By: E.Oberio / July 7, 2017
Welcome to another edition of our author spotlight interviews. We are pleased to be interviewing today Rebecca Vijay, author of “My Angel In Heaven: A Mother’s Journey through Death and Grief to Comfort and Hope”.
Would you please tell our readers your over-all experience about writing this book? How did you feel while writing the book and after finishing it?
My Angel in Heaven is about my first-born twin son who passed away three days after birth, in 2009. Through this book, I share about losing my son and how I moved from my grief to comfort and then hope in HIM. It was a difficult book to write reminiscing all the memories that I had tried to forget but then the hope that it would be a tool for others going through a similar phase to find hope and healing, kept me going. After finishing it, I feel wonderful, especially with all the encouraging comments and feedback that I have been receiving about the book. It has also opened up an almost-taboo subject of infant loss and my hope is that other bereaved parents can come out of their grief and rejoice as we would soon be meeting our angels in heaven.
Did you have any goals for this book when you wrote it — to get published, or just to finish it?
My goal was to write and publish it by April 22, as it is my son’s death anniversary. Last year, I had written my first blog – also titled ‘My Angel in Heaven’ – on his seventh anniversary. So this year, I wanted to write and publish my first book on that day. Due to various reasons, I could not finish it in time but on that day, I announced it on social media (for accountability) and later released it in time for Mothers Day.
Why did you write about your three-day old infant’s loss?
I wanted to raise awareness about the grief that parents who lose their infants or undergo miscarriage go through. One doesn’t wake up one day and switch off the memory of their child. The baby will always live in their hearts and will define their lives. Living without them will be their new normal but they are no longer the persons that they were. They are proud parents of their angel babies and are open to talking about them. Don’t make them uncomfortable by pretending as if the child did not exist. The mother carried the child for so many months and the bond developed will always be there, no matter how much time passes by.
Now, would you please tell us, where did your love of writing come from?
I have always loved reading and writing. I was a favorite with English teachers and intuitively liked to write. Over the years, I have written short stories, poems and letters (I love writing long letters J). Last year, I wrote the first draft of a young adult novel and contributed to an inspirational book written by 100+ moms from around the world. It has been God’s grace that through my writing, I am able to be a vessel for HIM to touch people.
How do you find or make time to write?
I set a goal and then work towards reaching that. I have not been regularly following a writing schedule, though. It is a bit difficult to find time as I have been juggling a lot of things. Recently, I have decided to make time for writing and focus on the same.
Any writing rituals?
I like to write when no one is around and I can hear my thoughts and imagine the way forward in the story. I visualize it like a stairway. Once I take the first step, the next steps come into view and take me to a whole new place that never existed before.
What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
I like to go back to the eternal truths hidden in the Word of the Lord. I read books and articles of various genres, so they also have a subtle influence on my writing.
What projects are you working on at the present?
I am working on various projects at the moment. I am bringing out a series of companion journals with this book, wherein bereaved parents can pen down their memories, their grief, and their sorrows. I am also planning to bring out the audiobook of My Angel in Heaven. The book is the first in the series and I am planning 3 more books in that. Also, I have to revise and polish my young adult novel and then I plan to write three more in that series.
Any last thoughts for our readers?
Share your story. Write it down. You never know, your story might be the medicine needed for someone’s healing.
Thank you, Rebecca, for your time. Congratulations for writing such a wonderful book. We wish you all the best in your writing career.
Please grab a copy of Rebecca Vijay’s book via amazon.com