A Dose of Tia by Dina Mauro

A Dose of Tia - How a Woman and Her Rescued Dog Embraced Life Through Volunteering - and How You Can, Too.

I don't normally read animal stories, they usually have me crying throughout much of the story. But as a staunch supporter of animal rescue, whether retired working animals, abandoned pets or wildlife, when I was approached to do an honest review, I knew I had to take this one on. One reason is the full title (as shown in the heading above).

This book is written from the heart as a journal. It taught me many things, but mostly that your heart never empties. The more you give of your heart the more your heart fills.

Looking for something to fill her time as her family grew, as well as their three rescued dogs, Dina Mauro began to think of what type of hobby she could do that would include her dogs and her love of children. Perhaps volunteering at a childrens' hospital would give her what she needed.

As it happened, after training with her dog Tia, an English Pointer, as a pet therapy or visitation team, she learns that there is a five year waiting list of volunteers who wanted to work with children. Dina, though disappointed, sets out to think through her interests in life, and how they would fit best as a volunteer team. She tries various hospitals, nursing homes and finally hits on the Swedish Medical Centre.

This book is uplifting, full of wonder and humor as this team begins to realize that they take away more than they give in blessings. The gift of life, good or bad, the gift of giving, the gift of healing and being healed in return. Often we think of hospitals as a place of sadness and pain, but one thing I take from reading this book is that hospitals are very much alive, and those fortunate enough to have a visit from a volunteer team will find their spirits lifted.

With each report she puts in to the lead volunteer, Jim, Dina adds a note telling him what she has learned that day. A heart-warming story and one that could be just what a reader could be looking for. How to live a rich and full life and embrace it. This animal story was truly well worth reading for everyone. For me, I was taken out of myself, looking at life differently. For those wanting more information, Dina has included a few resources at the end of the book.

Divine Justice by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Published by Imajin Books
Review based on eBook

A prequel within a sequel, answers to questions considered from Divine Intervention with its many references to The Parliament Murders. This second book begins with an unconscious leader of a PSI team of the Canadian Federal Bureau of Investigation (CFBI), Jasmine (Jasi) McLellan. She has been hospitalized after the gunshot wound she received in the previous book went sour and developed a serious blood infection. Even worse, it was discovered on this second trip to hospital that she also had a concussion with brain swelling. Doctors are non-committal at this point, but a threat does hang over her that if they can't stop the infection from spreading to her heart, they are looking at amputation. This is enough to terrify her friend and co-worker, Victim Empath Natassia Prushenko, and seriously affect her other partner Ben Roberts, top profiler and Psychometic Empath. Three months have gone by since Natassia joined the PSI team, working on the case that had been solved only weeks ago, leaving Jasi with her injuries. In her coma, she is living in the prequel, reliving The Parliament Murders, while friends and family are living in the sequel to the first book. They are in the present, which happens to be July, 2012.

I am one reader of probably a large number of readers who really wanted to learn the story of The Parliament Murders, and now we have it. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has whet our appetites and then come through with a great read to digest! I love this concept, giving us the earlier story through Jasi's coma, and perhaps her subconscious feelings of guilt. At the same time we are getting snippets of what is happening with the rest of the team waiting and watching over her. The high suspense factor of The Parliament Murders is heart-pounding and the desperation to solve the case is every bit as exciting, though told through Jasi's mind. Someone is killing off the Canadian Members of Parliament in Ottawa, one by one, and doing a nasty job of it, too. What is the connection between the victims? A reason doesn't seem to be forthcoming. This is the case that bothers Jasi so much. The story is well focused, fast-paced, a real thriller. The action and race against time happening in Jasi's mind is underscored by the perception of the slow passage of time by her friends, family, and medical staff, waiting, fearing. A dramatic conflict of perceived time.

One thing I like about series is how the characters grow and become familiar. It's somewhat like adding people to your group of friends or family. This is also true in a working community, especially in a high risk group who provide a safety net for each others' lives. These PSI investigators are definitely a family, tuned in to each member's needs, and abilities. We met them in Divine Intervention and learn a little more about them as they wait for Jasi to wake up. Another great psi-fi thriller from Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

Confessions of a Trauma Junkie, my Life as a Nurse Paramedic by Sherry Jones Mayo, RN, EMTP, NCCM,

Reviewed for "ReviewTheBook"

You may never have the opportunity to read a book like this again. This true life documentation is an interesting look into the quality and care presented in the most traumatic incidents. Sometimes sad, sometimes humorous, the first part deals with Sherry Jones Mayo's time served as a paramedic.  Vignettes of life, injury and death on the run. As with all traumatic jobs, there must be comic relief, and so there is, the "gallows humor" method of retaining one's sanity in an insane world. I do not use the word "insane" to mean anything degrading, simply as that is how the world appears in chaotic, traumatic incidents of life.  You will find all of these in this honest non-fiction book.

The second part gives the reader insight into who Sherry is, what inspired her, what obstacles she had to overcome in her own life, and where/how the breaking point can suddenly appear. No holds barred, this is again a very honest approach to her life at several stages, her love of family, and how incidents in the ER can impact her concerns for her family.  She has seen it all. It is extremely difficult not to interpret what is happening at work with what might be happening to her own family.  Separating family and work is definitely not as easy as in other occupations.

The third part could well be called survival of the staff from the patients in the ER. It is, for the most part, lighter and a definite theme of how to survive the abuse of the patients.  Told with tongue firmly planted in cheek, it is a day-to-day list of patience above and beyond when it comes to receiving patients who are not really sick or are just simply demanding. The people who are "too sick" to tend to themselves but can manage well enough to treat the caregivers like servants. And then there are the "regulars", people trying to get drugs by acting out pain and telling the doctors what they need.  Here, too, "gallows humor" reigns from necessity.

The fourth section covers in part living with grief, accepting it, healing, and remembering the positive. I found a personal connection in both getting through grief and, further in this section, the result of delayed grief. Apparently I did the right thing in dealing with the loss of my grandmother by writing a story of her childhood, as the only grandchild who had heard all the stories. With delayed grief, it is an entirely different feeling and can hit at any time, even decades later.  It lays buried and unnoticed until some trigger leaves a person reeling and not understanding why, it is buried so deeply.  The content of this section of the book was very helpful to me personally, and I highly recommend the book on the merits of this segment especially.  Referring to grief, Sherry is not only talking about the need for families of patients, but also for those attending to the patients, and their own families too.

A separate story on Hurricane Katrina brings Crisis Intervention to the forefront and demonstrates just how important this is. So little could be done by the rescue teams and yet they felt the need to have done more. This puts a great burden on these people and consequently eventually on their families. This distinct section is a very important read, not only for that aspect but it does explain a lot of errors and delays that occurred at the time.  This portion and the following deal mainly with the very real problems facing even seasoned ER personnel and the need for crisis intervention.

All told, this book will bring a greater understanding of just how much these very special people are capable of, how caring they are, and why some burn out so soon. I definitely recommend this book on many levels. Who has not had some connection to this field at some point in their lives. This is how it is, written faithfully and dealing more with outcomes and feelings than a gory tale.

The book is very well written with a nice balance to hold the lay person's attention. There is also a glossary at the end of the book, although most terms are either recognizable or explained along the way, also.  5 stars