WESTON, Conn. -- Author Roland Comtois, nationally acclaimed public speaker, intuitive spiritual healer and grief counselor today announced the publication of his second book, 16 Minutes, When One Breath Ends, Another Begins, a heartfelt intimate memoir recording the final moments shared between a mother and her son during her passing. While his story is poignant and personal, the life lessons, thoughtfully revealed in the book, will resonate with anyone who has suffered or will suffer the loss of a loved one. The author takes us on an insightful journey through tears of sadness and grief, joys remembered, treasured memories lived and doubts unbidden, until he reaches a place that is ultimately hopeful, where life is repurposed and love is eternal. What makes 16 Minutes stand out from all other books on the subject is Roland’s role as a well-known spiritual conduit between the here-and-now and the hereafter. He is able to transcend his personal loss and focus on healing, turning his own experiences with grief into a helpful resource and informative workbook for readers to utilize as they navigate through their losses. The 176-page book, an authoritative pocket-sized primer, is designed to offer comfort, guidance and solace in memorable passages that will transform the reader’s perspectives about the finality of death.
Roland Comtois has spent more than 30 years ministering to thousands of grieving souls. His first book, now in its second printing, And Then There Was Heaven, A Journey of Hope and Love, chronicles his work as a spiritual advisor and nurse specializing in grief counseling. One reader summed up the essence of Roland’s work in one sentence: “You have not only given me hope that there is a better place after life on Earth, but there is more reason to live a better life on Earth.”
Given his profession, Roland Comtois knows a lot about the immobilizing pain people feel when a loved one passes. But when he experienced it on the most personal level himself, after his beloved mother passed away in his arms 2 years ago in November, his words have become more powerful still.
“Interestingly enough, the death of my mother caused me to see love even deeper than I had only months ago. I was beginning to understand the thousands of people who made their way to me, sometimes feverishly or desperately, in search of the loving continuity shared with those that have departed. All I wanted to do was hold them within my embrace, console their pain and tell them I understand. I saw them differently, because I was one of them now. I was not just one who believed in the after-life, but I was, like them, trying to live with the knowledge that someone you love is not physically here.”
In his job, Roland travels nationwide to speak to audiences of all ages and interests. His popularity and following grow with each appearance he makes. His in-person presentations, typically sold out well in advance, have always been compelling and his messages on point and poignant. But now they’re even more engaging as he finds himself at one with the people who come to see him. What’s changed since his mother’s passing? Along with sharing personalized messages of love and hope with those whose loved ones have passed, he is also opening up his own heart and soul with intimate revelations about his own journey through grief.
How has he coped with his loss? Does he still believe in eternal love? Has he found comfort in his knowledge that love never dies? Has he gained a new perspective on his beliefs? And has he experienced the despair and doubts that overwhelm people confronting mortality and death? What he has to say and how he says it is transformative and ultimately life altering and it is eloquently expressed in 16 Minutes.
Roland’s candid confessions about his own experience with the loss of his mother have resonated with his audiences in a way he never imagined possible. That rooms full of strangers are collectively comforted and joined as one with his insights about life and love is a gift of healing unequalled anywhere – and one that Roland hopes to share with readers through 16 Minutes.
Published by Chalice Communications, 16 Minutes, When One Breath Ends, Another Begins, is available for $12.95 at www.blessingsbyroland.com and at online booksellers including Amazon.com. Roland will be launching his book on July 20 from 11 AM to 4 PM at the Stage Right Studio in his hometown of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, followed by book signings throughout the Northeast.
