Another Angel of Love Read online

  what readers are saying about

  Pewter Angels

  Book One in the angelic letters series

  by

  Henry Ripplinger

  “… What a beautiful tale you have spun. I was completely lost in another world every time I opened your novel and I never wanted it to end.”

  Deanna

  “… A lifelong and avid reader, I have consumed thousands of novels. Never has one been more delicious than Pewter Angels, and for the first time in memory I could not resist a second helping. Indeed, I read it twice, each time more than satisfying.”

  Wendy

  “… I literally could not put it down! It was an amazing read, so heartfelt, it made me cry in parts!”

  Jen

  “… I cannot wait to continue this amazing saga. To think in this day and age you wrote a story that keeps the reader glued to the pages and there is no foul language, no vulgarity—just a spell-binding story about life: things that affect us all and a belief system that is available to all who choose to see beyond. Thank you for reawakening the beliefs I have had since I was a child, for reminding me to call on my angels and trust in my God.”

  Elaine

  “… Wow!! You immediately got my attention and it was very difficult to put the book down; it’s absolutely amazing how you pulled me right into the characters’ lives and emotions. What an ingenious way to teach young people high morals, values and integrity. This book feels more real life than fiction—excellent job. Can’t wait for the next book.”

  Hilda

  “… It’s been a long time since a book has taken me away on a journey that stimulated so many emotions on so many different levels.”

  Darrell

  “… I [have been] a social worker since 1987 and family counselor in private practice. As a mother of five children I appreciate my two older teens being able to read the book and be validated for their choices and beliefs just as the characters [are]. I will be recommending your book to all faith-based parents I see in my practice and to young people alike.”

  Marla

  “… Thank you for such a loving and caring book.”

  Caulett

  “… I couldn’t put it down and could truly feel every moment of it. It is such a loving, Spirit-filled book, full of true humanity and wonderful life lessons.”

  Ella

  “… I just finished reading Pewter Angels and I absolutely loved it. What great insight and wonderful life lessons to live by! Thank you for sharing your talents and your spiritual wisdom.”

  Wendy

  “… I have to let you know that this is the first time in a long time that I have been drawn into and lost in a book to the point of smiling, blushing and laughing out loud.… I know there are things I should be accomplishing today but find myself being drawn with eager anticipation to explore more of a world where humanity and the celestial meet.”

  Joan

  “… I absolutely loved it. It is in my top 10 books of all time!”

  Holly

  “… Awesome, awesome book!!! I bought Pewter Angels for our daughter. She reported that she read it faster than any book she’d ever read, then passed it to me, and I also couldn’t put it down.”

  Helen

  “… I believe I have never enjoyed reading a book as much as yours.”

  Daisy

  “… This is the most amazing book I have ever read! I go to bed at night thinking about Henry and Jenny. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out. Thank you so, so much for the beautiful story. You have made me a believer in Spiritual connections.”

  Lynn

  “… I can only say thank you—thank you for such a wonderful read. [Your] book to me was like a warm blanket on a cold night, a meal with friends that one never wants to end, a beacon of light in the dark. I wanted to read and read—but at the same time I did not want the book to end. I fell in love with this book and the people inside…”

  Jayleigh

  “… You promised me a page-turner but you forgot to mention I would be reading a riveting novel that would capture my heart. It’s hard to believe Pewter Angels is your first novel.”

  Cynthia

  “… Bravo! Pewter Angels is a definite page-turner. From the first paragraph to the last word, I was one with the characters. Each one ‘got under my skin’ and compelled me to live and breathe with them.”

  Cindy

  “… I simply loved it! The story was set in what many consider a simpler time, but it is really a timeless story with timeless lessons.”

  Christine

  “… Thank you for writing a book that made me want to be a better person, not only for myself and my family, but in the eyes of God.”

  Kamla

  “… The characters are so much of my heart and soul that I’m swept away into their lives and journey.”

  Susan

  “… It is rare that you find such a lovely book to read. I loved the wisdom of Mr. Engelmann, and we should all be so lucky to have someone like him in our lives.”

  Darla

  Please write to Henry at: [email protected] or visit www.henryripplinger.com for more information about Henry’s work and art. We would love to hear from you!

  Another Angel of Love

  Also by Henry Ripplinger

  The Angelic Letters Series

  Pewter Angels

  Other Works

  If You’re Not from the Prairie…

  (Story by David Bouchard, Images by Henry Ripplinger)

  Coming soon from Pio-Seelos Books:

  Book Three of The Angelic Letters Series

  Angel of Thanksgiving

  The Angelic Letters Series

  Book Two

  Another Angel of Love

  1959-1963

  henry k. ripplinger

  Copyright @ 2011 Henry K. Ripplinger.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free 1-800-893-5777.

  Another Angel of Love is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Ripplinger, Henry

  Another angel of love / Henry Ripplinger.

  (The angelic letters series; bk. 2)

  isbn 978-0-9865424-3-5 (bound).

  i. Title. ii. Series: Ripplinger, Henry. Angelic letters series ; bk 2.

  ps8585.i565a65 2011 c813’.6 c2011-902279-6

  TRUE LOVE (from High Society)

  Words and Music by COLE PORTER

  © 1956 (Renewed) CHAPPELL & CO., INC.

  All Rights Reserved

  Used by permission of ALFRED PUBLISHING CO., INC.

  Author photo: Bruce Vasselin, Designer Photo

  Cover concept and design by Henry K. Ripplinger

  Cover production by Brian Danchuk Design

  Page layout by Heather Nickel

  Pio-Seelos Books

  Ph: (306) 731-3087, Fax: (306) 731-3852.

  E-mail: [email protected]

 
Printed and bound in Canada by Friesens Printers

  May 2011

  This novel is dedicated to the memories of my mom and dad, Philomena and Christian, whose love and friendship are deeply missed.

  Acknowledgements

  First, thank you to my wonderful wife, Joan, for forty-nine years of marriage. You have always supported me in my endeavours; thank you for reading, assisting with the editing and being a sounding board. You truly are Another Angel of Love.

  Thank you to my daughter, Tracy Jacknife, for reading Another Angel of Love, for your helpful suggestions and for always being there for me.

  To my other daughter, Jody Ripplinger—a very busy mother!—thank you for your initial edits of Another Angel of Love and for your insightful suggestions as well. Your attention to detail, grammar and smoothing out the rough edges is much appreciated!

  To Darlene Oakley, my editor in the early stages of this manuscript and the one who first suggested that one huge volume should be a series, I extend my sincere appreciation.

  To my editor, Heather Nickel, who skillfully edits my work in such a way that retains my voice and writing style, and makes my writing the best it can be, I express my sincere thanks.

  Once again, my heartfelt appreciation to my entire team for your intuitive wisdom, sensitivity and honesty in helping to make this series touch the minds and hearts of its readers.

  And finally, I acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit and my guardian angel for their inspiration and constant guidance; my spiritual mentors guide both my life and my pen.

  Preface

  It is said that within each of us is a story to tell. For years, I must admit, it has been my heart’s desire to write a novel. For the longest time I thought it was just wishful thinking, an illusion or fantasy I was nurturing. Over the years, I started several stories that never went anywhere except into my drawer and then fizzled away in the recesses of my mind. And yet, I have long known that if one has a dream, a burning passion in his heart, that someday it will come to pass. Never would I have envisioned, however, the wonderfully creative way it would come about. How, one day, an unbelievable occurrence would eventually transform a fantasy into reality.

  The “occurrence” tugged away at me for days, months and then years, begging my attention. Seeking understanding, I spoke of it to family and friends but I was so focused on the event itself that I missed the underlying significance of it all. It wasn’t until I found myself in the sunroom of our farmhouse one sleepless morning in June 2005, watching the sun near the edge of the earth, that the deeper meaning of the occurrence came to me. As the rising sun brightened the room in which I sat, it also seemed to illuminate my mind. Insight, previously obscured in the shadows of my psyche, bloomed and intensified as dawn spread out across the prairie sky. As I traced the occurrence back to its beginning, I finally realized how it was a testament to the enduring miracle of love. Immediately, an overwhelming, almost feverish rush to write my story welled up inside me, and I began.

  Without any outline or any knowledge of how to write a novel, I picked up a pen and scribbler on the end table and simply began to write. For two weeks, I wrote almost non-stop until my wrist and hand gave out. Then I purchased a laptop computer—the best investment of my life—and continued to write as fast as my fingers could type. Corrections could be made in an instant. Paragraphs moved here and there with incredible ease. The thoughts began to flow. It was as if during all the years I had been thinking about the occurrence, ideas had been incubating in my mind, stored, packed, imprisoned inside, until the writing process released them like a gusher, exploding and spilling onto the pages.

  Sentence followed after sentence almost effortlessly as the scenes unfolded in my mind’s eye. I relied not so much on my intellect as I wrote but rather on my imagination, ablaze as it was with imagery and thoughts. I began to write an outline, a list of chapters that would take me from beginning to end. It was like going on a journey, and I was tracing out the map where I wanted and needed to go to reach my destination.

  Characters came alive and I followed them and their lives; we talked and laughed and cried together. They took me in directions I never would have thought of on my own … they led and I followed. This resulted in more chapters. My map expanded as twists and turns in the road came from nowhere and everywhere and from deep within. As the weeks of writing progressed, the vision before me became clearer and richer. It was like watching a movie. All I had to do was write down what I saw before me on the screen of my mind.

  Incredibly, three years to the date I started writing, when all was said and done, a huge book of over 1000 pages was in my hands. Once the editing process began, even more pages were added, strengthening the story and dividing it into five parts and timeframes. The result is a chronicle of love and adventure in the lives of two people, whose story shows us how angels and the heavens are intricately involved in our lives and that miracles happen when we follow our hearts.

  As I look back on this experience, I am still amazed by the effortlessness with which the story emerged, as if the chapters, their order and all the key elements were guided, predetermined—or perhaps more accurately—inspired.

  The writing of this book also answered another prayer long held in my heart. As a teacher and then a high school guidance counsellor, it was always my aspiration to write a self-development book. From an early age, insights and understanding of human behaviour came naturally to me, and my study of psychology and counselling in university further added to my empathetic abilities.

  Writing this novel utilized those aptitudes. Through the lives of the characters, I could infuse values and principles to live by and show how the choices we make determine our happiness. I wanted to demonstrate the importance of living our lives in the now so as to carry out our life mission to love and serve our Lord and others. These teaching and counselling skills were indirectly at work while I also re-examined my own life and the direction I was going. Ultimately, I realized that lessons are more effectively absorbed intellectually and emotionally when revealed through a story; my novel had simultaneously become my self-development book.

  The story began in Regina, Saskatchewan in the 1950s—the place and time of my own coming of age—though I have taken liberties with the details of its places and events. But though this book is a work of fiction, the occurrence that motivated it was something I experienced personally. My initial intention was to simply write about the occurrence; what resulted was a work of fiction that took on a life of its own. As I’m sure must be the case for many writers, my own life experiences provided the ideal backdrop for the story and moulded the development of the main character to the extent that it was inextricably woven into the fictional narrative.

  I firmly believe that God has a plan for each one of us. The desire to write was planted in my heart long before the Lord had me experience the occurrence. Fortunately, I finally listened to His calling to do so, to carry out His plan. I think the Lord knew that as I began to realize the underlying love associated with that event, the power of that love would draw me into the wonderful world of writing and give witness to love’s beauty and ever-enduring wonder. And, just like the warm prairie summer sun eventually ripens a crop of golden wheat for the harvest, so too, as the seed of this story took root, warmed and nourished by the timeless love of two people, “The Angelic Letters” series grew and blossomed. You and I are its reapers.

  Henry K. Ripplinger

  “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

  Romans 8:28

  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

  and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

  Proverbs 3:5

  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

  Isaiah 55:9

&nb
sp; “All God’s purposes fulfilled in due time.”

  Mark 1:15; Gal 4:4

  “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in

  secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord,

  the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”

  Isaiah 45:3

  Prologue

  A thoughtful man once said that perhaps the greatest teaching a man can take to heart is to put God at the centre of his life and trust in His divine providence. This insight shows great wisdom and I have lived long enough to confirm its truth. To live a hundred years one sees much, learns much and experiences much. I cannot count the times I have witnessed our Lord change lives and circumstances when the faithful pray to Him. Many times I have seen this in my own life, but even more so in the lives of those so close and dear to me. Unfortunately there all too many unaware of the tremendous workings of God’s sovereignty available to them, and as a result find life at times a struggle, frustrating and lacking peace.

  “Divine providence” are words unfamiliar to many and, to be fair, their meaning eludes my full understanding as well. But it is a learning vital to our well-being as it is always at work for our benefit. And so I will do my best to explain what I understand of this mighty power.

  The providence of our Lord is how our almighty God orchestrates, coordinates, if you will, through natural processes and without interfering with man’s free will, all things on Earth to achieve His perfect purpose for the salvation of all mankind.

  In the endless outworking of divine providence, God draws together millions of details and circumstances to achieve His will each day. It is the way He works and controls the daily course of human events, decisions and actions. And He does so out of love not only for me but for all His children in the entire world!