Today I welcome author Omon Hart to my blog...and, boy, does he have a story to share with you!
Many years ago an extremely good friend of
mine had a Near Death Experience. When I first met her, she explained to me
that there was nothing “near” about it. She was as dead as a door nail until
someone revived her back to life several minutes later.
I had met her when I was getting into the
throws of writing. Little did I know she was about to change my life forever,
especially in the writing field (not to mention every other field I entered
into).
Her name is Deborah B. Gregg, and this is
how she died.
She was standing at the edge of a river,
looking down at the water, feeling the gentle breeze across her body as she
pondered if she should take a dive or not. The instant she jumped, she saw
something that the algae in the water had masked moments earlier—a large
boulder inches below the water's surface.
As her arms splashed into the water, she felt her hands hit the boulder. She
pushed against the boulder in an attempt to guide her body away from it. Her
hands slipped and she hit her forehead against the large rock, splitting her
head open, tearing several ligaments in her neck, and temporarily paralyzing
her.
She said she did the dead man's float—face
down, bobbing up and down, unable to move. All she could do was watch the
flurry of tiny fish swimming around, observe the busy water bugs moving about,
and look at the beautiful sand stirring into a cloud, then settling to the
bottom; all along not being able to do anything except wait to die.
And it wasn't a terrible death. It wasn't
ghastly, horrific, or terrifying. No demons came out of the ground and snatched
her, taking her to the depths of an unforgivable hell. It was the opposite. It
was peaceful and the most loving experience she had ever had.
When the last seconds of her life started
to fade, she popped out of her body, went up a tunnel, had a life review where
she felt the wrongs and rights she did to others, then spoke with someone she
called her “guide”—all in a place where time doesn't exist. She was told
wondrous things and given many insights.
When she came back, it was to a very broken
body. A body she had to learn to live with in order to cope with the horrible
pain that accompanied such a tragic accident.
It was years after her Near Death
Experience when I met her. Fifteen years later we're still friends.
As I've stated above, she learned a great
deal during her Near Death Experience, most of which I've been able to listen
to and incorporate into my own life, leading me to success in many endeavors.
In fact, I've learned just about everything I know through her Near Death
Experience, even writing.
Yes, writing.
I'm a writer, or at least that's what I
told her when I first met her. I had no idea at the time that I had to be a
“good” writer in order for others to understand what I was trying to
communicate. She pointed that out many times, making me practice and practice
this sacred art. It helped that she was a damn good teacher and a literary
genius to boot—something her “guide” also told her during her death experience.
Then it happened. A day I won't ever
forget. A writer's dream come true.
I was walking into my bedroom after a long
day of work when an inspiring idea, or rather a story, exploded in my mind. The
detail, the story line, the characters—everything—was so vivid and real. I
don't know how long I was standing in my room, silent, staring at nothing but
the book showing itself in my mind, but when it stopped I immediately wrote
down the summary of what I saw, thinking that I'd get writing as soon as
possible.
Two years later, I had the summary and a
couple of completed chapters. Life had gotten in the way and I hadn't written
much.
Then it happened again. This time I was
asleep, dreaming.
I was dreaming of the book, the characters,
the dialogue, the landscape, the map, and much more—for months! This prompted
me to start writing and writing. Everywhere I went—to work, the park, a
restaurant, you name it—I carried a pad and pencil, jotting down the story as I
saw it, weaving Deborah's words and wisdom of her Near Death Experience into
it. I even made a character with her personality. I named her “Snow Tree”,
using her voice to carry us into the profound texture of my book. When I got
deeper and deeper into the story, I realized that Nova, one of my main
characters, was taking on a portion of my friend's disposition. Nova's dialogue
was very similar to Deborah's, almost mimicking the way she spreads her
sage-like advice and important messages.
It wasn't until the middle of the book that
I realized the name of it, “The PureLights of Ohm Totem”. It made perfect sense.
You'll understand its title when you read it. It's a fantasy built in a world
like none other, with characters like nowhere else, simply because it
originated from a unique point, the point where the story exploded in my mind,
offering itself to me on a silver platter, finishing with a series of dreams,
and combined with fifteen years of study and friendship with my Near Death
Experience friend, Deborah.
A reviewer said it magically: “I couldn't
put it down. I liken this book to doing yoga—it allows your mind to escape the
daily trials and tribulations of life while simply being reminded to breathe.
It is as much a spiritual retreat as it is a great fantasy adventure. I loved
this book as it took old themes of warring groups and put a completely new
twist on it. The book becomes a philosophical journey around fears and
insecurities and what the usual physiological responses are but then explores
creating new responses and a different way of being. All the while the author
has crafted a book with all the tension, drama, humor and excitement of any
great fantasy book.
“The main characters are siblings named Zoey and Coda who happen to wander into
a mystical world of spirit animals. The reader is quickly thrown into the
action as conflict erupts between the Dims and Sihu Tribe. As the story
develops, the characters struggle with their responses to conflict while being
gently guided to respond in new ways.” —chbailey, OR
By combining the insights of a Near Death
Experience with the magic, intrigue, and plot of fantasy, you come away with a very
rich experience. One that I think you'll love and enjoy.
If you feel drawn to my book, “The
PureLights of Ohm Totem”, then I hope you feel transported to a new, incredible
world where adventure mixes with a myriad of important life lessons, taking place
in a world where dreams and reality merge into one—the world we call Fantasy.
Thank you very much,
About Omon: Omon Hart was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up on the outskirts of the city in a little town known as Gladstone, where he graduated high school and moved on to college. After studying Therapeutic Bodywork at East-West College of the Healing Arts, he excelled in his field, becoming one of the Pacific Northwest's leading Therapeutic teachers and bodywork professionals. After several years, the love for writing tugged at his heart so much that he decided to put things aside and live his passion - write. He's now fashioning story after story, creating imaginative worlds of inspiration and art.
