'The Old Soul'

Hello.

If you are reading this, it is likely because you read a story of mine called 'The Old Soul', recently published as a Kindle Single. I actually wrote the story nearly 20 years ago, while I was trying to promote the publication of 'Thursday's Child', the novel described on this blog. The concept goes back even further than that. The notion that recovered memories of past lives, deja vu, and so on might have some actual biological basis occurred to me in my 20's. From that thought developed the little story, which I hope you liked.

Technically, I'd call it 'preternatural fiction', rather than science fiction. (I like science fiction a lot, thoiugh I don't write it.) The story offers an explanation for the deja vu phenomenon we all experience that lies a little beyond contemporary scientific boundaries, but is not completely implausible. Though I am not a biologist, the microworld biology is entirely accurate, to the best of my knowledge. It took quite a while to research and I am a bit proud of it. You may have noticed a resemblance to Aasimov's Fantastic Voyage. I had that in mind during the the story's composition.  

I do hope that some of the readers who have enjoyed this story will take a chance on 'Thursday's Child', the novel that is the subject of this blog. That book has been snakebit since the the day I finished it. Not that the book is bad - quite the contrary. As paradoxical as this may seem, it's alost too good for it's own good. It was represented, by the only agent who read it,  and was in fact accepted editorially at a major publishing house. But the marketing experts at the house eventually turned it down. The reason was that 'Thursday's Child' is a conscious attempt to overlay a conventional Harlequin-type romance with a novel of ideas. The result was an exuberant, adventurous read, with an epic feel, made out of the ordinary materials of urban life, brimming with inteesting characters and sexy as hell. Part of the fun is it does touch all of the bases of those silly, but rather entertaining, conventional romances. Throughout, it all, you'll find the same constant play of ideas and factual nuance that you enjoyed in the short story - and you'll find a far more serious subtext in play than in the regular form. 'Thursday's Child' has a sweep and an epic scope that the books on the paperback rack completely lack. It's a huge, major novel. 

Which is exactly why the book is in a way too good for its own good. It falls into multiple genres - elements of business thriller, ordinary mystery, more than a hint of gothic romance, and tinged throughout with the Shakesperean mysticism to the effect that there may be more to this existence than philosophers can say, The marketing committee that ultimately rejected it felt that the complexities of the book were much more than the average romance reader wanted or would accept. In retrospect, I'm not so sure the marketeers weren't right - as to that market. But both my agent and I felt they ignored the much larger market, of people who are drawn to an dense intricate plot with a love relationship at the center. It's a formula that has been working pretty well for a millenium or so. The soup does overflow the bowl to some extent - but the result is what I think is a very good read, 'a sprawling, yet tightly organized' narrative that invites you into its own world. (I am loosely quoting the unsolicited letter I received from the copyrighter, set forth elsewhere on this blog. He found an entirely different book than the slight thing he expected, far more interesting and impressive, and was kind enough to write me and say so.)

Success in the form of fame or money doesn't mean much to me these days. But I always thought that 'Thursday's Child' deserved a decent audience. That audience is likely made up of readers who liked 'The Old Soul', which certainly isn't a romance, but similar in the lively play of ideas. So I hope you'll give the novel a chance. You may make a discovery - a book you can lose yourself in, which is a rare thing these days.

Thanks for visiting. 

Comments

[Judy]

Thanks so much for "The Old Soul," I read it at least once a month and discover more every time. Based on that book, I read "Thursday's Child." Hard to believe, the so-called experts failed to grasp the concept. I think it would make a wonderful movie. I liked the characters, the pacing, and
the way the story flowed. Keep writing!!