Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Medium Next Door by Maureen Hancock Book Review

The Medium Next Door:
Adventures of a Real-Life Ghost Whisperer
 
   
The Medium Next Door is the amazing life story of spirit medium Maureen Hancock, who discovered her psychic abilities to see, hear, and speak with the dead when she was just five years old. Descended from a long line of legendary Irish mystics, Maureen was no stranger to the spiritual realm, but she still kept the messages from the departed to herself all throughout her childhood and teen years, eventually suppressing them almost completely.
 
Maureen wouldn't open herself up to communicating with spirits again until she was in a near-fatal car crash. Soon after, she had hundreds of voices in her head, many of them helping her crack cases and expose fraud in her role as a litigation paralegal at a large Boston law firm. Accepting her gift but still keeping it to herself, she married and had two children.
 
It wasn't until tragedy struck on 9/11 and Maureen was bombarded with messages from the spirits that she realized she had to stop hiding her ability and put it to good use. She left her job at the law firm and opened the holistic healing center Pathways to Healing and launched the cancer foundation Manifest a Miracle. Today, she goes by the title Medium Mom and strives to balance raising children, raising the dead, assisting the dying, searching for missing children, and teaching about life after death.
My Review
I felt very blessed when I was contacted to review Maureen Hancock's "The Medium Next Door". Being sensitive to the spiritual realm is something that I have struggled with throughout my life, and while reading about Maureen's encounters with spirits I found myself relating to many of her experiences. As human beings we often fear that which we do not understand, and our society is often very close-minded when it comes to life after death. I thought it was very brave of Maureen to share the book of her life in such an open and genuine way. I was very touched by the many individuals that she was able to bring peace to as they struggled to cope with the loss of their loved ones. Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, we have all felt the heartache of losing someone close to us, and searched for signs that they are still with us. As Maureen so eloquently put it~
"Millions are reaching out for some sort of validation that they are not alone. We all get signs whether we acknowledge them or not. As humans, we try to rationalize what we are experiencing and talk ourselves out of a beautiful gift from beyond. Trust your heart and listen in a new way, open to the possibilities, open to hope, and open to the continuation of your passed one's love, which they are trying to show you. It's always there, right along with your loved one in spirit, holding you up and filling you with a new way of thinking and a renewed hope. Slow down for a few moments. Sit quietly and ask, "What does my inner wisdom want me to know right now?"

The date the book is available on line at http://www.amazon.com  and http://www.barnesandnoble.com  and in book stores is May 2, 2011.
Endorsements for: The Medium Next Door   
 
   
 
"Maureen Hancock is a gifted individual, but she's also a gift to the rest of us. Her
wonderful book takes us inside the world of a true clairvoyant and sheds a cathartic light
on some of life's great mysteries. I found her story to be inspirational, humorous, and
beautifully written. Two words: highly recommended." Bobby Farrelly,   
 
Director, Screenwriter   
 
   
 
In The Medium Next Door, Maureen Hancock weaves the fabric of everyday life into accounts of
communication across different realms—providing the reader with a comfortable and believable
platform. Not only is Maureen the “real deal” when it comes to spirit communication she is also a
grounded individual with great integrity, a caring nature, and a wonderful sense of humor. I was
fortunate enough to personally experience a reading with Maureen—conducted under restricted
conditions. She shone brightly in this process, as did my smile after receiving unmistakable
validations from my beloved son Brandon.
—MARK IRELAND, author of Soul Shift: Finding Where the Dead Go   
 
   
 
HAVING SPENT FIVE YEARS PRODUCING “GHOST WHISPERER”, WE DIDN’T REALIZE
HOW MUCH WE COULD STILL LEARN AND HOW ENTERTAINED WE COULD STILL BE
EXPLORING ‘THE OTHER SIDE’, UNTIL WE READ MAUREEN HANCOCK’S “THE MEDIUM
NEXT DOOR’. SHE’S THE REAL DEAL, REMARKABLY ACCESSIBLE, AND
SURPRISINGLY FUNNY. SHE’S YOUR BEST FRIEND, ‘THE MEDIUM’. THIS BOOK IS A
JOY.    
 
IAN SANDER & KIM MOSES / Executive Producers, “Ghost Whisperer”    
 
   
 
“Maureen's ability to interpret and understand messages from the deceased is remarkable. She
describes events, locations, and situations so eerily; it's as if she were present when these
events occurred. I'm amazed and awestruck at her comprehension and specific knowledge of
the lives of people that she's never even met. Her interpretations are inspiring and comforting to
the grandest skeptic. A must read for anyone that has lost a loved one and has questions about
death, dying, and the continuity of life.”    
 
--Cindy Hall Felts, Alamance County Homicide Detective   
 
   
 
Maureen Hancock is the Real Deal!    
 
Maureen innate ability to connect and receive messages from our loved ones who have passed
is truly a Divine Gift. As a law enforcement officer for 30 years; logic is supported by factual
evidence. In 2006, my life changed after her personal reading which was fact driven, connected
me to a dear loved one who had passed decades ago; long before the age of computers,
Internet and Google. The Medium Next Door will open your heart and soul to a new belief that
our loved ones really don’t die, they are “just different now”, as Maureen explains with her
connections to Spirit. Her book is full of personal life experiences that are uplifting and
comforting taking away doubt and leaving the reader with strength, hope and peace.    
 
-John M. LaCross, RI Police Chief and Retired Major of State Police  

About the author:
 
Maureen Hancock is a nationally renowned spirit medium, teacher, lecturer and holistic healer; and has spent the last ten years using her ability to give back. She is co-founder of two non-profits; Seeds of Hope, holistic care for cancer patients and support for parents who have lost children; Mission for the Missing, providing assistance and equipment in missing children and adult cases. Maureen is an associate member of the Licensed Private Detective Association of Massachusetts. She has been featured in numerous articles and can be heard on radio stations around the country. Additionally, Maureen has appeared in the Fox talk show, Wedlock or Deadlock and is currently developing her own reality television show with ABC/Disney, and the Executive Producers of the Ghost Whisperer; Sander/Moses Productions. Maureen resides in a small town south of Boston, Massachusetts with her husband, two children and chocolate lab, Ally.     Maureen has been a Reiki Master/Teacher for several years and studied Asian Bodywork and Chinese Medicine for 2 years at the Boston Shiatsu School & East West Institute of Alternative Medicine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Trained by acupuncturists, Maureen applies the same theory and diagnosis, yet uses acupressure instead of needles, getting the same result…bringing the body back into balance by stimulating the body's own healing ability. Acupressure treats the symptoms and the underlying cause of health problems. Maureen has devised her own combination of techniques, which has people flocking from all over New England for profound healing and relaxation. She combines Shiatsu, Tui Na (Chinese acupressure), deep tissue massage, cranio sacral, Reiki, Reflexology and Tai stretches to her treatment which melt tension and brings the body back into balance.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

It's Emma the Jack Russell Terrier!

She loves getting mail :-)

My Visit to the Allentown Trout Hatchery

The hatchery is actually called the "Li-Le-Hi Trout Hatchery" and is rumored to be the oldest continuously operating trout nursery in the nation. They raise trout to sell to places that stock it into rivers and lakes. It's a fun place to spend an afternoon walking around watching the different species of trout while listening to the nearby creek. You can even feed the fish-food can be purchased in the little white house to the far right or at the vending machine next door. If the white house is open, I highly recommend checking it out-the taxidermy exhibits are pretty interesting and there are several unique displays. The fish FREAK OUT when you throw the food in, they're like piranas! Try giving them a pellet at a time or throw half a bag in and watch the feeding frenzy! The golden palamino trout are probably my favorite, such a unique pale golden color. Don't forget to check out the tank in the very back the holds the monster trout-I had no idea they could get that huge! All in all a fun place to spend a Sunday afternoon since it's open every day, there's even picnic tables if you'd like to pack a lunch. :-)

 Allentown Fish Hatchery
2901 Fish Hatchery Rd
Allentown, PA 18103
(610) 437-7656