Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Meet the Characters – An Interview with Valerie Baldwin from “Connections” by Janette Harjo

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:



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