One of the questions I’m often asked is, “How do you know when a book should become a series?” The truth is, there’s no formula. Some series are planned from the very beginning, while others happen almost by accident.

I’ve experienced both.

The To Love a Sportsman series was always intended to be a series. But my other two series weren’t. They grew naturally because readers wanted more, and I wasn’t ready to leave those worlds behind.

If you’re wondering whether your story has series potential, here are a few things to think about.

1. Is there reader demand?

The biggest clue often comes from your readers.

When I wrote Starting Over, I hadn’t planned on writing another book. But the novel was so well received that readers began mentioning in their reviews that they wanted to revisit Henderson County and meet more of its residents.

That was enough for me to start thinking beyond a single novel.

Sometimes the best reason to write another book is because readers genuinely want to spend more time in the world you’ve created.

2. Does your world have enough characters?

A great series needs more than one interesting protagonist.

In my Starting in Henderson County series, each book follows different characters living in the same small town. The town itself almost becomes another character, connecting each story.

The Boothbay Harbor Series works differently. Each novel focuses on a different sibling in the same family, allowing every character to have their own romance while still contributing to the larger family story.

Whether your books revolve around a town, a family, a workplace, or a friend group, your world needs enough compelling people to carry multiple novels.

3. Is there an overarching theme or story?

Readers enjoy seeing continuity across a series.

In the Starting in Henderson County books, the common thread is second chances. Every couple has a different story, but that central theme ties the books together.

The Boothbay Harbor Series explores something much deeper. Each sibling is shaped by growing up with alcoholism and the breakdown of their parents’ marriage. Every book examines how childhood experiences continue to influence adult relationships.

A series doesn’t need one giant plot that spans every book, but it should have something that connects the stories emotionally or thematically.

4. Is there enough story to justify another book?

This is probably the hardest question to answer honestly.

Not every side character deserves their own novel.

I’m wrestling with this right now in the To Love a Sportsman series. The fourth book has gone through draft after draft because I simply didn’t lay enough groundwork for that character in the previous books. I’m constantly writing, rewriting, and trying to discover whether there’s enough story there to sustain an entire novel.

Sometimes there isn’t.

It’s better to end a series while it’s still strong than to keep writing books simply because readers expect another one.

5. Don’t force a series

We’ve all read series where one or two books feel like filler.

You can almost tell the author—or perhaps the publisher—wanted to extend a successful series, even though the story had already been told.

Every book should earn its place.

If a novel doesn’t reveal something new about the characters or move the overall story forward, readers will notice.

Quality will always outlast quantity.

6. Think about your release schedule

Timing matters.

Some authors release a new book every month through careful planning and an incredibly disciplined writing process.

Others publish one book a year.

Some of my favorite authors take one or even two years between releases, and honestly, I think that’s a healthy pace. It’s long enough to produce a polished book but not so long that readers completely forget the series.

There’s no “right” schedule. The important thing is consistency and delivering your best work.

7. Give every book its own satisfying ending

This applies especially to nonfiction, but it also matters in fiction.

I’ve seen authors stretch one idea across three books, ending each one on a cliffhanger simply to sell the next installment.

Readers are smart.

In today’s economy, people have countless entertainment options competing for their time and money. They can usually tell when a series has been artificially expanded.

Each book should provide genuine value and feel complete on its own, even if there are threads that continue into future books.

Respect your readers, and they’ll keep coming back.

8. Be willing to let the series grow naturally

Not every series begins with a grand master plan.

Apart from To Love a Sportsman, none of my series started with the intention of becoming multiple books.

I simply fell in love with the settings and the characters. There were still stories left to tell, and readers wanted to hear them.

Sometimes that’s the best reason of all.

Final thoughts

Writing a series isn’t about producing as many books as possible. It’s about creating a world readers never want to leave.

If you’re considering turning your standalone novel into a series, ask yourself:

• Are readers asking for more?
• Does your world have enough memorable characters?
• Is there a larger emotional or thematic thread?
• Does each future book have a story worth telling?
• Will every installment stand on its own?

If the answer is yes, then perhaps you’ve found not just one story—but a whole world waiting to be explored.

Have you ever abandoned a series because it felt like it had gone on too long? Or do you have a favorite series that kept getting better with every book? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

The post Thinking About Writing a Book Series? Here’s What to Consider appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

“If we get to the end of our lives and if we have followed, been faithful and we’ve prayed and we’ve listened and we’ve gone where He has taken us, we will never look back and regret that decision.”

Lauren Windle

WHO IS LAUREN WINDLE?

Lauren Windle is a British journalist, author, presenter, and public speaker known for her work on faith, love, feminism, and pop culture. She’s the author of Notes on Love, Notes on Feminism, and Drawing as Prayer, and has written for outlets including Vogue, Marie Claire, and the Church Times. A former Christian recovery service founder, she’s been clean and sober from drug and alcohol addiction for over a decade. Lauren has hosted Christian dating shows, co-hosted the podcast Cross Culture, and delivered a TEDx Talk on her journey to recovery, which has over half a million views. She regularly speaks at conferences and events, blending personal testimony with insights on faith, identity, and culture.

Single, Seen, and Still Called

Some conversations arrive at exactly the right moment. My discussion with Lauren Windle was one of those.

When I invited Lauren onto the podcast, I had no idea how much her words would speak into my own life. In fact, she replied to my invitation so quickly that I knew this conversation was meant to happen.

Around that time, I had just moved into a new apartment in a new city. As I unpacked boxes, I caught myself thinking, Maybe I shouldn’t buy furniture yet. It seemed practical enough. Why buy a dining table or decorate a home that might one day belong to someone else too?

Then Lauren shared a story that stopped me in my tracks.

She spoke about a man who had delayed buying furniture because he was waiting for the day he would have a wife to choose it with. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was almost identical to my own thinking.

Sometimes God speaks so gently that it almost feels like a whisper. Other times He uses someone else’s story to shine a light on our own.

Lauren’s point was simple but profound: we are not called to put our lives on hold while waiting for marriage.

We are called to live fully now.

Singleness is not the waiting room before life begins. It is a season of purpose, growth, joy, and service. The deepest friendship and greatest love we will ever know is not found in a spouse—it is found in Jesus Christ. Every other relationship flows from that one.

That truth changes everything.

Dating with intention, not obsession

Lauren also offered refreshingly practical advice about dating apps.

Rather than endlessly swiping left and right until the experience becomes exhausting or discouraging, she recommends opening the app for just two or three minutes. Look at someone’s profile. Consider their hopes, interests, and dreams. If you’d genuinely like to know them, reach out. If not, close the app.

You’ve “done” dating for the day.

It’s such a healthy perspective. Dating shouldn’t consume our emotional energy or become our identity. It’s simply one avenue through which God may choose to bring someone into our lives.

Don’t settle just to avoid being alone

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation came when Lauren said that if our goal were simply to be married—to anyone—we probably could have achieved that already.

But that’s not God’s desire for us.

We’re not looking for just any partner. We’re seeking someone who will walk with us toward Christ, someone who shares our faith and our calling. Marriage isn’t simply about companionship; it’s about discipleship together.

Waiting for the right person may be difficult, but settling for the wrong one is far more costly.

Already chosen

Perhaps my favorite reminder from Lauren was this:

“Being chosen by another person will never define you when you’ve already been chosen by the Most High God.”

How often do we allow our worth to rise and fall with whether someone texts back, notices us, or commits to us?

The gospel tells a different story.

Before anyone ever chose us, Christ did.

Our identity isn’t rooted in relationship status but in belonging to Him.

Grieving with hope

Lauren doesn’t pretend that singleness is always easy. She acknowledges the sadness that can come with missed milestones, changing timelines, and watching friends move into seasons you long for yourself.

It’s okay to grieve those things.

But as Christians, we grieve differently.

We grieve with hope.

Hope that God has not forgotten us.

Hope that His timing is wiser than ours.

Hope that His plans are never second best.

One of Lauren’s greatest encouragements was that God’s plan will never be worse than the one we would have written for ourselves.

That doesn’t mean it will look exactly as we imagined. Sometimes God’s story unfolds in ways we never expected. But we can trust that whatever He has prepared is ultimately better than anything we could have orchestrated on our own.

So if you’re single today and wondering whether you’ve been overlooked, remember this:

Live your life now.

Buy the furniture.

Decorate your home.

Pursue your calling.

Invest in friendships.

Serve the Church.

Keep your heart open, but don’t put your life on pause.

Because the greatest love story has already begun—the one between you and the Savior who chose you first. And every other chapter is safest when written in His hands.

Listen, Share, and Join the Conversation

Check out some of our other episodes on Praying for your Future Spouse and Chastity. If this conversation encouraged you, challenged your perspective, or reminded you that you are deeply loved and seen by God, I’d love for you to share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Please like, follow, and share this episode on whichever platform you listened—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. Every share helps these conversations reach more people who may be navigating singleness, waiting, or wondering where God is leading them.

And if you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating or review. It helps others discover the podcast and encourages us to keep sharing stories of faith, hope, and God’s faithfulness.

The post 125 Single, Seen, and Still Called: Rethinking Love in the Church appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

“God understands suicide.”

Ed Shoener

Who is Deacon Edward Shoener?

Ed Shoener was ordained a permanent deacon in 2004 and serves at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton. Shoener is a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers and the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego.

His daughter, Katie, died by suicide in 2016.  Katie’s obituary went viral because it spoke to the needs and concerns of people who live with mental illness. Millions of people read it, and tens of thousands of people from across the world contacted Deacon Ed. Again and again, he heard from people who lamented that the Catholic Church offered little to minister to those suffering from mental illness and their loved ones. In response, Deacon Ed co-founded the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers.

The International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers combats mental illness stigma by promoting compassion and understanding and has provided free resources to parishes worldwide and to individuals and families seeking support, education, and community.  The Association now has over 7,000 members in over 75 countries

Deacon Ed, along with Bishop John Dolan, is co-author of the books Responding to Suicide: A Pastoral Handbook for Catholic Leaders and When a Loved One Dies by Suicide (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN).

Breaking the Silence on Suicide

In this episode, I talk to Deacon Ed Shoener about suicide.
He explains:
-What makes grief after suicide different from other forms of loss, and what do you most want survivors to know early on?
-Many families and friends wrestle with “what if” questions and self-blame. How can people gently loosen the grip of guilt while still honoring their love for the person who die
-Silence and stigma often surround suicide, even within faith communities. What does healthy, faithful accompaniment look like when someone is grieving a death by suicide—and what responses, even well-intended ones, can be harmful?
-You emphasize that healing does not mean forgetting or “moving on.” How can survivors integrate this loss into their lives in a way that allows meaning, connection, and even moments of peace over time?
-For listeners who may be walking alongside someone grieving a suicide—or who are grieving themselves—what practices of presence, prayer, or professional support do you most strongly encourage, especially in the months after the initial shock fades?

A Conversation We Can’t Avoid:

In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Deacon Ed Shoener for a deeply moving and honest conversation about loss, faith, and the urgent need for compassion in our communities.

Deacon Ed shares the story of losing his daughter, Katie, to suicide—a grief no parent should ever have to endure. Yet out of that heartbreak, he has chosen to speak, to serve, and to shine a light on mental health within the Church.

He challenges something many of us have seen but don’t always name: when tragedy strikes, especially suicide, people often don’t know what to say—so they say nothing at all. Families are left not only grieving, but isolated. Deacon Ed gently urges us to do better: don’t avoid them. Speak their loved one’s name. Show up. Sit with them in their pain.

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation is his reminder:
“Jesus wept for them far more than we ever could—because He loved them far more.”

This is the heart of the message—God’s compassion is deeper than our fear, our discomfort, or our uncertainty.

Deacon Ed also speaks about the Church’s growing understanding of suicide—not as a simple moral failing, but often as the result of profound suffering and clouded judgment. Many who survive suicide attempts, he notes, are grateful they did. That truth alone calls us to respond with urgency, tenderness, and hope.

What can we do about it?

What’s more, he doesn’t just speak—he acts. He is actively working to build mental health ministries within parishes, encouraging ordinary people to begin these conversations locally, creating spaces where no one has to suffer alone.

This episode is not easy—but it is necessary.

If you’ve ever wondered how to support someone grieving, how faith meets mental health, or how the Church can become a place of real refuge—this conversation is for you.

Listen now, and let’s become a people who choose presence over silence, compassion over discomfort, and hope over fear.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST

You might also like our conversation on Forgiveness and St Maximilian Kolbe. And if this blessed you, please share the podcast with someone who needs it.

The post 124 Breaking the Silence on Suicide: A Father’s Witness to Love and Loss appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

Rest is not idleness—and it’s definitely not distraction.

Nickole Perry

Who is Nickole Perry?

Nickole Perry is the Director of Operations for Cedar Creek Ministries in Montana, where she serves alongside her family supporting pastors, ministry leaders, and their families. A wife of 20 years to a firefighter and a mother of eight, Nickole is passionate about helping leaders pursue excellence without sacrificing their health, faith, or family relationships.

She loves writing and speaking on practical tools ministry leaders can use to prevent burnout, strengthen their marriages and families, and grow in sustainable, Christ-centered leadership. Through her work in ministry operations, homeschooling, and publishing, Nickole equips leaders to build lives and ministries marked by endurance, clarity, and obedience to God.

Burnout in Ministry

Burnout in ministry is something we don’t talk about enough—but it’s something so many quietly carry.

This episode, Running on Empty: Burnout in Ministry, is especially close to my heart because it didn’t just come from curiosity—it came from a very real place in my own life.

Earlier this year, I found myself feeling burned out in ministry. My calling, which once energized me, began to feel… routine. Even boring. The fire I once had felt dim. And if I’m being honest, rejection played a role too. After being turned down by a potential guest, I started to question everything.

Was I on the right track?
Was this really what I was supposed to be doing?

I had so many questions and not enough clarity.

So I did something I don’t always make time for—I slowed down. I set aside intentional space to reflect, to pray, and to process what I was feeling. And in that season, I reached out to Nickole Perry, Director of Cedar Creek Ministries, because I knew this was a conversation I needed—not just as a host, but as someone searching for answers.

From the very start, Nickole brought such honesty and enthusiasm. This isn’t just a topic she talks about—it’s a mission she lives.

Nickole understands burnout not as a distant concept, but as a lived experience. She spoke candidly about how easy it is for those in ministry to confuse calling with overextending. Somewhere along the way, many of us begin to believe that being faithful means exhausting ourselves—that sacrifice must equal depletion.

But what if that’s not what God is asking?

One of the most powerful takeaways from our conversation was Nickole’s perspective on rest. She challenged a misconception many of us hold:

Rest is not idleness—and it’s definitely not distraction.

Scrolling through Instagram, binge-watching Netflix, or losing hours to video games might feel like “switching off,” but as Nickole so aptly put it, that’s not rest—it’s anesthesia. It numbs us, but it doesn’t restore us.

What is rest?

True rest, she explains, is intentional. It’s life-giving. It reconnects us—with God, with ourselves, and with the people we love.

After all, even Jesus rested.

That truth alone should give us permission to pause.

What does Burnout in Ministry Look Like?

Nickole also offered insight into what burnout actually looks like. It’s not always dramatic or obvious. Sometimes, it shows up as quiet irritation. A growing frustration with the very people we are called to serve. A sense of heaviness where there was once joy. When ministry begins to feel like a burden instead of a calling, it may be a sign that something deeper needs attention.

And perhaps most importantly, she reminded us of this:

We were never meant to do ministry in our own strength.

Burnout often creeps in when we rely solely on ourselves—our effort, our energy, our capacity. But ministry was always meant to flow from dependence on the Lord, not depletion of the self.

Nickole shared practical, thoughtful ways to guard against burnout—creating rhythms of rest, setting boundaries, and cultivating a life that allows us to look forward to Monday morning, not dread it. That idea really stayed with me: building a life where ministry is sustainable, joyful, and rooted in balance.

This conversation left me reflecting deeply—and I hope it does the same for you.

So let me ask you:

Are you running on empty in your ministry?
Are you truly resting—or just distracting yourself?
What has helped you navigate seasons of burnout?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST

You might also like our conversation on Meditating and Homeschooling. And if this blessed you, please share the podcast with someone who needs it.

The post 123 Running on Empty: Burnout in Ministry appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.

For me, 2025 was consumed by application season.

Research. Publications. Studying. Planning. Obligations. More planning.
All necessary. All important. And all quietly crowding out the one thing that has always helped me breathe: writing.

I did some editing on my women’s fiction—nothing insignificant, but nothing transformative either. I didn’t move the needle. And if I’m being honest, I got carried away with my own novel in the worst way possible: I started rereading instead of editing. Then rereading turned into reading. And reading turned into avoidance disguised as productivity.

To make things sweeter and more complicated, my mom spent a lot of time with me last year. By the time she left after Christmas, I hadn’t made the kind of headway I’d hoped for creatively. Life had been full—just not full of words on the page.

I even drove to New York to drop her at JFK, and if you’ve ever been to NYC, you know what I mean when I say this: there’s just something about it.

I don’t know if it’s the energy, the hustle, the noise, or the audacity of the city itself—but I always come back re-energized. Ideas start firing again. Characters start whispering. My brain wakes up.

So when I returned, with New Year’s right around the corner, I made a quiet decision: I was going to write the way I used to.

Years ago, I had a simple rule.
I wrote 200 words a day. Then I stopped.

It worked—for that season of life. But now, with everything on my plate—planning a move, apartment hunting, organizing, studying, finishing one research project, and doing data entry for another (I still wish there were an easier way for that)—I needed to be strategic.

Two thousand words a day felt impossible. Unrealistic. Heavy.
But I also knew that 200 words wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to go.

So I landed on a middle ground.

1,000 words a day.

It felt doable. Manageable. Almost… light.

And surprisingly, I could get it done fast.

The Structure That Saved Me

Before I wrote a single new word, I paused and planned—just enough to prevent myself from getting stuck.

I created three major arcs for a contemporary romance novel. I won’t pretend I was starting from nothing—I had about 20,000 words from an old rough draft that I decided to resurrect. But instead of diving back in blindly, I reread it quickly and stepped back.

I mapped out:

• Three parallel arcs in each chapter
• Key milestones for each arc
• A loose chapter plan to guide momentum

Nothing fancy. Nothing rigid. Just enough of a roadmap to keep me moving forward instead of spiraling.

Then, every day, I wrote 1,000 words.

Some days, I got carried away and wrote more. Other days, I stopped exactly at 1,000 and closed the document without guilt.

One trick that helped immensely:
I always stopped in the middle of a scene.

Mid-conversation.
Mid-dinner.
Mid-dialogue.

It made it easy to return the next day. No blank-page panic. No “where was I going with this?” dread.

And on days when my brain felt dry or tired, I gave myself permission to simply describe the scenery, revisit my plot lines, or deepen the emotional atmosphere. Words still counted—even if they weren’t brilliant.

Writing as Regulation, Not Perfection

Around this time, I watched a doctor on YouTube mention that writing helps relax the brain. That it regulates stress. That it gives the mind somewhere to place pressure instead of letting it build.

That hit me hard.

I had been carrying so much stress—so much internal noise—and not writing had made it worse. Getting the words out, imperfect and unedited, helped me feel like I had some control over my life again.

This draft was never about perfection.

I didn’t edit as I went. I barely reread.
I let it be messy.

Occasionally, I’d do light editing—especially after listening to a BBC Radio interview with Oscar-winning film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who edited daily alongside Martin Scorsese on every project. That idea stuck with me. Some days, a light pass made the manuscript more readable and helped the flow when I returned the next morning.

But editing was optional. Writing was not.

Mood Matters More Than Motivation

Another unexpected tool?
Atmosphere.

I listened to music that matched the emotional tone of the story. I watched dramas—eventually landing on K-dramas—that carried a similar romantic and emotional flavor. Even when I didn’t feel like writing, staying immersed in the mood helped keep the characters alive in my head.

Inspiration doesn’t always come from discipline.
Sometimes it comes from surrounding yourself with the right textures.

The Result

By February, I had stuck to the plan.

The result?
A 60,000-word first draft of a contemporary romance—nearly ready to be shaped before I go back to editing my women’s fiction.

This romance will be a project for next year. But it did something just as important: it gave my creative brain a break between genres. When I return to women’s fiction, I know I’ll see it with fresh eyes.

More than that, it made me feel good again.

The guilt of not writing lifted.
The claustrophobic feeling of being a creative with nowhere to put emotions eased.
The pressure finally had an outlet.

Why the 1,000 Words a Day Plan Works

You don’t need three arcs.
You don’t even need a detailed plot.

But having a general map—something to guide you when motivation dips—makes all the difference.

1,000 words a day is small enough to fit into real life.
But big enough to compound quickly.

It’s progress without punishment.
Momentum without burnout.

So if you’ve been stuck, overwhelmed, or quietly grieving the creative version of yourself you haven’t seen in a while—why not give it a try?

You don’t need perfection.
You just need a page.

And tomorrow, another one.

Happy writing

The post The 1,000 Words a Day Writing Plan appeared first on PAMELA Q. FERNANDES.