She calls it a “modern day ghost story,” but not one full of fantasy and make-believe characters.
Brookswood author Jo Macleod has based her first book, Heaven Help Us, on an actual paranormal event that happened to her.
“I was compelled to write it after the event — totally compelled. I had to tell people what happened,” said Macleod, a retired ICBC adjuster, who moved to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland in 1991.
Macleod didn’t want to give away too many details of what this event actually is, describing it simply as a “spirit rescue” that happened with a meditation group in Surrey in 2006.
This is where the story begins. From there, the book traces back to the lives of two families in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century, 1895. There are two children — one dies and one vanishes — and Macleod leaves it open to the reader to decide what happened.
The story then flips back to the present time for the climax, which takes place in Macleod’s living room.
“I’m not trying to convert anyone into a belief system or anything … I’ve just been able to make a fictional story to incorporate something that did happen,” Macleod said.
“It’s not scary in any way, it’s not written with that kind of twist on it. It’s written with more of an intrigue and it just comes naturally.”
Macleod began writing the story in 2009, and self published it online in 2012.
Having no professional writing training, she decided to take the book off the market, hire an editor, join the Langley Writers’ Guild and rework the story.
In November, 2015 she republished an extended version of the book through Balboa Press. She is now planning a sequel.
“I have a neighbour across the street from me and she actually read the book about four times, she just loves it,” Macleod said.
“I think once you’ve heard the story, you’re either captivated by it or you’re not interested at all, it’s just not your kind of thing. And obviously, it’s not going to be everyones kind of thing.”
This Saturday, March 5, Macleod will be doing a book signing at the Langley Chapters, 20015 Langley Bypass, from 2-5 p.m.
For more, visit her website www.jomacleod.com.
