Richard Sieg Author Interview

Love After Life follows Kathleen and James as their souls try to find each other after death. What was the inspiration for the setup to this emotional novel?

In 2015, Ryan Hammons, a young boy, his mother, Cindi, and Dr. Jim Tucker were interviewed on The TODAY Show about a situation that many Americans would summarily dismiss… Ryan claimed to have had a past life in 1930s Hollywood.

As an agnostic on the idea of reincarnation when I watched the interview, Ryan’s story intrigued me. The facts that Dr. Tucker confirmed during his study of Ryan’s claims led to only one conclusion – Ryan’s claims simply could not be dismissed. My intrigue caused me to purchase Dr. Tucker’s book, Return to Life, to learn more about Ryan, and other children. I also purchased Tom Shroder’s book, Old Souls, to learn more about these children.

A story started bouncing around in my head. I thought, what if there were two young lovers and they died much too soon. Could they find each other in their next lives and, even if they could, who would ever believe them, especially in a nation that does not embrace the concept of reincarnation?

Kathleen and James share a deep bond that I found to be rare and profound. What were the ideals you wanted to capture in their relationship?

For me, the deep, deep love felt by Kathleen and James made it easier to believe that the crash that ended their lives would be somehow remembered in the next life. One of the common claims found in cases where children claim a past life is that in the past life the person died a violent or unnatural death. While a car accident certainly would qualify as one of those, the deep bond shared by a pair of young lovers who should have had many years together would deepen the pain of a lost soul.

Within their story, you see a deep attraction, loyalty, mutual respect and so many more characteristics present within their loving relationship. While it is a cliche, love conquers all. That is the story of James and Kathleen.

When you first started writing did you know this was going to be a story about reincarnation or did that happen organically?

I knew this was going to be a story about reincarnation. As I discuss above, the stories of children claiming a past life was the inspiration for this novel. It definitely started as a story about reincarnation.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

The next book is Justice After Life. It is not a continuation of the love and lives of James and Kathleen. It’s a new story and I intend to release it in 2019. Doctor Simms, the psychiatrist in Love After Life, is the only character who is also a character in this second novel.

Author Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Richard’s Blog

Can it be true that soulmates can share a love so deep that it can transcend more than one lifetime? That is what James tell his loving wife Kathleen before they suddenly die in a tragic car accident that snuffs out their lives and perhaps their love. Will they be able to find each other in the next life to rekindle the love they share, and who will believe them if they do?

Joseph, only six years old, is haunted in his dreams by a woman and scenes he doesn’t initially recognize. Sweating heavily while twisting and turning in his bed, he sees flashes of the mountains, the beach and a beautiful young woman. He awakens suddenly, hearing himself scream, “Kathleen(!).” He is drenched and dazed, not realizing that his dream is a replay of the final scene of his past life as James with his wife, Kathleen. A few years later as his dreams continue, he recalls more clearly Kathleen’s soulful singing, bubbly personality and sweet smile as well as his deep love for both photography and her.

As a teenager, Joseph loves to watch singing competitions on TV shows, especially when teenage girls are singing. One day he sees and hears Kimberly singing on one of these shows and his heart skips a beat. He does not know why, but her singing consumes him. Kimberly grew up a sad little girl. She knows that something is missing in her life, but for the life of her, she cannot identify what it is. Only singing lifts her spirits, even if just for a little while. Joseph is drawn to her immediately. He has to meet her.

What happens when Joseph meets Kimberly? You can find out by reading Richard Sieg’s novel, Love After Life.