Thursday, January 30, 2025

Q&A with Chainy Blue

 


 

 

Chainy Blue is the author of the new children's picture book Óg go Deo: Forever Young

 

Q: What inspired you to write Óg go Deo?

 

 

A: The loss of a pet is often the first time a child has to come to terms with death of a living animal whom they love. This physical world is transient, everything dies, but we know very little about death and we are not very good at dealing with it.

 

Pets are innocent and trusting and owners, whether children or adults, form a unique bond with them - unconditional love. They want to protect them care for them and interact with them, and then they die.

 

Children are told they go over the rainbow bridge – and thats it. Or they are stars or in pet heaven. Confusing - yes, very confusing. I went to a Catholic school and was told in no uncertain terms that animals had no souls. I was very young and very very upset by this as I believed this was a lie.

 

There are basically two schools of thought: 1) there is no afterlife and 2) there is.

 

If 1) is correct, then there is no Creator and death is the end. Science cannot explain the universe without a Creator being involved (another of my questions in science class as matter cannot be created or destroyed, but changes from one form to another – so where did all the matter come from before there could be a big bang) So I opted for Creator and an afterlife for all.

 

I have had the privilege to talk to many people who lost their pets, and the stress and anxiety it causes because they dont know what has happened to their souls.

 

So I have read the Bible, the Torah, several out-of-body experiences books, spoke to patients who have had near-death experiences, etc.

 

Religious interpretation of “Heavens” are not ubiquitous nor are they perfectly suited to all - in fact most are quite lacklustre and boring.

 

So this world dies but life doesnt. Afterlife is incredible. No bodies to carry around, no pain no physical needs. Nothing like what we now know and experience.

 

We all need a Guardian to show us the ropes, and animals need to see their Guardians at times as they dont seem to follow any dogma. Humans need to know their pet has a Guardian. Seeing them all the time would be too distracting. Animals feel safer with their own kind so Guardians look like them.

 

Humans are very limited in what they can see on the light spectrum-unlike animals who can see ultraviolet and polarized light. So they see the Guardians as they would expect to see them. Guardians have one role - to always be with their charge.

 

Óg go Deo is a vast spirit world and I only wrote about a small part of it. Every animal has its own version on the world. Anyone who reads my book I hope can put their pet into the story and create what spirit world would suit them. I tried to design the story so it excites the reader to tell their own story.


Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The theme of the story is about dealing with the heartbreak of losing a pet, but I wanted to have a title that would manifest hope and anticipation of a happy ending. I wanted the title to illustrate the concept that death is merely a physical demise of the body which cocoons the spirit which is immortal and ageless.

 

Im Irish and I love the Irish folklore, myths and legends. In the eternal land of Tír na nÓg, which translates as Land of the Young, Oisín, a young warrior from na Fianna, who falls in love with a beautiful girl called Niamh, live there for hundreds of years. So as the spirit lives forever, and never ages, the pets world is Óg go Deo - Forever Young.

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book?

 

A: This is my first venture in writing a book. I have learned a lot from it, I had to! It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster at times reliving some of my experiences with my pets. Creating the spirit world, and believing they are all having a wonderful time and that I will see them again helps to heal the pain of losing them.

 

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the book?

 

A: I tried to get into each character’s head and tell a story so the reader could visualise it, but not in too much detail so that the reader could insert their own pet, and create their own story.

 

I wanted the story to validate a child’s emotional response to the loss of a pet and for an adult, a way to talk to the child and navigate the experience with sensitivity and positivity. I hope it will help them too.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have been looking at the rate of cancer over the past 40 years, which has increased from 1:10 to 1:2. I have reviewed the research into the causes of cancer, and the misinformation and lies which are deliberately deceiving people.

 

The rate of cancer should be less than 1:10 after 40 years with the billions that go not research every year - instead we are inundated with “We are treating more cancers than ever” and “More people than ever are surviving cancer.” They fail to mention that more cancers than ever are being created. I am trying to bring all the information into a cohesive and readable form which is impartial and informative.

 

I am toying with the idea of exploring the dark worlds.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This post was created in partnership with Chainy Blue. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of Óg go Deo: Forever Young.

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