Blessings: An Angel To Watch Over Me: My Interview with Author Alan Brady

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?

"What motivates me is to write about something that not only inspires you but something that makes a difference in the world. If we are to be judged on what we did in this life, then find a voice that tells a story that can help other people on their journey. It might not always be the most commercially successful approach, but there are many rewards in this life and the next life that are not financial in nature."

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.