Everyone has a story. Part of my story involves the families of the children I teach. I've wanted to write about one of those families for quite some time. I've taught two of their four children. From the moment I found out that Mr. Brady had written a children's book, I've been curious about how this story came to be a book. One of my dreams is to publish a children's book so I wanted to know the story behind this beautiful book, An Angel To Watch Over Me.
As I reflected on Mr. Brady's responses to my questions, I realized his answers tell the story of An Angel To Watch Over Me far better than I ever could. All I needed to do was write an introduction and share his story with the world.
I've used this book with my class on the Feast of the Guardian Angel. What I love most is how quickly my first graders are intrigued by the story of Joe. What I appreciate most about the author is his reason for publishing the story.
I hope you enjoy the story behind An Angel To Watch Over Me.
My interview with Alan Brady the author of An Angel To Watch Over Me:
Where did you get the
idea to write An Angel To Watch Over Me? Is it based on
experiences you had as a child or experiences you’ve had as a father?
"When I was very young, I
had a strong belief in God and the fact that each of us is given a guardian
angel to help us on our journey in this life. By the time I was in
college I had completely drifted away from my faith. I started my working life with very material
goals and an outlook on life that was very self-centered. By the time I hit my
thirties I was very fortunate to meet someone who made me think about someone
other than myself. As we made plans to get married, we both started going
back to church and so began my journey back to my faith. About a year after I married my wife Melissa,
I had a Road to Damascus experience that forever deepened my faith. It was as if someone pulled back the veil
that keeps us from seeing the reality and true presence of God in the world as
well as the reality of evil. I don’t want to get into the specifics of
what I experienced but it is enough to say that I no longer believe as a matter
of faith that God exists, I know this as fact because of my experiences.
As a result of this deep
conversion I have struggled with finding a way I can help others draw closer to
God and deepen their own faith. I wrote An Angel To Watch Over Me for my own children to help them see how
important it is to place God at the center of their lives, and to know how much
God loves them. Our guardian angels are
a sign of that love for each of us, and I wanted my children to see that God
has given them a friend that they can turn to at any time, no matter how
discouraged, lonely or frustrated they may be. My children have a
childhood that has many unseen friends such as Christmas elves, the Easter
Bunny and tooth fairies. Drawing upon my
own experiences I thought how much better it would be to foster a belief in
someone who is actually real, and a friend that can really help my kids throughout
their life, even if they can’t see that person.
As a father, and an
ordinary and unremarkable individual, I wanted to inspire my own children that
in God’s eyes, there is no such thing as an ordinary child and that each person
is unique. I wanted my kids to know that
you don’t need to the brightest or the strongest to make a difference in this
world. I wanted them to understand and
to achieve their purpose in this life, which is to love God, to reach heaven
and to help as many people as they can fulfill that same purpose."
What
was the most difficult part of the writing process for you? What was the
most rewarding part of the writing process for you?
"The most difficult part of the writing process was editing and refining the
story. I wrote the first draft in a
couple of weeks and this part was relatively easy as I felt inspired in what I
wanted to say. I could see myself as a
child in the main character Joe, and I drew upon some elements of my own
experiences in the story. However,
reading and re-reading the story and attempting to look at it with a fresh set
of eyes to make more careful word choices and changes to the story was a longer
process, and this took a bit more patience.
The most rewarding part of the writing process was to create
a story that is rooted in the eternal truth that God loves each one of us
beyond all understanding. This story
offers hope to every child that God has great plans for them, even if they
believe themselves to be ordinary and unremarkable. It felt great to write something that might
make a difference in the lives of my own children and hopefully many others; to
believe beyond what we can see with our own eyes through the light of faith."
Do you have a favorite part of this story?
"My favorite part of the story is when Joe’s guardian angel brings him back in time before creation and shows him that our existence is not just an accident or the creative hand of God at any given moment in time. We see that God knew every detail about every person that will ever be born before he created the universe billions of years ago. God loved each one of us before time began and he has waited for each one of us since then. Now that is patience!"
How long did it take you to complete the book?
"As I mentioned, the first draft took a couple of weeks but it was probably four
months before I had a draft I thought was close to completion. I tried contacting a large number of literary
agents specializing in children’s fiction around that time but I did not have
any positive responses. I did submit my
manuscript to a select number of religious publishers but nobody was
interested. I was running out of options
when a relative suggested self-publishing and I thought I had nothing to lose
by investigating this as a possibility.
I settled on Outskirts Press to self-publish my book based
upon the cost, client reviews and conversations I had with members of the
publishing team. I knew that the
illustrations for the book would be a key element in the storytelling and
appeal of the book. On this basis I
decided to seek out an illustrator myself rather than use the publisher’s
in-house resources. I narrowed down
possible illustrators through the website Thumbtack, however, I was still not
sure I could make a decision based upon work samples I had seen. As the illustrations for the book represented
a significant investment for me, I decided to ask my preferred artist to
complete an image of the guardian angel in the story based upon my input and
the description in my manuscript. I was
delighted with the result and commissioned Bhavna Bhen to complete the
illustrations. Unfortunately, Bhavna had
a battle with cancer not long after she started work, but thankfully she did
not abandon my project. Bhavna’s work
was put on hold for about five months while she made a recovery. The illustration process took about a year in
total. It took an additional 3 months to
complete all of the submissions to the publisher and finalizing the text placement,
cover design and other publication issues.
In total the book took about 1 year and 7 months from concept to
publication."
Are you planning any future books? Do you have a favorite
place to write?
"As of now, I do not have any other future books planned but I have certainly
not ruled this out. I have thought about
writing a faith-based book aimed at an adult audience, but I am not yet ready
to start that project. As far as a
favorite place to write, I have an office in my home which is quiet during the
day and this works well for me."
Who are some of your favorite authors? Who are some of your
children’s favorite authors?
"When I was younger, I used to read books by authors like John Grisham and David
Baldacci and the purpose of my reading was for entertainment. Unfortunately, with four children and a busy
school and activity schedule I find that I don’t have as much time to read as I
would like. When I do find time to read,
I like to read spiritual based books from which I can learn something new about
my faith and the lives of the saints. On
my trips back to Ireland to see my parents I re-read the Diary of Saint Faustina. For me this is the most important book I have
read after the Bible, and a great influence on my faith life.
Like many parents, I feel that my kids could read more, and
they have not really fallen in love with reading just yet. My eldest (12) really liked Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate."
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
I hope that Mr. Brady's story inspires you to share your story.
If you would like to contact Mr. Brady regarding his book, please email him directly at brady.alan.john@gmail.com.
If you would like to contact Mr. Brady regarding his book, please email him directly at brady.alan.john@gmail.com.
For more information on his book, please visit:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-to-watch-over-me-alan-brady/1123607881?ean=9781478751199
https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Watch-Over-Me/dp/1478751193/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1548872219&sr=8-5&keywords=an+angel+to+watch+over+me
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-to-watch-over-me-alan-brady/1123607881?ean=9781478751199
https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Watch-Over-Me/dp/1478751193/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1548872219&sr=8-5&keywords=an+angel+to+watch+over+me
As always, thanks for reading,
Ellen
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