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Meeting at Senator John Kerry's office
On April 5, 2011, Alberta Sequeira, and her husband, Al, traveled to Boston, Massachusetts to meet with Stephen Meunier, Policy Advisor to Senator John Kerry. They gave suggestions on how to modifying the Patient Privacy Act for substance abusers. Hopefully, if it passes, family members will be more involved with the patient's counseling and medical team, especially, when their doctor considers them to be at a life-threatening stage with their addiction.
Mr. Meunier is interested in presenting the ideas to the Patient Policy Act to Washington, D.C.
June 7, 2011, Senator John Kerry-MA, contacted both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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BIO: Alberta H. Sequeira was born in Pocasset, MA. Her father, Albert L. Gramm, was a One Star Brigadier General in the Army, and she spent her childhood in various towns across the different states traveling. She lives in Rochester, MA with her husband, Al.
1st Memoir: She is the author of her first memoir, A Healing Heart; A Spiritual Renewal (2006). It’s about her relationship with her father, learning too late about his remarkable military life as one of the commanding officers of the 26th Yankee Division and fighting throughout Europe during WWII in the battles of Lorraine, Metz and the Battle of the Bulge. Her spiritual changes take her on a ten day pilgrimage to Medjugorje a tiny, remote village in Bosnia. As of December 8, 2011, her book is in the last stage of being re-printed by Riverhaven Publishing in Whitman, Massachusetts with the new title A Spiritual Renewal; A Journey to Medjugorje.
2nd Memoir: June 19, 2009, her memoir, Someone Stop This Merry-Go-Round; An Alcoholic Family in Crisis, was self-published by Infinity Publishing. The story is about her young alcoholic marriage of fourteen years behind closed doors to Richard Lopes of North Dighton, Massachusetts and their two daughters, Debbie and Lori living in confusion and fear. It’s a rollercoaster with Richie’s struggle trying to combat his alcoholic addiction. Join her on a merry-go-round of enabling and abuse. In 1985, Richie died at the VA Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island at 45 years old from cirrhosis of the liver.
Sequel: The sequel Please, God, Not Two; This Killer Called Alcoholism (2010) is the continuation of their lives, and the story follows her daughter, Lori Cahill of North Dighton, going down the same path as her father. On November 22, 2006, after three rehabilitation stays, Lori died at the young age of 39 years old at the Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River from the same horrible, worldwide disease. This book contains some of the author’s speaking engagements to alcoholic abusers at halfway homes and substance abuse locations.
April 5, 2011, Alberta and her husband, Al, met with Stephen Meunier, Policy Advisor to Senator John Kerry-MA, in his Boston, Massachusetts office. They presented ways to modify the Patient Privacy Act to help substance abusers and their families.
June 7, 2011, Senator John Kerry-MA, contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on our behalf.
Speaker: She has been a speaker on alcohol abuse and her spiritual renewal at the following locations:
* The Emerson House on the grounds of Gosnold Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center, Falmouth, MA
* Lynne’s House halfway home (for women) in Wareham, MA
* Glannas House, halfway home (for men) in Wareham, MA
* Brockton Resource Center, Brockton, MA:.Substance Abuse Program ordered by the court for abusers and was presented in a morning and evening session.
* Break’n the Chainz Ministry, New Bedford, MA: “Empowering our Community Against Addiction” Conference
* Lawrence Welk’s Desert Oasis Resort, Palm Springs, CA
* Magnificat, Catholic Woman’s Ministry, at the Providence Marriott Hotel in Providence, RI
* Magnificat, Catholic Women’s Ministry: Boston Chapter at the Marian Movement in Medway, MA
* Barnes and Noble, Orlando, FL
* Lakeville Public Library: “The Effect of Alcoholism on the Whole Family,” Lakeville, MA
* Mothers of Ministry, Halifax, MA
* Dighton Library, Dighton, MA
* DightonTown Hall, Dighton, MA
* Hazelwood Senior Center, New Bedford, MA
* Autumn Glen, No. Dartmouth, MA
* Taunton Cultural Council, Taunton, MA
* Baker Books, No. Dartmouth, MA
* Sisters of Solace, Westport, MA
Awards: Reader Views of Austin, Texas had awarded A Healing Heart; A Spiritual Renewal the Reviewers Choice Award 2008 Semi-Finalist. Her work has appeared in the Medjugorje USA Highlighter Newsletter (Trusting in God’s Will – 2007, and What Do You Believe - 2008). Allbooks Review of Canada had nominated her memoirs Someone Stop This Merry-Go-Round with the “Editor’s Choice Award” and has been nominated for the “Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Award 2011.” The sequel, Please, God, Not Two was also nominated for the “Editor’s Choice Award 2010” and appeared in the December 20, 2010 issue of Publishers Weekly.
Services: She is a Continuing Education instructor for a three hour Beginning Writer’s Workshops titled “Bring Your Manuscript to Publication.” She taught at the Learning Connection in Providence, Rhode Island, libraries and senior centers throughout Massachusetts, and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton, MA.
Member: Alberta has joined five other professional published authors (Authors Without Borders,” www.awb6.com) offering their services with speaking engagements, readings, panel discussions, book signing, poetry slams and workshops at schools, bookstores, businesses, and libraries. In August 2010, she co-authored with the group and published their first book Loose Ends; A Hodgepodge of Short Stories.
She is also a member of the Cape Cod Writer’s Group.
She has been interviewed by Paul Lazarovich from The Cranberry Country Journal Cable TV in Middleboro, MA (www.youtube.com), Tony Lopes and Bob Folick from the WVBF Radio Station in Taunton, MA, Roland Hinds from Blog Radio TruVue Radio in CA, Pete Braley and (2xs)Phil Paleologos from the WBSM Radio Station in Fairhaven, MA, Tony Lewis of The Standard Times newspaper of New Bedford, MA, The Taunton Community Access & Media (The Other Side) TV with Jeff Rothman, Laureen Brenton from WCTV Comcast Ch. 9 *Verizon FIOS Ch. 30 of Wareham, MA, Augusta Alban from the TV show “Don’t Retire, Inspire” from Boston, Sisters of Solace with Christine Dobyna , Willie Pleasants from the Boston Neighborhood Network from her show Willie’s Web, NBTV-95 New Bedford, MA with Thomas J. Sexton, and Don McCauley, host of The Authors Show Radio. Her books have appeared in the South Coast, Bristol County and South Shore Women’s Journal, The Wareham Observer, Lakeville Call, The Spirit of Change, the Rhode Island Catholic Newspaper, The Anchor, and as far as The Catholic Weekly in Australia.
Cable Show: Alberta is a co-host to Authors Without Borders Presents, a monthly, half hour NBTV-95 cable show out of New Bedford, Massachusetts interviewing other writers and authors.
Conferences/Workshops: The Massachusetts Conferences for Women in Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Authors Presentation, NBTV-95 Cable TV, The Cape Cod Writer’s workshops, Break’n the Chainz Ministries: “Empowering our Community Against Addiction.”
Discussion Panels: Lakeville Public Library, Lakeville, MA; Jamaicaway Books, Jamaica Plain, MA, Autumn Glen in North Dartmouth, MA, Bristol Plymouth Technical School in Taunton, MA, an event sponsored by the Dighton Library held at the Dighton Town Hall, Dighton, MA.
Anthology: Her first anthology writing had appeared in October 2010 for “The Unexpected Journey” in the Speaker Anthology book published by Dr. Kent, Sally Shield, Kristin Arnold and Terry L. Brock. On October 11, 2010, her article “Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing” was featured on the Amy Edelman website www.indiereader.com. On June 8, 2011, she wrote “Abuse” for the Smythe Magazine. On December 2, 2011, her bio and first chapter of Someone Stop This Merry-Go-Round was printed in Taste and See, A Sampling of First Chapters by John 316 Marketing Network Authors [Kindle Edition].
Send for a Quote for Any Event: Alberta Sequeira, 12 Rounseville Road, Rochester, MA 02770
Email: memoirs@albertasequeira.com
Telephone: 508-763-5902
Website: www.albertasequeira.com or www.ahealingheart.net.
Blog: www.albertasequeira.wordpress.com
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