Derry born actress/producer Roma Downey
Derry-born actress and producer who also has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said her book is based on an op-ed she wrote for the Fox News website four years ago, recalling the time when she was leaving home to head to the USA.
“I shared a story that occurred in my own life about my father when I was leaving Ireland for college in England,” said The Touched By An Angel actress.
“He’d taken me outside to show me the moon explained that it really is a source of comfort.
“[He told me] wherever I went in the world, the moon would be the same moon shining down. And that wherever I might be, though separated from him, he would leave a message of love for me in the moon.
“So I had an opportunity to write about that — and I got so many beautiful responses to it.
“People were uplifted by it. People were encouraged by it. And I shared this same message of the moon.
“When I was raising my own children, particularly my daughter, as I was traveling off for work. I would reach out to her and say, ‘I’ve left you a message in the moon.’
“When we’re apart, we still use the moon as the connector. It’s just been a lovely comfort to us.”
The 63-year-old is already a best-selling author after writing Box of Butterflies, which shares the lessons she has learned from grief in her own life.
She added: “I think so many young children have separation anxiety today. A mom or a dad is going away — and this is just a simple way to serve as a reminder of connection.
Roma Downey and husband Mark Burnett
“I’m a bit sentimental, you know. My mom and dad are a long time gone, but their memory lives on. And I’m really so pleased with how this book turned out.”
Her new book, A Message In The Moon, is due for release in October this year.
