Touring, writing, and talking to my characters...

The Divide by Zero blog tour is up and running. Click on the links to find the latest stops--an interview with garage-guy Peter, an author interview, a book spotlight with purchase information, a guest post on friends and e-friends, and an excerpt where you can meet Peter's estranged wife Mary and her rather demanding mother. There's another author interview coming up soon, and hopefully some book reviews in the not too distant future... watch this space.

Writing a character interview is fun, taking the questions out as I walk on the green, hearing him (Peter in this case) talk in my head, trying not to annoy him too much. Then I meet the neighbors' dogs and watch them chase spherical objects. Neighbors ask how my summer was and delight me with their delight at news of my book. Suddenly I feel like a real author as well as a marketer and book reviewer.

Then I come home to read, write, answer questions and post some more reviews, so grab a coffee and here are four more books for your reading pleasure.

First is Deanna Nowadnick's Fruit of My Spirit, a lovely Christian devotional based around the fruits of the Spirit. I enjoyed the way the author pairs each Biblical fruit with apples, bananas, grapes etc., with a Greek word and meaning, and with a very relevant human behavior. Musical hymns, beautiful prayers, and honest emotion color the pages as the author reframes her own life story while showing others how God is framing theirs. Enjoy with a well-balanced 3-star cup of coffee--this is one to read and re-read.

Next is The Tenth Legion by Mark Arsuaga. Fourth in the Subspecies series, it restarts the story from the point of view of new characters at the beginning of the twenty-second century. The author continues his intriguing blend of faith, myth and paranormal, future history and social commentary, erotic romance and intriguing adventure, adding police procedural and spare opera to the mix. And it really works. The novel stands alone pretty well too, with pleasingly quick recaps of the relevant past and a nicely haunting glimpse of the future. Enjoy with a 4-star rich complex coffee.

Next are two teen/young adult novels, starting with The Search for Artemis by P. D. Griffith. With echoes of Harry Potter, X-Men and Ender's Game, this novel starts slowly but builds into an exciting and intriguing tale with interesting characters, devious politics and a fascinating plot. Enjoy with a 4-star complex cup of coffee.

In contrast, Ann Herrick's The Real Me is firmly anchored in the real world. Written from the point of view of a slightly overweight teen girl it tells of her year of change, losing weight and gaining self-confidence while dreaming of boyfriends and success. The author nicely avoids those overly adjectival descriptions of dreamboat affections and creates very real characters in a very real world, with a clear readable humorous and honest voice. Enjoy with a well-balanced full-flavored 3-star coffee.