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What an Angel!

Jul1

I emailed the artist who painted this breathtaking picture to ask if I could use it on the front cover of my book, Angel in My Room.

THE ANGEL – Copyright (c) 2005 by Akiane Kramarik (age 10) Art Akiane LLC. All rights reserved. For more information, please visit artakiane.com

Her response:

Ok, let me hurry and get to my point before I lose your interest. I made a polite response back never expecting to hear anything else from Akiane, but surprisingly either Akiane herself or the administrator of her website wrote back after reading my response and said I could use the picture INSIDE the book. So my first point is never underestimate what being polite can do, and my main point is never underestimate what God can do.

You see, Akiane was only 10 years old when she painted that picture. She is a world-renowned child prodigy. Excerpts from her website describes her thusly:

  • No other known child art prodigy has ever created at the level of such sophistication as Akiane. As the world’s most successful visual art child prodigy, Akiane was inducted into the Richest Kids-Entrepreneurs of America, the Kids Hall Of Fame, and World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. “My sight cannot wait for me”, Akiane’s first original painting was sold for $10,000 USD when she was only eight.

  • Featured on hundreds of media outlets, documentaries and television & radio shows such as such as Oprah Winfrey Show, Katie Couric Show, World News Tonight, Good Morning America, Glen Beck Show/CNN, The View, Fox News, Montel Williams Show, Late Late Show, Lou Dobbs Show/CNN, Hour of Power, “Super Human Genius”, “Indigo Evolution”, “Miracle Detectives”, “Extreme Prophetic”, TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network). Supreme Master Television, Stilius/LTV/EU, Japanese TV Super kids, Studio 10/Network Ten & Sunrise/Seven Network (Australia), and numerous others.

  • Top media coverage in Australia, China, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Russia, Ireland, England, Scotland, Netherlands, France, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Canada, Middle East and Norway.

  • Almost 450 million visitors on Akiane Gallery  www.akiane.com over a span of a decade.

  • Born on July 9th, 1994 in a shack on the edge of a cornfield in Mt. Morris, Illinois, USA. Attributes her talent and success to diligent work ethics, self-education, solid family support, and cultural & spiritual factors.

The accolades are too numerous to mention here. I encourage you to visit her website for more information, akiane.com

Now let’s go back to the first sentence of this post: I emailed the artist who painted this breathtaking picture to ask if I could use it on the front cover of my book, Angel in My Room. Yes, I clicked the “contact” button on her website and actually had the nerves to ask if I could use THIS magnificent picture on my book cover! What was I thinking? I already knew how famous this child and her paintings were as well as how very rare such a young prodigy like this is. (She was 16 when I originally made this inquiry back in April 2011, but keep in mind she painted the picture at age 10.) It was like asking Elvis if you could borrow his pink Cadillac to go out on a date!

Have you ever done something so ridiculous (and perhaps even embarrassing) that when you reflect on it later, you wonder where you ever got the idea or the nerves to do it? Sure, it was a simple “contact us” inquiry, so no harm done. No one would have ever known I sent the message except her website administrator. Honestly, I think Akiane herself replied to my inquiry. Anyway, I could have just accepted her polite ‘no’ and deleted her email. Instead my email response back to Akiane after she initially said ‘no’ went like this:

To my astonishment, I got another response back. Even though I could not use her painting for the book cover, The Akiane Gallery graciously allowed me to use the picture INSIDE the book even though I didn’t ask to do so. When they would not allow it for the front cover, I just made a courteous response back and thought that was the end of it. I never expected them to send another reply back because they had already told me ‘no’. However, I was pleasantly surprised to read the next email. 

We continued exchanging emails, and I proceeded to ask if I could use that spectacular image on my website as well. She graciously allowed me to do so. I’ll spare you the details of the other back and forth emails, but suffice it to say we had a very cordial exchange. Obtaining permission to use this stunning copyrighted image inside my book and on my website LEGALLY at no cost is truly a big deal. Those such fees can oftentimes be exorbitant. Click here for a sneak peek at how it appears on my website on the page entitled Touched by an Angel. It has a very similar appearance inside my book as well.

(If you don’t have a copy of Angel in My Room, just leave a comment at the end of this post, and I’d be happy to send you a complimentary copy.)

So anyway, as I sit here contemplating my next book, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness and favor. I ran across Akiane’s work years before I started writing. Little did I know that one day I would be emailing her about using one of her stunning paintings for my book. I had no book. I had no website. I had no credibility. I had nothing. A few years later, thanks to the favor of God and his faithfulness toward me, he gave me an unrelenting passion to share my testimony and the testimony of others through the gift of storytelling. I count it an honor and privilege to be able to share my stories, uplifting testimonies meant to inspire and encourage you.

I am writing today to share another testimony that is currently unfolding. I look at the obstacles in my way currently preventing me from proceeding with my 5th book. The odds of pulling it off are monumental. Although I can’t go into details just yet, suffice it to say that I know God’s faithfulness and favor rests upon my life, and if it’s His will, my 5th book will come to fruition. Just as he opened doors and made a way for all that has happened with my books from 2009 until now, I know that pales in comparison to what is about to happen next. It’s all part of The Master’s Plan for my life, and I truly believe all that has occurred up until this point was to help prepare me for the next step.

It seems that I write sometimes to encourage myself. I hope that you are encouraged as well. Just know that when God places something in your heart and you allow HIS will to also become YOUR will, miracles happen. I never wanted to write, but now I cannot imagine not writing. I never wanted to put myself “out there” and share some of my innermost thoughts, but I find myself doing just that all the time now. God does indeed have a plan for each of us. It is our responsibility to seek him and discover what that plan is and be willing to follow him along that path.

We encounter angels often unknowingly. Angels are messengers from God, assigned to protect and guide us. My prayer for Angel in My Room was that you would realize that you have been touched by an angel also. As Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” 

What a sweet angel Akiane was in allowing me to share a copy of this painting!

What a beautiful angel this picture really is!

What a precious angel who appeared in Lillie Hopkins’ hospital room over 30 years ago, and is now the reason for my 2nd book, Angel in My Room!

What a blessing angels are, sent straight from heaven to protect and comfort us!

What encounter have you had with an angel that you would like to share in the comments section below?

I Don’t Know Why I Wonder

May26

Derrich would have turned 34 last month, but that wasn’t the plan God had for his life. Instead, it’s been 34 years ago that his short 12 hours and 31 minutes on earth changed his mother’s life forever! You can even say that his tiny lifespan of only half a day changed the course of history, depending on which book you read.

Angel in My Room

Angel in My Room

You won’t find Derrich Hopkins mentioned in any history book. However, he is the focus of my second book, Angel in My Room. This heart wrenching yet uplifting story is just as factual as any history book. Actually it’s probably even more factual as it was told by someone who was there to witness the entire journey for herself, his mother – Lillie Hopkins.

As the author, I interviewed Lillie and gathered all the details of her story which she had kept quiet for over 30 years. It was simply too painful for her to discuss, but she knew her story had to be told. It’s a beautiful story of love, compassion, and forgiveness. What surprised me was the different reactions from people. I never thought my book would have received such mixed emotions because I naively assumed people would simply believe what I wrote.

Readers’ Favorite Book Reviewer Molly Edwards said “Angel in My Room is a heartwarming, emotionally moving story of hope and life. Ms. Collier’s ability to take profound moments in reality and put them into such emotionally packed words is absolutely incredible. She takes an incident in life and turns it into a testimony. It’s a testimony that in tragic times there is still something that can move you, something that can give you hope and faith. A strong message of pushing forward and moving on is superbly evident in the writing of Ms. Collier. I can definitely say that this is one of the best written memoir stories I’ve read to date.”

Undoubtedly, she is a believer, both of hope in Christ, and in what I wrote.

Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer D. Kinney said “Another thing that bothered me about the book was the mention of the angel in her room. She writes that Lillie’s baby in the form of an angel appeared to her in her hospital room. There is no mention of the possible side-effects to the heavy dose of painkillers she was on or the unbiblical description of a baby with wings. Angels are described as heavenly beings, not as babies with wings. That cherubic depiction is man made. This makes me question the authenticity of the angel Lillie saw.”

Undoubtedly, she doesn’t believe what I wrote.

Why should I be hurt, surprised, or offended if everyone does not accept the book as a true story? It’s Lillie Hopkins’ inspirational story of love, compassion, and forgiveness. All I wanted to do was tell her story to help others struggling with those same issues in life. I never imagined anyone who chose to read it would be skeptical.

However, after I thought about it, I realized that I shouldn’t be surprise. People question The Bible all the time. Some believe while others don’t. Some call it the greatest book ever written. (YES, it absolutely is!!!) Others say it’s just a farce, and we shouldn’t believe anything written in the bible. As a Christian and born-again believer, I believe by faith. It’s just that simple. So why should I wonder why some may not believe what I wrote when they don’t even believe what the bible says.

In this modern world, it just proves that skeptics are everyone. Perhaps people tend to be naysayers more frequently than they tend to be optimistic and supportive. What I have learned is that should not stop me from writing. By sharing my insecurities about my writing with you, I hope you learn not to be swayed by the opinion that others may have about you. Be encouraged to do what you feel passionate about even if that means accepting criticism. Everyone will not be supportive of you or your ideas, but that doesn’t make them any less valid. The truth is the truth whether anyone accepts it or not. Don’t wonder why everyone does not support your ideas and ambitions. If you believe in what you are doing, then it shouldn’t matter if others are supportive or not. I write because God gave me the passion for it, and by His grace, I will continue being a storyteller until He is through with me. I write for Him, not myself, so I proclaim this day that I will no longer wonder.

For more information about Angel in My Room, please visit my website:

Click here to listen to the talk show interview which prompted this book.

I am looking for honest opinions and critiques of my writing. I learn how to reach an audience by listening to readers. If you have already read Angel in My Room, please consider leaving a review on Amazon.com at this link. You can leave a review even if you didn’t purchase the book on Amazon. Just click here to post a review.

For any subscriber or follower of this blog, I’m offering a free paperback copy of Angel in My Room. My only request is that you leave an honest review on Amazon after you finish reading the book. Please comment on this post if you’d like a complimentary copy, and I’ll ship it right away. I appreciate you for reading and subscribing to my blog. Thank you for helping me to realize the true reason why I write.

Lillie Hopkins and Betty at a book signing

Lillie Hopkins and Betty at a book signing