handle. I do keep the radio on but even that sometimes can be a distraction even if its just instrumental.

I have also implemented a one touch policy for messages and emails. I will open once I’m ready to deal with a matter. If I’ve opened it, I will deal with it right away. No saving for later. I’m not sure which book I read it in, but instead of touching a matter twice, one touch saves time and energy. So deal with it and move on. Yes, no. Next!

Be a Person of Integrity

What is a person of integrity? A person who understand their word is their bond. What they speak matters, because their words have weight. People who show up at a certain time at a certain place because they said they would. People do what they committed to do because they said they would. People who take action because they said they would. They have what is called sagacity.

They make intelligent choices and exercise judgment before making a decision. They don’t oversell. They don’t talk just to fill time. They don’t try to please everyone, just do their job well. They commit to what they can do and then follow through on those commitments, even when its hard. Walk your talk. If you cannot, follow through, say so. You may require more resources than you thought, or it may just be beyond your scope than you originally thought.

When Your Word Is Not Your Bond

When you’re flippant with your words, you seem unbothered. Flaky and untrustworthy. It’s hard to take people seriously when they don’t follow through on their promises. Word travels. Don’t think, that no one knows. Your reputation gradually builds as one promises after another falls through. You also come across as selfish, when you promise your patients something knowing fully well that it won’t happen. You may have a short memory, other’s don’t. If you have the time, round with the surgeons, watch how they deal with conversations and discussions. They are by far the best communicators I have seen so far.

A man’s (or woman) word is only as good as the actions he follows them up with.

J.L.Whitley.

Walk the talk and see your star rise as your word becomes your bond. Your patients and colleagues will respect you all the more for it.

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104 Advent: Is Jesus Coming Again?

“We need to live our lives in such a way to hear the words in the end “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Ralph Martin

WHO IS RALPH MARTIN?

Ralph is the president of Renewal Ministries (www.renewalministries.net ), an organization devoted to Catholic renewal and evangelization. Renewal Ministries is the sponsor of “The Choices We Face” a widely viewed weekly Catholic television and radio program distributed throughout the world and engages in a wide variety of mission work in more than 30 countries. He is also the Director of Graduate Theology Programs in Evangelization and a professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit (www.shms.edu). He holds a doctorate in theology from the Angelicum University in Rome.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Ralph as a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization where he served a 12-year term. He was also appointed as a theological expert for the Synod on the New Evangelization. He is the author of the widely read The Fulfillment of All Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints, and many books on spirituality and evangelization as well as many articles in scholarly and popular publications.. His latest book is A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward. He and his wife Anne reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan and are parents of six and grandparents of nineteen.

Advent: Is Jesus Coming Again?PQF · 104 Advent: Is Jesus Coming Again?

In this episode, Ralph Martin talks to us about Advent and Is Jesus Coming Again? He explains:
i. Is Jesus coming again? What is the evidence of this biblically?
ii. Is he coming in our hearts or is He physically returning?
iii. What are the signs of His coming & why should it matter to everyday Christians?
iv. How do we prepare for His coming?

The Second Coming

I reached out to Ralph after praying about what to discuss this Advent. In a past episode, I had already gone in detail about how and why to prepare for Advent. This year I decided to dig deeper. During the first sunday of Advent, our priest at St. Patrick’s kinda gave us a stark warning. Start planning for your trip to heaven, it might be sooner than you think. So I looked for someone who had studied the second coming. I found his book. Ralph replied promptly and we recorded this episode.

There’s a twofold message in this episode. One that we have to prepare for Christ in our hearts and also for His second coming when He comes to wrap up human history. Ralph explains in great detail what the signs will be when He comes and how we should not be fearful. He also invites us to dwell on scripture. If possible, he suggests reading Dei verbum on why sacred scripture is so important. He talks about how we can help our youth prepare as well. He also has some advice for those who are struggling with life and all its challenges.

I am so grateful to Ralph for taking the time to do this episode. It’s Advent and he has a full speaking calendar. If you have any questions about the second coming of Jesus, pick up his book or give it as a Christmas present. This year, I’m giving away faith based books instead of things to a majority of my friends. It’s a wonderful way to evangelize and sow seeds of faith.

Have a blessed Advent and Christmas season

I wish all my listeners and podcast guests a blessed Advent. During this season, I pray that you grow spiritually and that your ministries may be fruitful. I have truly been blessed this year with amazing speakers and just when I think of giving up, the Lord sustains me with His word and sends me people for this podcast. It is an ongoing miracle. I hope you continue to benefit from this podcast and share it with others. Have a blessed Christmas season all. Felize Natal.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St Therese of the Child Jesus, and Prayer If you liked this podcast, like us, and leave a comment. Share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

The post 104 Advent: Is Jesus Coming Again? appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

Pre-order Starting Now

Starting Now is Here!

Happy Thanksgiving 2023! The last couple of months have been so hectic that all my planned releases were on hold. As I said on my newsletter, my goal for 2023 was to wrap the Henderson County series this year. The manuscripts for the for most part have been written. I just didn’t have the luxury of a few hours piece to fix the edits after they came back from my developmental editor, Erin Bledsoe. However, with the few days that I do have, I’m trying to get back on track.

Les has worked on my beautiful cover with the themes of summer. I am so excited to have a new release for this season!

Book Blurb

In the quaint town of Henderson County, where love blooms like the summer flowers, comes the highly anticipated fourth installment of the sweet summer romance series that has captured the hearts of readers everywhere. “Starting Now” delves into the lives of two individuals, Felicity Miller and Roy Turner, as they navigate the unpredictable terrain of love, self-discovery, and acceptance.

Felicity Miller, a charming woodswoman with a heart as delicate as her furniture, is a woman haunted by her own insecurities. She has built walls around her heart, convinced that love is an elusive dream meant for others. Little does she know that her world is about to be turned upside down by the arrival of Roy Turner, the hotshot lawyer next door.

Roy, known for his unwavering determination and successful career, finds himself at a crossroads when a diagnosis of bipolar disorder derails the path he once thought was secure. As he grapples with the challenges of his new reality, Roy discovers that life’s greatest gifts often come in unexpected packages. Drawn to Felicity’s warmth and kindness, he begins to unravel the layers of his own heart.

As the summer sun bathes Henderson County in a golden glow, “Starting Now” explores themes of resilience, acceptance, and the transformative power of love.

Can Felicity overcome her insecurities and open her heart to the possibility of a once-in-a-lifetime love? Will Roy find the strength to embrace his true self and build a future with the woman who has captured his soul?

Join Felicity and Roy on a journey of self-discovery and healing, where the sweet whispers of the heart lead them to a love that is as enduring as the summer sunsets over Henderson County. 

Pre-order Starting Now

Well for the first time, I’m doing pre-orders on my own store as well, as on online book stores. I’ll post links soon along with a trailer!

Pre-order now

Stay Tuned for links to my store

Read the Series

If you want to read the entire series: click here. All three books in the first series are available as a book bundle at just $7 as part of the Black Friday Sale!

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