HUFF POST REVIEW

Stacey Chillemi , ContributorHealth Expert, Writer and Author

Review: The Fragrance of Angels

03/22/2017 01:46 pm ET

The Fragrance of Angels is an empowering, heartwarming and motivational read. Martha’s book, “ The Fragrance of Angels,” provides readers with the vivid insights of the afterlife. If you–or someone you love–has recently lost a loved one or you’re just curious about the afterlife, you’ll find this book tremendously helpful.

Packed with touching stories from her rocky journey in life as she shares her near-death experience and how she was able to take the traumatic obstacles that crossed her life path and use them as a motivator to grow and create positive change in her life. The Fragrance of Angels is filled with fabulous insight on the afterlife as she shares each amazing moment in detail giving you the ability to visualize this experience like you were there yourself witnessing it before your very own eyes.

Martha Brookhart Halda provides the reader with adventure, self-help, the concept of the spiritual world as she provides you with a clear understanding of how powerful a journey in the afterlife can impact our present lives. This alone intrigued my interest and makes the mind wonder about the concept of the afterlife and what awaits us when we cross-over. Halda gives the reader a lot to take in and she does this with her excellent writing skills, as she gracefully entertains the reader with several genres all wrapped up in one book. You are definitely getting your money’s worth in this book.

In the introduction, Martha opens up and lets you into her world sharing precious moments from her personal life and the tales of terror that shortly follow, which will chill your bones as she provides you with a brief summarization about her fatal car accident. A terrifying tale of terror that will bring chills to your bones and draws you to the edge of your seat. Inspired by true events, this incredible book filled with courage and tragedy that will lift you, shock you, stir you–and leave you begging for more.

Martha Brookhart Halda not only shares her journey of the afterlife and her road to recovery, she shows you how to transform your entire life as you read this astonishing life changing book.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the afterlife and I find The Fragrance of Angels a rewarding, motivating, inspiring and an enjoyable read.

  

by Taboola 

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Book review from Equities.com

What’s on Your Reading List?

Desireé Duffy Follow | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 11:27 (EST)

For any trader or entrepreneur, the daily grind of reading depressing headlines and perusing a constant stream of data can be physically exhausting and mentally draining. While you may long for a vacation, for most of us, the demands of work are nearly ever-present. However, there is one great way to reset your brain and rejuvenate your spirit: Reading a great book!

No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop bouncing from one great book, and from one genre, to another. A good mixture of fiction, non-fiction, and provocative books are necessary for a well-rounded life.

If you agree, then you’ll appreciate this list of must-read books that you’ll want to add to your list. I understand, you probably have your 2017 reading list planned-out already. Well make room, you won’t regret adding these “un-put-downable” books!

The Fragrance of Angels

Are you ready to get a glimpse of heaven?

Join Martha Brookhart Halda as she shares her incredible journey to the Other Side. Just be warned, you might not be the same after reading this book.

On a fateful night, Halda was thrown from her vehicle during a horrific car crash. She died not once, but three times. Then she came back. Her life changed forever, and when you read this memoir, you will find out why.

The Fragrance of Angels is filled with love and challenges. It is a tale about physical beauty, emotional upheavals, frustrations beyond compare, as well as spectacular triumphs.

There is also a surprise that I must admit, I never saw coming; it is something Martha realized when she visited Heaven, and you will soon know it, too.

This is a book that will lift you up, bring tears to your eyes, and laughter to your heart. Trust me, The Fragrance of Angels needs to be added to your reading list today.

 

SO… after reading such a wonderful book review, and being the first book mentioned in her 2017 recommended reading list, I am super excited for all the blessings coming my way this year.  I also have a review coming from the Huffington Post. What a dream come true: not many authors receive this kind of coverage.

1st English book review. Summer Reads, Carlsbad Style

WOW, am I ecstatic! My first literary review in English, of The Fragrance of Angels, came out in my hometown mag, Carlsbad Magazine. What a wonderful feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wendy Hinman put together ‘Summer Reads, Carlsbad Style”, with the opening of “stretch out your beach towel with books from local authors,” and what a list she put together. I feel so honored to be a part of it! There are so many reasons and people in this issue that make it feel complete, not to mention that Wendy gave me one of the best compliments I could have asked for, which is, “Halda just tells her story and what she learned without being preachy.” That was exactly my intent, so it’s wonderful to know that I achieved this.

She starts out mentioning the renowned local author Victor Villasenor and how his stories describe recognizable environments, and that it is an encore of sorts for the 2016 reading list. I wrote my book honoring a promise to my father, Ray Brookhart, who Villasenor describes in his memoir Burro Genius (pages 296-297.) My father had been one of Villasenor’s teachers, and Villasenor’s words about my Dad describes him to a ‘T’.

However, there is more to this tale. A Fragrance of Angels stands between the magazine’s covers with friendly faces and names. There was Caulerpa Conquest, written by a new friend, Eric Noel Munoz, which covers the story of an invasive marine seaweed that nearly smothered the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Eric was among the key members of a community and statewide effort to eradicate Caulerpa taxifolia from the lagoon. This book was edited by my honey Robert Yehling, so I have a little more understanding of what a huge accomplishment this effort was.

Next, Shirts & Skins was written by local legend Gregory R. Nelson, Sr. I got to know Greg first at about the age of ten. Greg was like a big brother, a type of counselor of sorts. When he first started out, Greg worked with my dad at The Army Navy Academy and Greg was the cool young guy when I attended summer camp there. The book relates how sports can help create the drive, direction and passion in a man or women, a drive and habit that can later present itself well in business and life. Greg spent years, and many of his philanthropic talents and dollars, raising boys to men at the Carlsbad Boys Club. I also knew him from golfing; we had been members at the same country club. During my coma (detailed in The Fragrance of Angels) he and his stunning wife, Barbie, asked their kids’ youth group to pray for me for the two months I was under. They later told me that my recovery was a beacon of sorts for those kids. I am honored to be in the same summer reads reviews as Greg.

I don’t know author Cynthia Mestad Johnson, but I can’t wait to read her book Legendary Locals of Carlsbad. I’m sure once again to feel at home reading stories of our wonderful town, many of which I may have already heard.

The piece d’resistance, when it comes to being at home, is that the cover story is about longtime good friend Billy Stang. The feature article, also written by Wendy Hinman is titled “Pure Stang Pure Stoke – the last of the great soul surfers.” I have to say Billy is certainly that… A Soul Surfer. It was great fun reading Billy’s story as he describes stories of the mid to late 70’s. Billy discusses how he gave up competition and the life of a professional surfer to stay real and keep his sport about the stoke and joy, not the greed.

I have to say this first literary review could not have been more perfect for me. Everyone in this group of authors did exactly what Billy did — went out and wrote about what we have experienced, not for the cash, but for the pure stoke, the pure joy of life and love. What more do any of us need than that? Enjoy your summer with a good book, a book that can take you anywhere you want to go.

 

Thoughts of Easter

  My thoughts on Easter.He died for our sins… with arms wide open.

Jesus was here for the salvation of ALL Mankind, for the forgiveness of ALL of our sins. This is what I was raised with, and to me Easter… is by far the most important holiday, more so than Christmas. In “The Book”  I’ve read it does not say for the salvation of only a select few, it does not say for the forgiveness of sins of only a few.

While recently discussing my book, A Taste of Eternity, my girlfriend, a woman I love and respect, suggested that I should review my thoughts to know if I’m Christian. I appreciate her concern, and want to assure her I most definitely am a Christian! However I do not judge others for their beliefs. I was a little emotionally let down by her question but I trust that everything happens for a reason. I feel we are born into our social, and cultural lives for a reason.

I believe in the end only Kindness matters. I believe whether your Christian, Metaphysical, Mormon, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Scientologist, or Catholic you may just well be welcomed into Heaven. During my Taste of Eternity review I was shown that Love is the strongest energy and force in the universe. We’re all looking for something we can rely on, and love is the source most people need. We are all searching for that unconditional love.

I’ve been judged by friends and stranger’s over the past few years for my statement that I believe that the God I saw, the Divine Energy I met, the pulsating sphere of Total Knowledge, would not only let practicing Christians into Heaven, that his love seemed open to All. I’m sorry but I do believe this, the Love that engulfed me was far too great to be judging.

Lord knows I am not a perfect person … I am only human, and we All fall short of what God wants of us. We’ve got a lot to learn but God knows we are worth it. As a human I cannot say why I feel that God is not judging, but I felt only love. My thoughts of late have been that perhaps at a person’s final moments, when we are in front of the Divine, our life review has passed through us and we encounter this magnificent love, perhaps then a non-Christian may have a moment that they may choose to believe in Jesus only. I don’t know what the final moments are for other people, I do not judge them, I pray that they call on their Angels for peace. The only thing I know is that for me the Heavens were full of love, beauty, and colors that would make the most spectacular Easter eggs ever.                             I send All my wish for A Happy Easter to every one.

 

 

 

 

 

Signed – Publisher for A Taste of Eternity

This February 2016 has proven to be a very fantastic month for me. After traveling to Frankfurt, Germany in October for the debut of my book at the Frankfurt Buchmesse, the world’s largest book fair, the flurry had started to settle down. Life was getting back to normal with the grind of learning a new job.

However, on the first week of the month, a box arrived, filled with over 20 copies of Der Duft des Engels, the German version of A Taste of Eternity, published by German publisher sorriso verlag. It was overwhelming when I saw my face in a photo plastered on the wall of the book booth in Germany, but to actually hold my book in my hands? With my picture on the back cover and “author” under it? Well, this blew me away.

Now to top things off, for this magical month, I just signed a Publishing Agreement with Open Books Press to print A Taste of Eternity in English with a release date of September 1. If you’re an author, September 1 is one of the most coveted publishing dates of the year — it’s holiday shopping season, and a time when people start to move toward the holidays themselves… which have a central place in my book. I start the book with “life can be summed up in three words, family, adventure, and perseverance. “  This still holds true for me and it has been with all three that this loving project has been able to come full circle, and allow me to fulfill my promise that I would write this book.

I want to share a bit of the book to tide people over until the book releases on Sept. 1 (don’t worry; I will share more tidbits throughout the next few months):

 

 

CLIFF JUMPING WITH GOD and WRITING HIS BOOK, A TASTE of ETERNITY

On my 53^rd birthday, my crazy streak popped up. Bob had seen it the previous summer, when we bodysurfed 10-foot waves in Carlsbad and marveled about it later on Oceanside Pier, which shook from the waves whose spray hit onlookers’ faces. He also remembered how, when we were in high school, I was one of the few girls to bomb down the steep La Costa hills on a skateboard.

This time, I outdid myself. While whitewater rafting down the upper Ganges outside Varanasi India, I celebrated March 16 in a new way — by jumping off 30-foot cliffs into the river. My fellow travelers, all in their 20s, wouldn’t try it. Neither would the Indian men standing on the edge. (In the photo in this blog, I jumped from a spot about 10 feet above them; this was taken in mid-jump.)

But I jumped. I went for it. Why not? This is my life — and I’m going to live it to the max. I am not afraid of what comes next. I’ve seen it. I look forward to my return.

 

I continue to be excited and motivated by the visions I received during my near death experience, my Taste of Eternity.  I will also keep up my search and understanding about religions and how they are changed from the ways they were originally practiced.

I am a Christian, as in Jesus Christ is my divine teacher.  I completely honor other religions and know that the All Powerful, Loving God Energy I met in Heaven would not condemn others for following their religion with the depth of their heart and the example of their actions. My focus is to love and be loved, none of that judging and condemning stuff for me.  I know I am far from perfect (isn’t that an understatement), and I tend to over-react when I feel I’m wronged. This whole experience is not one I would ever change, my desire in writing this book has always been to share the incredible love and beauty I know awaits us when we die – we’re not alone as we travel to Heaven. God sends us each an Angel, and He is the one holding us in his arms all the way to Paradise.