Interview with Jacky Newcomb in Target Audience Magazine

Interview by Lucas McPherson

There’s a wonderful You Tube video of you being interviewed by Pete Meads where you explain that you’re known as The Angel Lady, though you’re not an angel yourself.  How did you get this title?

Yes it was fun being interviewed by Pete! Well it’s a long story but the quick version is that I was writing and researching my first book on angels…and this took longer than I thought. One day my husband jokingly said, ‘when are you going to get a proper job!’ And I realized I should find a way of contributing financially to the household.

I wanted to continue on my path so started writing for lots of magazines but specializing in articles about angels. Editors would ring up and say, ‘is that the angel lady?’ Then one day I spotted a brand new magazine out called Chat Its Fate and began writing for them from the second issue (a LONG time ago). After a year I was offered my own column answering people’s questions about angels and the afterlife…it was called ‘Dear Angel Lady’! (That also later became the title of one of my books).

You’re right – I often jokingly tell people, ‘…look I write about angels but I’m not one! I’m just a normal person!’

When did you first become interested in angels?  Was it after your own personal experience or before?

I was interested in magical things as a child and always wanted a magic wand – a real one, like I’d seen on cartoons! I also had many psychic experiences as a child and would see things, especially in the middle of the night.  Spirits would wake me up and I have to admit it did frighten me.

I had my first angel-type of experience when I was five years old. I found myself in difficulties in the sea and the moment it occurred to me that I might die I felt a calming presence with me. This being (who called itself ‘we’) offered to help me back to shore but I was also given the opportunity of dying if that was what I wanted. NO THANKS!

As an adult all this information came flooding back to me and it was then that I began to research the phenomenon of angels and the afterlife and I became hooked. I knew at that time I wanted to write a book about other people’s angel experiences. That one book turned into 11 and there are more in the pipeline!

I like how you group angels into different categories, such as angels in a more traditional sense and then the angels as deceased loved ones.  Plus, you’ve illuminated angelic helpers of sorts.  So, the angels you’ve come across aren’t limited to just those found in Judaism and Christianity then? 

Angels mean different things to different people and I felt it was my job to just share what I learned and let people make up their own minds as to the bits that are relevant to them. I am not religious myself as such but I am certainly a spiritual person. I think it’s important for me to respect my readers’ beliefs and they can take from my books the bits that make sense and ignore the rest.

You have a book out, published by Hay House, titled ANGEL KIDS and it’s about children’s psychic and paranormal abilities.  Are children more likely, in your opinion, to have angelic experiences of both the traditional and deceased-loved-ones kinds?

I don’t think children are more likely to have the experiences but I think they are more open to them. Children just accept what happens to them in a way that adults don’t.  Toddlers don’t ‘know’ that most people don’t see angels so if they do, they just accept it in a very natural way. The difficulties occur when they start school and other children who aren’t psychic can bully them. It can be a real problem.

What suggestions do you have to aid the parents of children with psychic and paranormal abilities?

Read as much as you can, educate yourself so that you are confident in what you are dealing with. Fear is contagious! ‘Angel Kids’ is a sort of parents self-help guide but it’s also full of amazing real life experiences that children have with their angels, guides and even alien types of beings. It was my favourite book to write because the research was so fascinating.

Psychic children have a wonderful gift…some of the very youngest children believe they have come to help the earth raise its energy at this time in our history. They tell their parents captivating information which leaves them baffled at where their youngster might have got such knowledge. It’s really only scary because we don’t understand it, so as a parent gathering knowledge is important.

I’m convinced that my cats and puppy can see things that I oftentimes can’t…have you ever explored the arena of pets with special abilities?

Some experts now believe that cats (and maybe dogs) read the human aura (the energy field which surrounds the human body) before they see the physical person behind. They are literally ‘reading’ our mood and temperament.

Human beings have such limited abilities to perceive the world around them. We assume all beings are the same as us and they’re not. Our eyes can see such a small part of the light spectrum so probably what is invisible to us is likely visible to cats! Dogs can hear and smell outside of the human range; elephants hear in the infrasonic range (which our human ears can’t pick up because it’s too low). Bees, bats, turtles and many others use the earth’s magnetic field for navigation…a built-in compass!

Did you know the goldfish is the only known creature that can see in both the infrared and ultraviolet part of the spectrum? As humans there is so much we don’t understand it’s important to remain open to other possibilities. Are cat’s psychic? Yes! But it just means they don’t rely on the same senses as humans!

Your professional accomplishments are quite impressive and include being a best-selling author, presenter, paranormal experiences expert and columnist.  Does this leave much time for any hobbies?

Thank you! I try and relax as much as I can and my little treat is a visit to the spa, where I swim several times a week. I also love making things and my home is full of things I have created (painted, stitched or glued!) I am part of a very close family and love to get together with friends over a meal and a glass of wine…just normal things really.

What projects do you have coming up in the future?

Loads of new books! I have two books being published this year, and three more projects already in the pipeline for next year. You’ll see me on TV a lot more. I’ve been invited back onto ITV’s This Morning and have been asked to become a regular expert on Channel 5 Live with Gabby Logan.

Which books are you currently promoting?

I have a lovely book of angel stories published by Hay House called ‘Healed by an Angel’; I’ve also co-written a spooky memoir with  my sister Madeline Richardson about the paranormal experiences our family had after Dad passed away. The book is called ‘Call Me When You Get To Heaven’, and we’ve had fantastic feedback from fans!

When are your next book signing events?  Will you be traveling across the pond for any book signing events (for those of us living in the United States)?

I have lots going on all the time. I’m going to be going to Scotland, Manchester and even Devon! Your readers can find out the latest by visiting my website (and joining my  free mailing list and following me at Twitter and Facebook).

Where can Target Audience Magazine readers go to learn more about your books and other pursuits?

My books are available all over the world from bookshops, and many international websites. In these difficult times, we all struggle financially so remember, many libraries also stock my books so if yours doesn’t, ask them to get them!

I am also a columnist for a UK magazine called ‘Take-a-Break’s fate & fortune’ magazine (which your readers can get on subscription if they are interested).

About Jacky Newcomb

Jacky is a multi-award winning, Sunday Times best-selling author and columnist. She’s is a regular TV expert and often interviewed about her work on radio and in the national press. You can follow Jacky at Twitter and on Facebook:  www.JackyNewcomb.com