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Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Angela Ward, a Reiki Master and author, about her latest book; Reclaim Your Personal Power. She talks about her motivation behind writing the book, the process she went through to complete it, and shares her advice to inspire and encourage others.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
My name is Angela Ward. I am a mother, and grandmother, and owner of a now disabled French Bulldog called Blue Bobz.
I live in North Essex and moved here 2.5 years ago from London, where I was born and bred.
I have a BA(Hons) in Business, an MSc in healthcare commissioning. I am also a qualified life coach, Holistic therapist, and Lecturer/Trainer.
When did you first WANT to write a book?
I love writing. In secondary school I started writing poems and found that I was able to allow my imagination and emotion to unfold on the pages. I love the creativity of it. I’ve always had a flair for it and in 2005 decided that I would write a book.
When did you take a step to start writing?
I wrote my first book in 2005, the second book Reclaim your Personal Power, did not come about until 2018. I wanted to share my love of holistic therapies and how you can use mediation, crystals & essential oils to help balance emotions.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
It took me around 10 months.
Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write Reclaim Your Personal Power?
Having lived with trauma throughout my life, (child sexual abuse, domestic violence, and imposter syndrome) I had buried the hurt and pain deeply. I have always found a way to cope and progress. In 2005 my mother died and many of ‘issues’ that I had buried came racing to the surface. This time I had decided to deal with them, get some understanding, some closure and to heal. As a child I had aspired to work in the beauty industry. This childhood passion led me to holistic massage, energy healing (I’m a Reiki master), but also to spirituality and the concept of the mind/body/spirit connection. The book is a way to help people start their own journey of healing, with a 7 part course on the basic understanding of the chakra system, how it affects our bodies, coupled with meditations, crystals & essential oils to help with healing.
What were your biggest challenges with writing Reclaim Your Personal Power?
My biggest challenge was being consistent with the writing and scheduling it into the dairy.
Another challenge was knowing how much of my story to tell and sharing my epiphany moments of healing.
What was your research process for Reclaim Your Personal Power?
The book was partly based on my own experiences but as a Therapist /Trainer & Lecturer, I have read many books on healing, the mind/body connection. As a crystal therapist I have a good round knowledge of crystals due to studying and working with them over the years. I’ve also used essential oils since the 90’s. I’ve studied Neuro Linguistic Programming NLP and worked with 100’s of clients helping them to heal their own trauma through coaching.
How did you plan the structure of Reclaim Your Personal Power?
The structure was planned per chapter. Although it is a self-help type book, it still needed to flow as a story.
I had an overview of what I wanted to achieve with the book and that was around learning, education, and practical exercises. Healing emotional wounds is a journey. You have to ease into it. The book is designed in that way.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Reclaim Your Personal Power need?
I edited the book about 5 times. A friend of mine also edited it for me and I have dedicated the book to him. Unfortunately, the world lost a wonderful man in 2019 when cancer finally took him from us.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a book?
The best thing you can do is to have a plan. Set out the chapters with a few ideas of how you would like those to progress. However, writing is a creative art and sometimes you just must let the story unfold on the page. Sometimes the characters come alive in a way that you hadn’t imagined, or a twist comes into play that you hadn’t foreseen. If you are writing a story about people then make sure that each chapter has a heading of the person you are writing about so that the reader is clear.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
I am actually toying with the idea of writing a children’s book about my dog and his journey.
And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
I am immensely proud of my achievements and it’s definitely worth the effort.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
You can purchase the book using this link; https://amzn.to/38hXpuc
You can find me on Linked in here ; Angela Ward | LinkedIn
Visit my website here : www.authentichappinesscoachessex.co.uk
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