Reincarnation...
real or not?
“Connections” is
the heartbreaking love story of Valerie and Alecksander. Caught in a circle of
life after life, always knowing something is familiar but never quite
understanding, until the vicious spell that put them there is broken and all
remembrance returns. A love story that will bring tears, hope and joy to all
who read.
Today
Janette Harjo is interviewing Miss Valerie Baldwin about herself and her role
in the three book “Connections” Series.
“Hello,
Valerie. I see you’ve received many good reviews for this story on Amazon, and I
appreciate this opportunity to sit with you and learn more about yourself and
your role in this story.
“Time-Travel, reincarnation, cursed souls, wizards…
Oooo It peaks my curiosity. What can you tell me about all that?”
The twentyish-looking woman crossed her shapely legs
and adjusted her body in the straight-backed chair she sat on in my office.
She sighed and began, “It’s not really a story.
It’s all true. You see, I’ve lived many lifetimes and have traveled back
and forth through time in search of my ‘happy ending,’ you might say.”
JH – “Please continue!”
VB - “This series is about three simultaneous
lifetimes my hero and I have lived in search of each other. Let’s see. Where
shall I begin?”
I scooted forward in my chair, recorder ready. “The
beginning?
Valerie tapped the right side of her head. “Oh, yes.
The beginning. Of course! As I am today, I was a young empathic healer in the
1690s in “Fated,” the first of the series.”
JH - “As you are today? And your age then would’ve been
the same?”
VB – “Yes. We, and a little boy who follows us
through time, are the same age every time we meet for a chance at obtaining our
connection.
Valerie lowered her eyelids for an instant. “But my
exact age? That’s for you to decide. I am and have always been
twenty-something. My hero has always been about the same age as I am. Probably in
his early thirties. I’m five-five and he’s five-ten.
“But even as I am thought of as a young woman in
today’s world, in the seventeenth century I was rather old to have no children.
I was barren, which was something to be ashamed of, then.
“My husband at the time abandoned me for that
reason, and left me alone to fend for myself. But I loved the children, and
healed them with my God-given gift.
“But the world of the late seventeenth century had
no understanding for empathic abilities, and so I came under suspicion and thought
of as a witch.”
She raised her eyebrows, leaned forward toward me
and murmured as if she shared a secret.
“And you know what they did to
witches in the new colonies of America at the time.”
JH – “Oh, My! Yes I do. Did you survive? How did you survive?”
Valerie fretted with her fingers. “The colonists
enlisted the aid of a supernaturally powerful witch-hunter. None matched his
prowess.” She shivered. “Can we please go on?”
JH – “Yee. Of course.”
Valerie took a deep breath and continued, “My second
lifetime in this series, in “Conned,” occurred in the 19th century.
During that time I served as a school-marm in the newly developed state of
Oregon.
“I envisioned the children I taught as mine, and I
cared for them as such. As I have said, I have always loved the dear little
ones and so it seems fitting that I once more existed in a position where I
could serve them. That became more complicated when one of those traveling show-men
arrived in our town.
“I had heard all about them and I could not let him
influence my children with his
conniving ways. It was my place to stand
up to him and protect them. He charmed me with his magical abilities, much as
the witch-hunter had, and I let my guard down.
Then one of my little boys went missing – the same
child who was with us in “Fated.” I alerted the sheriff and told him the blame
should be placed on the con-artist in town because of his time spent with and
the things he had taught to my children.”
I saw moisture on her forehead. She fisted her hands
and leaned her head forward so her lips rested on them.
VB - “I shouldn’t have let it happen, but I did. It
was all my fault.” Valerie raised her head.
“Can we go on to the 3rd in the series?”
Her lips trembled into a smile.
I patted one of her hands. “Of course. What do you
have to tell me about “Informed”?”
VB – “Informed is the story of my present day life. Due
to my past experiences, I’m sure I’ll live other lives, but I like living
today. Who knows what the future will hold, but today is much better than
yesterday.”
JH – “Why do you say that?”
VB – “Because my previous lifetimes left me prepared
for today. I’ve got this chance to reach my destiny. It’s my current reality – not
like something I’ve lived before.”
The excited glow in Valerie’s eyes calmed and she
continued. “As has always been my passion, I’m still working with children.”
She lowered her gaze to her lap, “But I am also still unable to bear them.”
“I’ve again met an awesome magician, just as I did
in my previous lifetimes.”
JH – “And you’re both the same ages as always
before?”
“Yes. But let me continue with what’s going on in
my life today!”
JH – “Please do!”
VB – “Everything is still much the same as always
before. As I said, I am still childless, he’s still a magician, and there is
still an orphaned little boy who has worked his way into our lives.”
JH – “What do you do in today’s world?”
The warmth of a loving smile softened Valerie’s
face. “Today my empathic gifts are recognized as such and not as a disgrace I
should be punished for. I’m a social worker and I use my unusual talents to fight
for the safety of abused children.
VB – “At first it seemed my magician and I were
finally destined to find our connection and be together, but it seems like we
might have more lifetimes to go through, after all.”
JH – “Why? What has happened?”
“The curse that has haunted us from day one has
followed and found us again,” she sighed. “But today’s society is enlightened
enough that we were able to enlist the assistance of a past life regressionist.
Through him we learned about the previous lifetimes we’ve shared.”
Valerie’s face drained of all color and she gave a sudden
shake with her head and shoulders.
JH – “Are you all right?”
VB – “We have been regressed to the twelfth century,
where a final showdown between good and evil – my soul mate and the wizard who
cursed us to lifetimes without each other – is going to happen.
JH – “Your wizard is magnificent, isn’t he? There
should be no problem, should there be?” I watched as her face drained of color
and her voice broke with uncertainty.
VB – “I’ve grown to love him. What if his magic is not
as strong?”
JH – “He must be good if you love him, and good
always triumphs over evil; doesn’t it?”
VB – “So I’ve heard. But our little boy… uh, the
little boy who has followed us through time is with him. I just don’t know how
this is going to end!”
“Connections” series is available as single titles or a boxed set through:
