Monica M Brinkman – Think the world needs less greed and more humanitarianism? Want to read a tale that leaves you cheering for the common person, and jeering at the self-obsessed? Then Ms. Brinkman’s creative speculative fiction, The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, is a perfect fit. The Turn of the Karmic Wheel is a combination of naturalism, horror, fantasy and gothic blended in a series of interconnected all-too-human stories of the lives of various men and women in the small college town of Raleigh, MO. Each, in turn, is giving and good, or un-giving and perhaps not entirely evil but caught in self, circumstance, and living in the netherworld between the two extremes. These characters seem as real and as natural to us as ordinary life. The karmic wheel begins to turn in on them and these characters physically become outward manifestations of their internal selves. Each has, or has had, every chance to turn the wheel in another direction, and some do as the supernatural force descends upon them without pity or sentiment, either as plague or as benediction. With each turn, we can applaud every character's individual fate because they are so real to us. We understand. It's a pity our own world doesn't work the way Monica Brinkman's world does in this novel. Wouldn't it be interesting if our external, physical selves reflected what we have become or are becoming internally? Only here, in The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, the rewards and punishments meted in a grotesque parody of reality we can only call magic realism. The characters are alive in this novel, and the town they live in becomes as real to us as the air we breathe. That is why when the supernatural force that descends them we can so readily suspend our disbelief. It is a fascinating, chilling story filled with wonderment. Monica Brinkman is currently working on the sequel and final book of the Karmic Wheel series, The Wheels Final Turn, releasing in 2012 by publisher allthingsthatmatter. A member of The Missouri Writers Guild and The Writers Center, Ms. Brinkman received the reward of one of the best books of 2011 via Readers Choice. The highly rated reviews of The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, embrace both her creativity and unique story line. You may find her articles and short stories in such places as A Word For You Press, Enzine Articles, Broowaha, and All Voices, to name a few along with her weekly columns A Touch of Karma & It Matters in Authorsinfo.com Along with writing, Monica hosts a weekly radio show, It Matters, with co-host Oana, author of The Healings. Each broadcast consists of delving into a specific topic, along with much fun as we interview our guest. Perhaps Oga will pop in, confused but enthused. You may find out more about upcoming shows and on-demand podcasts by visiting: It Matters To receive a personally autographed copy of either her paperback or e-book, visit Kindlegraph