Seduction by M.J. Rose (Book Tour)

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From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries.

In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.

What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists.

Here is an author that I have wanted to read for a long time and was thrilled when invited to take part in this book tour,.  Then I realized that Seduction is the 5th book in The Reincarnationist Series.  I got nervous, it's like walking into a movie half way through.  At first I thought that I should read the other 4 books, but didn't have time for that.  So I just jumped in and hoped for the best.

I won't summarize the story since the synopsis is above and I think that speaks for itself.

"every story begins with a tremble of anticipation" - great opening line.

This book travels through time, beginning with Victor Hugo in 1800's, his 19 year old daughter has died.   Grief stricken, he will do anything to communicate with her again.  

Current day we have mythologist Jac L’Etoile, she has suffered her own loss and is still grieving.

We even jump back in time farther.

Does it sound like a lot going on? Well there is, is it confusing? No, not in the least.  This is a story weaving back and forth in time that did not cause my head to spin.  What did happen was the need to continue reading, I was captivated!  This book had it all, suspense, mystery, paranormal, romance and historical. It took place on the Isle of Jersey. The author has a way with words that created wonderful pictures in my mind of the island, the fog, the flowers and scents. (it's now on my bucket list to visit one day).

M.J. Rose also had the ability to make me grieve with Victor Hugo over the loss of his daughter.  His struggles and need to communicate with her were so distressing and real.

"you can't stop loving someone because he ceases to take breaths"

 “Does having three other children lessen your pain over the one who is lost? Not lessen the pain, no. But it keeps me wanting to draw breath. It keeps me alive. In nurturing and caring for another child you can love the child you lost.”

Did my fear of this being the 5th book affect my enjoyment? Very definitely not, a good stand alone.  However, that wont stop me from going back to the first in series and start at the beginning.

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.  Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com.  The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the

founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype.  She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.