Wayne Hatford,
B.A. in French and Spanish, M.A. in International Administration, is a
teacher, writer, editor and author dedicated to bridging the gap between
the physical and non-physical worlds. To that end, he channeled a
friend, Janice Horn ~ “Letters from Janice: Correspondence with the Astral Plane” and, more recently, the spirit essence of Rudolph Valentino ~ “Valentino Speaks: The Wisdom of Rudolph Valentino” and “Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood,”
all of which are available via Amazon.com. Each of these works explores
the “Other Side” while offering insight and practical suggestions on
how best to make the most of this one.A life-long student of metaphysics and transformation, Wayne has both taught in public school and been a personal property appraiser. Wayne Hatford now resides in Santa Rosa, California where he and the Valentino essence continue their collaboration.
His latest book is Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood.
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Wayne. Can you tell us what your latest book, Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood, is all about?How best to navigate Seniorhood, our ‘Golden Years,’ safely, smartly, and creatively. It’s a practical self-help/personal growth tool for Seniors, a blueprint for active living ~ how to embrace where you’re at in your life, find hidden gems, turn up the voltage!Q: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
There was great synchronicity. The concept came to me out of the blue, title and all! Then, in the writing, I drew upon my own experiences, in that I am a Senior myself and wanted to share my perspectives. And perhaps even more importantly, GFE is partially channeled, sourced from the spirit essence of silent screen star Rudolph Valentino, who contributes his own unique take on the subject matter.Q: What kind of research did you do before and during the writing of your book?
I schooled myself on some of the top issues for Seniors and knew I wanted to address them in my book. For example, I queried the Valentino essence on Dementia and Alzheimer’s and the material that came forth, I think, is pretty amazing, in effect debunking myths and changing our perceptions of those conditions. During the writing phase, I also relied heavily on my own intuition in terms of choosing some of the subject matter, delving into what I might like to know more about, in this stage of my life.Q: If a reader can come away from reading your book with one valuable message, what would that be?
Nothing is over yet, and it never will be! Life is everlasting and, as a Senior, it’s about getting to a crescendo, going for excelsior ~ not about slacking off, or giving up.Q: Can you give us a short excerpt?
Seniors often talk about taking cat naps, and there is definitely a tendency to sleep more and in shorter spurts, be it day or night. What we are doing is getting ready for the next phase, preparing ourselves for life in the Astral. Strictly speaking, however, we are simply re-learning the most elementary aspects of that dimension, something that can easily be accomplished in the dream state. The purpose is to help us feel more comfortable with the change, the one that each of us senses is always on the horizon.Q: In your own experience, is it hard to get a nonfiction book published today? How did you do it?
“Yes, going out of body, even if just for an instant, is always refreshing, a reminder that we are eternally free to do so, to go ‘home’ for that is what the Astral is. Here we are visitors, never truly part of any environment even though we may think we are. Cat naps, a way to bring ourselves back into balance, can be compared to a tap on the wrist. All we have to do is lose consciousness for a second and the physical body is flooded with healing energies. Cat naps are incredibly rejuvenating. Thatis one reason why older folks are so enamored with taking them.” ~ (The italics indicate a channeled section, Valentino speaking.)
If your non-fiction book fits a certain protocol, or genre profile, then you have a chance with traditional publishers. Of course, the content has to be excellent also, that is a given. In the case of my book the fact that it’s channeled translates to being more risky, even though there are channeled books in print, like the ‘Abraham’ series, that have really strong sales records. I don’t think it is non-fiction per se, but rather the type of non-fiction that causes agents and publishers to be hesitant. At any rate, I chose the self-publishing route and I have been happy with that decision from day one.Q: What’s a typical day like for you?
Devoting some time to whatever I need to do around my books, whether it’s working on a new writing project, blogging, or promoting. Though I am retired, I treat being an author as a job, consciously taking incremental steps to reach my goals. It’s also important to have balance so I try to spend at least part of every day in unrelated activities, doing things that have nothing to do with writing, like taking a walk.Q: What’s next for you?
The Valentino essence and I have started another writing project, an e-book that will focus on his life and films, as viewed through his current lens. I plan to publish it in 2014. For updates and additional information, please visit www.valentinospeaks.com