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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

BLOG TOUR: Lifting the Wheel of Karma, Review + CONTEST!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers....the bookish place that's like a box of high end chocolates, you never know what you're going to get....but it's sure to be delicious.  ^_^



Today we have a special guest on the site thanks to Tribute Books Blog Tours (thanks, Nicole!), as we play host to a stop on their current promotion for a rather unique book.  It works in both the Fiction and Young Adult genres and carries a spark of something....different.  How so?  You'll see.  Without further adieu, today's book of choice is....

A Profound Spiritual Journey of Extraordinary Healing and Redemption
by

From the back cover....
Joseph Connell is a gifted high school athlete from Montana, loved deeply by his family, yet tormented by nightmarish visions he can neither explain nor escape.  He believes the answer to what threatens to crush him can be found in the knowledge possessed by a mystical old wise man, who lives deep within the remote Himalayas of India.  If Joseph is ever to find the peace he so desperately seeks, he must get this wise old man to reveal what he truly knows, but that will not be easy…for this sage knows far more than he admits.

Oh so many ways to go with this one.  From page one, it is apparant that the author has a particular fondness for nature.  Rolling hills, running streams, wild horses...the works; all are beautifully detailed as we explore Joseph's hometown in Montana.  When we meet this young man, we find a troubled soul trying to make sense of the oddities that life has thrown his way...his means of escape, karate.  To say he was a black belt would lower his standings...that's how good he was; of course, that's what nightmares about fighting for one's life will do sometimes, push you in real life to be able to handle everything and anything.  Unfortunately for Joseph, there is one "anything" he couldn't see coming which leads to a chance (or is it?) meeting, a terrible (and strange) accident, and the beginning of a journey that would last a lifetime.

Admittedly his meeting with Lahiri and the accident that followed, through me for a loop.  His desire to warn him about the impending failure was admirable....but I was left wondering, why?  Who was he to him?  Why would he show up out of the blue JUST to tell him not to participate in the coming fight?  Then we have the fatal meeting with a GIANT deer....okay ALMOST fatal, but really a GIANT deer.  I couldn't see where the animal fit into the puzzle being revealed.  Was it a means to meet an end?  Sort of.  It's briefly touched on later in the story (thank goodness) and the explanation given makes sense even if it's more philisopical. 

Once Joseph is confined to the wheelchair (told you it was a BIG accident), his spirits are dampered....understandably.  It takes an unexpected news broadcast about an unusual form of "treatment" to break him from his cycle of self-pity and restore his hope.  Hope is a powerful thing; it can move mountains when necessary and in this case, send a lost soul across the globe in search of a new future.  His experiences with the sage (who shall remain nameless because it would spoil the surprise if I revealed it here....suffice it to say that it's a familiar face) are intended to heal his body yes, but more importantly his spirit for when balance is achieved in both areas, the soul can be at peace.

There were only two drawbacks I experienced during my reading adventure; both small, both connected but both mentionable.  First, I didn't always connect with Joseph and his family.  It could be the confusion that was abundant in his life from the nightmares to the fight matches but I wasn't always able to stand beside him in his adventure.  That being said, the second occurance was a little outburst around page 102.  It's so unlike the Joseph we came to know, so out of character that it felt off.  I understand he's in a foreign land seeking out an unsual means to conquer his limitations but it simply felt like another person altogether. 


Author Paul H Magid

The final reveals are unexpected but allow the journey to come full circle.  Does he find enlightenment?  Does he ever walk again?  Yes and yes but those simple answers will not give you the same satisfaction as following Joseph's journey will.  Who knows?  You may even discover something about yourself along the way.  A strange and at times complex journey, but one that was worth taking. It's not a story to be rushed through despite the short length of the novel.  It's a story to be read, felt, and pondered.  There are a lot of aspects of India's culture covered within the pages and ideas that may be foreign to you and me but if anything, that just adds a little something extra to the overall story.  You're exposed to a culture far removed from many of us and yet shown the common threads we share; a surprise for certain, but an enlightening experience nonetheless.

Recommended for teen readers through adult.  For more information in this title as well as the author's current works in progress, feel free to check out his official website or 'like' his Facebook page.  To discover more about Tribute Books Blog Tours, be sure to visit their Facebook page.  This is just ONE stop on a tour of many; to follow its progress, visit the official tour blog...and if you simply have to get your hands on a copy of this book now, it is available via Amazon (+ the Kindle version) and Barnes and Noble...but there's one more way to get your hands on a copy.  CONTEST TIME!



That's right....thanks to author Paul H. Magid and Tribute Books Blog Tours, I am please to announce that YOU have the CHANCE TO WIN 1 of 3 paperback copies of the book!  Exciting, isn't it?  ^_^  Hang on, try to control your enthusiasm for a moment, there are a few NEED TO KNOW rules to read first.  From now through midnight CST January 30th, simply leave a comment on this post with your email address, and BOOM, you're in it to win.  Contest is open to US addresses only, no P.O. Boxes please.

So there you have it!  Another bookish find to share and be shared...this time around it comes with a message that's good for the soul.  Good luck to all that enter! 

Until next time...happy reading!

9 comments:

Felicity Grace Terry said...

A great review but I'm not convinced this is a book for me. good luck all who enter your giveaway.

Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer said...

Great Interview. I found you through Nicole @tribute books ;)

Tribute Books said...

Oh Kimba, I'm so glad you found Gina. The two of you are such great book bloggers I know you'll enjoy checking out each other's sites and Twitter feeds.

Gina, thanks for taking us on a thorough glimpse into Paul's book. You're right - I think the prevailing message is to never give up hope, no matter what. It's a universal concept that I think we all need to be reminded of now and again when times get tough.

Good luck to all who enter the giveaway!

Paul H. Magid said...

Dear Gina,

Thank you very much for taking the time to review my novel and for giving me this opportunity to connect with your readers.

I have a new book trailer on YouTube for anyone interested in seeing it at: www.youtube.com/paulhmagid

Gratefully,
Paul H. Magid

Alexia561 said...

Nice review! Sounds interesting, especially with the spiritual journey for enlightenment. Too bad I'm more into vampires than holy men! *L*

Gina said...

Petty Witter: No worries...to each their own. ^_^

kimba88: Nice to make your acquaintance!

Tribute Books: Thanks for the introduction Nicole! My pleasure on the review...it was an interesting journey and I certainly agree on the need for a reminder.

Paul H Magid: Thank you so much for stopping by! Definitely will be checking out the link and encouraging my readers to do the same. ^_^

Alexia561: Thanks! LOL on the preference....it's not THAT kind of book. *silly reader girl* ^_^

Angela said...

This sounds interesting.

nomfreebies AT hotmail DOT com

Sverige said...

Lifting the Wheel of Karma is a must read. The story of a boy named Joseph from Montana, the book describes the journey of his life. An amazing family and a wonderful home define Joseph's childhood, until there comes a point in his life where he starts seeing visions and dreams that seem to be wanting to tell him something. This makes him really want to search for answers and go to India, the highlight of his dreams.

Cheap Flights to Lilongwe said...

It is a strange thing to come home. While yet on the journey, you cannot at all realize how strange it will be.


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