Could you have had a Past Life?
Many years ago, I knew a woman who swore she had lived a previous
life. She believed she was in Georgia during Sherman’s “March to the Sea”. She
told me she had never given the Civil War much thought until she watched Gone
With the Wind for the first time. As the war drew closer and closer to
Scarlet in the film, the woman said she became increasingly agitated. As Scarlet
walked through the remains of the battlefield, the woman became so ill she had
to leave the theater. She swore she wasn’t squeamish, but could never watch
that show without experiencing physical and emotional pain. She blamed her
visceral reaction on having been killed during the Civil War.
I also knew a man who believes he had died on the Titanic in his
previous life. He claimed to have memories of being trapped beneath the deck as
the ship went down. He relayed this story to me in the early 80s, well before
the 1997 blockbuster Titanic. I thought of him as I watched Jack and
Rose fight their way to the upper deck, and I wondered...what if?
Past lives. Reincarnation. Could it be a learning process for the
soul? Do we choose to be born again, or do we earn a new life by learning a
specific lesson in this one? Perhaps all this talk of reincarnation and past lives
is nothing but superstitious nonsense. Each person decides their own truth.
Many eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, hold
reincarnation as a central tenant. While in the West, popular culture has
brought the idea of reincarnation into contemporary books, movies and songs.
For me, the fascination with past lives began with the Paul Williams song, Old
Souls from the 1974 film, Phantom of the Paradise, sung by Jessica
Harper. Here, give it a listen. It’s a beautiful love song. - Old Souls
The song is haunting, romantic, and filled my young imagination
with the idea of loving someone so much you could find them in your next life, or
long for them in your present one. The notion stuck with me, and the central
theme of Passage was born.
PASSAGE: Soul of the Witch, Book 1
In Passage, my heroine, Courtney Veau has a
near-death experience, and returns to her past-life in the
post-Civil War west. When she wakes in a present-day hospital, Courtney
realizes she’s
returned to her own hollow existence. Heartbroken, she knows she left behind not only a
family she loves, but life with the man who shares her soul, a man she’ll love
forever, Merril Shilo.
A carriage accident nearly takes
beautiful Nichole Harris’s life, stealing her memories completely.
Plagued by amnesia, she is confused by flashes of memory that are out of time
with the world around her, and seem to belong to someone else. Only Nichole's
own strong emotions remain to guide her—and as others try to take control of
her life, she fights a desperate battle to survive. Merril Shilo is someone she
should know, and though her memories fail her, she is stunned by her passion
for him—and the remembered agony of a broken heart.
Merril Shilo is the love of
Courtney’s life—no matter when that life might be. The memories and
emotions of her life as ranch heiress Nichole
Harris consume Courtney’s mind—and her heart. Courtney soon finds her
desire for Merril threatens her sanity, as he beckons from a past she can no
longer reach. Can she find the PASSAGE back to the soul-mate she left behind?
Excerpt from Passage:
The long shadows faded into
twilight. She'd found what she came for—proof this house existed. There was no
longer a reason to stay; and yet, just the possibility she might hear his voice
again kept her waiting one more day.
Outside the window, night took
final possession of the day. A few porch lights came on down the block.
Headlights swung around the corner as a car turned onto the street and
illuminated the pavement. The headlights winked off and a car door slammed.
Behind her, the room took on a
familiar chill. She turned from the window and pressed her back against the
heavy drapes as the echo of boots pounded up the back stairs. She gasped when
he raced into the room, vaguely luminescent in the darkness. He was dressed in
denim trousers and cotton shirt, with a silk scarf tied loosely around his
neck. Where's his hat? Had he lost it in the dash up the stairs? That
wide-brimmed cowboy hat was such a part of him he seemed naked without it. His
hair had come loose from its binding, and he shoved it out of his face with a
familiar motion. She stood close enough to read the emotion play across his
face, a mixture of fear and bewilderment. His breath was labored, and his
anxiety tangible as he stopped and looked right at her. Her mouth fell open in
surprise and her heart tightened in her chest. Does he see me?
He took a hesitant step toward her.
“Nichole?” His voice filled with horror, he whispered her name from another
life.
“Yes! Merril, it's me.” Courtney
stepped toward the specter.
His head turned. His attention
called away from her open arms. “Oh, sweet Jesus.” Merril fell to his knees and
reached for something no longer there. “Nicki, please don't go. Stay with me.”
“Merril, I'm here.” Her heart ached
for him and for herself, but her plea went unheard.
Sobs shook his wide shoulders.
Her heart clenched to witness his
despair. She longed to comfort him, to assure him she was there, but could not.
In defeat, she sank to her knees beside the grieving apparition.
“Nicki, don't leave me. Look at me—”
His hushed voice, choked and broken.
“I'm right here, my love,” she
whispered, but the room grew warm and Merril Shilo faded back into the past.
Courtney hung her head in the darkness and fought back tears. One question was
answered, at least for now.
WIN
A FREE BOOK!
Comment and leave your email
address. Do you believe you had a past life or lives? If you could choose a
past life, who would you have been?
The winner
will receive a free e-book of Passage, Soul of the Witch – Book 1.
C. Marie Bowen
Connie (C. Marie) Bowen is an award winning writer
of paranormal adventures laced with suspense and romance. She grew up in
Denver, Colorado and has a love of western history, science fiction, and
fantasy. Her life travels have taken her from Denver to Wichita, KS and
eventually settling in North Texas to raise her two boys. A LEED accredited
professional, she worked as an Architectural Project Manager for retail
construction prior to deciding an empty nest gave her the opportunity to follow
her writing muse.
She plans to release Prophecy, Soul of the
Witch, Book 2 this summer, and the final chapter, Paradox, Soul of the
Witch, Book 3 by the end of the year.
She is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America,
Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Sub-chapter of RWA, North Texas RWA, and
Savvy Authors.
