Reincarnated?

Who do you think you were?

Who would you have liked to be?

Where and when would you have liked to have lived?

Do you think 21st Century things like Second Life, RPG (role playing games) and creating Avatars are all part of our deeply felt desires--perhaps our dreams, even our realities--to be someone else, to live other lives, to experience other times?

M.J.Rose explores the possibilities in her new novel, THE REINCARNATIONIST, out September 1st. It garnered starred reviews from both PW and Library Journal:

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Best known as an author of erotic thrillers, Rose (Lip Service) delves into religious myth and past-life discovery in her well-paced ninth novel. In present-day Rome, a terrorist bomb explosion triggers flashbacks of pre-Christian Italy in photographer Josh Ryder. Josh experiences the memories as Julius, a pagan priest defending the sacrosanct monuments of his gods and the life of his vestal virgin lover against the emperor-mandated onslaught of Christianity in A.D. 391. Six months later, Josh has teamed with the Phoenix Foundation, an institute specializing in past-life memories in children, to explore a newly excavated tomb that may contain pagan memory stones that incite past-life regressions and will, by proving the existence of reincarnation, challenge the church. The stakes rise after it becomes clear that dangerous outside forces also want the stones. In a series of memory lurches, the narratives of Josh and Julius slowly wind together to reveal a Da Vinci Code–esque tale of intrigue that's more believably plotted and better meets its ambitions than Dan Brown's ubiquitous book. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal
Starred Review. The exploding bomb in Rome that nearly took news photographer Josh Ryder's life triggered in him a series of wildly strange historical flashbacks. Determined to find the cause, he turned to the New York-based Phoenix Foundation, a scientific group dedicated to the possibilities of reincarnation. Memories of his past lives in ancient Rome as Julius, a pagan priest in a desperate mission to save his love, and in Victorian New York as Percy Talmage, son of the Phoenix Foundation founder, haunt Josh as he tries to bring his episodes under control. The foundation's interest in the excavation of a fourth-century tomb sends him back to Rome. But at the tomb, the Memory Stones are stolen, flinging Josh and archaeology professor Gabriella Chase into a race to recover these powerful artifacts. Rose's engrossing thriller effortlessly leaps to and fro through the centuries. Dramatic suspense and intriguing characters expertly set the stage for this first in a series. Strongly recommended for all popular fiction collections.

People Magazine September 10th issue, 3 1/2 stars:
“Rose’s ninth novel has intricate plotting, erotic tension and a didn’t-see-it-coming denouement.”

And some wonderful quotes from authors:

Douglas Preston, author of The Book of the Dead
"One of the most original and exciting novels I've read in a long time, with a premise so delicious I'm sick with envy I didn't think of it myself. It will open your mind to some of the incredible mysteries of the past and the greatest secrets of existence. The Reincarnationist is more than a page-turner-it's a page-burner. Don't miss it."

David Morrell, author of Creepers
"A breakneck chase across the centuries. Fascinating and fabulous."

Robert Ferrigno, author of Prayers for the Assassin
"A compelling, ferocious read, an intelligent thrill ride, intricately plotted, with enough twists to keep the reader firmly in M.J. Rose's grasp."

Gayle Lynds, author of The Last Spymaster
"Packed with unforgettable characters, breath-taking drama, and fascinating research, The Reincarnationist cements M.J. Rose's reputation as a master storyteller. Pick your millennium, folks. You're in for a timeless ride."

Not only was there great buzz, but my favorite ski-lift conversation starter line of all time was: "So, if you were reincarnated, what would you like to be reincarnated as?"

Then I clicked on my Gather site, only to find a link to an interview with M.J. and more. I knew I'd better get my copy right away!

It is indeed a real page turner, with a strong sense of time, place and people, even while you are traveling between centuries. And it offers the timeless lessons of the value of love, honor, sacrifice and faith with real poingnancy and depth.

I tore through it.

This just in from Jayne: join celebrated author MJ Rose on Tues. Sept. 25th at 5pm EST for a real-time chat in Second Life! Second Life is an online virtual world that’s free to join, in which members can interact with each other via 3D representations called “avatars”. Author MJ Rose will be discussing THE REINCARNATIONIST and answering questions via real-time text chat.

Send an email to NBD@harlequin.ca to get on the guest list! Check out the Reader's Ring discussion.

M.J. has statistics on the number of people who believe in reincarnation (newly released Gallup numbers are at 60 million!). It does help explain that inexplicable sense of connection or familiarity we often feel for some things.

And I must say it simply seems tidy--we all should be recycling, shouldn't we?

A Note from Susan Grant

Susan Grant wrote in to say:

I was so happy to see “ET” listed as a top 10 read from the boards this past week in the newsletter! I popped over and saw a few of the comments on different boards. It was great to see that so many had invested in these characters and were expressing hope that I’m continuing the series.

I wanted to let everyone know that I am! Moonstruck comes out next June, and kicks off the Borderlands series, which is a richer, somewhat darker, more emotional spin-off of the Otherworldly Men series. It centers around the Drakken, the Coalition, and Earth, all former enemies who must now learn to work together in peacetime.

In that book--which I feel is one of the very best I have ever written--I pair up Admiral Brit Bandar, the Coalition’s greatest war hero and Drakken hunter with a former Drakken pirate known as “the Scourge of the Borderlands” as her (forced) second-in-command. Then I toss in an undeniable attraction too powerful to ignore. Heh, heh. I’m so mean to my characters!

Two months later The Warlord's Daughter (tentative title) comes out in August. In that book we’ll see Ellen, Evie’s teenage daughter, who’s spending her summer aboard a starship as part of an internship before she becomes a cadet at the Royal Galactic Military Academy. In true hell-on-wheels Ellen fashion, she will have her adventures as a secondary character! Yes, she’ll have her own book once I grow her up a bit more.

All the best,

Susan Grant

Isabel adds that How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days is out now, along with My Favorite Earthling and Your Planet or Mine?.

If you'd like an update on Susan's day job, check out Susan Grant's Come Fly With Me Blog.


Isn't the Internet amazing? As a reader, I would just stand in front of the bookshelves and ask these questions into the stratosphere: "Why don't you write a sequel?"

And then be filled with dread that even if great minds thought alike and my words of wisdom took root and flowered...how would I ever even know, except by the merest chance, or a lucky break, or obsessive haunting of bookstores and used bookstores (knowing I'd likely miss it when it first come out).

Now we have RSS, links, blogs, searches and multiple opportunities to connect and communicate. I am glad to do my small part to share info and spread the word into this new cyber universe we call home.

Does Blogging Make a Difference for an Author?

Suzanne McMinn, author and one of my fairy blogmothers, (see prior post) just sent me a comment one of her readers sent to her.

Suzanne wrote: Hi, Isabel! We talked some time ago about blogging, particularly in relation to how it can help authors. I know it's been helpful for me in drawing readers, though I don't often get direct confirmation.

Given the general lack of hard 'evidence,' I wanted to share an email I recently received that I thought was very well-expressed. It came from a reader about how my blog specifically caused her to buy my latest book.

I thought you might find it interesting and would enjoy seeing it in the reader's own words, about her view of the effectiveness of an author's blog in relation to sales. (She says she doesn't think she expresses it well, but I think she does.) Her email attached below:

Best,
Suzanne McMinn

Available Now: SECRETS RISING, July 2007, Silhouette Romantic Suspense

Reader Letter

Subj: Your Blog/Web Site
Date: 8/1/2007 11:51:02 AM

Suzanne,

I wanted to mention that when I first found your web site, I had just finished reading "Deep Blue." I Googled your name, found your site and have been visiting every week day since. That's what? About a month or six weeks ago?

I know I stated in one of my comments how impressed I am with your site, how much discipline you do have to update it and make it so fun. I wanted you to know that your web site and blog are the reasons I ordered "Secrets Rising," and will continue to order and read your books. Not that I didn't enjoy the Pax books; I did! I just meant that your site is very effective, in my opinion, in garnering readers/fans. I love the personal touch and that makes *me* want to keep coming back again and again.

I'm probably not expressing myself well enough--a health professional told me yesterday to give up coffee and I'm fuzzy-headed at the moment. LOL. The bottom line is that I think your web site is a very effective marketing/promotional tool and I hope you are able to continue to make such successful use of it.

All the best.

Kim of Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Isabel wrote: I don't think blogging is for everyone, but I think it is one way to connect with readers and for some authors and some readers, or even a particular project, that can be a valued opportunity.

Here, I think the reader really articulated her position and thoughts well. She expressed the desire and comfort of getting to know the artist & of feeling connected/respectful/interested in the mind that was creating the stories she is immersing herself in, the characters she is caring about, the worlds she is stepping into.

It makes a lot of sense to me, especially in this day and age of spin, denial, and the fact that for many, truthfulness has been replaced by "truthiness" and for some, that just isn't appealing. Finding a place where the words and the music are in harmony is a beautiful thing.

Many people, especially romance and women's fiction readers, repond to sincerity--that's what we talk about when we say, "Write from the heart." Sounds like you deliver!