Episode 17: Bookish Events and Authors We Want To Meet with Guest Co-host Christine Wellert, Author
Do you ever look back on something you did and think to yourself how much sooner you could've accomplished it if you would've been better organized, more disciplined? Same. The journey to finishing Awakened Power was a long one (haha, that's what she said!) full of twists and turns, triumphs and setbacks. Grab some tea and get settled… It was a dark and stormy night… No, that's not right. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times… Okay, that's a little more accurate. I started my book mid-2020, when COVID was the ONLY thing on the news, and I couldn't even go to the grocery store for toothpaste, much less the bookstore or library. Boredom set in really quickly. Luckily, I worked remotely, which gave me plenty of time at home, occasionally avoiding actual work and goofing off instead. (Shhh…. don't tell my boss!) To be fair, my position was really new, and no one quite knew what to do with me. And I tend to grind really hard to get my to do list done so I have more time to goof off. I mean, enjoy other hobbies. Anyhoo, based on a dream I had one night, I started writing a book. I didn't know it would be a book I mostly just wrote about my dream because it haunted me (I was reading a lot of Nora Roberts at the time). Every few days or weeks I would add a little something to it, but not much and not consistently. Over the next few years, I continued to play around with it, but in 2024 I decided at 70,000 words and counting I actually had a book, and I got serious. Even at my most serious I still only got a couple thousand words in here and there, but after my husband had a pretty serious surgery and my life ground to a halt, I used writing as an escape, as a fun little diversion from the worry. One of my first biggest cheerleaders was my sister-in-law, Susie. (Hi Susie!) When I told her about my book, she got so excited, asked me questions about it whenever we talked, and generally rizzed me up (that's cool kid code for making me feel like a rockstar. I think. I looked it up on Urban Dictionary and that is decidedly not their definition.). Susie worked on creating a website for me, and we had weekly meetings discussing my progress on the book and the next steps. Finally, I made myself an actual ironclad schedule (that I followed about as well as any enforced rule… :-)). But it helped me focus and eventually I banged out (again with The Office jokes…) the rest of the book. The first person I sent my first draft to was my friend Sam, so she could be a Beta reader for me (not that I knew that's what it was called at the time). Meanwhile, I paid a developmental editor to edit it for me. I wish I would've read my book through a few more times before I sent it. In all seriousness, when you are writing something, it's hard to see the gaps or holes in your story because you're so close to it. After I got it back from Claire, my editor, I realized, based on her feedback, that I had a lot more work ahead of me. After a few more months of a big overhaul and bushwhacking it down from 100,000 words to 70,000, I reread it again, maybe a hundred more times, then sent it back to Claire. That was ten days ago. No, I'm definitely not biting my nails and pacing nervously… The moral of this very long-winded story for the two people still reading is that I finally got my sh*t together and put in the work to write an actual book! I'm working on my second one now, part of a three book (so far) cozy mystery/romance series that is completely different from my first book. I can't wait to have them published and to show them off to the one or two people that might pick them up by accident…. :-)
First, a little background history about crystals; yes, I know, yawwnnnn- a history lesson. But I think it’s nice to get an understanding on the past importance historically speaking to be able to appreciate why people value crystals so much. Here goes: Precious and Semi-precious stones have been in use since the beginning of recorded history and probably longer. Many people, then (and now), believe there to be an inherent energy or frequency particular to each type of stone. These stones often ascribed wealth and status and were coveted- similarly to current times. Throughout history, cultures have used crystals in ceremonies such as burials, weddings, and sacred contact with deities. Egypt was known for utilizing lapis lazuli, China used jade, and Aztec and Toltic cultures considered emeralds sacred. I personally am a little obsessed with crystals. I’ve never been a jewelry kind of girl, preferring experiences over things. But I find it hard to pass by a crystal shop without going in to browse. The crystals I have are usually towers, flames, balls, or rough-cut stones. I put them on my windowsills, desk, shelves, fireplace mantel, etc. I also put some in my car. Now if you’ve read any of my other posts you know that I consider myself skeptically optimistic (or is it an optimistic skeptic?) so I will say that although I love my little stone buddies, I don’t know that I believe them to have magical superpowers. (Ok but how cool would that be?) For instance- my rose quartz is not going to instantly make my husband super romantic and loving because I held it in my hand and asked for it. (It was worth a shot though…..) To me, it’s more of using them as a focus. So, to use the rose quartz example again- I can wear a rose quartz bracelet, and when I look at it, I can take that opportunity to focus my thoughts on being more loving, on bringing more love into my life by addressing my blocks and insecurities. I also place certain crystals in my truck and my backpack when I travel. I love me a good hematite stone for protection. Did it stop the tornado from touching down in front of my airplane in Chicago this summer while we sat on the tarmac like the most alluring of trailer parks? No. Did I come out unharmed with a wild story to tell and some new friends? Yes. Again, probably not magic, but certainly a comfort and helps me remember to do everything I can to stay safe. Here is a list of crystals mentioned in the book, Awakened Power: Emma’s Story , along with some information about each one:
I started Awakened Power: Emma’s Story with a dramatic NDE. The idea for Emma coming into her power through a near death experience came from my own experience with an NDE in 2000, when I gave birth to my youngest daughter. I started hemorrhaging after I delivered her, and at some point, my soul left my body. I remember looking down at all the people frantically running around, and at my husband holding our brand-new baby, a look of terror on his face. All I felt was absolute peace and love. I kept trying to tell them to relax, everything was okay, that I was fine, but no one reacted. A warm, peaceful, sense of love I’ve never experienced before or since washed over me. While an incredible experience, it was a lot less dramatic, and sadly not as impactful as our intrepid hero in the book! NDE’s often illicit a sense of absolute love that is hard or impossible to replicate here on Earth. Another commonality with most, if not all, NDE’s I've researched (and there were hundreds!), are a general message of enlightenment that improves the person’s overall approach and belief in the goodness of life. This can happen immediately and strengthen over time, or for some of us folks we might not remember a whole lot about the lessons we learned during the NDE until later in our lives. My theory is perhaps we can’t always incorporate those lessons immediately; maybe life circumstances are overwhelming us at the time, or perhaps we need more emotional maturity before we can truly understand them. In the book, Emma gains a connection to ghosts, spirits, and enhanced intuition. In a much more subtle way, most NDE experiencers report they undergo an enhanced connection to the people in their lives, animals, and nature, and have more love and acceptance overall. It all sounds pretty good (except the dying part!) but I invite you to do your own research, be your own skeptic, and decide for yourself. My guess is if you're reading this blog post, you already are a little more open to these concepts. Below you’ll find some videos, books, and websites linked to experiencers, as well as researchers who have devoted their life work to studying and understanding NDE’s in a more scientific way. Because of the nuance and inability for absolute proof, NDE’s remain unsubstantiated by most of the medical and scientific community. I can say even with having had my own NDE I remained skeptical for a long time. After reading many books and research, I’ve concluded the experiences during an NDE are glimpses of what’s on the other side, as well as whomever (angels, guides, God, the Great Spirit?), allowing us to glimpse some Universal connection and wisdom to take back and share with others for the enlightenment of all. I look forward to hearing from you all- thoughts, opinions, experiences, etc! As always- take what resonates and leave anything that doesn’t, keep seeking your internal truth and compass, and help others along their path when you can! The Light; We Are The Light And The Echo Of The Universe - Near Death Experiences (youtube.com) Coming Home - YouTube The Other Side | Channel Trailer (youtube.com) The videos above document some individual experiences and lessons taken from the NDE experience. There are many videos on Youtube sharing NDE’s. My theory has always been to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. Some NDE videos I watched left me enlightened and hopeful, and others just put me off- either the speaker was hard to listen to or the messages came across sort of misconstrued or misinterpreted, or sometimes downright self-serving. I encourage you if you’re interested to poke around and make up your own mind about Near Death Experiences and the afterlife! Speaker and New York Times Best Selling Author | United States | Anita Moorjani Anita’s experience is pretty well documented and incredible. She went from being on life support and family informed she had hours to live to complete health in a miraculous amount of time. She continues to receive more from her experience and the messages and knowledge she obtained. Most likely this is due to the NDE opening up a channel of connection allowing Anita to continue to tap into the messages humanity needs most to hear. NDERF Home Page Website for those who have experienced NDE’s or who are interested in learning more. A wealth of information and support, as well as extensive research into NDE’s. Bruce Greyson / Author of After, and Expert in Near-Death Experiences Mr. Greyson is a very well-known doctor who has devoted his life to researching NDE’s. Probably the top researcher in the world. His books are both scientific and anecdotal, providing a full picture as well as posing the questions we’re all thinking (and by we I mean those of us who are cautiously hopeful yet skeptical!) regarding NDE’s.
