Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Lover: 101 True Stories of Soul Mates Brought Together by Divine Intervention

Falling in love always seems like an enchantment for those involved, so it's no surprise that Ford has managed to rustle up 101 stories of mystical meetings. Divided into nine sections (Love Lost and Regained; Soul Mates from Past Lives; Destiny and Love at First Sight; etc.), this collection is sure to succeed with loyal readers of the popular Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul books. This latest addition continues the series' emphasis on signs, premonitions, healing and other New Age concerns. Many of the writers asked God or the universe or Spirit for their soul mate before their special encounter; Ford herself offers a description of how she met her own husband while requesting the blessing of the Divine Mother Ammachi. Other selections describe the fateful reunion of junior high school sweethearts, the secret communication of spouses after death and the d j vu love of a dolphin trainer and a romance novelist. A few contributors are well-known, including Scott Peck and Kenny Loggins. Skeptical readers will be unimpressed by the ""conspiracy of improbability"" that underlies all these tales, many of which could be viewed as ordinary pickups or blind dates. But Ford delivers a collection that has all the warmth and frothy sweetness her fans could want. (Jan. 2) Forecast: Ford is president of the Ford Group, a PR firm that handles, among other luminaries, Deepak Chopra and Mark Victor Hansen. So expect plenty of publicity for this title, which should prove as popular as its predecessors. Chopra's intro, and blurbs by Neale Donald Walsh and Jack Canfield (who writes the Chicken Soup books with Hansen) should attract buyers, as will the book's pub date, within striking distance of Valentine's Day.