My Memories of a Future Life - Softcover

Morris, Roz

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1909905933 ISBN 13: 9781909905931

Publisher: Spark Furnace Books, 2016

Synopsis

'Taut plotting and sharp storytelling'

'Absolutely gripping story'

'Classy, stylish writing, a profound tale in page-turning fashion. Unreservedly recommended.'

'A strange and stubborn book, visual and visceral, original and odd... will stay with you long after finishing its final pages' - For Books' Sake

'Genius story ... characters you won't want to leave behind ... full of suspense and enigma' 

If your life might be another person's past... What do they know of you? 
Could they have the answers you need now? 

Carol is a gifted pianist who has never needed anything but her talent – until an untreatable injury stops her playing. Terrified that it might end her career, she moves to a village on the coast to convalesce and teach singing. She becomes beguiled by glimpses of her next life – a healer called Andreq. Is he really what he seems to be? Does his life have any clues that can help her now? 

A duet between land and sea, past and future, trance and waking, My Memories of a Future Life shimmers with mystery and questions. It’s a novel about clairvoyants and charlatans, the all-consuming dedication of the professional musician, the shadows that shape us, the yearning for a soul-mate, the tyranny of small towns, and what we do when we lose the thing that gives us our identity.

'I was always fascinated by tales of regression to past lives,' says the author Roz Morris. ‘I thought, what if instead of going to the past, someone went to a future life? Who would do that? Why? What would they find?

‘I began to delve into the world of the classical musician. Musical scores are exacting and dictatorial - you play a note for perhaps a sixth of a second and not only that, there are instructions for how to feel - expressivo, amoroso. It's as if you don't play a piece of classical music; you channel the spirit of the composer. And I thought, what if she couldn’t do it any more? And then, what if I threw her together with someone who could trap the part of her that responded so completely to music?’

About this title

Review:

'As a bookseller I have to read 100s of books. Rarely do I read books more than once for pleasure - this book is one of them - it really is that good ... Roz's books .. are so good that I just leave copies on the counter, talk about them a bit and let them sell themselves.' Peter Snell, Barton's Bookshop, Leatherhead, Surrey

'A strange and stubborn book, visual and visceral, original and odd... will stay with you long after finishing its final pages' - For Books' Sake

'Classy, stylish writing, a profound tale in page-turning fashion. Unreservedly recommended.' John Whitbourn, Victor Gollancz award winner.

'I was seriously impressed by a writer of such skill and confidence. She dances between plausible reality and the shadowy realm of interpretation, underpinned by evident intelligence. A real corker, in fact.' Jill Marsh, Words With Jam

'Fine writing, skilled storytelling, excellent pacing, twists, turns, and a story that both entertains and informs. What a welcome relief spending time under the spell of such a skilled artist. Amazingly different.' Maryann Madsen

'I am seconding the reviewer who said "I want to talk to someone about this book!" It's a born book club selection with a maze of ideas, questions and themes to discuss. I'm always on the lookout for fiction that takes creative risks, draws me in with a compelling voice and shows a real mastery of the craft of writing. This book does all that and more. My Memories of a Future Life delivers on a genius premise with grace and storytelling skill... charms us with characters we don't want to leave behind and challenges us with a complex idea we couldn't leave behind if we wanted to.A thoroughly entertaining, thought-provoking, wonderfully moving verismo of a novel.' Joni Rodgers, League of Extraordinary Authors

'Sinister elements reminiscent of The League of Gentlemen and The Prisoner ... balance between intrigue, mild terror and charlatanism is perfectly maintained ... I need to talk to someone about this book' Ruby Barnes, Build Another Bookshelf

'Like John Fowles's The Magus ... combining an unsettling plot with hints of more beyond. It's not the depressing realism of your typical Booker novelist or the light fluffiness of a slice of middle class city life. Enjoyed it immensely.' Matt Kelland

About the Author:

Roz Morris published nearly a dozen novels and achieved sales of more than 4 million copies - and nobody saw her name because she was a ghostwriter. She is now proudly publishing as herself and her work draws comparisons with Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury, Penelope Fitzgerald and Doris Lessing. Her novel Lifeform Three was longlisted for the World Fantasy Award. Her memoir Not Quite Lost was featured on 6 local BBC radio stations. She has also been a writing coach, editor and mentor for more than 20 years with award-winning authors among her clients. She has a book series for writers, Nail Your Novel (and a blog nailyournovel.com), and teaches creative writing masterclasses at venues throughout Europe and for The Guardian newspaper in London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Spark Furnace Books
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1909905933
• ISBN 13: 9781909905931
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368