I’ve read and reviewed four of the author’s Mystic Bay series books, and like her five other books, this one proves the power of the human spirit to move on despite incredible tragedy and personal loss. The author’s daughter, Kate, was killed in a tragic accident, and then her husband died. And during a difficult period where many would have succumbed to despair, Jody had a dream in which a voice told her to read “Charlotte’s Web,” by E.V. White, a children’s book. Initially, she didn’t know why she should read it until the last line of the text revealed that “Nobody would take the place of Charlotte in the heart of Wilbur.” This thought helped the author go on and honor her beloved daughter and her husband.
Last year, I read When the Angel Sent Butterflies to several of our youngest grandchildren, and although I didn’t feel qualified to review it, my granddaughter did, in the end, draw butterflies. Like all the author’s work, it’s uplifting, and my grandchildren seemed enthralled with the story and the excellent drawings about how love conquers fear and that angels are close by and can sweep away any fears they might have.
This book begins with a quote from humorous commentator Will Rogers: “If There Are No Dogs in Heaven, Then When I Die, I Want to Go Where They Went.” Jody and her husband, Dave, are rescue dog advocates, and the trials and tribulations of her canine characters play a central role in this Christmas story.
The story is told by meteorologist and psychic Gayle Force Knight, who proves to be a force to be reckoned with. While Gayle was sleeping, an angel sent her a vision of a future event. With her intuition, Gayle wonders if she will really meet the dog in her dream and save another one.
With the help of her intuitive husband, Alex Knight, and friends, Gayle sets on a course to rescue many more. But with surprising twists and turns of intrigue, both Gayle and Alex find there are always angels at the helm as they ride on their coattails.
The power of Angels to guide and protect humans, along with psychics, plays a central role in the sleepy California town of Mystic Bay. The townspeople say they live in a tiny slice of heaven but have no idea that angels live amongst them.
This book gives hope that it can help change a broken world, one page by dog-eared page at a time. And maybe these stories can bridge some of the divides hate talk and political vitriol have created.
If you like uplifting stories about finding and saving rescue animals in the dead of winter with the help of Angels, this is the perfect Christmas Holiday book to read and share!
Product Details
- Publisher : Jody Sharpe (July 18, 2024)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 127 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0988562057
- ISBN-13 : 978-0988562059
- Reading age : 14 – 18 years
The Author
Jody Sharpe had a rewarding career as a Special Education teacher. Over a decade ago, when her daughter Kate died tragically, Sharpe faced the most difficult challenge of her life. She was determined not to survive merely but to live, to honor the life of her beloved daughter, her twins, her husband, and the rest of the rich life she had created before the tragedy. Blessed with an inherently positive outlook, these trying times were strengthened by influences from the late Norman Vincent Peale to the children’s book character Wilbur the Pig. For Sharpe, ministers of spirit and guidance took the form of angels.
Sharpe recently received an honorable mention in the 2024 National Federation of Press Women’s Professional Communication contest at the national level for one of her novels, ‘Summer of Angels.’ This is her fourth NFPW win. In 2023, ’20 Moon Road, An Angel’s Tale’ took First Place nationally in the novella category. ‘Town Of Angels Christmas’ was placed at large, as was ‘Special Needs Children, The Angels On My Shoulder.’ She was also featured in the September issue of ‘Great Writers You Should Be Reading Magazine. Visit her website at http://www.jodysharpe.com.
About Reviewer
Mark Walker was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala (1971-1973) and spent over forty years helping disadvantaged people in the developing world. Walker’s three books are Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, Best Travel Book, and The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives and Amazing Stories, a BookFest winner for non-fiction Travel. He’s written 80 book reviews, and of his 30 published essays, two were recognized by the Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing. He’s a Board member of SEEDS for a Future, Advance Guatemala, and the Arizona Authors Association. His wife and three children were born in Guatemala. You can learn more at www.MillionMileWalker.com