John Edward - Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories

The Stories
Behind the Stories

JOHN EDWARD

STERLING and the distinctive Sterling logo are registered trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Published in 2010 by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016

Preface 2010 by John Edward

Text 2001 by John Edward

First edition published in 2001 by Hay House/Princess Books

Precious One reprinted by permission of Annie Haslam/Annie Haslam,

Michael Dunford, March 8, 1999.

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Sterling ISBN 978-1-4027-7558-1

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MY THANKS TO ALL WHO UNDERSTOOD

AND ENCOURAGED ME ON MY JOURNEY.

I began my journey as a psychic medium in 1985. Looking back, one reading with psychic Lydia Clar put me on my path of development and ignited what seems like a spiritual renaissance. Now I know that sounds kind of cocky and egotistical but it really has a lot less to do with me (I think) as the person and more to do with what I was able to accomplish with a lot of help from above, and that was to launch an internationally syndicated television show called Crossing Over. This book chronicles that journey and my transformation during that time.

When I first began writing books on metaphysics, I really wanted to write fiction. I noticed through my readings that people from all over the world shared similarities when dealing with life, loss, and love. Quite honestly, I couldnt get arrested with that concept. Every publisher that I sat with looked at me with incredulity. In hindsight, I now realize that the look really was one of, And you are? And we would publish an unknowns material why? Stephen King I was not. I was just John. But every publisher said the same thing, I would be more interested in you telling your story.

My story? I didnt even think that I had a story. Yes, I knew that we all had a story, but I wasnt sure mine was worth reading. The idea of writing something autobiographical in my late twenties sounded funny and slightly eerie. It wasnt until my fourth publishing meeting, when the executives I was sitting with called in one of the higher-ups in sales and marketing. Thats when I really started to understand. Her name is Corinda Carfora, and she seemed to be able to communicate in the language of just John-speak. She completely saw and felt my lack of desire to speak about myself and helped me to understand that my first foray into publishing was just that, my first.

Corinda explainedin the best possible waythat in order for someone to understand the concepts I am so passionate about teaching, I had to really explain who the teacher was. It made sense. I would not make it about me, but I would explain me, and subsequently it became about the work. That became a recipe for great teaching, whether it was a book, radio show, TV show, or seminar. Teach and lead by example. It was this mentality that I applied to Crossing Over with John Edward the TV show.

I would love to say that my first book (One Last Time) was a runaway best seller at first. It would become one over time. However, this book, Crossing Over, was. It spent a number of weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and gave readers a voyeuristic look at the development of the TV show Crossing Over, while I helped to share some of my metaphysical nuggets of understanding.

Its ten years to the month that I began working on preproduction for the debut of Crossing Over. I look back on that period of time and I am really not sure where the time has gone. I know I have a seven-year-old son and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter now and they certainly help to mark time differently, but Crossing Over was also a baby for me. I nurtured it and watched it grow and bring about a shift in popular culture in dealing with mediumship and psychic phenomena, some of which was extremely flattering and some, well... not so much. But to hear your name used on game shows like Jeopardy! and Trivial Pursuit: America Plays, and on comedy shows like Saturday Night Live and MADtv, and to be invited to play yourself on Will & Grace... that was fun. One of my funnier moments was having my cousin call me from Florida and tell me to turn on MTV. When I asked why, she told me that Ms. Cleo, the 1-900-dial-a-psychic was kicking my ass on Celebrity Deathmatch! That, quite possibly, was not my finest moment, but one that I look back and laugh at.

When the television show Crossing Over began, it was launched on the Sci Fi Channel (now SyFy). After its incubation and testing period, it was decided that it was going to be rolled out, or syndicated, during the day. Within two weeks of the shows debut... my countrys greatest tragedy of MY TIME hit and that was September 11... 9/11, as it has become known.

When this book was released in paperback, I added an additional chapter about one of the families I met through Crossing Over, a firefighter and a hero named Michael Kiefer. During my career Ive been moved by many different energies, but this Michael and a little boy named Mikey, who I wrote about in my first book, were the reasons why I named my son Justin Michael. I admired their strength of spirit and the passion they shared in letting their families know they were all right on the Other Side. There were a few people that I shared my reasoning with, and they looked at me like I was insane. Why would you give your baby the name of two dead boys? I have to say the reactions were interesting. Most looked at me confused, while others were inspired. But when someone didnt get it, they expressed it. My personal response was always the same: If my son could reflect the determined energy and love for me and my family as these two boys, then I am a lucky man.

Michaels story was inspiring and I wanted to share it in this book since he made his debut to me on international television. Years later, I would host a new show called John Edward Cross Country, where I did readings and followed up with the families in their home. Some of the show was taped in a studio, and I brought in a colleague by the name of Char Margolis. When the producers asked me what I would have Char do, I explained that I wanted to show her doing a private reading and how her style of reading is so different than mine. They agreed to it as the format of her appearance. The next question was Who would she read? That was easy for me to answer. She would read the Kiefers. It was like watching my family get read as Michael brought through his loving energy to his family once again.