About the Book

Book: Routed to Heaven: How Near-Death Experiences, Afterlife Testimonies And Heavenly Insights Can Help You Live With Intention

Author: Julie Bonn Blank

Genre: NF (Memoir, Devo, Christian Living)

Release Date: February 21, 2026

Book PB Covers (12.878 x 9.25 in) – ROUTED PB 12.878 KDP

What happens when Heaven doesn’t just reveal itself—but sends you back with a mission?

In Routed to Heaven, Julie Bonn Blank shares the moments that changed everything: a sudden medical crisis, clinical death, and a breathtaking encounter with Jesus Himself. Standing in Heaven, overwhelmed by love and beauty beyond words, Julie received a message that would redirect the course of her life: “There is still so much work to be done.”

But this book is far more than one extraordinary near-death or afterlife experience.

Routed to Heaven weaves together over twenty additional powerful testimonies from people who briefly crossed into eternity—children healed after death, abuse survivors guided by the Holy Spirit, one person sent back to earth for a do-over, and believers who stood at Heaven’s gates and returned forever changed. These stories affirm what so many long for in uncertain times: Heaven is real. God is near. And our lives matter more than we realize.

What sets this book apart is its purpose.

Each testimony is paired with Julie’s honest, compassionate reflections that address the real-life obstacles keeping believers from living with eternal focus—fear, grief, trauma, unforgiveness, mental health struggles, waiting on God, spiritual warfare, and more. With wisdom shaped by personal suffering and years of ministry, Julie doesn’t just inspire—she equips.

At the heart of the book is what she calls the Heaven-Minded Mission Manifesto—a practical framework designed to help readers stop sleepwalking through life and begin living with bold Kingdom intention. Through prayer, worship, gratitude, belief, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, readers are invited to move from survival to activated faith.

With thoughtful Pause & Ponder sections at the end of each chapter, Routed to Heaven becomes more than a book—it becomes a journey of awakening. For those who want to go deeper, the Companion Study Guide expands on these reflections with guided questions, scripture exploration, and practical exercises—making it ideal for personal growth, small groups, or church studies.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Heaven is real…

If you’ve questioned whether your life has greater purpose…

If you’re longing for hope, healing, or renewed fire for God…

This book—and its companion guide—are your invitation.

Heaven is watching. The time is short. And your mission matters.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Julie Bonn Blank is the Bestselling Amazon author of Routed to Heaven: How Near-Death Experiences, Afterlife Testimonies And Heavenly Insights Can Help You Live With Intention

and a fiction suspense series which highlights healing from human trafficking. She is a sought-after speaker, certified domestic violence advocate, near-death experience survivor, and founder of the advanced, faith-based interactive trauma recovery program Broken Souls Restored—a résumé she never planned on assembling, but the plot kept thickening and life hit “publish” anyway.

More from Julie

When Julie returned from visiting heaven in August of 2024, she received a list of three things (to apparently start a list of many more lol) and one of those was to gather the stories and write “Routed to Heaven.” She was shocked to discover that while she was exuberant about her heavenly trip and couldn’t wait to share more, many others had experienced visits over the years and became hesitant to talk about their journeys due to misbelief or even put-downs from other people. But the Lord had placed within her heart that not only was it her job to round them up and get them into paper format, but to build a community. And that community had a special role on earth as well as upcoming in Heaven. She began many conversations with, “Hey I went to Heaven and I hear you might have had an experience too.” Even then, sometimes people hesitated. She found cases of “Well, your heart actually stopped and I don’t think mine did so mine was just a vision” or “I barely remember any of mine …” Over time, she was honored to help over twenty people write their stories for their inclusion in “Routed to Heaven.” People now seek her out specifically at times to tell their stories and she also finds people with stories in some interesting places, including funerals and grocery stores. You just never know! But there are many more stories out there and she continues to gather them for book 2, as well as for other purposes.

Author Interview

What is your favorite genre of books? Why?

It’s interesting that this has changed over the years but since returning from Heaven, I am fairly obsessed with the nonfiction books that draw me closer to the Holy Spirit through testimonies and deep scripture study. Often even the commentaries don’t have the message that the HS has for me in reading these. But I still love a good, clean fiction story too and always find ways to fit those in my schedule.

Are you a one project at a time author or do you have multiple projects going at once?

As far as writing books, I usually only tackle one at a time. But I am a chronic multi-tasker and often have multiple (other) projects in the fire. The ones due the soonest are the attention grabbers and my to do lists sometimes look like sticky notes all over my desk. And then as soon as I cross a project off, another arises. I suspect I will be very busy for Jesus until I go to Heaven for good!

How has your life experience helped in your writing journey?

My life experience is essential to my writing and puts the heart in all my creative ventures. Whether we are directly writing our experiences or not—our stories build, enhance and strengthen our impact. This is what God intended.

I was studying Legion, the man tormented by multiple demons today in Mark 5. Ostracized and living in the tombs, I imagine he wandered into town occasionally because someone kept chaining him up, both hands and feet, and yet he kept breaking out of them. People were obviously afraid. The scriptures say Legion constantly cried out and self-harmed (cut) with stones.

Jesus specifically sought this guy out in his horrendous and remote environment and healed him, although the demons begged him not to. Then Jesus told him to go home and tell others what the Lord had done. This resulted in this man becoming the first person to tell the Gentiles a testimony of healing. Of course, Legion (who I hope had a name change) had no idea of the generations of people this affected. Whoa! You may think your story will not impact anyone but the Lord molds a different plan. When we use our stories to touch others, Jesus works and completes the spread. Trust Him.

What is the funniest thing to happen in the process of writing one of your books?

While working on the Companion Study Guide to “Routed to Heaven,” the Lord asked me to sketch out a house for healing retreats. Several months before, He provided a dream of me touring a house on the coast with a specific floor plan and told me its healing purpose. I grabbed my tiny sketch book that accompanies my quiet times and obeyed, sending pictures of the house to my dad, who has construction experience. But the book was too small and when my dad tried to print the images I sent, they were fuzzy.

Just then, I received an email that there was a delivery on our porch. When I opened the package, I discovered a 8.5×11 sketchbook! Yes, I had ordered it—about six weeks before! I forgot all about it but the Lord didn’t. He retains a big sense of humor and landed it at my house on the very day He told me to sketch out the healing retreat home.

Of course, I resketched the plans in the big book and that book is now the planning tool for the whole healing house, including bedroom décor and lists of programming.

How do you relax after a long day of writing?

I go to bed! LOL. Well, with a very long day, sometimes that is the next step. But in my downtime, I enjoy going to the beach, puttering in my garden, spending time with family, walking and mentally devouring books.

Where do you find your greatest inspiration?

I would have to say that my two Heaven visits are at the top of the inspiration list. But I also receive inspiration at the beach, in church, during my personal devo time, in writing groups and at writing conferences. I oversee Cascade Christian Writers currently and it never fails to astound me how getting together with a bunch of other writers who love Jesus sends inspiration into overdrive.

Who is your favorite author? Why?

Truly, the author of the Bible, the Lord, is my fave. Other than that, I am an odd one as my favorite authors change out. After going to Heaven, I discovered Randy Kay when his team found my Heaven Blog and asked to interview me on their program. Of course, as a fellow Heaven traveler, I brain-devoured most of his nonfiction books.

I love quality fiction as well. Writers who create words like me and write unique description inspire me. I just finished Cheryl Grey Bostrom’s “What the River Keeps” and interviewed her for my Substack. She is incredibly sweet and walks close to the Holy Spirit—we have a lot in common. Her other books shine a light too that you won’t find just anywhere. And of course, I have to recommend Allen Levi, who wrote “Theo of Golden.”

Do you have extensive outlines when writing or do you write a book as you go?

I write as I go. I have attempted outlines. When crafting fiction, my characters always stray from them and of course, I must follow. For nonfiction, God sometimes provides a frame. He told me what the second Heaven book will be about (main theme) and supplied chapter outlines so I am ready to go! Just working on collecting more miraculous events to include within the book.

Do you remember the first book you read? What sort of impact did it make on you?

Oh boy! I do not. My folks read to us before I could read, of course, and somewhere in there I remember “The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.” My brother was more into fantasy and “other-world” than I was. I do have a fave picture book and that is “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein.

What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

My writing spaces remain extremely varied as I use a laptop intentionally for this reason. If I am writing heavily, I usually just enjoy silence and sometimes the words of the Holy Spirit. When I edit, do marketing or manage client or nonprofit work, I often listen to music. I have a playlist of Heaven songs on YouTube and Apple that help keep me centered and have two fave Heaven songs: “Home in Eternity” by Andrew Hopkins and “Homesick for Heaven” by Phil Wickham. Both, of course, are on my Heaven playlist, along with many others.