About
Preetham Grandhi, an India-born immigrant, explores his life parallels in a new kind of psychological thriller and debut novel, A Circle of Souls. Born and raised in the city of Bangalore, India, Preetham mirrored the struggles of upper-middle class lives, acculturation, and psychological trauma through the characters of this well-sculpted thriller. Preetham’s childhood determination for success and change leads to a new life in the USA. His hope is that the land of opportunity would close old doors and open new beginnings. In a twist of fate, he found himself working with children and their families in the inner city Bronx, families who had even more complex issues than his own. Through their eyes and life experiences, he was motivated to become someone he never thought he would become, an author.
After investing five years in writing, he then encountered the struggle of becoming a traditionally published author. Now in June 2009, in the midst of economic crises and nationwide corporation mismanagement, comes A Circle of Souls, a tale of hope, justice, and accountability. This spirit-lifting and thought-provoking story has received rave reviews.
The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p>Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame.<br /><br />This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.<br /><br />This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end.<br /><br />Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.<br /><br />Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.</p>
Story Behind The Book
It was a few months post 9/11, and I was looking at the biographies of
the people who had lost their lives. I began to wonder if there was a
larger meaning to their lives. All of a sudden, a story flashed into
my mind, and I quickly wrote it on a piece of paper. I knew then that
I needed to write a story that was larger than life. It needed to
communicate the essence that there is a bigger purpose and meaning to
our passage on earth.
I knew that in order to capture and convey such a message, the book
needed to be captivating, interesting, and thrilling. I realized that
a story based on the work I do would be the right place to begin. I am
a child psychiatrist and had just started a new job. During my
fellowship, I worked with children with numerous psychosocial issues
and had many life stories to tell. It was at that moment that I
decided I could write a book that would capture all these thoughts.
That was how A Circle of Souls was born.
It is a murder, mystery, thriller with a paranormal twist. This book
will keep you on the edge until the very end and will leave
you thinking about the larger sense of individual purpose and destiny.
Reviews
<strong><span style="font-size:15px;line-height:115%;font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">Linda
Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes
the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the
authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."<br /><br />
Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of
this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the
mystery solved. A great read!"<br /><br /></span></strong><p style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:15px;" class="MsoNormal"><strong>“A Circle of Souls is a rare combination of horror and hope.
Preetham Grandhi has seamlessly sculpted a fierce page-turner.” Paul Castro
Original writer/creator of the hit feature film August Rush & UCLA
screenwriting professor.</strong></p><p style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:15px;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><br /></strong></p><p style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:15px;" class="MsoNormal"><strong>“A Circle of Souls is pure psychological suspense. A novel
that opens the reader up to the mysteries of the human spirit and the darkness
of the human mind. A compelling novel that does more than make you turn the
pages, it makes you<span> </span>think.” International
Bestseller, M.J. Rose.<span> </span>Author of “The
Reincarnationist” & “The Memorist”</strong></p><p style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:15px;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:15px;" class="MsoNormal"><strong>“What a crowning achievement for a new novelist to transform
his vivid imagination into a unique & captivating thriller. A superb page
turner!” Balasa Prasad M.D. Author of the book series “Stop Smoking for Good”
“Stop Gambling for Good” “Stop Overeating for Good”</strong></p>
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