In October 2011 I was contacted by Dorothy Thompson, CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book, to let me know I had won a copy of her book Romancing The Soul as a prize for attending one of Pump Up’s monthly author chats. Full disclosure here: I have, on two prior occasions (two years ago now) been a client of Ms. Thompson’s while doing virtual tours for my own book, The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between; I have also reviewed three other titles for Pump Up.
Because she has been supportive and helpful in my promotional efforts I knew right away I would write a review for her book. I don’t review every book I read, to be sure. At the outset writing a review was my way of saying thanks. I didn’t mention it, figuring I would fly under the radar and surprise her with it later.
Of course, if I didn’t care for the book I would have told her as much. Ms. Thompson knows that although I may be verbose I always strive to be fair and professional in my reviews. Her book would be no exception to that important rule.
A couple weeks later she e-mailed me to ask if I would consider doing a review for the book as she was going to be doing a small virtual book tour of her own in support of it. I replied and told her “I was planning on doing one anyway.”
The theme of the book involved the idea of soul mates. I wouldn’t think it too outlandish to say the majority of us have, if not encountered this head on, at least considered the notion. I was primed and ready for it to arrive.
When it finally came I read a bit of it and was struck by how much it resonanted with me. Without the least forethought or mindful consideration I lit upon my keyboard and wrote her an e-mail, the contents of which is below.
I don’t offer this up as any form of personal healing or self-aggrandizment; once you read it I believe that much will be clear. My intent for posting it is as a prelude to her first ‘stop’ on her tour on Monday: my blog, for the review of Romancing The Soul. I believe its essence is woven within the content of her book.
Dorothy,
Did I ever tell you where I got my e-mail address/website name from? If you’ve visited the site then you know already . . . Amor Vincit Omnia — latin . . . and I know you know the translation. [in case you don’t know, it translates to “love conquers all”—JWN]
There was a time when I experienced many of the phenomena you propose in Romancing the Soul. I had felt connected to certain people, sure, but in my mid thirties I had met someone whom I felt almost inexplicably connected to . . . and we hadn’t actually met yet. Many things happened, stupid acts on my part served to curdle the sweet cream of our infant pairing. As you have stated, there are people who come into our lives to teach us lessons. I’m pretty sure she was one of them.
And yet, to this day, I still can’t explain or convincingly describe how very much I felt she was a part of me. I will, for the rest of my breathing days, never forget the time she called me and said “I only have a few seconds—they’re waiting for me in the car—but I wanted to call and tell you ‘I love you’.”
Everything in this plane of existence blurred then disappeared, if only for a few seconds. In their place was an overwhelming feeling of warmth, of hope. Amor vincit omnia, indeed.
The denoument is much less energetic and far more expositive of our innate humanity. The details are boring, certainly not unique, but in their ultimate conclusion lies the proof that some people are not meant to be with us forever.
This is a stunningly hard concept to wrap one’s head around, much less the heart.
I consider myself to be fairly well grounded, with the potent exception of my propensity for being a damned romantic. I firmly believe there is an existence which surrounds us that we can’t see, if only because our mortal eyes are not trained for it. Ego and Fear do a splendid job of keeping us wrapped in a veil of ignorance or non-acceptance of ourselves or others. The only way to glimpse that other side is to, quite simply, let go of those twin bastards, to allow their creidbility to decay and forever cripple them.
When I attended the Tucson Festival of Books a couple years ago, I wound up seated next to a couple of women who wrote a small book entitled “Your Angels Are Speaking.” I bought a copy after sitting and chatting with one of them for a while—few people were buying, lots of browsing, and the conversation was intriguing.
The two are sisters; one professed to the other to have been contacted by her own angels and was urged to write down their communications. She enlisted the aid of the other sister who was more adept at writing. It echoes the spirit and essence of Romancing The Soul. I shall reread it again soon, but it’s effects after the first read through are still with me.
I don’t need to read through your book with an open mind . . . mine has been open for quite some time. I do need to more fully exert myself toward the acceptance of others easing in and out of my life; I need to let go this buried pain I keep inside, because I know, much like Pandorra’s urn, it keeps a lid on my potential. I should forego the active search and instead be mindful of the universe around me instead.
It never happens when you’re looking for it, right?
Amor Vincit Omnia,
Jeff
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I certainly hope you will come back Monday morning and read my review!
J.W. Nicklaus' Blog 