The Year of the Owl e-book

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The Year of the Owl

NOW AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH (EBOOK)!

Read the free preview on amazon here.

Click underneath to buy the Dutch version:

Koop bij bol.com

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.’

‘Your book reads very switfly and easily. Very beautifully written!’

‘I have almost finished your wonderful book. It’s a double feeling; I want to know the end but also find it hard to think of the last page of this so intensely and beautifully written story. That’s the way it is with really good books!’

‘I have finished the book in one go. Unfortunately, because as always with a good book you don’t want to say goodbye to the main characters. Pascale describes all her emotions, her turnaround and shows that an ending can also be the start of something very beautiful. She is definitely a positive and driven personality with a listening ear for others.’

‘After I had started reading your wonderful book I could not stop. What a beautiful hommage to your father, I recognized so much in your story and was deeply touched by it. You have inspired me to follow your life motto: listen to your feelings and to your heart!’

“I finished your books in three days. Compelling, full of recognition, positive! I admire the steps you have taken and keep on taking!’

‘I have finished the book! Un-put-downable, so beautiful! My friends know what they’ll be getting for their birthdays… Pascale, I keep my fingers crossed for a next book!’

‘I have just finished reading your book The year of the owl. So unbelievably beautiful and touching and especially full of things I recognize. For the most part, it felt as if I had gone through all of this myself. Ever since my mother’s death, there were also owls on my path in all shapes and sizes. This summer, I even saw one in the garden of the neighours. Goosebumps! It looks right through you. So wonderful that we were able to witness this. Thank you for all the beautiful hours spent reading and I look forward to your next experiences.’

‘I have read your book, it’s wonderful, my great compliments!’

“A surprise, a tear, a smile, a quest, a find, magical words. Raw mourning, compassie, alone, together. Finding memories, making memories. Your book takes you on a journey to your Holy Grail, in order to find and dare to embrace it.’

‘This weekend I have read THE YEAR OF THE OWL and I want to let you know that I think it is a very beautiful book. The book also had a different effect on me, for I have recently also been through the process of saying goodbye to one’s father, which you describe in such a very touching and detailed way. My father died at the end of March and the idea that he is not around anymore finally starts to sink in a little. Reading about your experiences was beautiful and it also surely had a consoling effect on me. Although every life is unique, I did see many similarities, such as for the fact that my dad also was a special man with whom I had a deep connection…In short, I did shed some tears while reading, and that is in itself purifying. So thank you for this reading experience!’

‘I have almost finished the book!! I think it is so beautifully written! Some parts were very sad but how you’ve described the experience with the owl was truly magnificent. I think it is a great feat how you’ve written down all these events in such a wonderful way!’

‘Pascale, I have finished the book. I think a movie should be made out of this story. You are and will be a writer pur sang. Wonderful!’

‘I was totally impressed by your book. Thank you!’

‘Dear Pascale, I have thoroughly enjoyed your book…You have touched me with your story; honest, beautiful, with humor and so pure!i Thank you… I look forward to your next book!’

‘I just wanted to let you know that I really think it’s a wonderful book! So personal, touching and for me – at the end – also very recognizable. Ik have to admit that I am not a die hard reader but I have finished the book almost in one go; you’ve written so beautifully, I see all the places you write about vividly in my mind! Wonderful!’

‘I have read the book with pleasure. It is very beautiful and recognizable, it sometimes touched me extra in my heart.’

‘Compliments for your wonderful book, Pascale. It is beautiful, touching and makes you think deeply!’

‘Dear Pascale, I have just finished your second book… what a brave and vulnerable monument…I recognize a lot and sometimes read sentences that I could have spoken or thougth myself. I am already looking forward to your third book!’

‘Beautiful and impressive!’

‘The Year of the Owl is a very beautiful and often also a very touching book. Until page 28 I was able to read with dry eyes, afterwards often not anymore. What a journey through your inner self. And what an honour to be able to cherish your own owl in your own backyard. How many doubts you must have had, being a rationally thinking prosecutor facing the manifestation of these astral signs that there is more between heaven and Earth!’

‘I am impressed. I am also someone who is averse to everything that reeks of woolliness. I also laugh about it and regard people who are more open minded than me as vague human beings who hope for a cosmic intervention in their love lives. Your book has taught me not to judge in such a harsh way. The fact that I cannot observe or experience something does not mean that it doesn’t exist. That is an arrogant thought. That is what your book has taught me so far. Your story really touched me and makes me look differently at the world. Thanks for this!’

‘You are my heroine! Thank you for writing a wonderful book! I enjoyed every page! Sometimes I even think it is almost scary how good YOU describe MY experiences!’

‘Oh what a beautiful book you have written. Wonderful use of language, but especially very beautifully written about what you have gone through. It touched me deeply, also because I have experienced the process of my dad’s passing in the same way and it also had led to a transformation in my life. I look forward to your next book  :-)’

‘Wowwww I have finished the book breathlessly in two days. Recognition, beautifully written. Some 20 years ago I also went through a transformational process because of experiences on my path, thanks to the book of Shirley Maclaine ‘The Camino’. An enrichment of my life. Your book now also shares a part of my path. Thank you for this. For your hope and strength! I wish you all the best.’

‘I have finished your wonderful second book in one go. Thank you!’

‘Finally the time was there: I took your book from the shelf and went to sit in a corner of my couch with some tea and started reading. Some four hours later I really needed to stop on account of a hungry adolescent. Today after a loooong day at work I rushed home, I ate a simple cup of soup with some bread because I HAD to read on. And now, yes, I have finished it. It is inevitable to let out a deep sigh at the end because you have felt all the emotions a human being is capable of feeling. After the whole range of human emotions that I went through in this book I am convinced that karma is the all encompassing ‘evidence’ that in every experience there is a mirror to be found. When we become older, we also have the privilege to experience all of this as a reward for all our efforts to change the world in a positive manner. Your words could have been mine…Thank you for this book, what a gift!! This all encompassing wonderful book is an absolute must-have.   A meaningful Christmas present…xxx’.

‘This morning I finished your book. How wonderful that – thanks to your words – I could be a witness to your revelation and to the fact that you dared to follow your heart. Many people can learn something from your book. Very special and inspiring, thank you.’

‘Dear Pascale, this week I have read your book in almost one go. Very beautiful! I will definitely keep following you in order to be able to read more of your writings!’

‘Dear Pascale, I have thouroughly enjoyed your book. Now I look forward to start reading your other book!’

‘In case you are wondering whether everything seems to be connected, but you cannot pinpoint it precisely, then now you know for sure that it is indeed that way. This book shows that a human being, independently of his or her place on earth, is capable of a transformation that eventually leads him/her to his/her inner self. To share this realization with the rest of the world is for everyone a great gift because it makes them better persons. And these better persons are what the world urgently needs right now.
This book is a worthy and meaning-ful contribution to our universal need to overcome ourselves and rise to a higher consciousness; following your intuition. A wonderful hommage.’

‘I have read your book with a lot of attention. According to me, it consists of two parts, one before and one after the death of your father. His passing put you in a mourning process that you describe in a deep way. This mourning process, this crisis, has given you the opportunity to let your spiritual being come to the surface. This is also to be considered a gift from your father. The most beautiful part of the book to me was the transformation from the ‘normal’ life to a life that is visibly led by your spiritual motives. Also your change of carreer, the giving up of a seemingly secure job in order to become a writer shows that you have the courage to follow your heart. Such developments make me very happy inside and they warm and uplift my heart. I wish you a lot of success being a writer.’

‘So special but also very recognizable. Especially your vulnerability and daring to show this more and more, touch me deep inside (…).’

‘I have read your book. What struck me in the beginning was in how much detail you described your youth. There you are still the prosecutor who pays attention to the smallest details. Then, when you go deep down into your grief, I become engulfed with emotions. There I needed tissues. For your grief and because it reminded me of the mourning process for my mother (…). Then it became clear to me that you cannot run from your grief. Afterwards, a whole different Pascale comes to the surface and that was probably also meant to be this way. Almost a guru and maybe you want to be one. To let people know that there are more things in life than a carreer…(…). Beautiful how you described how a life can change, can tip over, how a transformation can develop.’

‘I have read your wonderful book in one go. It exceeded my expectations. After I had finished the book I put on the tv. The first thing I saw was an owl! Special, hopeful and supportive in this time of deep mourning that I go through. Your openness and vulnerability help me to take the next step. Many thanks! ‘

‘As a reader, Pascale has taken me on a journey through her story, emotions and experience. She beautifully describes what you go through when you are confronted with the loss of a beloved to whom you feel connected on a deep soul level. I’d like to add to the words wonder, loss and resilience the words magical, goosebumps and admiration. Especially the last one, because I admire Pascale for the way that she has put her feelings in an easy to read book and for the way in which she made a drastic career change and has set a different course for her life. HAT’S OFF TO YOU! Highly recommended to read this book!’

‘I just finished your book. What a wonderful and powerful story! I have read it with a tear and a smile. Thank you.’

‘After finishing the first book of Pascale Bruinen, Fortunately, My First Corpse Is Fresh, I now have read her second book. Both books are very different. In the first, she describes her job as a public prosecutor. In that time, she was very down-to-earth and needed hard evidence before she believed anything. This second book with an owl as the main character is about the spiritual eye-opening that Pascale went through after the death of her father. The intensely sad Pascale breaks down completely. A very special experience involving an owl made her whole again and made her into a person that follows her feelings. Now she believes everything until proven wrong…I have finished this book in one night, in one go. From the beginning until the end I was totally under the spell of Pascale’s wonderful, sad and impressive story. During the whole book, I had a lump in my throat. I felt a lot of compassion for Pascale who was so intensely sad after her father passed away that she had a breakdown. And the special spiritual events – first small ones, later a very big one – in which the owl plays a major part, gave me a very warm feeling inside. How beautifully has Pascale written this story, I got the feeling that I knew her because of this very personal story. So candid, so brave, so wonderful… This powerful story about loss, mourning and spirituality had really touched me deeply! And doesn’t the book look lovely? I’m in love! Special note: I read the book in a hotel where my husband and I were staying for one night. When I tried to make a picture of the book, we suddenly saw an owl wall!’

‘I am very proud of you. And that is putting it mildly. You wrote that the book was about love and loss, grief and resilience, hope and wonder. That is all true. But what has especially touched me is the describing and sharing of your vulnerability of that what would eventually become your great strength and your bridge to a new existence.’

‘Pascale I have read your book in one go. Impressive, candid, emotional, full of humor and recognition and wisdom. So Beautiful! Thank you.’

‘The Year of the Owl’ is a very beautiful and compelling book that you’ll want to read in one go!’

‘Wonderful book! Soon, I’ll be reading it for the second time!’

‘It was a recognizable, enthralling, penetrating and candid story! Right out of your heart. So beautiful that you didn’t only have the guts to give up your job – to really do it and not only want or wish it -, but also that you have shared your personal story with the world. You have followed your own heart and dared to show your vulnerable side. I think this is really special!’

‘I just loved your book! I enjoyed it immensely, once I got reading it I could not put it down. I found it very thought provoking and uplifting. It brought out all kinds of emotions like sadness, joy, hope and makes you realize life is short at its best and to embrace the time as we go through life. Over Christmas I am going to read it again because I know I will get even more enlightenment out of it. I would also like to get copies of ‘The Year of the Owl’ for my special friends. I know they would love it. I do not want to lend them my very special copy from you as I treasure it.’

‘Pascale, I just finished 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 feelings. It seems as if you want to tell me something…It is very thought provoking… Thank you!’

‘A book about wonder, loss and resilience’, it says on the cover of this book. I’d like to add the word ‘decisiveness’. Because this is, according to my opinion, the most inspiring part of this story. Wanting or wishing to do something is one thing. But to actually go ahead and do it, is quite another. Together, they form the longest road, like Pascale describes it, ‘from the head to the heart’. That is the most inspiring part of this book. It reads wonderfully and gives a beautiful look into the immense sadness and loss.’

‘A wonderful story! Because of all the praise and very positive media stories about the book ‘The Year of the Owl’, I had high expectations. I postponed reading it because I feared disappointment. What if I didn’t like the book? I have been following Pascale on her blog Coolcolumns.com for a while now and really appreciate what she writes and does. I have bought the book The year of the owl  as a gift to myself. But I needn’t to have worried because it is a wonderful story, beautifully written! Especially the chapters about how she experienced living with her parents. Pascale takes us, the readers, with her in her life. We look over her schoulder. Very well done!’

‘When Pascale is confronted with the fact that her father enters his final stage in life, she is overcome by emotions that transform her rational view on human existence into a spiritual one. She quits her job as a public prosecutor and decides henceforth to be led by the law of attraction. In ‘The Year of the Owl’ the author dares to show her vulnerability and this is very moving while reading the book. It is a beautiful and inspiring story about the miracles of life.’

‘What a beautiful book. Wonderful use of language. You managed to write beautifully about what you went through. It touched me deeply because I experienced the mourning process after my father’s passing in the same way, as it also led to a transformation in my life.’

‘It is a riveting and touching story that beautifully shows how strong the bond between a grown daughter and her father can be. A bond that cannot be broken and that only gets closer by an invisble hand that steers both life stories until they are blooming. Wonderfully written and in many ways very familiar.’

‘I have read the first book of this former prosecutor in one go. Curious to read the second one. ‘The Year of the Owl’ describes the beautiful loving relationship with her father, his demise and working through her grief. All this has made her decide to turn her life around. Respect!’

‘In a beautifully written story, Pascale takes you with her on her transition from a closed up oyster to an open book. Her life in the legal world has left deep scar, amongst others in dealing with fellow human beings. When the once full life of her father changes to a dependent and vulnerable state, Pascale as his youngest daughter also changes. Until that moment, spirituality was a word Pascale used only sparingly. An owl transforms her in this respect. Having to say a last farewell to her dad results in an upheaval in her life. Old dreams are converted to new goals. She takes off her magistrate’s robe and life goes on, now with a pen in hand. In a beautiful subdued style, she has written a compelling story that is thought provoking.  The concept of the law of attraction still lingers in my head…’.

‘OMG, your book has unleashed so much inside of me… First I was confronted with my own memories of my parents and then with your insights. Really wonderful! So courageous to gradually acknowledge your basic feelings that lead to powerful and life enriching insights.Thank you! ‘

‘In this book I sometimes saw my own struggles reflected. That was confronting, but certainly also inspiring! A nice writing style that reads easily.’

‘Very beautifully written, familiar and brimming with emotions. A story of love and connection, about falling and getting back up again, about dreaming…Touching!’

‘A brave and vulnerable document. Sometimes touching, sometimes funny and with many a familiar moment.’

‘An easily readable personal story. Vulnerable, pure and sincere. Absolutely worth your while!’

‘I read ‘The year of the owl’ and the day afterwards I encountered a whole collection of owls in the restaurant at the hospital I was visiting. There is no such thing as coincidence! So for me, this was a clear sign that I had to contact you. Reading your book has done me a whole lot of good. I can really identify with your story. Beautifully written. Just like you, I belief that there are special powers at work and that things do not happen without a reason. Your book is a source of inspiration. I have read and reread the last pages of your book and I will keep reading these. Thanks to your book I am a ‘work in progress’… Thanks you so much for this!’

Thank you for your beautiful and inspiring book. I finished it in two days. What a source of inspiration! I’m already looking forward to your third book!

‘Wonderful book, very impressive, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it!’

‘I’ve read both your books and I must say, I am impressed! I resonate a lot with your writing. Follow your heart has also become my motto, be who you are and what your heart tells you. Well done! Your personal story has really inspired me!’

‘I’ve finished your book yesterday, I think it is an incredible story! In this book I saw so many familiarities with regard to my own life. Really wonderful, goose bumps!’

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

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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:

Video1 and Video2

 

The Year of the Owl

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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:

Koop bij bol.com

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.’

‘Your book reads very switfly and easily. Very beautifully written!’

‘I have almost finished your wonderful book. It’s a double feeling; I want to know the end but also find it hard to think of the last page of this so intensely and beautifully written story. That’s the way it is with really good books!’

‘I have finished the book in one go. Unfortunately, because as always with a good book you don’t want to say goodbye to the main characters. Pascale describes all her emotions, her turnaround and shows that an ending can also be the start of something very beautiful. She is definitely a positive and driven personality with a listening ear for others.’

‘After I had started reading your wonderful book I could not stop. What a beautiful hommage to your father, I recognized so much in your story and was deeply touched by it. You have inspired me to follow your life motto: listen to your feelings and to your heart!’

“I finished your books in three days. Compelling, full of recognition, positive! I admire the steps you have taken and keep on taking!’

‘I have finished the book! Un-put-downable, so beautiful! My friends know what they’ll be getting for their birthdays… Pascale, I keep my fingers crossed for a next book!’

‘I have just finished reading your book The year of the owl. So unbelievably beautiful and touching and especially full of things I recognize. For the most part, it felt as if I had gone through all of this myself. Ever since my mother’s death, there were also owls on my path in all shapes and sizes. This summer, I even saw one in the garden of the neighours. Goosebumps! It looks right through you. So wonderful that we were able to witness this. Thank you for all the beautiful hours spent reading and I look forward to your next experiences.’

‘I have read your book, it’s wonderful, my great compliments!’

“A surprise, a tear, a smile, a quest, a find, magical words. Raw mourning, compassie, alone, together. Finding memories, making memories. Your book takes you on a journey to your Holy Grail, in order to find and dare to embrace it.’

‘This weekend I have read THE YEAR OF THE OWL and I want to let you know that I think it is a very beautiful book. The book also had a different effect on me, for I have recently also been through the process of saying goodbye to one’s father, which you describe in such a very touching and detailed way. My father died at the end of March and the idea that he is not around anymore finally starts to sink in a little. Reading about your experiences was beautiful and it also surely had a consoling effect on me. Although every life is unique, I did see many similarities, such as for the fact that my dad also was a special man with whom I had a deep connection…In short, I did shed some tears while reading, and that is in itself purifying. So thank you for this reading experience!’

‘I have almost finished the book!! I think it is so beautifully written! Some parts were very sad but how you’ve described the experience with the owl was truly magnificent. I think it is a great feat how you’ve written down all these events in such a wonderful way!’

‘Pascale, I have finished the book. I think a movie should be made out of this story. You are and will be a writer pur sang. Wonderful!’

‘I was totally impressed by your book. Thank you!’

‘Dear Pascale, I have thoroughly enjoyed your book…You have touched me with your story; honest, beautiful, with humor and so pure!i Thank you… I look forward to your next book!’

‘I just wanted to let you know that I really think it’s a wonderful book! So personal, touching and for me – at the end – also very recognizable. Ik have to admit that I am not a die hard reader but I have finished the book almost in one go; you’ve written so beautifully, I see all the places you write about vividly in my mind! Wonderful!’

‘I have read the book with pleasure. It is very beautiful and recognizable, it sometimes touched me extra in my heart.’

‘Compliments for your wonderful book, Pascale. It is beautiful, touching and makes you think deeply!’

‘Dear Pascale, I have just finished your second book… what a brave and vulnerable monument…I recognize a lot and sometimes read sentences that I could have spoken or thougth myself. I am already looking forward to your third book!’

‘Beautiful and impressive!’

‘The Year of the Owl is a very beautiful and often also a very touching book. Until page 28 I was able to read with dry eyes, afterwards often not anymore. What a journey through your inner self. And what an honour to be able to cherish your own owl in your own backyard. How many doubts you must have had, being a rationally thinking prosecutor facing the manifestation of these astral signs that there is more between heaven and Earth!’

‘I am impressed. I am also someone who is averse to everything that reeks of woolliness. I also laugh about it and regard people who are more open minded than me as vague human beings who hope for a cosmic intervention in their love lives. Your book has taught me not to judge in such a harsh way. The fact that I cannot observe or experience something does not mean that it doesn’t exist. That is an arrogant thought. That is what your book has taught me so far. Your story really touched me and makes me look differently at the world. Thanks for this!’

‘You are my heroine! Thank you for writing a wonderful book! I enjoyed every page! Sometimes I even think it is almost scary how good YOU describe MY experiences!’

‘Oh what a beautiful book you have written. Wonderful use of language, but especially very beautifully written about what you have gone through. It touched me deeply, also because I have experienced the process of my dad’s passing in the same way and it also had led to a transformation in my life. I look forward to your next book  :-)’

‘Wowwww I have finished the book breathlessly in two days. Recognition, beautifully written. Some 20 years ago I also went through a transformational process because of experiences on my path, thanks to the book of Shirley Maclaine ‘The Camino’. An enrichment of my life. Your book now also shares a part of my path. Thank you for this. For your hope and strength! I wish you all the best.’

‘I have finished your wonderful second book in one go. Thank you!’

‘Finally the time was there: I took your book from the shelf and went to sit in a corner of my couch with some tea and started reading. Some four hours later I really needed to stop on account of a hungry adolescent. Today after a loooong day at work I rushed home, I ate a simple cup of soup with some bread because I HAD to read on. And now, yes, I have finished it. It is inevitable to let out a deep sigh at the end because you have felt all the emotions a human being is capable of feeling. After the whole range of human emotions that I went through in this book I am convinced that karma is the all encompassing ‘evidence’ that in every experience there is a mirror to be found. When we become older, we also have the privilege to experience all of this as a reward for all our efforts to change the world in a positive manner. Your words could have been mine…Thank you for this book, what a gift!! This all encompassing wonderful book is an absolute must-have.   A meaningful Christmas present…xxx’.

‘This morning I finished your book. How wonderful that – thanks to your words – I could be a witness to your revelation and to the fact that you dared to follow your heart. Many people can learn something from your book. Very special and inspiring, thank you.’

‘Dear Pascale, this week I have read your book in almost one go. Very beautiful! I will definitely keep following you in order to be able to read more of your writings!’

‘Dear Pascale, I have thouroughly enjoyed your book. Now I look forward to start reading your other book!’

‘In case you are wondering whether everything seems to be connected, but you cannot pinpoint it precisely, then now you know for sure that it is indeed that way. This book shows that a human being, independently of his or her place on earth, is capable of a transformation that eventually leads him/her to his/her inner self. To share this realization with the rest of the world is for everyone a great gift because it makes them better persons. And these better persons are what the world urgently needs right now.
This book is a worthy and meaning-ful contribution to our universal need to overcome ourselves and rise to a higher consciousness; following your intuition. A wonderful hommage.’

‘I have read your book with a lot of attention. According to me, it consists of two parts, one before and one after the death of your father. His passing put you in a mourning process that you describe in a deep way. This mourning process, this crisis, has given you the opportunity to let your spiritual being come to the surface. This is also to be considered a gift from your father. The most beautiful part of the book to me was the transformation from the ‘normal’ life to a life that is visibly led by your spiritual motives. Also your change of carreer, the giving up of a seemingly secure job in order to become a writer shows that you have the courage to follow your heart. Such developments make me very happy inside and they warm and uplift my heart. I wish you a lot of success being a writer.’

‘So special but also very recognizable. Especially your vulnerability and daring to show this more and more, touch me deep inside (…).’

‘I have read your book. What struck me in the beginning was in how much detail you described your youth. There you are still the prosecutor who pays attention to the smallest details. Then, when you go deep down into your grief, I become engulfed with emotions. There I needed tissues. For your grief and because it reminded me of the mourning process for my mother (…). Then it became clear to me that you cannot run from your grief. Afterwards, a whole different Pascale comes to the surface and that was probably also meant to be this way. Almost a guru and maybe you want to be one. To let people know that there are more things in life than a carreer…(…). Beautiful how you described how a life can change, can tip over, how a transformation can develop.’

‘I have read your wonderful book in one go. It exceeded my expectations. After I had finished the book I put on the tv. The first thing I saw was an owl! Special, hopeful and supportive in this time of deep mourning that I go through. Your openness and vulnerability help me to take the next step. Many thanks! ‘

‘As a reader, Pascale has taken me on a journey through her story, emotions and experience. She beautifully describes what you go through when you are confronted with the loss of a beloved to whom you feel connected on a deep soul level. I’d like to add to the words wonder, loss and resilience the words magical, goosebumps and admiration. Especially the last one, because I admire Pascale for the way that she has put her feelings in an easy to read book and for the way in which she made a drastic career change and has set a different course for her life. HAT’S OFF TO YOU! Highly recommended to read this book!’

‘I just finished your book. What a wonderful and powerful story! I have read it with a tear and a smile. Thank you.’

‘After finishing the first book of Pascale Bruinen, Fortunately, My First Corpse Is Fresh, I now have read her second book. Both books are very different. In the first, she describes her job as a public prosecutor. In that time, she was very down-to-earth and needed hard evidence before she believed anything. This second book with an owl as the main character is about the spiritual eye-opening that Pascale went through after the death of her father. The intensely sad Pascale breaks down completely. A very special experience involving an owl made her whole again and made her into a person that follows her feelings. Now she believes everything until proven wrong…I have finished this book in one night, in one go. From the beginning until the end I was totally under the spell of Pascale’s wonderful, sad and impressive story. During the whole book, I had a lump in my throat. I felt a lot of compassion for Pascale who was so intensely sad after her father passed away that she had a breakdown. And the special spiritual events – first small ones, later a very big one – in which the owl plays a major part, gave me a very warm feeling inside. How beautifully has Pascale written this story, I got the feeling that I knew her because of this very personal story. So candid, so brave, so wonderful… This powerful story about loss, mourning and spirituality had really touched me deeply! And doesn’t the book look lovely? I’m in love! Special note: I read the book in a hotel where my husband and I were staying for one night. When I tried to make a picture of the book, we suddenly saw an owl wall!’

‘I am very proud of you. And that is putting it mildly. You wrote that the book was about love and loss, grief and resilience, hope and wonder. That is all true. But what has especially touched me is the describing and sharing of your vulnerability of that what would eventually become your great strength and your bridge to a new existence.’

‘Pascale I have read your book in one go. Impressive, candid, emotional, full of humor and recognition and wisdom. So Beautiful! Thank you.’

‘The Year of the Owl’ is a very beautiful and compelling book that you’ll want to read in one go!’

‘Wonderful book! Soon, I’ll be reading it for the second time!’

‘It was a recognizable, enthralling, penetrating and candid story! Right out of your heart. So beautiful that you didn’t only have the guts to give up your job – to really do it and not only want or wish it -, but also that you have shared your personal story with the world. You have followed your own heart and dared to show your vulnerable side. I think this is really special!’

‘I just loved your book! I enjoyed it immensely, once I got reading it I could not put it down. I found it very thought provoking and uplifting. It brought out all kinds of emotions like sadness, joy, hope and makes you realize life is short at its best and to embrace the time as we go through life. Over Christmas I am going to read it again because I know I will get even more enlightenment out of it. I would also like to get copies of ‘The Year of the Owl’ for my special friends. I know they would love it. I do not want to lend them my very special copy from you as I treasure it.’

‘Pascale, I just finished 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 feelings. It seems as if you want to tell me something…It is very thought provoking… Thank you!’

‘A book about wonder, loss and resilience’, it says on the cover of this book. I’d like to add the word ‘decisiveness’. Because this is, according to my opinion, the most inspiring part of this story. Wanting or wishing to do something is one thing. But to actually go ahead and do it, is quite another. Together, they form the longest road, like Pascale describes it, ‘from the head to the heart’. That is the most inspiring part of this book. It reads wonderfully and gives a beautiful look into the immense sadness and loss.’

‘A wonderful story! Because of all the praise and very positive media stories about the book ‘The Year of the Owl’, I had high expectations. I postponed reading it because I feared disappointment. What if I didn’t like the book? I have been following Pascale on her blog Coolcolumns.com for a while now and really appreciate what she writes and does. I have bought the book The year of the owl  as a gift to myself. But I needn’t to have worried because it is a wonderful story, beautifully written! Especially the chapters about how she experienced living with her parents. Pascale takes us, the readers, with her in her life. We look over her schoulder. Very well done!’

‘When Pascale is confronted with the fact that her father enters his final stage in life, she is overcome by emotions that transform her rational view on human existence into a spiritual one. She quits her job as a public prosecutor and decides henceforth to be led by the law of attraction. In ‘The Year of the Owl’ the author dares to show her vulnerability and this is very moving while reading the book. It is a beautiful and inspiring story about the miracles of life.’

‘What a beautiful book. Wonderful use of language. You managed to write beautifully about what you went through. It touched me deeply because I experienced the mourning process after my father’s passing in the same way, as it also led to a transformation in my life.’

‘It is a riveting and touching story that beautifully shows how strong the bond between a grown daughter and her father can be. A bond that cannot be broken and that only gets closer by an invisble hand that steers both life stories until they are blooming. Wonderfully written and in many ways very familiar.’

‘I have read the first book of this former prosecutor in one go. Curious to read the second one. ‘The Year of the Owl’ describes the beautiful loving relationship with her father, his demise and working through her grief. All this has made her decide to turn her life around. Respect!’

‘In a beautifully written story, Pascale takes you with her on her transition from a closed up oyster to an open book. Her life in the legal world has left deep scar, amongst others in dealing with fellow human beings. When the once full life of her father changes to a dependent and vulnerable state, Pascale as his youngest daughter also changes. Until that moment, spirituality was a word Pascale used only sparingly. An owl transforms her in this respect. Having to say a last farewell to her dad results in an upheaval in her life. Old dreams are converted to new goals. She takes off her magistrate’s robe and life goes on, now with a pen in hand. In a beautiful subdued style, she has written a compelling story that is thought provoking.  The concept of the law of attraction still lingers in my head…’.

‘OMG, your book has unleashed so much inside of me… First I was confronted with my own memories of my parents and then with your insights. Really wonderful! So courageous to gradually acknowledge your basic feelings that lead to powerful and life enriching insights.Thank you! ‘

‘In this book I sometimes saw my own struggles reflected. That was confronting, but certainly also inspiring! A nice writing style that reads easily.’

‘Very beautifully written, familiar and brimming with emotions. A story of love and connection, about falling and getting back up again, about dreaming…Touching!’

‘A brave and vulnerable document. Sometimes touching, sometimes funny and with many a familiar moment.’

‘An easily readable personal story. Vulnerable, pure and sincere. Absolutely worth your while!’

‘I read ‘The year of the owl’ and the day afterwards I encountered a whole collection of owls in the restaurant at the hospital I was visiting. There is no such thing as coincidence! So for me, this was a clear sign that I had to contact you. Reading your book has done me a whole lot of good. I can really identify with your story. Beautifully written. Just like you, I belief that there are special powers at work and that things do not happen without a reason. Your book is a source of inspiration. I have read and reread the last pages of your book and I will keep reading these. Thanks to your book I am a ‘work in progress’… Thanks you so much for this!’

Thank you for your beautiful and inspiring book. I finished it in two days. What a source of inspiration! I’m already looking forward to your third book!

‘Wonderful book, very impressive, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it!’

‘I’ve read both your books and I must say, I am impressed! I resonate a lot with your writing. Follow your heart has also become my motto, be who you are and what your heart tells you. Well done! Your personal story has really inspired me!’

‘I’ve finished your book yesterday, I think it is an incredible story! In this book I saw so many familiarities with regard to my own life. Really wonderful, goose bumps!’

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

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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

Click here to buy it: Koop bij bol.com

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:

Testimonials:

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.


‘Her book ‘Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh’ offers a combinatoir of the humour and self-mockery of her internetblog and the more serious tone of her Weekly column as public prosecutor in the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper’.

‘What a special book! I had not the faintest idea what tasks a public prosecutor has (…). I have laughed, but also cried because many poignant cases really hit home. This is on account of her great way of storttelling (…). I can recommend this wonderful book to everyone!’

‘The cases that are featured in the book, are little thrillers (…). It reads very nicely because of the relaxed but at the same time direct writingstyle (…). Very natural, no pompeus use of language and without fuss (…). The author also has a good sense of humour. Especially the part where she described all the personal stuff she had to take out of her office when office policy changed to flexible working spaces, cracked me up (…). She also dares to be vulnerable in this book (…). We now know more than we ever thought possible. I have read this book with much pleasure and appreciate it with 4/5 stars.’

‘In this book, that by the way reads like an express train, Pascale tells about her own experiences (…). In a very nice way and with a great deal of humour, she enriches the chapters with a column (…), both parts merge flawlessly with eachother (…). Her writing style is lively, direct and I like that a lot. No-nonsense In dit boek, dat overigens als een sneltrein leest, vertelt Pascale haar eigen belevingen (…). Op een heel prettige manier met een grote dosis humor verrijkt ze de hoofdstukken telkens met een column (…), flawless loopt het in elkaar over (…). Haar schrijfstijl is pittig, direct en daar hou ik wel van. No nonsense. She also doesn’t forget to dwell on her own emotions and even a couple of little gaffs (…). I found the book great to read, I rushed through it easily, no pompeus language but very well readable. Highly recommended!’

‘Pascale Bruinen lets the reader browse comfortly through the life of a public prosecutor (…). She tells the stories with a touching frankness and a good sense of humour. She spares herself not in the least. Thanks to this vulnerability, she lessens the abyss that exists between the legal world and the outsiders (…). This and her gift to describe situations in a very visual and expressie way, brings her even closer to her readers (…). Disarming is the way in which she moves herself among the readers (…). All in all a very successful try to change the very onesided view on the work and the soul of a public prosecutor.’

‘I love your book. Beautiful descriptions with humour and on the other hand also very sensitive paragraphs. I am jealous of your writing style.’

‘Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh gives us a look into the life of Pascale Bruinen, a female public prosecutor. I have a lot of admiration for this woman, who knows how to maintain her position in the man’s world of justice and raise a family. To me this seems very hard to do (…). I think this book is an eye-opener. Secretly I wonder whether Pascale was thinking of getting more women to become prosecutors  by writing this book. I know for sure that she has made me extra curious (…). Bruinen has to endure a lot on the job: rape cases, incest, murders. You have to be a real tough one to handle and accept all that while all the while you have children at home (…). I also expected her to be a little emotionless. But boy was I wrong. Bruinen describes everything in an emotional way and she is a very kind person. A normal person and an extraordinarily sweet mother. That Bruinen is brave, is beyond any doubt. And she can certainly write very well. I have eagerly read her candid book. I recommend this book to everyone. Definitely a book that is worth 5 stars.’

‘I found your book very beautiful and extraordinarily nice to read.’

‘In ‘Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh’  you’ll find everyday, horrible, funny and heartwrenching stories, inside and outside the courtroom (…). The book is very easy to read notwithstanding the fact that lawyers in general are not known for their use of accessible languange.’

‘The title is already fantastic and stimulates to read on (…). I think that in this book there is something for everyone, many times you will think: Aha (…), that’s the way it works (…). Furthermore it is very nice to read (…) that justice if neither black nor white, also in this field there are fifty shades of grey. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to know more about our justice system!’

‘How nice, a public prosecutor had written a book about her job. That happened never before in the Netherlands, to my knowledge (…). Outright hilarious is her descriptie of her very first court appearance in Sittard in the presence of a ‘nice subdistrict judge who comes with a huge user’s manual'(…). One maybe would think that Bruinen is mug or arrogant, but the opposite is the case. In her book she dares to show her vulnerable side and her insecurities (…). A big plus is that the book is not in the least an advertisement for the prosecution, but a candid anthology of cases that go well and things that are not perfectly managed (…). All in all is this book, for outsiders, well worth reading. It shows that prosectors do have a human side.’

‘Pascale Bruinen has the courage to write autobiographically about herself and her profession while she is still in the middle of things (…). Her view of the police and the criminal investigation department shows great respect for these instituties (…). Bruinen does not fear to show the reader some parts of her life as a wife and mother. This vulnerability gives an extra dimension to the book. The author is capable of making a connection with the reader, while writing about a profession that normally is regardeer as boring and bureaucratie. The opposite rings true (…). With her writing style, use of Language and her humour the author keeps you with her in the book. She writes in normal and understandable language.’

‘The many examples make the book lively and fast to read. And although I really want to become a penal judge, secretly my heart started to beat faster while reading about her adventures as a prosecutor. The book is especially interesting because of the personal character. It makes the image of a public prosecutor somewhat more human (…). All in all the book is easy to read and suitable for lawyers and non-lawyers alike and – also important – with a good price. Next to that, the book is causing a stirr because I have seen many student reading it in the train. That says it all!’

‘I certainly belong to the people that you have influenced with your book. Now I often wonder what goes on in the head of the prosecutor, especially in cases with small children or dangerous criminals. I have enjoyed it thoroughly, it contains everything: humour, tension, as a reader I could often almost feel your outcry or anger and (….) it has made me think in a more balanced way about our justice system. I think that you have shown lots of people a different and especially more human side of the court and for that reason I think one has more appreciation and understanding for everything that happens in our courts.’

‘Being a public prosecutor, Pascale Bruinen finds a great many stories daily. Those stories awakened the sleep-in writer in her. She wrote many words that found a spot in her weekly column in the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper and in her book ‘Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh’. Or: how a driven and strict public prosecutor became a vulnerable writer.’

‘You have given the world of justice and injustice a real face, you showed us a person of flesh and blood who also struggles with right and wrong.’

‘Insanely good book! I have read it with so much pleasure that I now find it a real pity that I have to put it away because I have finished it. Apart from being a really good prosecutor she is also a very good author! In this book she writes about her job as public prosecutor. She doesn’t shun a single subject. She writes about her own experiences when she brought cases to trial but also about all kinds of other issues outside of a court of law. Pascale really gave me an insight into her life and her work.’ It would be really cool if she would write another book, again about her job because I’d like to know a lot more. Or maybe she can write fiction because someone with such writing talent should use it to the max!’

‘Bruinen has definitely and impressively put her profession on the map. ‘Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh’ is a mustread for every thrillerfan – books, series, films – who wants to know more about what happens in the offices of the prosecution, both before and during an investigation as after the bad guy has been caught.’

‘What a surprising book. The life of a prosecutor obviously is no bed of roses. Because I have spoken  to the author on the phone on numerous occasions, I already knew that she is very nice. But that she also had a very good sense of humour, that was new to me. Several times I had to laugh out loud while reading this book. Yes, there are also people working for the prosecution who are cooking pasta while discussie a case on the phone with the police. In case you have ever worked with the prosecution, this book is a must-read, especially since this book also describes a different side of the job. But this book is also great to read even if you don’t have any link to the justice system. I had a wonderful time reading it!!!’

‘Easily written, good insight into the job of a public prosecutor and the dilemmas that go with it.’

‘So nice, after all those books that lawyers have written, to finally read a book of someone who represents the prosecution. A book that gives a peek behind the scenes is a real asset. I was especially struik by the fact that Pascale Bruinen, who at that time had been a prosecutor for 16 years, is still so passionate in her job. Her experiences show that life as a prosecutor can be very hectic and has a great impact on her personal life. Next to that, she is often confronted with the excesses of society and she deals with those in a very professional way. For that reason, a steady homebase is of great importance. It is very good that the book explains all kinds of legal matters in an understandable way, even for non-lawyers. This book is a must-read for lawstudents because it gives good insight into the daily reality of a prosecutor. In her book, Pascale Bruinen shows that a prosecutor is also a human being with all the doubt and fears that are a part of that human experience. Her book is an incitement to other members of the justice system to also share their experiences in a book.’

‘A very good book, I highly recommend it if you want to know more about investigation and prosecution but especially about the human role in it all. ‘Fortunately, my first corpse is fresh’ is a great book with very personal and gripping experiences.’

‘In this book Pascale describes her experiences as a female prosecutor. You read about how she got the job, what she had to do to get it, how she grew into it, how the times change and all the special, bizarre and terrible things she has witnessed. The book has lots of anecdotes about courtcases and other events. You really get a peek behinf the scenes of a professional that is especially known from tv and fictionstories. The job of a prosecutor entails so much more than you realize…

The book also contains columns that have been published before in the media. They have merged nicely with the rest of the story. Every chapter reads like a column, nice to read and very accessible. I have read it in one go, that was very nice. For Pascale has a very nice writing style. She writes candidly and with self-mockery, but also with respect for all the people she writes about in her stories. So nice that after all these fictional stories that I have read or seen on tv, I have finally got a very interesting peek into the real world of a prosecutor. Thank you Pascale!’

‘I read your book in one go…What a story and what a job! I didn’t have a clue what this job entailed. You’ve showed this to me in a very engaging manner. I compliment you with this feat! Good luck with your work and with the sales of your book.’

Articles Fabulous Mama Magazine

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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

Voet tussen de deur

Kindermisbruik is voor Officier van Justitie Pascale Bruinen,…
14 September 2015/by Pascale Bruinen

Het is ons geheimpje

Eén van de meest verschrikkelijke geheimen die een…
14 September 2015/by Pascale Bruinen

In het strafbankje

Soms is het beste wat je als ouder kunt doen, je kind…
14 September 2015/by Pascale Bruinen

Dit is er zo eentje

Dat is wat officier van justitie Pascale Bruinen denkt als ze…
14 September 2015/by Pascale Bruinen

Cool Columns and Cruise Craver

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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.

IMG_8380

Blogger on www.coolcolumns.com


Cool Columns

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.

IMG_5865

Blogger on www.cruisecraver.com


Cruise Craver

‘To write is to fill your paper with the breathings of your heart’

How I became a writer

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How I became a writer

Ah… the art of writing. I can’t resist its pull.

P_Bruinen_bureau_1

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