The Year of the Owl e-book
The Year of the Owl
NOW AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH (EBOOK)!
Read the free preview on amazon here.
Click underneath to buy the Dutch version:
THE YEAR OF THE OWL:
When her father died on December 30st 2012, Pascale – a real daddy’s girl – landed in a swamp of mourning. Her grief peeled her like an onion, layer by layer, until only her core remained. In this vulnerable position – a broken heart is also an open and receptive heart – Pascale, the quintessential rational prosecutor who literally made a living trying to prove anything beyond a shadow of a doubt, had a miraculous spiritual experience with an owl that changed her forever. This magical event affirmed everything she so vehemently did not believe in: the interconnectedness of all that is, the existence of the law of attraction and even the possibility of some form of afterlife.
This occurrence showed her how powerful her thoughts could be and pressured her to face the fact that there did in fact exist more between heaven and earth. Eventually, this event even led to her decision to quit her job as a prosecutor on January 1st 2016 to become a writer. From that moment on, she only follows one path: that of her heart.
Readers rate this comforting, hopeful and uplifting true story on Bol.com (the Dutch Amazon.com), with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating! Curious to see readers’ reviews? Then please scroll down a bit!
VIEW THE BOOKTRAILER OF ‘THE YEAR OF THE OWL’!
REVIEWS:
On Bol.com (the Dutch Amazon), Pascale’s book gets 4.7 out of 5 star (maximum possible score) reviews from 26 readers!
Reviews on Bol.com:
Beautiful book Ingehg: A compelling story, even if you haven’t had to deal with the loss of one of your parents. It makes you think and makes you realize again what really is important in life.
Unexpectedly touching SaraB: ‘The author has experienced a remarkable development. She dares to be really vulnerable in this book and that is very inspiring. It is also very encouraging to read that, even in the most difficult of times, it is always possible to rise above this.’
Gripping! MartinevS: ‘A very candid and compelling story, in which the past intertwines with the present. It describes beautifully the turnaround in the author’s live. This book is proof that there is more between heaven and earth!’
A very special book Jackybrown: ‘Once started I couldn’t stop reading, written in a touching and very beautiful way.’
Looking for…Marlie: ‘A surprise, a tear, a smile, a quest, a finding, magical words. Raw mourning, compassion, alone, together. Looking for memories, making memories. Your book takes you on a trip, to your own holy grale, find it and dare to embrace it.’
Wonderful! SandraMrtns: ‘A beautiful personal story that enthralls you from the first until the very last chapter. Definitely highly recommended!’
Highly recommended! IreneFranssen: ‘I recommend this book. Fascinating and open-hearted page-turner. After reading this book you’ll just have to look intently at your own motives.’
Peter R. de Vries, crime reporter, true crime author and international Emmy-awardwinner:
“I have read your wonderful book The year of the owl in one go. From the very first page, I was grabbed by this touching story. I just had to finish it! It is a beautiful, loving and well written book that captures the special relationship between father and daughter terrifically. I am not ashamed to say that there were quite some passages that moved me. It is wonderful to see how, out of such a sad experience, you managed to make a beautiful and lasting tribute from which we can all learn something! On the other side of fear, lies freedom…”
Jessica Villerius, film- and documentarymaker:
“I read this book in one go. Big tears of emotion and recognition. For me it confirmed that you can spend many years working and living in the tough world of facts and evidence, but feelings and intuition will take you where you need to be in the end. Inspiring! I have seldom read such a beautiful, honest book full of vulnerability. Therefore I think that everyone deserves to read this wonderful book with so much food for thought.”
Marc Rieu, art painter and son of worldfamous André Rieu (Johann Strauss Orchestra):
‘I could read this wonderful book every year, such a jewel, or rather, a diamant that shines again and again in all its facets!!! Words cannot describe what I feel, the story gets so close to you because it was written in such a personal fashion. What an evocative, exquisite tribute! A great deal of praise to you!!!‘
Roy op het Veld, chief editor of regional newspaper De Limburger:
‘ I’ve read your book. Well done. Beautiful story!’
Egbert Brons, coach/trainer/investigator of the art of creation:
“In this masterfully written book the Law of Attraction plays a significant part. Small pieces of the puzzle are carefully wrapped into the story so the reader remains curious until the very end. The story has different layers and is not only a family saga. It is also a story about two journeys of transformation. One is that which we all will go through sooner or later, the other is a journey that is only open to those who dare to open themselves up to the incorporeal and the intangible. In this book Pascale shows you a reality that also exists, but that remains hidden for many. She writes in a style that sometimes touches you straight in your heart. She takes you on a journey through her life and seduces you to keep on reading. In a playful manner she connects the everyday with spirituality. She knows how to bring tension and expectation into the story. The book is a testimony of a remarkable spiritual experience, of deeply experiencing how the Law of Attraction can transfer a life and how a totally new reality can be created. It’s highly recommended for everyone who wants to peek behind the screens of everyday reality.’
Vreneli Stadelmaier, author of the bestselling book ‘Sure she can’ and winner of the Joke Smit-award 2015:
‘The Year of the Owl’ is a beautiful spiritual requiem for a father. Bruinen describes wonderfully how saying goodbye can lead to reconsideration and transformation. An encouragement for everyone who wants to reinvent oneself.’
Isabel Beije, editor ‘Mijn Geheim’:
‘I very much enjoyed reading your book! What a beautiful journey you have described, from the head to the heart! And such special examples of so many so-called ‘coincidences’ that have led to big changes in your life.’
Frans Smeets:
‘I bought Pascale’s book last Friday and I read it that same day in one go. I went through the book on a rollercoaster of emotions. Pascale’s writing style is unique. She knows how to describe emotions in a subtle way so that you cannot escape them. There is more on this earth than ratio, material things and running after business success. In the book, the owl plays a central and strategic part. For Pascale, the owl is the catalyst that lets her feelings guide her which way to go. Without giving away the end, the Catalpa tree that gets a second life is a symbol for a new and different life…with more explicit meaning. The book is highly recommended. It reads wonderfully but don’t be afraid of impetuous emotions because there are plenty of those in this book. Compliments Pascale for this masterpiece!’
Jacques Smeets, writer and former police detective:
‘The Year of the Owl. A very special title for a wonderful book (…). The owl and spirituality are two themes that play a crucial part in this exciting book. Both have come forth out of a sad event in her life, namely her father’s death. The way in which Pascale is able to blend this experience with the owl’s arrival shows a great writer’s talent to keep the reader reading. With her style, she knows how to engage and even to deeply move the reader. For surely, each reader will have lost some loved one at some point in her of his life. This terrible event is bad enough, but when you simultaneously take the courageous step to say goodbye to an important job as public prosecutor, solely to follow your heart into an uncertain future, then it is crystal clear that a lot has happened in her life. Pascale shares her emotions candidly. Especially striking is the fact that Pascale offers a lot of attention to the law of attraction, a natural truth that applies to all individuals. I was deeply touched by her spirital development because I experienced something similar in my life. Therefore, this book is for people who are looking for answers to questions that they have been asking for years. Some of those answers are actually given in this book. At the very least this book offers beautiful and useful lines of approach for anyone who wants and dares to open up unconditionally.’ – Jacques Smeets, writer and former police detective
Marga Miltenburg, director speaker’s Agency ZijSpreekt:
‘The title of Pascale Bruinen’s new book ‘The year of the owl'(Kosmos Editors) made me curious. In the book she describes the love she felt for her father, being the youngest daughter. He was her counselor, she learned a lot from him. Her father was like a wise owl. For that reason, Pascale’s mother had given him – many years before his demise – a statue of a wooden owl, a gift that had visibly touched him. When her father dies at the age of 89, she goes through a deep crisis. Pascale: ‘Age doesn’t count, the feeling of absence is overwhelming. Mourning is very hard work. All feelings of sorrow, pain and despair have a function.’ During this mourning period she was taken om a search for her ‘authentic self’, the personal nucleus that finally remains when all superfluous layers have disappeared. Pascale: ‘Showing vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but of strength, daring and courage.’ After she has come out of this crisis, she has an intense spiritual experience in which an owl plays an important part. The book shares with us that ‘when you wish something deeply enough en then can release your wish, it comes true, even though it may take a while.’Thinking power influences and creaties. All that gets conscious attention, grows. The Law of Attraction, she calls it. Because of her experience with the owl she makes a 180 degrees turn. As of that moment, she believes everything biforehand until it’s clear that it cannot possibly be true. In ‘The year of the owl’ we see this process of awakening. Her father’s death brought her a lot of good, in the end. Pascale felt that this special story had to be told. I fully agree with her. Read it and let this book touch you! The story of a public prosecutor becoming the writer and motivational speaker she is now.’
ZIN Magazine:
‘Her father’s death leads to a transformation for public prosecutor Pascale Bruinen. Her grief makes her realize that she has to follow her heart. She quits her job and decides to become a full time writer. A touching and inspiring true story.’
Andrea Germeraad, writer:
‘My definition of a good book is: a book becomes art when it changes my (view on) life. ‘The Year of the Owl’ has certainly accomplished this feat. In the beginning I was somewhat skeptical. I really hoped it would not be one of those woolly self help books. Pretty soon into the book, I was enthralled by the personal and recognizable story of Pascale Bruinen. The author doesn’t only open up to a different mindset, but she also dares to be vulnerable towards the reader. Stress, grief, despair but also her happy moments are so well written that I could sense them myself. Despite this rollercoaster of emotions it turns out to be a feel good book with a happy ending. Fortunately, the moralistic tone of voice I feared in the beginning is completely missing in this book. Instead, the author leaves it totally up to the reader whether to believe or not. With regard to the latter: I hope there is more than this material existence, but my mind says this is not possible. What Pascale has taught me is to at least not judge those people who do believe it is possible. Simply because my mind cannot rationalize it does not mean that it does not exist for another person.’
Wendy Wenning, Passion For Books, boekenbijlage.nl:
‘In ‘The Year of the Owl’ Pascale shares her deepest feelings and bares her soul. Daring and courageous. I deeply admire her. Pascale is a very down to earth woman, a control freak. But after her father’s demise, she sees her own true self. And not only that, but she also starts to encounter images of owls everywhere. Seeing these creatures, symbols of wisdom, she has to think of her father. Not only because of his intelligence, but also because of the wooden owl statue that he received just for that reason from Pascale’s mother years ago. To her these are signs of her father. A spiritual experience shows her that there is more in life and that she has to change course. ‘The Year of the Owl’ has left a great impression on me and made me realize that it is never too late to go and do what you love to do. In this book, Pascale shows in a very personal and intense way the beautiful example of how important it is to follow your heart. A book that touched me, sometimes made me sad but also a book out of which I got a lot of strength.’
Reviews of other readers:
“I have almost finished your wonderful book. I want to know the end but I also think it’s a shame when I think of the very last page of this story that you have written in an intensely beautiful way. But that’s just the way it is when you read a really good book!!”
“Your book reads very fast and easily, it’s very beautifully written!!”
“I have read your book in no time. Unfortunately, because – as always when reading a good book – you don’t want to say goodbye to the main characters. Pascale describes all her emotions, her transformation and shows that a painful goodbye can also be the beginning of something very beautiful. Pascale is a positive and driven person with a listening ear for others.”
“After I had started reading this beautiful book I could not stop. What a wonderful homage to your father, I recognised so much in your story and was deeply touched by it. You have inspired me to follow your motto: listen to your feelings and your heart.”
“I finished reading your book in three days. Immersive, recognisable, positive.”
“I bought Pascale’s book and finished reading it the very same day. I went through the book on an emotional rollercoaster. Pascale’s manner of writing is unparalleled. In a subtiel way, she knows how to describe emotions. There’s no way of escaping them. On earth, there exists more than rational thinking, tangible things and running after success in business. In the book, the owl plays a strategic part. For Pascale, it is the catalyst to five her feelings an explicit role. Without giving too much away, the catalpa tree, the tree that gets a second life, is a symbol for a new (different) life. I can absolutely recommend this book. It reads in a lovely way, but don’t be afraid of strong emotions because there are plenty of those. Compliments for having written this little masterpiece, Pascale.”
“I have just read your book ‘The year of the owl’. So incredibly beautiful and touching and especially recognisable, It overall felt as if I had gone through all this myself. Since my mother’s death, there also have been owls that came into my life in all kinds of forms, this summer even one in the neighbours’ garden. Goosebumps! It looked right through me. So beautiful that we have the privilege to experience this. Thanks for the beautiful hours of reading time and I look forward to your next experiences.”
“I’ve finished reading your book! Un-put-awayably beautiful! All my friends know what they are going to get as a present for their upcoming birthdays…Pascale, I keep my fingers crossen for your next book…”
“Just finished reading your book, it’s a very fine book, big compliments!”
“This weekend I finished reading THE YEAR OF THE OWL and I wanted to let you know that I think it’s a very beautiful book. But the book also had a different effect on me personally, because the process of having to say goodbye to your father – that you have described in details and in a very touching way – is something that I also had to go through recently. My father died last March and the idea that he is not here anymore is just sinking in. To read about your experiences was not only beautiful but also very comforting. Although every life is unique, I surely saw similarities, if only because my father was also a very special man with whom I had a deep connection. So, I shed some tears while reading your book, and that in itself is cathartic. So thank you for this reading experience!”
“Pascale I have just read your book. It doesn’t happen often but I had tears in my eyes. What a beautiful book. Straight from the heart…and so close to my own emotions. It is as if you have been trying to tell me something…You have got me thinking…Thank you!”
“Almost finished your book!!! Beautifully written! Some parts were pretty sad but the part where you described the experience with the owl afterwards was really stunningly beautiful. Very impressive!”
“Pascale, I have finished your book. I think it should be made into a movie. You were meant to be a writer!! Great.”
“I was completely impressed by your book. Thanks!”
“Dear Pascale, I have enjoyed your book. You’ve touched me with your story; honest, beautiful, with humour and so pure! Thank you so much…I’m looking forward to your next book!”
“I wanted to tell you that I really think your book is wonderful! So personal, touching, and – in the end – also very recognisable. I have to confess I am not a die-hard book reader but I finished your book in no time; you’ve described it so beautifully, in my imagination I see all the places you write about very clearly. It’s great!”
“I have enjoyed reading your book. It is very beautiful and recognisable, it has really moved me.”
Self recovery from within
In June 2021 Pascale’s third book, ‘Zelfherstel van binnenuit. Optimaliseer je gezondheid met je gedachten, gevoelens en overtuigingen’ (Self recovery from within. Optimize your health with your thoughts, feelings and convictions) will be published at AnkhHermes Publishers.
In a time where medical costs are spinning out of control, self management and integrative medicine are on the rise and medical options are exhausted at some point, is is now more important than ever to use those resources that everyone has naturally: an especially powerful tool that is capable of great accomplishments in the field or our health. That tool is your thinking, feeling and imagination. Because it is there, in the domain of your mind, that you can find the main entrance to the self healing capacities of your body.
For whom?
‘Zelfherstel van binnenuit’ is for everyone who:
- wants to know what biological effects thoughts, feelings and convictions have on your health and longevity;
- wants to have a more positive mindset;
- is healthy and wants to stay that way;
- experiences a health setback and wants to learn how to become their own placebo;
- is chronically ill and wants to improve their situation;
- wants to boost their immune system in a natural way, for instance cancer patients;
- is waiting for surgery, medical treatment or a test result and wants to prepare themselves in an optimal way;
The book is based on scientific research that concludes that you have more influence on your health than you think! If you want to read the book (in Dutch), please click here.
If you want to become active and improve your own health, this is the book for you!
Singing of the bookcontract
On October 1st 2021, I signed the book contract with AnkhHermes, this time digitally due to the covid-19 crisis.
Here, you see me signing the actual book contract online:
The Year of the Owl
The Year of the Owl
THE YEAR OF THE OWL:
When her father died on December 30st 2012, Pascale – a real daddy’s girl – landed in a swamp of mourning. Her grief peeled her like an onion, layer by layer, until only her core remained. In this vulnerable position – a broken heart is also an open and receptive heart – Pascale, the quintessential rational prosecutor who literally made a living trying to prove anything beyond a shadow of a doubt, had a miraculous spiritual experience with an owl that changed her forever. This magical event affirmed everything she so vehemently did not believe in: the interconnectedness of all that is, the existence of the law of attraction and even the possibility of some form of afterlife.
This occurrence showed her how powerful her thoughts could be and pressured her to face the fact that there did in fact exist more between heaven and earth. Eventually, this event even led to her decision to quit her job as a prosecutor on January 1st 2016 to become a writer. From that moment on, she only follows one path: that of her heart.
Readers rate this comforting, hopeful and uplifting true story on Bol.com (the Dutch Amazon.com), with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating! Curious to see readers’ reviews? Then please scroll down a bit!
NOW ALSO AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH (EBOOK)!
Read the free preview on amazon here.
Click underneath to buy the Dutch version:
VIEW THE BOOKTRAILER OF ‘THE YEAR OF THE OWL’!
THE ENGLISH POCKETBOOK IS READY!
THE YEAR OF THE OWL HANDED TO DEEPAK CHOPRA!
Thursday 24 May 2018 Deepak Chopra, MD, bestselling author and spiritual leader, gave a lecture in Afas Live Amsterdam entitled ‘The Healing Self’, based on his latest book. On that occasion, Pascale handed him a copy of The Year of the Owl.
ROYAL ATTENTION FOR THE YEAR OF THE OWL!
This letter from the Secretary of Her Majesty Queen Máxima and His Majesty King Willem Alexander of the Dutch Royal Family states that the ‘kind gesture of sending the book ‘The Year of the Owl’ to Queen Máxima has been very much appreciated’.
LOOK INSIDE:
For those of you who can read Dutch, you can take a look by clicking on the underlined text: Bekijk hier het inkijkexemplaar
SIGNING OF BOOK CONTRACT:
On 29 March 2016 Pascale signed her second book contract, a joyful moment! Here you can see her with Annelies Nijboer, acquiring editor at Kosmos Publishers.
Photo’s: Annemiek Mommers.
BOOK PRESENTATION:
On 30 October 2016 ‘The Year Of The Owl’ was officially presented in Bookstore Dominicanen in Maastricht where Pascale was surprised with three real owls…
Photo: Toni Ribas
REVIEWS:
On Bol.com (the Dutch Amazon), Pascale’s book gets 4.7 out of 5 star (maximum possible score) reviews from 26 readers!
Reviews on Bol.com:
Beautiful book Ingehg: A compelling story, even if you haven’t had to deal with the loss of one of your parents. It makes you think and makes you realize again what really is important in life.
Unexpectedly touching SaraB: ‘The author has experienced a remarkable development. She dares to be really vulnerable in this book and that is very inspiring. It is also very encouraging to read that, even in the most difficult of times, it is always possible to rise above this.’
Gripping! MartinevS: ‘A very candid and compelling story, in which the past intertwines with the present. It describes beautifully the turnaround in the author’s live. This book is proof that there is more between heaven and earth!’
A very special book Jackybrown: ‘Once started I couldn’t stop reading, written in a touching and very beautiful way.’
Looking for…Marlie: ‘A surprise, a tear, a smile, a quest, a finding, magical words. Raw mourning, compassion, alone, together. Looking for memories, making memories. Your book takes you on a trip, to your own holy grale, find it and dare to embrace it.’
Wonderful! SandraMrtns: ‘A beautiful personal story that enthralls you from the first until the very last chapter. Definitely highly recommended!’
Highly recommended! IreneFranssen: ‘I recommend this book. Fascinating and open-hearted page-turner. After reading this book you’ll just have to look intently at your own motives.’
Peter R. de Vries, crime reporter, true crime author and international Emmy-awardwinner:
“I have read your wonderful book The year of the owl in one go. From the very first page, I was grabbed by this touching story. I just had to finish it! It is a beautiful, loving and well written book that captures the special relationship between father and daughter terrifically. I am not ashamed to say that there were quite some passages that moved me. It is wonderful to see how, out of such a sad experience, you managed to make a beautiful and lasting tribute from which we can all learn something! On the other side of fear, lies freedom…”
Jessica Villerius, film- and documentarymaker:
“I read this book in one go. Big tears of emotion and recognition. For me it confirmed that you can spend many years working and living in the tough world of facts and evidence, but feelings and intuition will take you where you need to be in the end. Inspiring! I have seldom read such a beautiful, honest book full of vulnerability. Therefore I think that everyone deserves to read this wonderful book with so much food for thought.”
Marc Rieu, art painter and son of worldfamous André Rieu (Johann Strauss Orchestra):
‘I could read this wonderful book every year, such a jewel, or rather, a diamant that shines again and again in all its facets!!! Words cannot describe what I feel, the story gets so close to you because it was written in such a personal fashion. What an evocative, exquisite tribute! A great deal of praise to you!!!‘
Roy op het Veld, chief editor of regional newspaper De Limburger:
‘ I’ve read your book. Well done. Beautiful story!’
Egbert Brons, coach/trainer/investigator of the art of creation:
“In this masterfully written book the Law of Attraction plays a significant part. Small pieces of the puzzle are carefully wrapped into the story so the reader remains curious until the very end. The story has different layers and is not only a family saga. It is also a story about two journeys of transformation. One is that which we all will go through sooner or later, the other is a journey that is only open to those who dare to open themselves up to the incorporeal and the intangible. In this book Pascale shows you a reality that also exists, but that remains hidden for many. She writes in a style that sometimes touches you straight in your heart. She takes you on a journey through her life and seduces you to keep on reading. In a playful manner she connects the everyday with spirituality. She knows how to bring tension and expectation into the story. The book is a testimony of a remarkable spiritual experience, of deeply experiencing how the Law of Attraction can transfer a life and how a totally new reality can be created. It’s highly recommended for everyone who wants to peek behind the screens of everyday reality.’
Vreneli Stadelmaier, author of the bestselling book ‘Sure she can’ and winner of the Joke Smit-award 2015:
‘The Year of the Owl’ is a beautiful spiritual requiem for a father. Bruinen describes wonderfully how saying goodbye can lead to reconsideration and transformation. An encouragement for everyone who wants to reinvent oneself.’
Isabel Beije, editor ‘Mijn Geheim’:
‘I very much enjoyed reading your book! What a beautiful journey you have described, from the head to the heart! And such special examples of so many so-called ‘coincidences’ that have led to big changes in your life.’
Frans Smeets:
‘I bought Pascale’s book last Friday and I read it that same day in one go. I went through the book on a rollercoaster of emotions. Pascale’s writing style is unique. She knows how to describe emotions in a subtle way so that you cannot escape them. There is more on this earth than ratio, material things and running after business success. In the book, the owl plays a central and strategic part. For Pascale, the owl is the catalyst that lets her feelings guide her which way to go. Without giving away the end, the Catalpa tree that gets a second life is a symbol for a new and different life…with more explicit meaning. The book is highly recommended. It reads wonderfully but don’t be afraid of impetuous emotions because there are plenty of those in this book. Compliments Pascale for this masterpiece!’
Jacques Smeets, writer and former police detective:
‘The Year of the Owl. A very special title for a wonderful book (…). The owl and spirituality are two themes that play a crucial part in this exciting book. Both have come forth out of a sad event in her life, namely her father’s death. The way in which Pascale is able to blend this experience with the owl’s arrival shows a great writer’s talent to keep the reader reading. With her style, she knows how to engage and even to deeply move the reader. For surely, each reader will have lost some loved one at some point in her of his life. This terrible event is bad enough, but when you simultaneously take the courageous step to say goodbye to an important job as public prosecutor, solely to follow your heart into an uncertain future, then it is crystal clear that a lot has happened in her life. Pascale shares her emotions candidly. Especially striking is the fact that Pascale offers a lot of attention to the law of attraction, a natural truth that applies to all individuals. I was deeply touched by her spirital development because I experienced something similar in my life. Therefore, this book is for people who are looking for answers to questions that they have been asking for years. Some of those answers are actually given in this book. At the very least this book offers beautiful and useful lines of approach for anyone who wants and dares to open up unconditionally.’ – Jacques Smeets, writer and former police detective
Marga Miltenburg, director speaker’s Agency ZijSpreekt:
‘The title of Pascale Bruinen’s new book ‘The year of the owl'(Kosmos Editors) made me curious. In the book she describes the love she felt for her father, being the youngest daughter. He was her counselor, she learned a lot from him. Her father was like a wise owl. For that reason, Pascale’s mother had given him – many years before his demise – a statue of a wooden owl, a gift that had visibly touched him. When her father dies at the age of 89, she goes through a deep crisis. Pascale: ‘Age doesn’t count, the feeling of absence is overwhelming. Mourning is very hard work. All feelings of sorrow, pain and despair have a function.’ During this mourning period she was taken om a search for her ‘authentic self’, the personal nucleus that finally remains when all superfluous layers have disappeared. Pascale: ‘Showing vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but of strength, daring and courage.’ After she has come out of this crisis, she has an intense spiritual experience in which an owl plays an important part. The book shares with us that ‘when you wish something deeply enough en then can release your wish, it comes true, even though it may take a while.’Thinking power influences and creaties. All that gets conscious attention, grows. The Law of Attraction, she calls it. Because of her experience with the owl she makes a 180 degrees turn. As of that moment, she believes everything biforehand until it’s clear that it cannot possibly be true. In ‘The year of the owl’ we see this process of awakening. Her father’s death brought her a lot of good, in the end. Pascale felt that this special story had to be told. I fully agree with her. Read it and let this book touch you! The story of a public prosecutor becoming the writer and motivational speaker she is now.’
ZIN Magazine:
‘Her father’s death leads to a transformation for public prosecutor Pascale Bruinen. Her grief makes her realize that she has to follow her heart. She quits her job and decides to become a full time writer. A touching and inspiring true story.’
Andrea Germeraad, writer:
‘My definition of a good book is: a book becomes art when it changes my (view on) life. ‘The Year of the Owl’ has certainly accomplished this feat. In the beginning I was somewhat skeptical. I really hoped it would not be one of those woolly self help books. Pretty soon into the book, I was enthralled by the personal and recognizable story of Pascale Bruinen. The author doesn’t only open up to a different mindset, but she also dares to be vulnerable towards the reader. Stress, grief, despair but also her happy moments are so well written that I could sense them myself. Despite this rollercoaster of emotions it turns out to be a feel good book with a happy ending. Fortunately, the moralistic tone of voice I feared in the beginning is completely missing in this book. Instead, the author leaves it totally up to the reader whether to believe or not. With regard to the latter: I hope there is more than this material existence, but my mind says this is not possible. What Pascale has taught me is to at least not judge those people who do believe it is possible. Simply because my mind cannot rationalize it does not mean that it does not exist for another person.’
Wendy Wenning, Passion For Books, boekenbijlage.nl:
‘In ‘The Year of the Owl’ Pascale shares her deepest feelings and bares her soul. Daring and courageous. I deeply admire her. Pascale is a very down to earth woman, a control freak. But after her father’s demise, she sees her own true self. And not only that, but she also starts to encounter images of owls everywhere. Seeing these creatures, symbols of wisdom, she has to think of her father. Not only because of his intelligence, but also because of the wooden owl statue that he received just for that reason from Pascale’s mother years ago. To her these are signs of her father. A spiritual experience shows her that there is more in life and that she has to change course. ‘The Year of the Owl’ has left a great impression on me and made me realize that it is never too late to go and do what you love to do. In this book, Pascale shows in a very personal and intense way the beautiful example of how important it is to follow your heart. A book that touched me, sometimes made me sad but also a book out of which I got a lot of strength.’
Reviews of other readers:
“I have almost finished your wonderful book. I want to know the end but I also think it’s a shame when I think of the very last page of this story that you have written in an intensely beautiful way. But that’s just the way it is when you read a really good book!!”
“Your book reads very fast and easily, it’s very beautifully written!!”
“I have read your book in no time. Unfortunately, because – as always when reading a good book – you don’t want to say goodbye to the main characters. Pascale describes all her emotions, her transformation and shows that a painful goodbye can also be the beginning of something very beautiful. Pascale is a positive and driven person with a listening ear for others.”
“After I had started reading this beautiful book I could not stop. What a wonderful homage to your father, I recognised so much in your story and was deeply touched by it. You have inspired me to follow your motto: listen to your feelings and your heart.”
“I finished reading your book in three days. Immersive, recognisable, positive.”
“I bought Pascale’s book and finished reading it the very same day. I went through the book on an emotional rollercoaster. Pascale’s manner of writing is unparalleled. In a subtiel way, she knows how to describe emotions. There’s no way of escaping them. On earth, there exists more than rational thinking, tangible things and running after success in business. In the book, the owl plays a strategic part. For Pascale, it is the catalyst to five her feelings an explicit role. Without giving too much away, the catalpa tree, the tree that gets a second life, is a symbol for a new (different) life. I can absolutely recommend this book. It reads in a lovely way, but don’t be afraid of strong emotions because there are plenty of those. Compliments for having written this little masterpiece, Pascale.”
“I have just read your book ‘The year of the owl’. So incredibly beautiful and touching and especially recognisable, It overall felt as if I had gone through all this myself. Since my mother’s death, there also have been owls that came into my life in all kinds of forms, this summer even one in the neighbours’ garden. Goosebumps! It looked right through me. So beautiful that we have the privilege to experience this. Thanks for the beautiful hours of reading time and I look forward to your next experiences.”
“I’ve finished reading your book! Un-put-awayably beautiful! All my friends know what they are going to get as a present for their upcoming birthdays…Pascale, I keep my fingers crossen for your next book…”
“Just finished reading your book, it’s a very fine book, big compliments!”
“This weekend I finished reading THE YEAR OF THE OWL and I wanted to let you know that I think it’s a very beautiful book. But the book also had a different effect on me personally, because the process of having to say goodbye to your father – that you have described in details and in a very touching way – is something that I also had to go through recently. My father died last March and the idea that he is not here anymore is just sinking in. To read about your experiences was not only beautiful but also very comforting. Although every life is unique, I surely saw similarities, if only because my father was also a very special man with whom I had a deep connection. So, I shed some tears while reading your book, and that in itself is cathartic. So thank you for this reading experience!”
“Pascale I have just read your book. It doesn’t happen often but I had tears in my eyes. What a beautiful book. Straight from the heart…and so close to my own emotions. It is as if you have been trying to tell me something…You have got me thinking…Thank you!”
“Almost finished your book!!! Beautifully written! Some parts were pretty sad but the part where you described the experience with the owl afterwards was really stunningly beautiful. Very impressive!”
“Pascale, I have finished your book. I think it should be made into a movie. You were meant to be a writer!! Great.”
“I was completely impressed by your book. Thanks!”
“Dear Pascale, I have enjoyed your book. You’ve touched me with your story; honest, beautiful, with humour and so pure! Thank you so much…I’m looking forward to your next book!”
“I wanted to tell you that I really think your book is wonderful! So personal, touching, and – in the end – also very recognisable. I have to confess I am not a die-hard book reader but I finished your book in no time; you’ve described it so beautifully, in my imagination I see all the places you write about very clearly. It’s great!”
“I have enjoyed reading your book. It is very beautiful and recognisable, it has really moved me.”
Fortunately, My First Corpse Is Fresh
Fortunately, My First Corpse Is Fresh
Pascale’s first book, Fortunately My First Corpse Is Fresh (original title: Mijn Eerste Lijk Is Gelukkig Vers) was published by De Fontein in January 2015. It is a very open and personal insight into Pascale’s work as a prosecutor. Because of her – in the legal world unprecedented – frankness, the Dutch Harper’s Bazaar magazine nominated her for the ‘Woman of the Year 2015 Award’. This book, now in its 4th edition, got great reviews and earned a spot in the Bestseller 60 List. It recounts real cases and reveals the doubts, emotions and feelings that go hand in hand with being a public prosecutor. If you have ever wanted to find out how a house search is carried out, what it is like for a woman to manage a group of macho policemen, or why someone chooses to hire an assassin, then Fortunately, My First Corpse Is Fresh might be just up your alley.
On Bol.com, the Dutch Amazon.com, it gets 4 out of 5 star rating! Click here for an excerpt in Dutch. Or read two chapters translated into English:
Chapter 4 Fortunately my first corpse is fresh
Chapter 6 Fortunately my first corpse is fresh
In this picture, Pascale is signing her first bookcontract at De Fontein publishers on 26 February 2014 incidentally (?) on her late father’s birthday, to whom she dedicated her book.
Impression of the official book presentation on January 25th 2015 in bookstore Dominicanen in Maastricht, The Netherlands:
Peter R. de Vries: Interesting: d.a. #PascaleBruinen wrote a book as ‘prosecutor, person and proud mother’. A nice glimpse into the world of law. Highly recommended!
Peter R. de Vries: New: Excellent book by the Maastricht public prosecutor #PascaleBruinen: ‘Mijn eerste lijk is gelukkig vers’.
Herman Bolhaar, former President of the Board of Procurators General: “An amazing feat!”
Ruud Bik, Deputy Chief of the Dutch National Police: “Mijn eerste lijk is gelukkig vers’ is written by a true professional who is also a gifted writer. The book has a clear structure and is easy to read. Pascale provides a candid look into the life of a public prosecutor, commentating on (dire) cases from a human point of view and she also doesn’t avoid critical self-reflection. With a lot of humour, but never without respect, Pascale sheds a light on the not-so-pretty side of our society and the roles played by police and the Public Prosecution Service. Everyone would do well to read it, but I would especially recommend it to our own detectives. Pascale has a way of bridging the gap between two worlds that are closely connected but don’t always see eye to eye. In her own way, she connects our worlds even more. ”
Prof. mr. drs. F.C.M.A. Michiels, member of the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State: “I read through your book in one go. I was especially impressed by the parts about sex crimes cases. But there were also (other) parts that cracked me up, like the guy who was ‘sentenced to’ (a fine of) 200 euro, to then ask when he could come collect the money. All in all, the book offers an amazing insight into the work of a prosecutor (and at the same time the work of the police and judges). And not entirely without value, it’s a laid-back read.”.
Nico Lindhout, a loyal reader of my blog: “Prior to reading the book I couldn’t shake that ivory tower feeling. The Prosecution Service, strict men and women in robes, protectors of the law who crack down with ridiculous sentence demands. But having read your book, I now feel differently. Its nuance triumphed over my presuppositions. Well I’ll be… was my first thought, you’re like real people sometimes. I especially felt that way after reading chapter 18, which showed that society is indeed being protected. ”
Want to read more testimonials? See below.
Articles Fabulous Mama Magazine
Pascale has written several articles for Fabulous Mama Magazine about her work as a public prosecutor with regard to children as perpetrators and as victims of crimes. The articles are in Dutch and you can read them here.
Articles Fabulous Mama Magazine
Cool Columns and Cruise Craver
Blogs Cool Columns and Cruise Craver
From 2012 until the 8th of March 2017, Pascale posted a new column on her blog every Friday. So on this blog, http://www.coolcolumns.com, you’ll find a large selection of funny, touching and informative columns about travel, glamour, spirituality, adolescents (a.k.a. as her kids when they were growing up) etc.
Furthermore, Pascale has blogged about her favorite way to travel, which is going on a cruise. Please check out http://www.cruisecraver.com. This is an infotainment site where you’ll find a lot of practical information about the way of life on board, based on her own experiences. But you’ll also see beautiful pictures of the ships and exotic locations.
‘To write is to fill your paper with the breathings of your heart’
How I became a writer
How I became a writer
Ah… the art of writing. I can’t resist its pull.
That stab of envy whenever I saw someone’s name being accompanied by the term ‘author’ or ‘writer’ was a vague wake-up call. Envy doesn’t reflect well on me, I admit, but it rather disturbed me at the time. Because obviously I wasn’t a writer. I was a public prosecutor.
How did I go from that to trying my hand at writing? As choices go, that particular one wouldn’t make much sense.
Allow me to take you back in time, to 2008. My life appeared perfect: a good, meaningful job as a prosecutor, great kids and a loving partner. I worked around the house and the garden, arranged everything to do with school and clubs, went running a few times a week, regularly met with family and friends and I made sure to schedule time and attention for my elderly parents. In short, I was unmistakably part of the sandwich generation; stuck between being responsible and caring for teens growing up on the one hand and ailing, elderly parents on the other hand.
Yet…
Despite my busy life, I couldn’t help but think something was missing. I just didn’t know what. That vague feeling only grew stronger over the years and ended up just being plain unpleasant. This whole process lasted for years.
Until the day I read an amazing column in the newspaper. I was touched, and then it hit me: This is exactly what I want to do! I felt like I had solved the puzzle. I had found its missing piece and I knew where to put it. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have taken years for me to figure it out. I had always loved language and books since childhood. I used books for all my favourite pass-times. Whereas other kids might play something like cops and robbers, I played librarian; collecting not only my own books, but those of my parents, too. I would then cut up paper into square cards and scribble down the title, author and ‘return date’. To actually be able to place the cards inside the book I crafted a small paper slot inside each book cover, all neatly taped up. Painstaking, laborious work. I wrote stories, too. One of them (“Het Spookhuis [The Haunted House]”) actually made it into the school paper (this first ‘publication’ can be traced back via www.coolcolumns.com).
So when it finally dawned on me that I wanted to start writing columns, I faced another demon. I was scared. Hesitant to have other people read my works, afraid they would reject it. But curiosity eventually trumped that feeling, I was dying to know the opinion of others and so I, albeit tremblingly, sent some samples to family, friends and acquaintances. To my great relief, their reactions were positive and I was motivated to continue.
Sometime after, I happened upon a ‘Writing Columns’ course on the internet. All of my previous trepidations were off on holiday. I signed up immediately. That course was the highlight of my week. It taught me a lot, but I especially enjoyed the zeal of my teacher and the inspiring group of equally minded people from all walks of life. I soon noticed that writing left me feeling satisfied, and that at the same time it acted as an escape from all the misery I faced in the criminal cases I tried in my professional career.
The course bolstered my confidence enough to take a next step: the launch of my own blog. Lo and behold, www.coolcolumns.com arrived in late 2011. Until March 2017 I posted a sneak peek of my weekly blog on Wednesdays, with the full text of the new column being released on Fridays. The columns touch a range of subjects like my children, shopping trips, nostalgic fragments of the past, travels, the spiritual side of life and whatever else.
At www.cruisecraver.com, an infotainment site, I share my passion for cruising with those interested in it. I launched this website to take away all that prejudice surrounding this mode of travel. It doesn’t just list a great deal of info about the ins and outs of cruises, but you also get to see my photos of what the cruise ships and destinations look like.
Eventually I was keen on sharing my experiences as a public prosecutor in a personal way, so in the Spring of 2012 I proposed this to the highest chief of the Public Prosecution Service, Herman Bolhaar, President of the Board of Procurators General. He was excited about the idea from the get-go and gave me a thumbs up. From September 2012 until 1 January 2016 I wrote a weekly column about my job as public prosecutor in the Algemeen Dagblad, the second largest Dutch national newspaper. I decided to stop doing this on 1 January 2016 because I’ve turned sail and plotted a completely different course to involve writing, giving lectures and inspiring others in the broadest sense of the word.
In the meantime, I wrote two books and thus officially became a published author. My first being Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh, a personal account of my adventures as a female prosecutor (De Fontein, 2015). The second is entitled The year of the owl (Kosmos, 2016) and deals with my personal transformational journey after my father’s death.
Currently, The year of the owl has been translated into English in order to try and conquer foreign markets.
Photo: Suzanne Rensink