From the beginning I wanted my new book to touch readers in heartfelt life-changing ways. I wanted to reach into the hearts and souls of my readers with a memorable view into the end-of-life experience. For some, it would be a new understanding of the Creator and what happens beyond this life.
The genesis of this book came out of the deepest, most personal feelings that had collected within me over a lifetime. These were profound impressions drawn from my own eye-witness experiences concerning death, guardian angels, Jesus and God. With the wisdom and understanding that many years sometimes gives one I felt ready now to write this story that had collected within me for so long, I was ready to take readers along with me as I wrote of these experiences to a soul stirring conclusion.
Writing through several drafts was not an overnight task to be sure. Every word, every phrase had to be right. It was like putting the individual building blocks into what would become a towering structure. It became a three-year project, assembling, the many elements of each chapter so that the end result would lift up the reader with a truly moving, inspiring story.
In writing Naomi’s Journey Into The Light, I knew I had to be respectful of the subject matter. The real-life persons who inspired several characters within my story had become loved and cherished by me. Such feelings demanded every bit of craft I could summon up as a writer. In doing so, I wanted to honor the real lives of those who meant so much to me.
During this process, I felt the impact of the story becoming greater than I had ever envisioned. Writing, non-stop for months on end, I began to realize how much I was deeply compelled to take this story far beyond what was originally planned. As it became reality on the printed page, I felt like it was becoming what the Voice inside my head wanted it to be. I became more confident that I was accomplishing something good and right. All along, something Teddy Roosevelt once said kept replaying inside me, “Believe you can accomplish a thing, and you halfway there.”
I’m sure some readers will have different opinions about this book, but in one area I feel most will become united: This book becomes a story of faith that readers will not soon forget. In that respect I will have touched readers’ hearts.
– Sam Rawlins
(Fifth in a blog series concerning Naomi’s Journey Into The Light by Sam Rawlins. It will be released sometime in April or May, available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com.)