BookLife Talks with Maura O’Leary
A sponsored Q&A with the author of 'When Angels Play Poker'

Angel messenger and new author O’Leary debuts with a fun, inspirational novel about these divine emissaries.

What’s the story behind When Angels Play Poker? How did you come to write this novel?

More than five years ago, I traveled to Cape Elizabeth, Maine, for a weekend. I brought a journal with me with no intention of starting a novel. The first night I was there, images and dialogue just came into my head. I realized that I was being divinely guided to write When Angels Play Poker.

Tell us a little bit about how you imagine Heaven and Earth in When Angels Play Poker and if they relate to any preexisting, established ideas or philosophies.

I did not have this story in my head or these images and characters in my mind before I started writing. They are purely my imagination, based on the visuals I saw. They just came to me suddenly, almost like automatic writing. One thing that was very clear throughout the writing of the story, though, is that angels are not bored in heaven. They have a job to do: to protect, guide, and love us every day. They are just waiting for us to ask for their help!

Writers often talk about a story arriving in the form of an inspiration from a divine source. Did your work as an angel messenger help you write your book?

To be honest, it happened in reverse. I went out and got certified as an angel messenger and in other spiritual modalities in 2013 as the story was being completed. I enrolled in an angel course because I felt I needed some credibility if I was going to publish a story about angels.

Being a first-time author, what has the overall writing and publishing experience been like for you?

It’s been incredible! When Angels Play Poker won Book of the Year for Spirituality from Pacific Book Review! It has also received great reviews on Amazon and in Kirkus Reviews, plus many Readers’ Choice five-star ratings. It’s been an amazing process and journey! I have been blessed.

Why or how do you think When Angels Play Poker is particularly relevant now, or how do you imagine readers at this moment will connect to it?

The world needs this book and its message now more than ever. People need to know they are loved by above and that angels are truly looking after them. It’s also a comforting story for those who have lost a loved one.

What is the one thing you most want to tell readers, other writers, booksellers, publishers, or agents about you or your book?

When Angels Play Poker is a short, inspirational book whose deeper message about love will linger long after readers finish the story. It’s a great story to have on the bookstore shelves for Easter and Mother’s Day, and beyond.

What’s next for you?

Between radio and podcast interviews, I am writing the second book in my three-volume Angel series, which I plan to work on with literary agencies this year. Visit mauraoleary.com for more information. The book can be purchased online at Amazon.com, and in-store at Barnes & Noble.