Friday 10 November 2017

REVIEW - ANSWERS FROM HEAVEN BY THERESA CHEUNG & CLAIRE BROAD

ABOUT THE BOOK

ANSWERS FROM HEAVEN
Incredible True Stories of Heavenly Encounters and the Afterlife

Sunday Times best selling author, Theresa Cheung and Medium, Claire Broad believe the Afterlife is real and that it is possible to gain inspiration, hope and comfort from loved ones who choose to return to us from beyond the grave. Through sharing the true stories of everyday people and Claire’s personal experience as a medium, Theresa and Claire join voices as co-authors of new book Answers From Heaven - True Stories of Heavenly Encounters and the Afterlife (Piatkus), to guide us through how those in the spirit world reach out to us, both directly and through mediumship and why we have nothing to fear and everything to gain from these experiences.

In part one, Theresa shares direct contact stories such as Mick’s which shows the profound affect these experiences have on the grieving:

I lost my daughter two years ago. She was only seventeen months and it hit my marriage really hard. So hard that my wife and I split up. I missed my daughter terribly when she passed, but after splitting from my wife the pain was unbearable. I felt so alone. Im not ashamed to say as I think tears in both men and women are a sign of strength not weakness that many nights I would cry myself to sleep. I started to leave the TV on at night so that I would not feel alone as Id hear the sound of voices.
Ten days after my wife moved out I remember waking up in the early hours of the morning and the TV wasnt on. There was no reassuring sound. I panicked, but then I felt someone holding my hand. My hand was outside the duvet. The hand was tiny and it felt electric and warm. I was wide awake at that point, but I pretended to be asleep as the tiny hand in mine was so comforting. Then I felt a gentle kiss on my hand. My daughter used to kiss my hand when I held hers. I knew it was her. I felt her all around me. I drifted off to a peaceful sleep and in the morning when I woke up I knew my daughter was alive somewhere and always would be with me. It is the most comforting feeling.
This happened two years ago and I can honestly say it helped me manage my grief. A colleague at work recently lost his teenage son in a road accident and my experience has really helped me help him. After my daughter died I thought I would never see or touch her again but now whenever I want to I close my eyes and I remember her tiny little hand in mine. Its blissful. In those moments it feels like she is alive again.

Not all of us are lucky to have direct contact from a deceased loved one however in part two medium, Claire Broad addresses why it is that people decide to consult a medium after the death of a loved one and how many of those people receive peace of mind and healing during a sitting. Claire shares many inspiring true stories of readings she has conducted for clients in the past, such as the story of physiotherapist, Anita.

Summarised here from the book, Anita lost her husband to cancer and came to Claire in the hope to be reconnected with him.  During the reading his spirit returns to let Anita know the love they shared can never die.  Anita’s husband is able to communicate so strongly that he provides Claire with details specific to Anita that her analytical mind cannot deny.  Her husband speaks of their anniversary and his wish to gift her a ring.  He conveys his occupation as a pharmaceutical scientist and why he was surprised to find himself very much alive following his passing.  He shares what he is doing now in the spirit world and who he is with and names his mother, as well as passing on his knowledge of Anita’s family members and what they have been doing since his passing, providing further evidence for his survival. Finally, he seeks to reassure Anita that his suffering with cancer was short lived and that he is now well and still very much part of her life. 

Death may end a life, but not a relationship and this is very much the theme of Answers From Heaven as through it’s uplifting pages and the many true stories shared, Theresa and Claire show us how those in the afterlife return to us and why this is heavenly.

THE AIM OF THE BOOK
Through true life stories of ordinary people who have had paranormal experiences, bestselling author Theresa Cheung and medium Claire Broad will show the various different ways that heaven is trying to answer our prayers, offer us comfort and provide proof of survival.
Chapters include: 
1. Messages from the other side 

2. Dreams from heaven 

3. Living and loving creatures in spirit 

4. Love from above 

5. Heaven is calling 
6. Conversations from Spirit 
7. Answers from higher realms 
8. Is anybody there? 
9. Your own answers from heaven.

By the end it is hoped that readers will have lost some of their fear of death, be more aware of when the spirit world is trying to contact them, have greater awareness of the scientific research available, understand that mediumship is an expression of eternal love and nothing to be feared and that it's possible for us all to ask questions and receive answers from the world of spirit.

REVIEW
Title: Answers From Heaven
Byline: Incredible True Stories of Heavenly Encounters and the Afterlife
Authors: Theresa Cheung & Claire Broad
Genre: Mind, Body, Spirit, Religion
Publisher: Piatkus, Little Brown
Release Date: 2nd November 2017

BLURB supplied by Author Right Marketing & Publicity
Bestselling author Theresa Cheung has long been fascinated by Mediumship. Noticing a rise in scientific research — from respected experts like Dr Julie Beischel, Director of Research at the Windbridge Institute —supporting the theory that human consciousness could survive, even after physical death, Theresa was moved to contact the honest medium, Claire Broad, to investigate the phenomenon further. Together they have joined forces — and voices — in Answers From Heaven: Incredible True Stories of Heavenly Encounters and the Afterlife in order to chart our collective and individual experiences of life after death, and to explore its practical benefits in the field of grievance counselling.

Mediumship is an expression of eternal love and nothing to be feared. The writers reveal how those in the Afterlife make contact with us; Cheung helps readers to identify Afterlife Signs by revealing her own visions and the genuine accounts of those she has interviewed who have first-hand experience of out of body experiences and Afterlife communications; Claire vividly outlines the medium’s role in this spiritual communication. True stories of messages delivered by Claire through her work, and the role played by teachers in the spirit world, including Claire’s spirit mentor, White Feather, are discussed. Claire and Theresa question and interpret the nature of Mediumship, illuminating the valuable role a genuine medium can play in helping to make death less frightening and an Afterlife feel within reach.


PURCHASE LINKS

REVIEW
I received an email from Rachel Gilbey at Author Right asking if I would be interested in reading this book, as I enjoy reading non fiction titles too. When I read the blurb and information that Rachel sent me made me want to read this book. At first I was going to say thank-you but that I didn't have time and I don't actually do as many Book Tours on my blog now. I tend to just read and then add my reviews to my blog, but I don't know what it was. I just couldn't bring myself to delete the email! Then I just felt I had to read the book!


The cover features a bright yellow sun flower which certainly attracts your eye to the cover. The main title of the book is Answers From Heaven, with the sub header of "Incredible True Stories of Heavenly Encounters and the Afterlife, which basically what the book contains in just one sentence.

The basically consists of two halves, the first is written by Theresa Cheung, she is a best selling author who is fascinated by Mediumship and is from a family with an ancestral history of psychics. Theresa really looks at things more like a lay person. She manages to ask and answer the questions the reader wants to ask. Theresa also goes into the signs we can all see around us that come from our loved ones that have passed. Such as white feathers, or a some random song on the radio that your loved one used to sing or love. Our loved ones can also contact us in dreams, to try to help us with larger difficult decisions or somehow speak to us both in dreams and occasionally whilst we are awake to warn us of impending dangers. Theresa uses examples of people she has spoken too that are willing to share their stories.

The other half of the book is written by Claire Broad who is herself a Medium. So she explains the way to find a person who will give you a genuine reading. Claire also goes on to explain sometimes it may happen that you could book a reading and if your loved ones on the other side do not wish to take part you could actually end up getting nothing. So in other words she says just because you want a reading and book one it is not guarantee your loved ones will choose to come through via the medium. Claire also explains that a large percentage of the reading depends on the Mediums interpreting what your loved one is saying or showing them. Claire then shares some of her Mediumship clients stories and readings with the reader. 

I really enjoyed reading this book, it soon became a compulsive read. I most liked the stories of peoples real stories shared by both Theresa and Claire. I think I can safely say we have all lost someone we really love and who could not want to communicate them. Both Theresa and Claire discuss animals and their place in heaven and in messages too.
It would be easy for me to share the stories from within the book, however I think they are much better read within the actual context of the book. I think this book will appeal to a wide range of readers. My grandmother used to read tea leaves, and have prophetic dreams and certain things have happened that do make me truly believe in "messages from heaven". 

I guess there will be believers and those who think its all a lot of nonsense. I think we all have in our hearts and minds our own version of heaven and the afterlife. I like to think everyone has their dream home up there and they get a message, kind of like an email or text when their loved ones still living are thinking of them. Rather like we find white feathers etc when they are thinking of us. 

I don't want to offend anyone by saying this but I feel it needs to be said, you don't need to be religious, or even believe in the afterlife of any sort to read and enjoy this book. Having said that both Theresa and Claire talk about attending a spiritualist church to open yourself up more to be more receptive to any messages sent by those who have passed. It can also be a way of finding someone who you feel comfortable with to have a reading with. You may even receive a message whilst just attending the spiritualist church. The whole concept and reasons to attend a Spiritualist Church is explained much better than I have explained within this review.




I feel I should share just one of my experiences with you that happened the morning after I finished the book. I got up and went into my kitchen and there on the chopping board was a small, no tiny amount of butter that was in the shape of a heart! Checkout the photo I took!



I have found white feathers on numerous occasions. When I miscarried and gave birth to my son at 4.5 months pregnant I heard certain songs on the radio that when I hear now make me think of him. When I moved into the house I am living in now I planted rose plants, and chose a white one for my son and more recently the palest yellow one I could find for my maternal grandparents. The white rose plant in memory of my son flowers around my daughters birthday (29th February) Mothers Day (March in the UK), on my mums birthday (9th June), my birthday (8th July) and my dads birthday (16th November) and it has even flowered at Christmas! 
I suppose by now you have realised I am a bit of a believer myself, whereas my 21 year old is a little skeptical and just gave me a wry smile and a head shake when I explained I was sharing a picture of my heart shaped butter!

I have had other experiences, one I want to share but feel I cannot reveal all in great detail on in my blog but I will say on the day of one of my Aunts funeral I was put through a police/divorce/drama by my ex. It was the worst day possible day and timing for what he did. I ended up sitting alone in a room wondering what was going to happen. I had no phone, was cold, and had no one to speak to. I honestly felt stunned, scared and at a loss how to handle what was happening. When I suddenly felt warmth at each side of me and I truthfully heard them whispering in my ear. Just tell the truth, everything will be okay. You're not on your own, we will both stay with you. They did and when I came out of the room, I was interviewed and believed, something just clicked and I was sent on my way home. I feel like I go on and on about this book and the subjects covered within it.

The three words that sprang to mind upon finishing reading this book were interesting, uplifting and enlightening.






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