Guest Blogger: M.J. Rose

When I was three years old, I told my great grandfather things about his childhood in Russia that there was simply no way I could have known. He became convinced I was a reincarnation of someone in his past. And over time, after more incidents, my mother "a very sane and logical woman" -- also came to believe it.

Reincarnation was an idea I grew up with that my mom and I talked about and researched together. For years, I wanted to write a novel about someone like my mother "who was sane and logical" who started out skeptical but came to believe in reincarnation. But I was afraid if I did people would think I was a "woo woo"weirdo.

I tried to start the book ten years ago after my mother died but I was too close to the subject and missed her too much to be able to explore it objectively. Every once in while the idea would start to pester me again but I still stayed away from it.

Then a few years ago on the exact anniversary of my momâ's death my niece, who was a toddler at the time, said some very curious things to me about my mother and "things she really couldn't have known -- and the pestering became an obsession.

Josh Ryder, the main character has my momâ's initials, her spirit and her curiosity and like her, he's a photographer. But there the similarities end.When Josh starts having flashbacks that simply can't be explained any other way except as possible reincarnation memories he goes to New York to study with Dr. Malachai Samuels -- a scientist and Reincarnationist who works with children helping them deal with past life memories.

In the process Josh gets caught up in the search for ancient memory tools that may or may not physically enable people to reach back and discover who they were and who they are. I think of all my books, this is the one my mom would be the most proud of which is fitting since it's really the one she inspired.

Please visit my website: www.mjrose.com for an excerpt, an interview with me about the book, a booktrailer and more.

****CONTEST ALERT****CONTEST ALERT****

Win a copy of M.J.'s new book by emailing me with "MJ Rose Contest" in the subject line. I'll draw the name of the lucky winner on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. Enter now!