I first interviewed author Richard Barnard nearly a decade ago ( see post HERE) in August 2014. His new deeply spiritual novel, “Religion’s Hidden Dark Secret – Journey Of The Twin Flame “ was an idea hinted at during my first interview with Richard , an idea he was toying with for a new book that looks into reincarnation and spirituality. And lo and behold, this book has now been published and I am so pleased to welcome Richard back on the blog to tell us more about his new book.

BOOK SUMMARY

An alien from the future dies and the soul reincarnates, reborn back 10,000 years ago to a small African village beginning human life as what would become earth’s secretly hidden genuine Messiah and angels. The soul reincarnates a further five consecutive lives to the same village psychic soul tribe and throughout each incarnation visually multi-shares futuristic astral travel experiences with them. This practice enables them to see the future horrific atrocities of Africa and the Black race. 

The fifth incarnation the Messiah soul is born male named Koolah and in view of what’s ahead it’s decided this unique soul tribe perform a powerful ritual.  The spell insures they recognise each other and come together during each incarnation to carry out their joint humanitarian sole purpose, ultimately current day spiritually assisting Mother Africa to receive her reparation compensation for mass crimes inflicted by other sections of humanity. 

Welcome back Richard. It has been almost a decade ago since I last interviewed you in August 2014, when you hinted about an idea for a book that looks into reincarnation and spirituality and here we are with your latest deeply spiritual novel “Religion’s Hidden Dark Secret – Journey Of The Twin Flame”.   What inspired you to write a novel of this nature?

Thank you, it’s great to be back for this interview Linda and goodness ten years, that’s flown. Yes, I hinted the reincarnation vibe in my ‘Danny’s Boys’ novel and it got so many curious positive reactions from readers. The inspiration for ‘Religion’s Hidden Dark Secret, Journey Of The Twin Flame’ came whilst serving a 23-year jail term I received for being the principle organiser behind a massive cocaine shipment.  I felt getting caught and the harsh sentence a curse at the beginning but later realised it was part of a huge blessing.  Prior to that I’d lived an unhealthy life style: late night restaurant meals, endlessly smoking cigarettes day and night, constant partying, consuming and using excessive amounts of alcohol and cocaine, and to an increasing degree, smoking crack. The prison sentence saved my life and gave me a new lease of life, revealing who I am and what I’m born to do in this life.  It was during that prison sentence I gave up cigarettes, became a fitness fanatic and realised the universe, God had taken me to jail to get cleaned up, awakened and show me my calling and soul purpose of this life.  My life purpose is to use my writing talent helping Mother Africa receive her reparations and human equality.  The Arab & Transatlantic Slave Trade still has an effect on the Black race today.  Invaded, sadistically enslaved and forced into the slave master’s religious beliefs. Made to forget nature’s spirituality we’d practiced from the beginning of creation.  For sixteen hundred years forbidden to read or be educated in the religious slavers systems up until just over a hundred years ago.  This is one of the reasons the Black race is behind in society.  It hasn’t helped the colonist still has Africa divided and they’re bleeding the wealth not giving the starving people of the land anything. Western media in the west making us hate and kill one another and even hate our own appearance.  We’re demanding compensation in line with British and US law courts, a figure of £25 Trillion.  Reparation for 500 years of everything under the umbrella of European slavery, murder, rape, forced to work for lifetimes, forcing us away from Gods spirituality, compensated for the wealth obtained from stolen land, the list is endless.  Compensated for stopping one Black Africa developing into the wealthiest nation today.  The colonists are to leave all business interest in Africa and with our compensation and natural recourses we will build ourselves, carry on where we were before the intrusion. Further inspirations came from finding that I’m both spiritually and biologically part of the Jamaican Maroon tribe.  The inspirational magic runs ever deeper; three to four years ago the universe revealed my Twin Flame connection and what I’m here to do on earth.  I’m now in contact with my ancestors receiving spiritual downloads, novel material and amazing ideas for when Africa receives her reparations as are other Twin Flames helping the Native Indians, Aborigines and so forth.  I always felt odd as a child, my deep thinking about spirituality and the way my views on life never fitted with others.  Even Black children’s views for instance the Caribbean born Blacks teasing the Africans for the way the spoke and also the African’s reaction by saying, “we’re not diluted” Up until recently I’ve kept my spirituality secret from the people that don’t get it. But so many of us are waking up, thank God.  Yes Linda, if all that’s not an inspiration to write this novel, what is?

When was you first aware of your ancestral spirits and your purpose in life?

My first deeply spiritual encounter happened at around the age of twelve.  A young Romany gypsy lady Rosella assisted my first spiritual past life regression. Our joint regression reading reawakened our minds; conscious in ancient Africa to find in that life we hadn’t been forced into any man invented religious beliefs, instead deeply spiritual humans and part of a unique soul tribe. During the reading I knew after that life we’d continuously reincarnate meeting the same souls born into different bodies.  Throughout my life growing up I’ve always known this and had guidance from these souls, my deeply spiritual ancestors I’d met again during my childhood past life regression. To answer the question, looking back now that childhood regression reading was when I was firstly aware of my ancestral soul tribe and life purpose for this incarnation.  Since then after experiencing much spiritual phenomenon I’m now thinking the first and only time I met the Romany gypsy Rosella she may have appeared as a so-called phantom of if you like a ghost. 

I loved the intertwining of the characters (souls) – so are your characters based on observations of people you’ve come across in the past and incidents you’ve experienced? Who were the hardest characters to portray?

Linda, coincidently I met another elderly psychic medium and she told me I’m a writer in many past and future lives and often use the entwining method.  The style is part of my own unique style;a characteristic of the soul. The story features Rosella, it had to. Although she’s someone I’ve met just the once; Rosella and my first past life regression has impacted my life so much that I’ve entwined the experience, her name and character into the story.  Among others Rosella actually inspired part of the story.  Incidentally I’ve been reminded there’s no such a thing as a coincidence or a coincidental meeting or coincidental anything in the entire universe.  The character Koolah the Messiah was at first the hardest, but at the same time easiest to portray.   The reason for this is my mother forced us into Sunday school as children where the preacher indoctrinated a to be feared White God and Jesus into the minds of everyone in the church; many of whom were Black children; myself included so therefore at first I found it difficult to create a Black Messiah.

Were there any aspects of writing this novel that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected? 

Yes, the surprising part was how my ancestors with the material contacted me.  I also based one of the characters, Yanson Bailey off some circumstances that surrounded my young life. Yanson Bailey was hard to write because a lot of his struggles are based on my unique childhood.  The uniqueness comes from being the middle Black child growing up in a household with four lighter skinned mix-race siblings in the nineteen sixties and seventies. I had to go back in time and finally face my own childhood emotional struggles, which has in a way been an amazing therapy.  Which reminds me when I was a young man around fourteen and the lighter skinned people were more favoured, my White soul mate girlfriend was totally aware of my circumstances and she labelled me the ugly duckling.  At first, I felt why would she say such a thing but remembering the kids’ story book tale I knew she was one of many Angels put on my path, another member of my soul tribe. 

Hypothetically speaking, if “ Religion’s Hidden Dark Secret – Journey of the Twin Flame” was made into a film, who would you love to see portraying the characters? 

When I began creating the novel, on the advice ofthe actor and friend Ray Winstone I visualised it as a TV series to be aimed at Netflix, Tyler Perry or one of the other huge TV producers. Back then I could only see Idris Elba playing Daniel Cottle and Ray Winstone playing the older Charlie Baker.  I’m in contact with Ray and Idris and it would be a dream to bring those guys together in a major production.   As it stands now ten years on Idris could still play the maturing Daniel Cottle in later seasons and Ray the dual role of Charlie Baker and the eighteenth Century Jim Morgan who reincarnates physically exactly identical to modern day Charlie Baker. There’s a sorrowful scene showing the elder legendary pirate captain Jim Morgan having previously been arrested on the island of Jamaica now in his London prison cell waiting to be taken to the Newgate Prison gallows. There’s only one actress I’ve ever visualised playing the dainty mix-race, quarter Black Haitian witch, Claudette and that is no other than Jan Anderson.  This particular acting talent would do it justice, exploding on screen with her natural psychic personality.  I love nothing more than rags to riches success stories and there’s so much talent around the world waiting to be discovered.  Linda, wouldn’t it be nice to find gems introducing unknown, upcoming British, American performers; giving underprivileged Haitian, Jamaican, African and Romanian acting talent this unique opportunity in what would be a massive online TV production.  My parents country of birth Jamaica produces so much talent in all areas of life and I’d also love to see a Jamaican descent male actor play the flamboyant sixties – seventies pretty boy gangster Nathaniel “Cutty” Robinson.  

I loved the fact that I knew the locations featured in the book from East London, where I also grew up, through to Jamaica, Ibiza and West Africa where I have visited; it somehow immersed me fully into the book. So, if you could visit any location in the world for inspiration for your next book, where would you go and why?

The follow up to ‘Religion’s Hidden Secret’ ‘The Truth’ is again set in Jamaica, Ibiza, Romania, Africa and additional countries.  I’ll be away from the UK touring, spending time in those locations when creating the later drafts of the novel to get a feel for the environment and spiritually. To also connect with my ancestral souls in those locations for inspirational purposes.

Looking through your face book social media platform I’ve noticed you’re associated with many famous celebrities, Idris, other fantastic novelists; Conservative Party politician Jonathan Aitkin among them, actors, footballers, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Kieran Richardson, Olympic Gold medallist Greg Rutherford, major producers like Nick Love and many more. Richard, you know some fascinating people!

Many others say exactly that.  The universe has presented each and every person and spirit to me in this life, including you Linda for friendship and this interview.  I was introduced to Idris and after reading some early drafts of this novel he said I was a great writer, which I took as a huge compliment because he gets screenplays thrown at him regularly by seasoned professional, renowned Hollywood writers. I spoke to him quite regularly whilst he was filming a season of Luther and people around him explained I had an effect on him because he never usually spoke to anyone whilst filming. Ray Winstone’s another one, we constantly spoke when he was on set in South Africa, these guys just find my journey and soul purpose of interest.  You mentioned Nick Love; he showed up at my book launch event in Notting Hill on the 25^th August just last month and I’ve always known in him I’ve found a soul mate; always on hand to help with advice. 

Past or present if you could sit and have a conversation with anyone, singling out one who would it be?

 That’s easy, my Twin Flame; other half of me of course.  Linda, imagine meeting the other half of you, other half of your soul in this lifetime. Ok, other than my Twin Flame another person who is alive today : the greatest that has ever graced the sport of boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr.  I’m a huge boxing fan and firstly,  I have to say Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali is the greatest and I feel that Floyd would totally agree because not only what he did for boxing and other sports but influence he will always have on the entire planet. His stance on a Black man fighting in the Vietnam war and by the way I can’t remember word for word but this was his explanation for not going to Vietnam :“You want me to travel thousands of miles to kill a man that’s never enslaved , hated or racial abused me, has no problem with my colour or African heritage.  I’m to kill him for America where I’m just a nigger.  If I’m not shot dead or tortured to death in Vietnam; when I return to America I’m still a nigger, my wife and children not allowed in white schools, restaurants, segregated toilets and parts of buses. Legalised KKK terrorist doing what they wish.   Going to Vietnam would make me a coward in the eyes of my race and wife and I wouldn’t feel I deserve to share our bed.  Am I afraid of going to jail for a few years?  As a Black man in America I am already in jail.  So a few years in one of its jails is nothing. My ancestors went through lifetimes of horrific slavery, men  women and children so that I could be here today and protest for freedom and equality” . Most famous man in the world, if he’s not the greatest, who is?  Brazil are the greatest soccer nation in the world because they’ve won the most FIFA world cups.  Floyd is the greatest boxer because he has the best boxing record. Yes, for many reasons, I’d love to sit with Floyd, it would be a honour to be in his company, speak to him about his career and invite him to invest in our African project and also the TV series based on this novel.

Whose work is your favourite?

 Firstly film.  In my top thirty there’s many Black movies, Samuel L Jackson, in ‘Time To Kill’ Spike Lee’s ‘Malcolm X’, Denzil Washington in ‘Glory’ growing up as a bit of a lad I love all the gangster movies, Scarface, Goodfellas, Casino but it shocks people to say my favourite movie of all time has to be the Steven Spielberg masterpiece ‘Empire Of The Sun’ – it fascinates people when I say this because there is no Black characters but what got me was I aspire to be a great author such as the one who wrote the story J G Ballard and I watched the film during a difficult time in this life where I was on a deep survival mode.  The novel is based on the writer James’s life story where as a spoilt; well to do child in Japan in a split second his life was turned upside down and he had to survive.  I actually watched the movie before reading the novel and the novel was great but when reading back this novel Religion’s Dark Hidden Secret’ it sends shivers through me.  I read back parts of it thinking where did all this come from?  Then realise it was put into my mind by me ancestral soul tribe.  To answer the question the material my ancestors gave me is my favourite.  Also when this is made into a movie followed by an on-line series ‘Religion’s Hidden Dark Secret’ will push ‘Empire Of The Sun’ into my second place.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

Whilst serving time and after release I’ve read some fantastic novels, Alexandre Dumas’s ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ Nelson Mandela’s ‘Long Walk To Freedom’ JG Ballard’s ‘Empire Of The Sun’ and other all time greats although I’m not actually a book worm as such, I’m usually too engrossed into creating my own material. I don’t mind a kindle or actual book.  Just to add, I spoke to an old flame a few years back and she reminded me I once explained the kindle idea to her way before it was invented.  That must be the psychic power within me. 

Is “Religion’s Hidden Dark Secret  – Journey Of The Twin Flame” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes Linda! The hardback, paperback and kindle can be purchased on Amazon and later the audio copy will follow.  We’re in the process of promoting it all around the world, beginning in the Caribbean and moving to the US. This story is designed to help eradicate racism bring equality to humanity and end world hunger.  Among the many points it makes, our bodies die and we as souls reincarnate.  As a woman of any nation conceives birth we souls begin life, Black White or any nation in any era.  I’ve known for a long time that there is no such a thing as individual races.  We were all Black at some stage but some nations have evolved to appear differently to deal with climates. There is only one race and that’s the human race. By the way Linda, I strongly feel you personally have lived some enjoyable Black lives and you’ve actually felt a familiarity when holidaying in Black homelands. The story goes deeper explaining Black Africa is the cradle of civilisation; the entire human race began Black.  When you look at those two points alone it just shows how pointless, vile and sickening racism really is. 

Ok Richard, the goal? You speak of your soul purpose, bringing prosperity to Africa and so forth. How do you plan to do this?

When this novel is a success,  I’ll have a voice.  I’ll begin by bringing together everyone with influence and empathy for to the long horrific destruction of the Motherland and today still oppressing the Black race. Invite them to join me in a project that continuously comes to me by way of beautiful dreams. The Rapper Akon, Roger Federer, Sadio Mané, Idris, Tyler Perry, Floyd Mayweather, Nick Love, Oprah and hundreds of others are to be invited to invest in this project where the west will teach African indigenous people to be self sufficient.  Anybody will be able to by shares in this fruitful and at the same time meaningful investment.  We’re to approach an underdeveloped country government to talk about investing in a Black financed and Black built West coast African town to rival Dubai.  Education, tourism, export businesses, airstrip and an international airport, training and employing local labour, wouldn’t that be amazing? We won’t stop there, put another tourist attraction town further down the coastline and train track right around the coast adding hotels building the tourism industry. Tourist trips to the slave forts, etc showing the world Black and White, even Arab tourists where they came from; slaves and slave masters.  Linda, this is where it goes deep.  The human body I have at present will eventually die but I’ll reincarnate in around two hundred years to witness all the colonists that are still today bleeding Africa dry, they’ll be gone, all greedy sell-out, corrupt Black politicians, gone.   Instead Mother Africa smiling again, a booming Black African economy. No man invented religion, instead nature’s spirituality, one leader, one country, one currency. You ever listened to the John Lennon track, Imagine? For me among the simplest and most positive lyric ever written. It’s my responsibility to help make this happen.  With the help of spirit we’ll be unstoppable.

Personal now and on a much lighter note – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Sounds strange but even when going out partying, I like to dress casual in jeans, tee shirts, jumpers, especially makes like Hugo Boss, Replay. I’ve begun doing radio and televised events, which will lead to national TV talks surrounding this project and I suppose now I’ll have to treat myself to a new swanky suit or two.  Maybe Armani, Hugo Boss or another cool brand.  

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

All the shops I’ve just mentioned, Linda.  I’m also forever ordering a Nike training shoe from JD Sports.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

With a little luck many swanky suits, which would tell me I’m headed the right direction with this amazing project.

Boots or Shoes?

I’m a boots type of guy, Linda. The reason being I find nothing more annoying than when the backs of your jeans or trousers keep getting caught inside the heel part of the shoe.  With boots you’ve no need to worry about this.

Links:

Thanks for the chat, Richard. I found your novel riveting and I really enjoyed the entwining journeys of souls connecting and reconnecting across time. Many thanks for the copy of the book to experience the journey myself .

Linda x

All photographs (apart from the fire eater photo – by Linda Hobden) have been published with the full permission of Richard Barnard.