Cover for Pre-Launch Collectible Edition of “Annie’s Story, Blessed With a Gift” It’s on order for those of you with reservations. And thanks again, so much!

LIMITED, SIGNED, FIRST-EDITION PRE-LAUNCH, ANNIE’S STORY, BLESSED WITH A GIFT

Please let me know who would like to reserve a copy of this book for the Signed, Limited-Edition Pre-launch. I will be getting back with everyone after August 7th with the particulars.

Annie is Done. What do I do now? I have no words … “Annie’s Story, Blessed With A Gift” (sequel in 2017)

A painting by my mother, an incredible artist (oil painting 18×24-inch on canvas). The forest is integral to Annie, who is based on a past-life regression. In essence, I am Annie!

Annie lives in her own world. She talks to the animals and faeries. Quoted from ANNIE’S STORY: BLESSED WITH A GIFT–“Annie is an enigma.”

Launch of My Past-Life Regression Historical Fiction Book, Hoping for August First

Annie lives in her own world. She talks to the animals and faeries. Quoted from ANNIE’S STORY: BLESSED WITH A GIFT–“Annie is an enigma.”

Getting down to the end of final corrections and rewrites for Annie’s Book, Blessed With a Gift, I can see the end in sight, but how do I stop the tears? Will they be happy or sad tears? Does it matter?

Yes, I suppose it does. You’ll just have to read it to find out. Information on how you can get a copy due to be posted by August. Wish me and Annie luck, love and laughter.We’re both gonna need it.

Deborah A. Bowman, author

What is the reader thinking in the trapped pages of a forgotten volume of antiquity?

Annie comes from the past, but will live forever in your hearts.

Annie Doll on my desk.

Annie drawing

Annie’s  from mid-1600s America. She is Blessed With A Gift or is she cursed? How do you know for sure? I think her love for animals says much about her love for everything.

Read about the treatment of children and women in The British Colonies. You may not be prepared for the treatment of children born with birth defects. ‘Twas sad, when wee Annie had so much love and healing to give. But what if she is misunderstood? Superstition ruled the land, but who ruled the people, especially during the 19 years when England, Scotland, and France were involved in an atrocious civil war. The colonies were forsaken. Turmoil ruled. The documented history you probably weren’t taught in grade school. Can Annie be saved when everyone loves her? Is love enough? I truly hope so.

Annie lived 40-50 years prior to the Witch Hysteria. Annie should be safe, but …

Iris the Goat is also known as “Missy Unicorn”

Enjoy Annie’s happiness and spirit as a healer and herbalist. She’s a happy little girl. She’s a savant and a telepathic receiver, and above average in some aspects of her life, but she canna’ count or read. Annie is special.

Deborah A. Bowman.

Acclaim for “Annie’s Story, Blessed With A Gift”

 Annie’s Story, Blessed With A Gift

I have just started a second beta reader on my upcoming book–Historical Fiction Based On Fact, Past-Life Hypnotic Regression. I wanted to share what my reader, who had asked me to beta read the book after seeing my last blog on “Annie”. This is what she had to say after reading just the first two small chapters where Annie’s parents die of the dreaded fever prevalent in early Colonial America:

OK, they died and passed to another dimension…got that.  Don’t leave me hanging; what’s next?!?

Obviously I am hooked.  And that is not easy because from all my years proofreading, grammatical errors, etc., become very distracting to me.  Your writing has none of those.  Plus it reads fast ( if you know what I mean).  I hate reading where I have to stop and focus on every single word.

Frankly, I am picky about what fiction I read and I find yours intriguing.  Your characters are beautifully  brought to life (which you promptly killed-off) without excess verbiage — kudos.
 
You made me cry.  Not because she died but understanding the utter despair he must have felt conscious enough to ken what was coming.

Between you and I, my family also has such “gifts” in our background, which by-the-way is heavily Scottish and Welsh.

Of course, I will be sending the rest of the book for her to read, Sections II-VI. I hope to have the book finished and published by July/August 2016. I have about two Sections and The Epilogue to complete. –Deborah A. Bowman, Author

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Know It’s Saint Patrick’s Day, and The Luck of the Irish to Ya!, But I Just Couldn’t Wait to Post This Comment on My Upcoming Book!

 

Annie lives in her own world. She talks to the animals and faeries. Quoted from ANNIE’S STORY: BLESSED WITH A GIFT–“Annie is an enigma.”

Just last week a wonderful new friend I’ve made on WordPress, www.susieshy45.wordpress.com (You should visit her site!) agreed to be a Beta Reader for my upcoming book, Annie’s Story, Blessed With A Gift. I sent her the beginning, which includes the Foreword, Glossary, and first two sections–10 chapters. I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for her well-written and encouraging email. I have lots more to send her to read, as soon as I can get all the corrections done…an editor’s work is never done…

Anyway, thank you Susie, and here’s what she had to say about “Annie”:

Hi Debbie,

I read through the entire manuscript you sent me in one sitting- it was nail-bitingly, fiercely addictive and I could not put it down, till I finished and when I did I was left wanting to know Hannah’s story and Granny’s story and whether Annie made it to adulthood. It is haunting and I need to get the rest of it.

You have given meanings of old English ?/Scottish words in the beginning and also mentioned a few word meanings in brackets in the first couple of chapters. It was very helpful for me as a reader to not have to go to the dictionary at the beginning of the book to understand words, not mentioned in it but in the text -I loved it.

The story is wonderful and honestly if one is looking for a historic fiction- that this is not. It is very scientifically written, so it makes it more believable for a scientifically minded person and he/she will not critique the book saying this is pure imagination- There is a logic in the sequences of the book and I could very well believe that all these instances had really happened in some human being’s life at some point.

I have recently completed a course conducted by the Harvard university on English poems from different time periods – early Puritan- then early 18th century, modern and so on. This story is so similar to the lives of the Puritan women who we studied in the almost related time period. I can still hear my lecturer standing in the chapel of Harvard College and reading some of those classic poems. The language you use, is similar in texture not in actual words as the language of those times, because I think you use ancient Gaelic and they used Puritan English.

I loved this book and I want to read more. When I have read the entire manuscript, I hope to have some constructive criticism ready.

Till such time, I remain waiting for the next installment of your book, to appease my searching soul. 🙂

God bless ! A creative person has been personally blessed by God and I think you are truly blessed.

Keep writing, we need to read your work !

Best regards, and lots of love,

Susie

Thank you, Susie. It brought tears to my eyes!–Deborah A. Bowman

 

 

Thanks to Everyone for Their Comments on the Cover, ANNIE’S STORY: BLESSED WITH A GIFT! (I didn’t select either one of them … This is the final!)

Annie lives in her own world. She talks to the animals and faeries. Quoted from ANNIE’S STORY: BLESSED WITH A GIFT–“Annie is an enigma.”

I am so thankful and overwhelmed by the helpful comments and suggestions I received on my blog, facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and emails regarding the cover for my book, “Annie’s Story: Blessed With A Gift.” This has been a difficult task for me because in many ways, I am Annie. Therefore, I’m way too close to be objective.

This is a version of the very first cover and a dozen tries later I have come back to it because it shows what Annie sees and how her mind works.

From the FOREWORD:

“… Annie was mentally slow, stunted in growth, and lacking in social and emotional development… Annie couldn’t read or write, … but … was an incredible savant, reciting songs, rhymes, recipes, and medicinal incantations… She was a natural [telepathic and white light] healer, blessed with a special gift from the Spiritual Universe.”

Coming in early 2016, I will share precious Annie with all of you.

Deborah A. Bowman, author

Need ideas on cover for “Annie’s Story: Blessed With A Gift”

A painting by my mother, an incredible artist (oil painting 18×24-inch on canvas). The forest is integral to Annie, who is based on a past-life regression. In essence, I am Annie!

I think I have eliminated this design, a photograph, because it may look like a children’s book, which this historical novel definitely is not. Very spiritual and accurate to the timeframe. A very difficult time in Colonial America.

I hope to get some comments on both covers to help me decide which is the right look.

Feel free to contact me at livinginashadow@outlook.com with suggestions and if you want more information about the book, which should be available early in 2016, or add a comment to this posting.

I know I have wonderful friends and fellow bloggers who will give me creative feedback.

Thanks! Deborah A. Bowman

Those of You Who Follow My Blog Are Aware I’m Writing A Novel About Annie from 1630 Colonial America Inspired by a Past-Life Hypnotic Regression. Below is Me and My Past-Life Persona, Annie.

Annie and Deborah. The doll was hand-made by one of my dearest friend’s mother-in-law … many years ago. Annie is my muse and my heart.

Excerpt from ANNIE’S STORY: BLESSED WITH A GIFT–I want you to meet one of Annie’s playmates, Iris the Goat or Missy Unicorn

Iris the Goat is also known as “Missy Unicorn”

You might call Iris a supporting character or a bit player in a movie, but she’s very important in wee Annie’s life of 1630, Lynn, Massachusetts. I want to introduce you to her. She has a story to tell all her own!

EXCERPT FROM “Annie’s Story: Blessed with a Gift” COMING SOON! “Annie’s Story” is about an unusual girl growing up in Colonial America, who is “Blessed with a Gift.” Copyrighted as a Work-In-Progress.

Granny had only released her darlin’ Annie for a few minutes to run outside to the small, fenced-in plot opposite the garden that kept the simpleton goat named Iris from eating all the precious medicinal herbs. T’was milk needed to nurse wee Annie back to health. The babe cried but little, while Iris had bleated loud and long as if scolding the old woman for leaving her unattended. Most days, the only conversations Granny had were with Iris, the dumb creature seeming to understand every word and remarking with strong opinion on every subject.

Did the elderly Widow Blackbain believe that Iris the goat could talk? Aye, she did. She heard the words clearly in her mind. Other members of The Clan may have thought Agnes a wee senile with her advanced years, but some would recall the ancient ways and respect Lugh, god of the animals, whom could bless any human or beast he chose with the gift of animal tongue and cognition. Granny believed she and Iris had been so blessed. The old goat and the old woman gossiped like two mature crones.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE EXCERPTS FROM “ANNIE’S STORY”