Interview with MJ Rose

MJ Rose Answering Interview Questions with Queenie D

Reincarnation is a fascinating subject. In the back of the book you note that your mother introduced you to reincarnation. Can you tell us a little about your personal journey or history with this subject?

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 mom's death my niece, who was a toddler at the time, said some very curious things to me about my mother and I – things she really couldn't have known -- and the pestering became an obsession. Josh Ryder, the main character has my mom's initials, her spirit and her curiosity and like her, he's a photographer. But there the similarities end.

Queenie D: Wow! This gives the book a whole new meaning for me as a reader! Let's talk about the book - in Reincarnationist Josh Ryder is also Julius and Percy. What is the purpose of telling the story of his life as Percy?

MJ Rose: It was part of his past life memories, it was important to understanding who he was.

Queenie D: To show his connection to Rachel and the memory stones?

MJ Rose: That makes it sound premeditated, and it wasn't. I don't write like that. The characters determine their own fate and own story. Josh found that memory, I really didn’t.

Queenie D: Okay, so you start off with an idea instead of a character and go from there?

MJ Rose: No, I start of with the characters and the idea and the characters take the story forward. Its like a movie unfolding in my head.

Queenie D: I know about 10 people who will be extremely envious of that trait! How cool! Why do you think then that we never found out if Josh ever reconnected with Sabina's soul in one of his lives?

MJ Rose: Because that wasn't his karma, as it turned out. He had a different purpose in being here this time, in this life.

Queenie D: I would love to read about his next life! There were quite a few characters in this story but they are written so well it's not hard to keep them straight. Now that you are telling me you "see" the plot unfolding like a movie, it makes more sense that you would be able to keep so many of them straight. Who is your favorite and why? Who was hardest for you to write and why?

MJ Rose: That's like asking a mother who is her favorite child. I don't have one - and none of them are harder or easier to write. The whole process is unbelievably hard and easy at the same time. I'm sorry if I sound slightly crazy but I think most writers are!

Queenie D: It's really interesting to get inside the mind of a writer - I don't think the average reader realizes what it takes to write a successful book.

I felt like Malachai was somewhat duplicitous from the beginning. Why was he so desperate to have the memory stones?

MJ Rose: Malachai is desperate to get the stones because he's devoted his whole life to the study of reincarnation and if there is a tool that would ease the discovery of past lives he wants to find it.

Queenie D: I got the feeling he desperately wanted to have these experiences on his own.

MJ Rose: Yes, that's right.

Queenie D: As it turns out I'm very intrigued and perplexed by the end of the book. Without giving too much away, is it safe to assume that Josh's soul has more work to do?

MJ Rose: Yes, I've gotten a lot of grief over the ending by readers who wanted a traditional ending. But Josh was reborn as Josh in the this lifetime to accomplish certain things... and I had to honor the novel and its theme.

Queenie D: That's what I thought! He seemed to have gotten it just about right as Josh but I felt like there were definitely unresolved issues for his whole soul. Have you thought about writing a prequel or sequel with any of your main characters?

MJ Rose: There is going to be a series - each book will have mostly new characters and be based on a new Memory Tool. Since there are 12 of them - in each book there will be an adventure around a tool. The next one, THE MEMORIST comes out in November - about an ancient flute made out of human bone.

Queenie D: Fantastic! I can say with absolute certainty that you've got the makings of a really great series on your hands. I think reincarnation fascinates and scares many people.

You really have dipped your toes in many little pools in the writing world from authoring to mentoring to blogging. How do you find time and sanity to do it all?

MJ Rose: I don't have kids It seems to be the answer.

Queenie D: You do though - 9 of them already and sounds like 12 more on the way!

Can you give any new, struggling authors a piece of advice "because," as one of your blogs headlines, "there are over 175,000 books published a year and they can't all get reviews in the NYTBR."

MJ Rose: Write because you love to write - because you have to write - not for any other reason - not for fame or glory or money because only 1% of the writers out there reach that level of success.

Queenie D: And it seems like the truly successful authors are the ones who do what you've just described.

So, just one more to wrap things up - The Reincarnationist lends itself to a screenplay quite easily. Any designs on finding an interested studio?

MJ Rose: We've had a lot of interest but nothing definite right now. It's actually very complicated with all those time periods and characters to do it as a movie.

Queenie D: Probably true but if you were willing to modify it I bet it would be a true hit.

MJ Rose: I'd love a screenwriter to come in and do it for me - to me it would be like ripping apart my arms and legs. What to cut? What to keep?

Queenie D: I don't think any good author is ever truly happy about the movie version. The best you can hope for is a nice compliment to your book.

Well, you've sort of already touched on this but any other projects in the works right now? Besides a 12 book series of course.

MJ Rose: I run a marketing company - AuthorBuzz.com - for authors and publishers - so that and a novel a year keeps me busy.

Queenie D: You are an author in all aspects. It's been really great talking to you today and I am excited to keep up with your work.

MJ Rose: Thanks so much for reading my book - it’s all a writer really cares about once a book is done - that one reader at a time discovers it and connects to it - and that means the world to us. Or at least to me.

Queenie D: Well I connected to it for sure. You'll be able to see just how much from my review here shortly!

M.J. Rose: Great - thanks!