Dividing Time
Dividing time feels a bit like dividing by zero--the answer's undefined; the process is messy; and nothing works out the way it should. This last few weeks I've been trying to divide my time between:
preparing our writing group's journal for publication
getting ready for our local Christmas Bazaar
marketing Divide by Zero
fixing the next draft of Infinite Sum
editing for my publisher, and
catching up on reading and reviews.
So, the journal's almost ready; the friends sharing my table at the bazaar all know what's going on (I think); the book... I guess I'll wait for last month's sales figures to find out how it's selling; Infinite Sum is stretching to infinity; editing's a pleasing change of pace; and here are some more book reviews.
Enjoy coffee, and read!
Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs is a lovely Victorian novella to start the Christmas season. A childhood accident's repercussions are tearing a family apart, just when they most need to stand together. Meanwhile a lonely stranger on a train decides it's time to make ammends for his own past misdeeds. The story's pleasing, the trains and snow are genuinely atmospheric, and there's just the right touch of Christian faith and hope. Enjoy a 2-star lively cup of coffee with this tale and you'll be ready for the season.
If you're still remembering scares from the Halloween season, these next books should be fun. Cinema of Shadows, by Michael West, is a classic haunting tale of ghostbusters investigating a deserted cinema. The professor's expecting proof that ghosts exist, but even he's not ready for the mystery behind the ghosts in this scary tale. Good characters, nice romance, and some vividly scary scenes make this a great scary tale to enjoy with a 5-star bold dark intense cup of coffee.
Angelkiller by H, David Blalock offers a different kind of action and mystery in a near-future world where soldiers in the Army might have histories tracing back to the Dark Ages. But the war of Good and Evil started before those Dark Ages, and Evil won. Jonah Mason tries to balance the needs of his colleagues against the needs of the world and just might end up working for the wrong side in this intriguing tale where angels, demons and virtual reality all play their part. Enjoy with a 4-star rich, elegant, complex cup of coffee.
Traitor Angel is the sequel to Angelkiller (though the first novel stands alone perfectly well). I'm going to post reviews of Traitor Angel next Monday but you can be sure, it's highly recommended too. I can't wait for part three!
Meanwhile, continuing an angelic theme but heading from speculative fiction to speculative fact, it was interesting to find myself reading Michael Goldsworthy's And Did Those Feet at the same time as the previous two books. Intricately researched and beautifully illustrated, this large book combines theories about Arthurian legends, Devon tin-mines, pyramids, ley lines,the Turin shroud, and even the English carol "I saw three ships." Complemented with lots of complex and fascinating translations of ancient documents, great illustrations, and mysterious musings, it's definitely a fascinating tome giving the reader much to think about while drinking a 4-star thoroughly complex coffee.
Finally, and on a much lighter note, there's D. A. Adams' Brotherhood of Dwarves. Beautifully illustrated, intricately planned, and a truly enticing fantasy, this tells of a young dwarf finding his present on a quest to find his past and future. Fans of fantasy action adventure should enjoy it with a well-balanced 3-star cup of coffee.
So, that's it for books I've finished. Now I'd better get back to the ones I'm reading...
preparing our writing group's journal for publication
getting ready for our local Christmas Bazaar
marketing Divide by Zero
fixing the next draft of Infinite Sum
editing for my publisher, and
catching up on reading and reviews.
So, the journal's almost ready; the friends sharing my table at the bazaar all know what's going on (I think); the book... I guess I'll wait for last month's sales figures to find out how it's selling; Infinite Sum is stretching to infinity; editing's a pleasing change of pace; and here are some more book reviews.
Enjoy coffee, and read!
Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs is a lovely Victorian novella to start the Christmas season. A childhood accident's repercussions are tearing a family apart, just when they most need to stand together. Meanwhile a lonely stranger on a train decides it's time to make ammends for his own past misdeeds. The story's pleasing, the trains and snow are genuinely atmospheric, and there's just the right touch of Christian faith and hope. Enjoy a 2-star lively cup of coffee with this tale and you'll be ready for the season.
If you're still remembering scares from the Halloween season, these next books should be fun. Cinema of Shadows, by Michael West, is a classic haunting tale of ghostbusters investigating a deserted cinema. The professor's expecting proof that ghosts exist, but even he's not ready for the mystery behind the ghosts in this scary tale. Good characters, nice romance, and some vividly scary scenes make this a great scary tale to enjoy with a 5-star bold dark intense cup of coffee.
Angelkiller by H, David Blalock offers a different kind of action and mystery in a near-future world where soldiers in the Army might have histories tracing back to the Dark Ages. But the war of Good and Evil started before those Dark Ages, and Evil won. Jonah Mason tries to balance the needs of his colleagues against the needs of the world and just might end up working for the wrong side in this intriguing tale where angels, demons and virtual reality all play their part. Enjoy with a 4-star rich, elegant, complex cup of coffee.
Traitor Angel is the sequel to Angelkiller (though the first novel stands alone perfectly well). I'm going to post reviews of Traitor Angel next Monday but you can be sure, it's highly recommended too. I can't wait for part three!
Meanwhile, continuing an angelic theme but heading from speculative fiction to speculative fact, it was interesting to find myself reading Michael Goldsworthy's And Did Those Feet at the same time as the previous two books. Intricately researched and beautifully illustrated, this large book combines theories about Arthurian legends, Devon tin-mines, pyramids, ley lines,the Turin shroud, and even the English carol "I saw three ships." Complemented with lots of complex and fascinating translations of ancient documents, great illustrations, and mysterious musings, it's definitely a fascinating tome giving the reader much to think about while drinking a 4-star thoroughly complex coffee.
Finally, and on a much lighter note, there's D. A. Adams' Brotherhood of Dwarves. Beautifully illustrated, intricately planned, and a truly enticing fantasy, this tells of a young dwarf finding his present on a quest to find his past and future. Fans of fantasy action adventure should enjoy it with a well-balanced 3-star cup of coffee.
So, that's it for books I've finished. Now I'd better get back to the ones I'm reading...
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