A Free Book and An Upcoming Title to Watch For

Last year, as part of Mira's Summer of the Deadly Seven, I received a copy of M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist. Rose has been around for quite some time and is heavily involved in helping authors learn to self-promote their titles (Buzz Your Book and e-book coauthored with the fabulous Doug Clegg being one example of that), but I had never read her. Yeah, yeah, everyone has a point when they discover an author, a first book that they try that hooks them : ) 

Rose's previous work dealt heavily, as I understand, with erotic themes but was not necessarily erotica. She began as a self-published author with Lip Service, a book about a phone-therapist with a sex clinic, which was eventually picked up by Pocket after Rose's own on-line promotion garnered her much attention . Lip Service also introduced the Butterfield Institute which was later featured in a trilogy of books published my Mira (The Halo Effect, The Deliliah Complex, and The Venus Fix). 

The Reincarnationist marked the beginning of Rose's latest series. Where Rose has frequently delved into the mysteries of the mind, this new series takes this in a different direction. Many people throughout history have supported the idea of reincarnation and past-life regression. Rose combines these ideas with a fast-paced suspense plot that travels from ancient Rome to the present day. Tuesday, Rose's second book in the series, The Memorist, will be released. I'm not quite finished with it, but I can say that so far, although the two books are linked by ideas and by the Phoenix Institute, Memorist features a whole new cast of characters and a new literary mystery - meaning you can read it without having read Reincarnationist. But why would you want to? 

Rose is offering The Reincarnationist as a free downloadable e-book (you can even download it especially for your Kindle if you have one) now through October 31. Here's the link. And, to whet your appetite, here's my review for The Reincarnationist from the bookbitch archives:

Josh Ryder has been experiencing memories that are not his own. It began after a bombing in Rome where Josh, a photojournalist, was working a story. He was left comatose and awoke weeks later with vivid recollections of life in ancient Rome. In an attempt to learn more, Josh becomes involved with an organization known as the Phoenix Foundation - a group that investigates past life regression in children. When a discovery at a dig in Rome interests the group, Josh is sent as one of the foundation’s representatives to the site. The find could finally provide solid proof of reincarnation and also allow others to experience exactly what Josh does – memories of past lives. The foundation is not the only group interested in this item, though. While Josh is on the site, the lead archaeologist is attacked and the artifact is stolen. Josh vows to recover the item and, in doing so hopes, to unlock the truth behind his strange visions. In The Reincarnationist, Rose combines historical elements with the theory of reincarnation to create a truly amazing thriller. The characters are believable, the settings are magnificent, and in most cases real. Rose masterfully transitions readers from one century to the next making this a smooth read that is easy to get lost in for hours. M.J. Rose is no newcomer to the literary field, but this is her first mainstream suspense novel, one that should finally earn her the recognition she deserves and introduce new readers to her fantastic talent. 

Rose will also be touring virtually and my review of The Memorist will be up at bookbitch.com next week, so remember to check it out!