Author and lecturer Joan Wester Anderson was born in Evanston, Illinois. She began her writing career in 1973 with a series of family humor articles forl newspapers and Catholic publications. She was a monthly columnist for 2 national magazines during the 1980s. She has published more than 1,000 articles and short stories for publications, including Woman's Day, Modern Bride, Virtue, Reader’s Digest, and the New York Times Syndicate. Her  books include WHERE ANGELS WALK, TRUE STORIES OF HEAVENLY VISITORS, which was on the New York Times best-seller list

for over a year.   The sequel to ANGELS, titled WHERE MIRACLES HAPPEN, and for children, AN ANGEL TO WATCH OVER ME  were published in 1994.. . FOREVER YOUNG , the life story of actress Loretta Young, was published in, 2000. Anderson’s  book, IN THE ARMS OF ANGELS  covers angelic activity primarily during the past decade, including stories of hope from the 9/11 and Columbine School tragedies.   She has appeared on national television programs including "Good Morning America," "Oprah," "20/20,” “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" and "Mother Angelica Live," . She was featured in the documentaries  "Angels--Beyond the Light" (NBC), “Angel Stories” and "Stories of Miracles” (The Learning Channel), and many videos. She was a story consultant for the television series, IT’S A MIRACLE,. She lectures in cities across the country. She has been a guest on hundreds of radio shows. Joan is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and a former adjunct professor at Harper Community College in Palatine, Illinois. She and her husband live in suburban Chicago, and have five grown children and 3 grandchildren.

Ques. 1:  Joan, how did you go from writing humor, magazine and newspapers taking the leap into writing a book?  Do you feel perhaps, your Guardian Angel was your personal assistant ?


Ques. 2.  Joan, i have been reading your books since the 1990's.
The only other Angel book i can remember was one by Rev. Billy Graham in 1977.  What do you think makes Angels so popular since the latter 20th Century?

Ques. 3:   Once you got started and commited to your  Angel books,  can you think of any   challenges s in your attempt to write a book about  Angels, that somehow dissolved easily or with minimum effort?     (I have experienced this in my life and would like to know if you have too).

Ques. 4. Joan,   2 of  your books tell of  true stories of children encountering angels, that makes me wonder,  if you ever encountered your guardian angel at a young age, or if your children and grandchildren have made mention of them?  Or described a spiritual being around them such as an  "invisible playmate?"

Ques. 5.   Joan  your  2 books, about Children and Angels are " An Angel to Watch Over Me," (in 1994)  and  the 2nd,  "In The Arms of Angels," True Stories of  Heavenly Guardians,  deals with stories of children seeing angels in life threatening situations.  Some of my favorites are:

1. The child w/Downe Syndrome who told his parents about the "yellow man," who came in his room every night to play. Child saw a picture - of an angel :"That's the Yellow Man."  Didn't have the vocabulary to say angel.


2.Mommy would you miss me if i died? A  few days later she & her grandparents were killed in the bomb explosion  at the Alfred P. Murrah, Federal Bldg. in Oklahoma City.

April 20, 1999.
I had a client  back in 2000, who told me she had a niece, 16 yrs. old.  My client had lost a baby girl, in 1998.  Her niece suddenly began to talk to her in January 1999, that should she die first, she wasn't afraid to die, she will be in heaven and tell my client;'s daughter how much her mother loves her and she will take care of her cousin in heaven.

That is not something your average 16 year old girl says,  I think she had the sense of  approaching death and her Angel was with her giving her courage and comfort.

That 16 year old girl died on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School.

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3.People dying are looking into heaven.

The grandfather, who was dying in the hospital.  He had been in a coma, and suddenly looked at his daugher and said, "I must go now, i must be someone's guardian angel."  And a few days later his granddaughter fell out of her bedroom window, and when in the hospital told her mother her grandfather had caught her.  No injuries,  just some red marks on her arms.  The dr. told the mother children often see angels.

3.A.)
To contribute into this segment of people dying being able to "see into heaven,"   my mother    woke up out of a coma, praying in Latin.  Our priest,  Fr. Frank Lahout told us she was praising God.  My mother would drift in and out of a coma, and then speak to "dead" relatives who had died decades ago.

4.  Battlefield  Angel of Mons. 

ONE OF YOUR POINTS.
5. Children cross the boundaries.  They see Angels more often than Adults, but if adults were more childlike they would see them more often.  Child-like, not childish.  Children are great believers.  Adults let dout creep in.

ONE OF YOUR POINTS:
6.  We will be like the Angels.  We will be in Spirit.

ONE OF YOUR POINTS
7.  When praying Thank God, as an Act of Faith, that you believe He will give you the answer to your prayer.  He hasn't failed yet.  Why would He start now, although His answer may not be the one you wanted,  He has something BETTER for us, that we can't even imagine.

ONE OF YOUR POINTS AND SOMETHING I FIRMLY BELIEVE IS THAT THE MAIN MESSAGE OF ANGELS IS HOPE,

No matter how messy your life is, no matter what problem you are facing, whether it is financial difficulty, personal problems, career problems, i truly believe if you ask and keep asking your angel(s) for help, do NOT stop praying.  Pray without ceasing.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18)”

ONE OF MY POINTS

1.) Be grateful for what God has given you and tell Him and you will receive more.  Also, every day ask God how you can SERVE HIM AND HIS UNIVERSE TODAY.   It is a Law, that when you give you shall receive.   Whether you give your time or talents.  You can't OUTGIVE GOD.  HE LOVES TO OUT-DO HIMSELF.




JOAN you can add your favorites in here at anytime.

For all our listeners out there, Joan has an angel story sent out every other week via e-mail.  Joan, how can we receive your angel stories throughout 2007?


How can our listeners get a copy of your books?


Joan, next week, I would love you to come back and talk about your new book, Guardian Angels, True Stories of Answered Prayers.  I know my Guardian Angel has answered mine, i keep him very busy.  THERE IS NO FREEDOM 55 for my Francis. 

I hear from people from around the world, who want to connect with their Guardian Angels, and have specific prayer needs.

This is a fascinating subject and i look forward to having you back next Wed. Jan. 3rd.
THNK YOU, Joan,
This is Betsy Balega, saying, Good Night, God bless and Sleep with the Angels.







What guided Joan to write about Angels?
Why are Angels so au courant?
Why are Angels such a popular topic at this time?