May Book for Email Subscribers

This month email subscribers to Patricia's Vampire Notes will be entered to win a copy of The Memoristby M. J. Rose.

Subscribing is easy. In the right hand column click on Subscribe to Patricia's Vampire Notes by Email. Be sure to respond to the email asking you to validate your subscription.

Read a review.

The Memorist - Review

The Memorist
by M. J. Rose
Mira, 2008

This is a story about a spiritual journey as much as it is a mystery. Meer has suffered from disturbing, frightening visions since she was a child. These are like waking dreams where she knows she must flee for her life, she hears a haunting melody, and then she sees a centuries old box which holds a dangerous secret inside. Her father, Jerome, and his close friend Malachi have spent years studying the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah, and it is their belief that Meer's visions are rooted in previous incarnations. As a child psychologist Malachi has helped many children who he believed had problems stemming from former lives, but he was never able to help Meer escape the "dreads" as she calls them. Even now as an adult they plague her. Throughout her life Meer often drew pictures of the box. One day she receives a letter from her father (now residing in Vienna) which included a photo of an 18th century gaiming box from an auction catalog. The same box she had drawn so many times before. She joins her , and it is then that her life begins to spin out of control.

At the same time that Meer troubles worsen a man named David Yolem plans an act of destruction he knows will command the world's attention. His rage and hurt are painfully raw. A few months earlier a bomb, deliberately set as a message to him, killed his entire family. He plans to set off an explosion deep within the old catacombs of Vienna on the day of a large international gathering.

At the center of the mystery that compels Meer and her father to obtain the box is a letter written by Beethoven concerning an ancient ivory flute, intricately carved, and believed by certain individuals to be a memory tool. When played it would allow listeners to recall their previous lives. Meer has never been a believer in reincarnation, but there has been so many strange and coincidental happenings that she begins to have doubts.

There are many important characters not the least of which is Vienna, this enchantingly beautiful city with a corrupted Nazi past. Rose spins a fascinating story with so many twists and turns and many suspenseful moments. In the end all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, but not so neatly that you can't help wondering what will happen next in people's lives.

In 2007 Rose published The Reincarnationist to much acclaim. I did not have a chance to read it. If it's even half as good as The Memorist I'll love every world. At the end of the book Rose provides a brief bibliography of books for those wishing to know more about reincarnation. These are real books by real people and most can be found on Amazon, other online stores, and probably in your local library.

Internet Sites of Paranormal Interest October 24, 2008

Now through October 31 you can get a free copy of The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose. The author says:

"I want you to discover the worlds I'm exploring in the Reincarnation series so much, I'm offering you the first in the series - THE REINCARNATIONIST - free.

"No strings, just the free book — all you have to do is click on either of the links above and download the entire novel and start reading THE REINCARNATIONIST (which has just been released in paperback) now! Readers and reviewers say it's 'un-put-downable.'

"The series continues with The Memorist (which is out now) - and early reviews and reader reactions is the same - it seems I've tapped into a universal interest with these books that explore who we were and who we are while at the same time giving you a page turning read. I hope you'll agree. "

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As part of St John's Storytelling Festival Storyteller host Dale Jarvis' is telling a rather exciting cat and mouse story. I'm not much of a Tweeter but I do follow Dale on Twitter. That's where you'll find the serialized tale.






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New book coming up Oct 28 is All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 5)
by Kerrelyn Sparks. And it has its own video.




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I found a short interview with author Scott Bowen author of The Vampire Survival Guide: How to Fight and Win Against the Undead (Skyhorse, 2008). See my Vampire Notes for details about the book.

BTW alert reader Vickie tells me that there is such a thing as The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks.

No more need for sleepless nights, folks!



Scott Bowen

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There is an interesting interview at Literary Escapism with reader/writer/blogger Tez Miller. She answers the question on how to hone your TBR list. At least how she does it. Living in Australia seems to have built in limitations. A contest asks the questions "what efforts have you made to shorten your wishlist? Do you find it easy or difficult to cross stuff off? How do you go about deciding which books you’ll purchase, and which ones you’ll get from the library?". You have until Oct. 28 to enter.

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Holidays bring out the artist in many of us, but for Melissa Valeriote, a true professional in the field, seasons like Halloween can be loads of fun. Be sure to visit her blog The Holiday Queen
to see some delightful creations.

This item is called Pumpkin Ghost. I love it. The photo on the blog site is larger and shows the details better.

And it's edible!


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It's not cheap being an author. Mark on The League of Reluctant Adults rants a bit on the cost to an author in publicizing his/her book. No wonder few writers can afford to depend on writing as their full time job.

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Bleeding Vampire Cupcakes for Your Halloween Party