A Year and a Day Isabelle Broom

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Do angels exist? Here’s what I believe…

The word ‘angel’ originates from the Greek ‘aggelos,’ which means ‘messenger.’ Many angel sightings have been recorded in the Bible; these angels appeared before the faithful to offer messages that provided assistance or hope.

Actually, angels have been recorded in the scriptures of many faiths around the world. Today, especially with the use of the Internet, it is very easy to learn more about them. People are sharing online their own testimonies, whether these involve proper angelic encounters or messages received by their angels.

They say that every one of us has a guardian angel, and I believe it firmly to be so. I have always had this intense feeling that I am being protected. In my travels as a youngster around Greece and Europe, whenever I needed assistance locals would come along out of the blue to help me out without me even asking. For example, if I needed an interpreter, to lift something heavy or if I was in danger of getting stranded somewhere.

However, one particular incident stands out because it didn’t entail the assistance of a human being and, to this day, I cannot explain it unless I put it down to an angel or two…

It happened on a wintry night in London back in the 1990s. I had just watched a marvelous show in a West End theatre and was running to the bus station to catch the last bus of the day to Hythe, Kent where I was staying at the time.

It had been snowing that day and there was ice on the roads. As I was running, all of a sudden I slipped, and then, everything switched to slow motion. I felt myself getting airborne, my body tilted sideways, my legs rising up to be almost parallel to the ground. Panic struck at my heart as I realized that I was going to fall hard and hurt myself badly.

At that point, I remember thinking with dread that not only was I not going to catch that bus home after all, but that I was probably going to spend the night in a hospital bed with a broken limb or two…
And then, something incredible happened.

Just like that, and even though my legs were parallel to the ground, somehow, I landed on my feet again! It felt like an invisible hand had just turned me upright!

Stunned, but with the urgency still at hand, I kept running. I am pleased to say I did catch that bus, but the mystery I never got to solve. Over time I’ve thought, about it many times, and the only logical explanation I can give is that my angels came to my aid that night.

That was the only time an angel came to my rescue directly. As I stated earlier, they normally help me by getting kind people to offer assistance instead.

But this doesn’t mean my angels stop there. Oh no. Often, they give me messages out of the blue. More often than not, these come on the days that I feel upset, or worried about something. This is their way to confirm their presence around me and, of course, it gives me strength every time. I am not talking about the typical white feather that you may have heard of, and which I often encounter on those days even in the sea while I swim!

My angels’ messages often come unexpectedly when I read something on my computer and have the radio or the TV playing at the same time. This is a wonderful way to get messages from your angels, by the way! The odd word will come to you from both sources at the same time, i.e. you will hear it from the radio or the TV at the exact moment you’ll be reading it on your computer or book or whatever.

But you mustn’t look for it. Just have the sound playing in the background as you read, forget about it, and see what happens in a while. It also helps if you take a moment beforehand to sit quietly to talk to your angels, present the problem, and ask them to offer guidance.

Other than the above, my angels love to communicate with me by touching my face. That said, it doesn’t feel like a touch – it’s like an electric pulse that comes and goes in a split second. I get to feel it just above my eye or high on the corner of my brow at my hairline most times, and I know it’s them. I always take a moment to say thank you when this happens.

Last, but certainly not least, my angels sometimes make small things move around the house when my attention is really required!

The first time this happened was a few years back and it really freaked me out. Yet, it was quite amazing, so I feel compelled to share this with you today:

That morning, I was working on my computer at home. Before my desk, I have a pinboard. A post-it note that I had pinned on it days earlier suddenly dropped and landed on my desk before me the right way up and the right way round. It felt like it had been put there for me to read. In this note I had written a quote (a paraphrase from Rumi), which read: “I am not a drop in the ocean. I am the ocean in a drop.”

Astounded, I read it back to myself as it lay before me, as if put there by an invisible hand, and I knew that moment it was an angelic message that spoke about inner strength. Here, I must explain that I work in a windowless room. All the windows in my house were closed at the time so this couldn’t have been caused by a draft. No music was playing either – so this wasn’t a case of sound waves causing vibrations.

A week later, my shoulder began to hurt more from an injury I had suffered recently. The pain kept increasing so I went to the doc and the diagnosis was frozen shoulder. The next five months were harrowing for me and the pain indescribable, especially at night. I slept very little during these five months. Every night ,I wandered around the house for hours like a zombie seeking a modicum of comfort as I rubbed heat-inducing cream on my shoulder and cried my eyes out.

Throughout those five months, somehow, despite the upset and the exhaustion, I didn’t miss a single day at my desk writing, blogging, and promoting my novels – even on the worst days when I could only type with one hand.

Of course, during that difficult time, the angelic message I had received kept reminding me how strong I was. I could see then in hindsight that my angels had warned me things were going to get tough so I could brace myself. I am forever grateful for that message, because it told me I wasn’t going to go through the hardship alone and that truly saw me through.

As I stated earlier, the first time something moved in front of me of its own volition it really freaked me out. Since then, my angels have communicated with me in the same manner on two other occasions – in both cases, to warn me that tough times for me or my loved ones were about to start. By now, I don’t get spooked any more when things move inexplicably; I just feel really grateful for this communication and it always fills me with awe.

These messages from my angels have inspired me to write The Amulet, a delightful romantic comedy with angels that even features the aforementioned pinboard incident.

Do you feel the presence of angels around you? How do they communicate with you? Some people see or hear them, others feel their touch, and others perceive their presence through wonderful aromas, like the scent of roses when there are none around. If you know what I’m talking about, do leave a comment and share your experience with us!

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Interview with Isabelle Broom

Today I’m pleased to welcome Isabelle Broom, a fabulous author from Britain. Her novel, My Map of You, is set on the stunning Greek island of Zakynthos (Zante). The book is on my TBR list and I can’t wait to start reading. Take a look!

My Map of You FINAL

Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother’s death, she’s become expert at keeping people at a distance – including her boyfriend, Rupert. But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the walls she has built begin to crumble. Arriving on the island, Holly meets the handsome Aidan and slowly begins to uncover the truth about the secret which tore her family apart. But is the island where Holly really belongs? Or will her real life catch up with her first?

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Ed waited until all the eyes in the room were on him before he began. He took a deep breath, inhaling as he did so the sweet scent from the lilies, which were arranged extravagantly in front of him. ‘Ladies and gents, I promise to try and keep this short and sweet…’

When Billy asked his best mate Ed to be his best man, Ed knew he would have to make a speech and he was dreading it. But he also knew how important it was to Billy – and to his soul mate and wife-to-be, Amelia. So Ed is determined to do them proud. But little does he know that it will be the most important speech he will ever make, and his toast – ‘To Billy and Amelia – together forever’ – will mean more than he ever thought.

A beautiful short story to remind you of the importance of love.

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Three women. Three love stories. One city.

For Megan, visiting Prague with her friend Ollie is just business. Nothing more. Because if she admits the truth she might lose everything.

For Hope, this trip is a surprise treat from Charlie, her new partner. But she’s struggling to enjoy the city when she knows how angry her daughter is. And that it’s all her fault.

For Sophie, Prague has always been magical. And now she’s counting down the moments until her boyfriend Robin joins her in the city that holds so many of their memories . . .

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Hello Isabelle and welcome to my blog!

Thank you Fros, it’s exciting to be here!

What has inspired you to write My Map Of You?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, for pretty much as far back as I can remember, and I’ve been coming up with stories since I was a child. When it came to a novel, though, I struggled. I wanted to write something with meaning, a book I could be proud of set in a place I loved and about a subject that meant something to me. When I first visited the Greek island of Zakynthos back in 2000, I knew I’d found the place. I fell in love with it immediately, and I’ve always had such a deep pull to the island. It was this feeling, this sense of being a home, that I wanted to explore in a novel. So, over time and through my own confusion, heartbreak and self-discovery, My Map Of You began to emerge.

I know what you mean. Zakynthos is stunning! What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

The Shipwreck (Navayio), the most prominent landmark of Zakynthos

I used to have this big blue exercise book, and each page had a space for a picture above around ten lines for words. I would draw a picture on the top half of the page, and then write a short story to go with it. They had titles such as “The Magic Rubber”, “The Music Box” and “The Very Happy Pencil” – but I was only five or six at the time, so you’ll have to forgive me!

LOL! What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I’m currently wrestling with the edit of my second novel, A Year And A Day, which will be released on 17th November this year. It’s another escapist romantic drama, this time set in Prague a few weeks before Christmas. It follows three women, who arrive in the city as strangers but leave with their lives inextricably linked forever. It’s a story about the power of love, and being brave enough to put your heart on the line.

Sounds like a heart-warming Christmas read! Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor and actress you’d cast to play them in a film adaptation.

Oh, I love this question! Let’s start with my heroine Holly who, in my mind, has always looked like the actress/author/vlogger/all-round superstar Giovanna Fletcher. She has the same dark curly hair and quiet beauty as my Holly. Aidan would definitely have to be played by Aidan Turner (aka Poldark). He’s tall, dark, Irish and absolutely gorgeous, so he’s pretty much perfect!

Being an author involves a lot of sitting around. What do you do for exercise?

Max

It really does, well, except for the times when you get stuck and need to take a walk to chase around all the thoughts in your head. Walking is what I do a lot of – not least because I have a lovely dog, Max, who would go stir crazy if I didn’t take him out. I also run in my lunch hours. I’ve even gone into the ballot for the London Marathon this year – gulp!

What a cutie Max is! And bravo for running a marathon! Describe your workstation. Are there any favorite objects you have there for inspiration?

Being a writer of escapist fiction means that I often write on the move, in airports, on planes, trains or in bars and hotels at my chosen destination – but my main writing space is my bedroom here in London. I have a nice big desk, and I always decorate the wall with pictures that inspire me. I keep my Once Upon A Time mug that was a gift from my editor close at hand (usually full of tea), and a copy of My Map Of You whenever I need to remind myself what I’m working towards. To be honest, though, once I’m in the zone, I’m rarely that aware of my surroundings.

Oh yes. When in the zone I can’t see or hear a thing either, LOL. Is there anything you like to do to get the creative juices flowing when you write?

Max 2

Aside from tramping through the local parks with Max, I find reading aloud from the beginning of whatever chapter I’m working on really helps get me back into the zone. I never sit down to write without a cup of tea, and increasingly I have nuts to snack on, too. Better than chocolate, I suppose, but still not ideal. Max likes to hang out with me when I’m writing, but he’s so adorable that it’s actually more of a distraction than help!

Hm! Hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts… I can never have enough. But, they’re terribly nutritious, aren’t they? Surely this is a pro!

(*giggles*) Definitely!

If you could have one superpower what would it be?

Oh, gosh – what a question! This is going to sound weird, but I’m going to choose the ability to sleep. I’ve been a chronic insomniac for years now, and I think of good sleepers as superheroes. Zakynthos is actually one of the only places on the planet where I find sleeping easy, which is a big reason why it’s also my favorite. If I didn’t go over there regularly and catch up on all my sleepless nights, I’d probably have passed out at my writing desk long ago.

You poor thing! Wish I could give some of my early morning and post-lunch sleepiness to you!

(*Rolls eyes*) If only, Fros!

What are the things in your life that you’re most grateful for?

My family, my health, my sense of humor – I’m also lucky enough to have some of the best friends in the entire world. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that what really matters most of all is happiness. I always remember that saying: “Because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing.” It really is!

Thank you for sharing this motto, I love it! How would you like to be remembered?

As a kind and loyal friend who loved to laugh – someone who made others happy.

How sweet… Thank you for being here with us today, Isabelle. It’s been an utter delight for me!

Thank you, Fros. I’ve really enjoyed our chat too!

 

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Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at the University of West London before starting a career first in local newspapers and then as a sub editor at Heat magazine. Nowadays, when she’s not writing novels set in far-flung locations, Isabelle spends her time being the Book Reviews Editor at Heat and walking her beloved dog Max round the parks of north London. Oh, and she does a lot of laughing, too. Her debut novel My Map Of You, published by Penguin Michael Joseph, is out now.

If you like pictures of dogs, chatter about books and very bad jokes, you can follow her on Twitter  or Facebook at:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Isabelle_Broom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabellebroomauthor/

A chat about insomnia, nuts and #Zante with author @Isabelle_Broom #ASMSG #IAN1 Share on X
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