"If the spirit of a loving wife can't nudge her husband in the right direction, who can?"
So thinks thirty-something Judith McBride, a Jewish control freak with an unlikely last name. When she dies in a medical mishap, she calls on her supernatural status to "rescue" her widowed spouse from the sexy clutches of their gold-digging, thrill-seeking, blonde accountant. But interfering with earthly events is strictly verboten, and the repercussions ripple outward, affecting not only Judith but the lives of her husband and best friend.
Judith's journey from the physical world to the spiritual is peppered with adjustments, choices, and self-discovery, ultimately leading her to the realization that loving sometimes means learning how to let go.
While enjoying a dinner out with a friend who shares my interest in spirituality, we began speculating on life after death. A few glasses of wine later, we decided the Past Life Review must be conducted from a reclining chair, complete with popcorn. The notion of what awaits us when we die lingered in my mind long after the conversation, and the seeds of a novel were planted. Before I began the actual writing, I read everything I could get my hands on about life after death and the spiritual world. Whether or not you believe in its existence or the veracity of those who claim to be clairvoyant, clairaudient, or clairsentient, the universal certainty of death and whatever follows is rich soil for a fertile imagination.
Did you ever wonder what happens after you kick the bucket? Cynthia Polansky's novel, Remote Control, tackles this baffling topic. From astral planes to reincarnations to Earth visits, Remote Control takes readers on an amusing spiritual journey...[it] is a unique, enjoyable and thought provoking novel. This book will stick in your skull even after you flip the last page.
-- Keri Mikulski for South Jersey Mom, September's Chick Lit Pick
...Mindful of Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life, REMOTE CONTROL is one woman's experiences in the afterlife and her determination to save her husband from harm which is more important to her than her spiritual growth. Readers will like her in spite of her hubris in believing she can meddle in someone's destiny, even out of love. The afterlife is fabulously described by Cynthia Polansky and readers are treated to see five levels of that realm. This is an enchanting and spiritual book that will appeal to readers of all religions.
Harriet Klausner for Midwest Book Review
When you pick up a new book and discover that the first sentence of Chapter One is "I died on a Tuesday when I was thirty-one years old," you know that you're in for an interesting read. Cynthia Polansky's REMOTE CONTROL is that and more. The main character Judith is an average, normal, happily-married woman with a best friend, two dogs, and a good job -- until her untimely death from hilariously embarrassing circumstances.
After her death, Judith is anything but average. Unable to fully concentrate on the afterlife lessons of her spirit guide Ashraf, she obsessively watches over her bereaved husband Saul and best friend Micaela. Judith's initial concern for Saul's adjustment to widowerhood morphs into jealous anxiety after watching Saul become romantically involved with their gorgeous and greedy accountant. Judith figures that she can fulfill her responsibilities in the afterlife and protect her husband at the same time. She discovers, however, that meddling busybodies who show up late for work are just as annoying in the afterlife as in her past life, but with far more serious consequences.
REMOTE CONTROL is one part humorous chick lit and one part clever paranormal fantasy, stirred with inspirational wisdom and served with some startling plot twists. The book you finish is not the same on you started, but you enjoy them both and learn a lot on the journey.
--Lisa Ciurro forTampa Book Buzz
"Judith dies unexpectedly at age thirty-one, during a relatively routine surgical procedure brought on by an unexpected health situation. New to the after-life, Judith finds herself trying out her limits, moving quickly from operating room view to mortuary to graveside ceremony, where she discovers that the rabbi's and mourners' prayers bathe her spirit in total onrush of love that she has never before experienced. In addition, she realizes afterward at the mourners' gathering that the simple negativity of criticism and sarcasm render her heavy and dull; so she decides it's time to move on to the further arenas of life in spirit.
Judith is introduced to Ashraf, her spirit guide, and discovers that even spirits have guides. She also learns that soul evolution requires many lifetimes; no one is perfected during just a single incarnation. Ash reveals that as Judith's muse, he had inspired her love of poetry and desire to write it. Judith determines to concentrate on her spiritual growth, but sometimes she can't resist a visit to her former home; and when she discovers that her widower Saul has suddenly become taken with their lovely accountant Mary Lynn, Judith decides someone with a wiser perspective than theirs needs to step in and take control.
Remote Control is an endearing look at the afterlife with wisdom and joy. We come away with the wise admonition to relinquish what we can no longer control, in order to move onward and upward in our own spiritual evolution patterns. Judith is a well-developed character and rings true to life, as do the secondary characters. I shall be interested to see further from this author."
-- Eveline Soors for Euro-Reviews
"A remarkable novel…Cynthia writes with gentle wisdom and an uncanny ability to create funny and charming characters which touch the heart…one woman’s journey from the physical to the spiritual world…it’s about adjustments, making choices, and about self-discovery. But most of all it’s about the realization that loving sometimes means ultimately learning how to let go. A must read…"
-- Chad Bowles for BookCoveReviews.Com
"Even death can’t stop Judith McBride from controlling things like keeping her husband away from their sexy, yet dangerous accountant! Loved the humor, sensitivity, and enlightenment in Remote Control and how in the end, a simple truth remains: spiritual growth means relinquishing control and giving to a higher power."
-- Shon Bacon for ChickLitGurrl.com
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