Nonfiction
Date Published: March 24, 2021
Publisher: Balboa Press
Ever feel like you missed a turn in the road? If you were given a magical handbook with your name on it, containing divinely generated guidance specifically for you, would you want to know what it contains? What if this guidebook is meant to help you live your best life? Through mystical yet true stories, practical examples, and tools, Vade Mecum will help you: ? Understand that you are guided at all times, sometimes in unbelievably mysterious yet magical ways. ? Realize that when you tap into this guidance, struggle and doubt become unnecessary. ? Discover how to live your life on purpose and in flow. Never miss another turn in your road again. Open Vade Mecum and start your guided journey to live as your bold, best self.
Interview with Carla Camins Macapinlac
What was the hardest scene from your book to write?
The chapter titled, Vibrational Frequency, was more challenging to write than the rest. I felt that it was critical to include a technical explanation in the discussion but wanted to avoid diving too deep into the science, since that wasn’t the focus nor genre of my book. At the same time, I didn’t want to treat the subject too lightly and I also needed to balance the technical with enough relevant personal stories.
In the editing process, I ended up removing a portion or two that took on a more formal tone and sounded stilted in relation to the rest of the book. My editor, Kathryn Cartwright at Share a World, confirmed my initial discomfort and helped me make adjustments where needed.
Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
The nature of the personal stories and experiences in my book supported my choice of genre, so it wasn’t difficult to decide on the category. Additionally, once I realized that my purpose for writing the book wasn’t simply to narrate several of my experiences, but to illuminate the deeper message underpinning those stories and how it can help others, this further confirmed my genre choice.
If you write in more than one genre, how do you balance them?
I’ve only published my first book so far, which fits into a couple of genres: inspirational/spiritual and paranormal. Since my stories are connected by patterns and are all tied to the same fundamental message of my book, I felt that I could combine them in the same book, rather than write separate, shorter books in different genres (an idea I briefly toyed with early in the concept stage).
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The most enjoyable experience for me was when I recognized the synchronicities, patterns, and connections that weaved through the various stories I was writing about. Some of the underlying messages became clearer after I had already started writing my book. Discovering the deeper meaning and purpose behind events and experiences always excites me anyway, so to see patterns emerge that I hadn’t previously noticed, was doubly exciting.
What book that you have read has most influenced your life?
So many books have influenced my life over the years in pivotal ways, which makes this question challenging to answer. After much thought and narrowing down my choices, I will go with Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.
I read this book when it was published in 2012 and it made me feel so seen and so validated. For most of my life (and that’s no exaggeration) I had to learn to step into a more socially accepted “extrovert suit”. For brief moments, I could settle into this suit and even have a bit of fun in it, but after extended periods this drained my energy. I also recognized that this did not reflect my true nature, so there was often that struggle between wanting to be authentic and feeling a need to adapt to more “normal” behavior. Like many introverts, I wondered if my introverted nature meant something was wrong with me. This book helped me understand that this was not the case, that I could embrace my introversion and even wear it proudly. I gave a copy of the book to my boss at the time, an extrovert, for insight regarding my personality and behavior.
Now I no longer cringe in embarrassment when someone says to me, “You’re so quiet…is something wrong??” Instead, I’ll take a moment to explain objectively, rather than in defense, that I’m an introvert and what that’s like for those of us who identify with this personality type.
Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
My standard answer to this question used to be, “I see dead people”, but I suppose that’s no longer a little-known-fact since I’ve written about it in my book. I suppose I’ll share another fact that only a few people know: I have a quirky compulsion to play with my ears when they’re cold…by stuffing my earlobes into my ears repeatedly until they warm up, at which point it no longer feels satisfying. I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid and consequently, it’s changed the shape of my ears, perhaps softening the cartilage in the process. During the mask mandate, I had trouble finding the right kind of mask that would stay put behind my ears because my earlobes would flop over. So now I say, “I have floppy ears”. Like a bunny.
Can you tell us something about your book that is not in the summary?
The summary focuses on how the book can help the reader recognize the divine guidance in their lives. While it also mentions mystical stories, some readers may be surprised that these include experiences involving ghosts and the paranormal. In particular, one of the stories references a video that is posted on my website, taken from our home security camera, which they can view for themselves and form their own opinions. Fun stuff.
Carla Camins Macapinlac, the owner/founder of Vade Mecum, LLC, is an author, reiki master practitioner, and energy healer for those seeking to follow their divine path. After a successful thirty-year career in healthcare, she walked away from the corporate world to embrace a deeper calling. Through group workshops, personal coaching, and energy healing, Carla uses her intuitive gifts to help others tap into their own intuitive guidance system and live as the bold architects of their lives. She lives in the California Bay Area with her husband and daughter.
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