Drum Roll, Please . . . .

2009-09-19T15:28:00.001-07:00

I went to the Random Number Generator at random.org, put in the six (eye roll) people that left comments and .... drum roll please...the winner is..... Number 2!!

Comment 2: Left by Karen at Will The Insanity Ever Stop?.

Congratulations, Karen! If you'll send me your email address, I will pass that along to Preetham...and he will contact you for your shipping address so he can mail your autographed copy to you. You will love it; enjoy, and happy reading!

Thanks to everyone who entered my contest. Wish there had been more entries, but good odds for you guys, eh?

And if you didn't win? Run out and buy it...you won't regret it. It's a great read!

Book Review and Giveaway!

2009-09-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

"A Circle of Souls" by Preetham Grandhi
Copyright 2009, Published by Sweetwater Books, Springville, Utah.
ISBN 978-1-59955-235-4

"A Circle of Souls" is Preetham Grandhi's debut novel, and he hits a home run with this first book. This novel grabs you by the throat from the first page, shakes you hard and doesn't let you go until the last page. "A Circle of Souls" is a shivery combination of psychological suspense, some romantic tension, with an interweaving of the supernatural.

"A Circle of Souls" is a well-written novel, with several storylines cleverly stitched together into a tight weave that constitutes the fabric of this story. All of the threads come together satisfyingly in the end, leaving the reader breathless and exhilarated.

This book takes place in Newbury, Connecticut, where a little girl is brutally murdered by a mysterious person, known to readers only as the slaaf (an internet search reveals that a slaaf is a "slave"). "A Circle of Souls" is a thrilling story about a little girl, Naya Hastings, a young girl whose disturbing dreams cause her parents to bring her to see Dr. Peter Gram, a child psychologist at the local hospital. Meanwhile, an FBI expert , Leia Bines, is called in to assist local police in solving the bizarre murder.

Dr. Gram grows increasingly concerned as Naya's detailed drawings about her very vivid dreams seem to parallel the investigation surrounding the other girl's death. Dr. Grams involvement in the events goes beyond his professional involvement and involves him personally. This novel is a fascinating study of past lives, the possibility of psychic dreaming (think "Medium") and the ability of souls to reach across the chasm between life and death.

My only criticism of this book is there are some editing errors. Several places in the book didn't leave dialog on its own line, which led to a little confusion as to who was speaking.

For instance (and this is my made up dialog; it's not from the book. Of course, I can't find an example right now.)

"Hey John, what are you doing today?" said Joe.

John smiled at his friend. "Not much, what about you?"

"Nothing," Joe replied. "Want to catch a movie?"

"Sure!"

That's how it should be. The editors of this book sometimes allowed dialog to all remain on one line, making it look something like this:

"Hey John, what are you doing today?" asked Joe. John smiled at his friend. "Not much, what about you?" "Nothing," Joe replied. "Want to catch a movie?" "Sure!"

You can clearly tell who is speaking in the first example. When the lines of dialog are all put together on one line, it becomes less clear as to who is saying what, especially at the end.

But that is minor and is for the editors, not the author, and shame on them for not catching that! :)

This book is well-written, it has depth, the characters are real and well-rounded, and they are human, with human frailities. Both Dr. Gram and FBI Agent Leia Bines gain new insight into their own weaknesses, and they find the courage to face their fears and move on.

Run, don't walk, to the nearest book store or online store and buy this book! I can't wait for Preetham's next novel. He is definitely going on my list of "favorite authors."

Now, a giveaway: The author Preetham Grandhi has graciously agreed to give away a signed copy of his book! (Only open to US readers only; sorry! The shipping overseas is just too expensive) This book is a wonderful addition to anyone's bookshelf, and if you don't win, please consider buying and reading it. It is a fabulous book. Check out Preetham's website.

Leave me a comment here, and using a random number generator, I will choose the winner on Friday, Sept. 18th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. No anonymous comments; I need to know who you are so I can identify you should you win! Preetham will ship your book to you directly.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

2009-03-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

This is my review blog, an offshoot of Midlife Musings, written by me, Midlife Mama!

Here I will post my contests, product reviews, etc. that I cannot post on my regular blog due to the terms and conditions of BlogHer advertising that appears on my site.

If you are a company that would like to have me review your products, please contact me at oceanlover821ATgmailDOTcom.

In particular, I am interested in reviewing products that appeal to my readership; namely men and women over the age of 40.

No doubt, now I'll get requests from companies that sell Metamucil, Centrum Silver, and Glucosamine. LOL

Thank you for visiting. I'll leave the light on for you.

Midlife Mama's Reviews

Drum Roll, Please . . . .

Book Review and Giveaway!

Welcome!