If you’re a fan of supernatural fiction then you will be captivated by this true story about a spiritually sensitive girl and the path that led to her possession. Part one of a two-part series, Saving Mary is the story of a modern-day Mary Magdalene—the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.
Deidre Daily is drawn to anything seemingly spiritual, desperately seeking a spiritual existence. But inside this vibrant girl hides a terrified child who sincerely believes she has married the devil. Through a series of spiritual encounters her fear turns into reality, and she ends up possessed.
Deidre’s fascinating memoir relays her story from childhood to adolescence: invisible eyes leering at her from the corner of her bedroom, horrible nightmares tormenting her, and her desperate attempt to find God—only to end up possessed. It is a candid account of possession from a first-person perspective. This dark memoir brings to light an intricate world of deceitful spirits hell-bent on manipulating and damaging an innocent girl’s life, not only through her dreams, but also through seemingly every-day encounters.
Travel with Deidre into the mysterious world of spirits, ghosts and demons. Awaken yourself to a world that isn’t supposed to exist; a world that’s as intriguing as it is sinister. And then emerge as a new person—invigorated, aware and intent on living in the light. Saving Mary; Not just another story about a girl and her exorcist.
Watch for book two, Saving Mary: The Deliverance
Guest Post:
Given unlimited resources, how would you change the publishing world?
By Deidre Havrelock
The publishing world has already changed for the better. With the ebook, authors are now able to truly learn the business of publishing. It may be easy to stick a bunch of wonderful words into the format of an ebook, but it’s difficult to search for the right editor, get the proof reading done, and find your readers—along with discovering good marketing avenues.
The ebook is as much a teaching tool as it is a means of communicating and entertaining. It’s helping writers to become entrepreneurs. What self-published writers need now are organized editors who can sell themselves to us based on what genre they edit. After all, an editor who primarily edits romance is not always the best choice for memoir. I’d like to be able to enter a website where numerous editors highlight their strengths and provide endorsements from past clients (authors). Great editors are needed more than ever. I think editors will eventually replace the role of agents. If you find a great editor, you’ll want to keep her for life.
As far as standard publishing houses go, and I’ve worked with a publishing house before, the one thing that seemed shockingly absent from the “relationship” was just that—a relationship. I became further and further removed from my work. In effect, I handed over a book and was never consulted on it again. I’m a great force for marketing, but in order for me to help I have to be looked at as a valuable asset. Which means bringing an author into a marketing meeting right at the get go. I’d like to see publishing houses look at all their author relationships, even the new ones, more in terms of partnerships. I’d also like to see author royalties go up (but not necessarily advances).
Interview:
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
The future, definitely. I really would like to fly in a spaceship. I once dreamed I had a pink flying car (just like in the Jetsons). It had a white leather interior. In this futuristic world everything was powered from the energy of positive electrons gathered from flowing water. (I’m not sure if this would actually work…I’m a dreamer not a physicist!)
If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?
My friend Lori, my friend Becky, my friend Courtney, my friend Joan…and the Holy Spirit. We would eat naan bread and spinach paneer.
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
Oh, my gosh I hope I don’t ever get stranded, but if I did I am sure glad I packed my fuzzy white blanket, my lazy cat named Kashi (I won’t pick my kids because they don’t want to be stranded on a desert island, and I won’t pick my husband because he has to watch the kids), and enoughTim Horton’s (this is a popular and highly addictive Canadian coffee) to last five years…can I also bring a pen so I can write a book? Ok, I’ll give up the lazy cat in order to bring the pen. (Better add some paper to that order!)
What is one book everyone should read?
Since I’m a fan of good Christian theology, but I also enjoy story…I think I’ll pick The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. Of course, everyone has already read this book, but if you’re one of the few people who haven’t then you should. I believe the Holy Spirit is the feminine aspect of God. In fact, I’m coordinating a conference on the femininity of the Holy Spirit (May 2013) and Wm. Paul Young will be there, hosting it. I’m excited!
Another favorite of mine is Scivias by St. Hildegard…it’s a book of visions; but for top memoir pick, I choose The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This book is sad but it makes you laugh because her family is super crazy. For a good exorcism book, I pick Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin. You think my story is weird, wait ‘til you read the ones in this book!
If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?
First I’d like to spend some time with Jesus…learn as much as I could about whatever he wanted to talk about. But then, I’d really like to meet Joan of Arc. That would be cool. We’d hang out in my back yard and sip iced coffee and tell God-stories where crazy stuff happens. I think we’d get along. Yeah, we’d be best friends.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Oh gosh, my quirk is that I write in bed. I sometimes get my laptop and stay in bed for hours! My husband calls it my office.
Night owl or early bird?
I’m neither. I like to wake up early—but it’s always a struggle. I like to stay up late—but I always fall asleep. I guess I like to sleep. That sounds pathetic.
One food you would never eat?
I really like food. All kinds of food, but if someone said, “Hey, try this dish of spiders!” I definitely would pass. The idea of eating spiders creeps me out. I imagine little bristly legs getting stuck in my teeth or else wiggly bodies scurrying down my throat. How much flavor or protein could there be in a spider, anyway? My favorite food, by the way, is crab!
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
There are things that go on, strange supernatural things, that for your own safety—or the safety of your children—you should know about.
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
I’m working to finish part two of Saving Mary…The Deliverance. The story of how I became unpossessed. I am also working to edit a book about the femininity of the Holy Spirit, The MotherHeart of God: Biblical Evidence for the Femininity of the Holy Spirit.
What inspired you to want to become a writer?
My imagination, plus my mom read a lot. At a young age I wanted to write something for her to read, so I wrote The Bloody Dagger in grade three. I’m sure my story of a guy who hides in the shadows and chops up people impressed her. I know it impressed my teacher, Mrs. Whalen, who asked, “Don’t you have any happy thoughts?” I have a lot of happy thoughts now (so don’t worry).
If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be?
I Robot, that was a good book. I’d like to live in a world with robots and all those robot logic problems. I’d like to travel in space, too.
What is your dream cast for your book?
Hee-hee! That’s a good question. I’d want William Shatner to play my dad and Shirley MacLaine to play the overbearing spiritual leader who kicks me out of meditation group for having bad karma. Oh, and Christian Slater should play my brother, except he’s too old now. We’ll have to dump Christian Slater. Drat!
What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Finish your book. Keep working. Enjoy the process. Cry a little.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Medicine Hat, Canada. My dad lives there, and the weather is nice. I’m missing family these days.
What is your favorite Quote?
“Theology in the hands of the Holy Spirit is a beautiful science.” I don’t know who said it. Although, I think it was St. Hildegard. Email me if you know who said it! But I also like … “Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.”
When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?
I wanted to be a writer and then a lawyer and then I just wanted to party (I sort of lost focus). I used to pray, “Dear God, pleeeeease make me good at just one thing.” I always felt I was exceptionally good at nothing—probably like most of us, I suspect. My husband calls this “The Gift of Insignificant helps.”
How did you know you should become an author?
Surprisingly, it was a few months after my exorcism. I remember having coffee with a co-worker and I said, “I think I’ll write a book…maybe a ‘how-to book’ or a ‘picture book’…how hard can it be?” Ha! Ha! So naïve back then. With the memoir, however, things were different. I was folding clothes and suddenly I envisioned a book floating in the air; it was a book about my family and about my healing. I thought, Am I supposed to write this book? Just then the phone rang. It was my aunt. She said she had heard God speak to her and he said that I was supposed to write a book about my family and my healing. Honestly, that happened! So I started writing. Soon enough, I went back to school to learn how to write.
What's the craziest writing idea you've had?
I want to be a screenwriter. That’s a crazy idea. I mean, it seems crazy…especially since I’m in my 40s. I’ve taken screenwriting courses and I’ve written a screenplay. I guess we’ll see what happens.
What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?
The best advice I’ve ever gotten was from a friend who was older and wiser than me. When I complained to her that my children woke up at 7 a.m., filled with mass amounts of energy, and therefore I couldn’t get any writing done, she asked me, “So what are you doing at 5 a.m.? I soon found out that coffee tastes really good at 5 a.m.
Favorite Food?
Love East Indian food! Love Mexican. Love Greek. Love Italian. Love Japanese.
What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
The next Star Trek movie!!
How do you react to a bad review?
I cry. I then have to watch Star Trek. Star Trek makes everything better.
If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Great book, by a great author. As a Christian woman that book really moved me and made me think about my lack of courage.
What do you do in your free time?
Typically, I help my kids with homework and go for walks. I also like to read…in the summer I’ll buy ten books and enjoy the weather.
How did you come up with the title of your book?
I called my book Saving Mary because just after my exorcism my boyfriend convinced me to go to a Bible study. I had already decided I would keep my possession and exorcism a secret. (It seemed all just a bit too strange to talk about.) During the Bible study, however, BAM! A woman caught me off guard. She came up to me at the end of the study and told me that God spoke to her. “God told me to tell you that you remind him of Mary Magdalene—the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.” It seemed that I wanted to keep my life a secret, but God didn’t get my memo! I didn’t go to another Bible study for over a year. Those prophetic people, you can always count on them to spice things up.
What's your favorite season/weather?
I like summer because I can go back to Canada to visit family. I like hot weather with a cold coffee or a Coke, which my mom says I should stop drinking because it rots my gut. (But I don’t want to stop drinking it and I’m not going to stop using my microwave either, which Mom tells me will change the chemical structure of my food. She also says not to eat expired cake mix.)
How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
I forgot to do that. I’ll do that next week.
What is your guilty pleasure?
I really like movies. I like to watch three at a time and then I dream about writing one. My dad and I can watch movies like nobodies’ business…we’re not lazy—we’re studying the structure.
What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?
Cupcake Wars. I don’t know why I like this show…they’re just stupid cupcakes! It really makes me mad when they screw up the little fondant decorations that go on top of the cupcakes—you have to go big or go home!
Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is...The Lord of The Rings, of course!
Favorite places to travel?
I imagine it would be Greece!
Which authors have influence on you most...how?
I can’t say there’s been one author who has influenced me most. I have been influenced by genres. I like to read memoirs. True stories of people’s lives have always fascinated me. Favorite ones are Frank McCourt’sAngela’s Ashes and Cartwheels in a Sari by Jayanti Tamm. But I’m also a fan of the gothic classics: Rebecca, The Monk, The Mysteries of Udolpho. If anyone is a fan of gothic they should read Art of Darkness by Anne Williams, where the male and female gothic traditions are discussed. Like this author, I don’t see the female gothic tradition (which includes the need to “be saved”) as intrinsically weak and pathetic. I see both traditions (including the male gothic model—which includes the need for punishment) as deep spiritual issues inside all of us. I could talk about gothic for hours. My favorite Christian book is Surprised By The Voice of God, by Jack Deere. (Read my book and you’ll understand why.) I also liked The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila. And another favorite of mine isScivias by St. Hildegard…it’s a book of visions that nobody has probably read.
In your wildest dreams, which author would you love to co-author a book with?
I’d like to write with Margaret Atwood—can you imagine? That would be awesome! Half the book would be great and the other half would be written by me!
What are your current literary works? Any sneak peaks?
I’m currently working to finish part two of my memoir Saving Mary: The Deliverance. The story of how I got myself unpossessed. To prepare for this book, I contacted a bunch of my friends from high school including most of the ones who were present the day I became possessed (which happened during a transcendental meditation session). None of them were surprised that I had become possessed on that day. My friend Winston remembers us being told to make an “egg made of pure light” to protect ourselves with (which obviously didn’t work). The first thing my friend Rose said was, “I thought you’d be a Satanist by now.” My friend Doug (who also became obsessed with the spirit world) actually went to the same elementary school as me, and he’s in the picture on the front cover of my book (only he’s to the far left, so you can’t see him); his story of getting out of the occult is probably more fascinating than mine and maybe one day he’ll let me tell it!
What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?
My favorite scene is at the beginning of the book when I’m in my room playing barbies and suddenly my dad screams out bloody murder, making my mom sprint down the stairs to save him. I like this part because my dad remembers the event so well. While lying on the couch, a tall and extremely thin man appeared to him; the spirit pointed one of its long bony fingers at him as if to say, “You’re coming with me.” My dad says he had never been so terrified in his life. The spirit he describes, by the way, sounds exactly like the spirit I call Fred (in the book)…who appeared to me in my dreams. Even though this isn’t a great memory for us, my dad and I feel connected through the event. The fact that we both saw thesame spirit helps us to feel not so odd…or crazy.
Quickies:
1. Favorite place? With my family.
2. Best christmas present? I once got this toy dog that did back flips—that was pretty awesome.
3. Favorite book(s)? Memoirs, Gothic, theology, Bible.
4. Favorite author? Margaret Atwood, maybe.
5. Favorite smell? Smoke and also flowers.
6. Favorite series? Star Trek.
7. Nickname? Let’s not talk about that.
8. Favorite writing spot? Bed.
9. Favorite movie? Anything Star Trek.
10. Favorite dish? Curry or Japanese.
11. Favorite color? Red, black, white, yellow, green…I like color.
12. Favorite quote? “Theology in the hands of the Holy Spirit is a beautiful science.” But I also like… “Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.”
13. A bunch of small gifts or one big expensive one? I’m a simple girl; I’d like a bunch of small gifts: a trip to Greece for just two, a million dollars in small bills, a small island.
14. Your best trait? Ask my husband…hopefully he knows.
15. Your worst trait? Ask my daughter…she’ll tell you, no problem.
16. Skittles or M&Ms? M &Ms with peanuts. Love ‘em.
Buy Now @ Amazon
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Genre - Paranormal, Non-Fiction
Rating - PG13
More details about the book
Connect with Deidre Havrelock on Facebook
Blog http://deidrehavrelock.wordpress.com/
Website http://www.deidrehavrelock.com/
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