Local author Cathy Byrd will be signing her recently published spiritual memoir, The Boy Who Knew Too Much: An Astounding True Story of a Young Boy’s Past-Life Memories, 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St.

Byrd will be joined by Chicken Soup for the Soul creator Jack Canfield who wrote the foreword for The Boy Who Knew Too Much.

Canfield calls Byrd’s book: “One of the most transformative and thought-provoking books I’ve ever encountered-intelligent, humorous, and overflowing with spiritual insights.”

Chaucer’s Books will donate 25 percent of all sales during the event to Laguna Blanca Lower School in Montecito and the funds raised will be used to buy books for the school library.

The Boy Who Knew Too Much recently received the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Award and is currently being made into a major motion picture by 20th Century Fox and producer DeVon Franklin.

Franklin created the movies Heaven is for Real, Miracles from Heaven, and the recently released animated holiday movie, The Star, featuring Oprah Winfrey.

“I’m what most people would call a late bloomer,” Byrd said. “I had my first child at 38 years old and surprised myself by writing an award-winning book at the age of 50.

“Being a person who likes to play it safe, becoming a mother and writing a book were two things that required me to step outside of my comfort zone in a big way.

“After climbing the mountain and turning around, I can see that fear is the only thing that ever stood in my way of achieving everything I’ve ever wanted,” she said.

“Making the decision to write a book about an intensely personal true story involving my children did not come easily. I worried endlessly about the negative effects it could have on my son and daughter in their day-to-day lives.

“The title of my book is The Boy Who Knew Too Much: An Astounding True Story of a Young Boy’s Past Life Memories. It’s a topic that I wasn’t comfortable discussing with even my closest friends because of my fear of how they would react.

“When my son began insisting at the age of two that he used to be a ‘tall baseball,’ player I found it oddly entertaining, but when he was able to recall specific details about being a baseball player in the 1920s and 30s it became disturbing.

“Even more unsettling was having our church pastor insinuate that our son might be possessed by the spirit of a dead person.

“This sent me on the quest for a logical explanation and led me to discover the University of Virginia School of Medicine, which has documented over 2,500 cases of children who recall past lives,” Byrd said.

“What ultimately drove me to write the book was the message that our souls survive this earthly existence and that love can surpass one lifetime. It is a message of unity that I feel is so needed in the world today.

“If we can begin to see people as souls within bodies rather than as the physical bodies we are born into, we can’t help but love a little more and judge a little less.

“Our story is also a testament to the value of following our intuition, listening to our children, loving without limits, being aware of synchronicities, and making the most of each day that we are blessed with,” she said.

“As I look back on the past 50 years of my life I can see how all situations that led me to blossom and reach my highest potential were ones that required the biggest leaps of faith.

“It is in those moments when we have the most fear and do it anyway that we shine the brightest and stand to gain the most. The one thing I know for sure is that when we bloom is far less important than whether we have the courage to bloom at all.

“It’s never too late to find our true calling in life so we can inspire others to do the same,” she said.

To view the book trailer, visit www.cathy-byrd.com.

— Cathy Byrd.