May Your Zeroes be Divided (by)
It's nearly done. Release date is almost here. And Divide by Zero will soon be dividing zeroes everywhere.
Of course, I'm a mathematician so I'm not supposed to divide by zero if I can help it. The result's undefined, and tends toward something different as the denominator shrinks, depending on surrounding conditions. So what if the surroundings are a pleasant subdivision of a small town. The denominator is shrinking fast from his original dreams of perfection as a husband and father. And the threads of a small-town tapestry are stretched, at last, fully to breaking point...
It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave that tapestry. But when one thread breaks, it just might take a child to raise the subdivision. And dividing by zero might not mean infinite problems or cruelty. It just might mean hope, love, or forgiveness.
Thank you Second Wind Publishing for giving my first novel its second wind. And watch out for Infinite Sum, coming soon!
But every writer has to read as well, so here are some books I've been reading. And every reader needs coffee, so here are some coffee ratings to go with the books.
I've been working on my Tails of Mystery (coming soon from Linkville Press) as well as Divide by Zero, so perhaps I should start with some children's books. Harold and the Hot Rod, by Tonton Jim and E. Felix Lyon, is a fun tale of animals in a nicely timeless world of pirates, science experiments, steam engines and, of course, just one fine hot rod car. Enjoy with some lively easy-drinking two-star coffee and have fun.
Andy McBean and the War of Worlds, by Dale Kutzera, echoes H. G. Wells in a modern day tale of schoolboys, bullies, girls, cancer survival, science, science fiction and more, and it's great. Enjoy with a nicely rich and elegant four-star coffee.
Then, with Christmas approaching way faster than we think, try Flury: Journey of a Snowman, by Tony Bertauski. It's the sort of novel that pulls you so far in, so very quickly and cleverly, that you can't even wonder what's going on when Nicolaus Santa gets mentioned. There's a mystery to be solved after all, and a creepy mansion in Colorado where a diabetic fifteen-year-old deals with a strangely unfriendly grandmother, ditzy mom, and more. Enjoy with another elegant, complex four-star coffee. It's seriously odd, and fun.
I Am The Messenger, by Markus Zusak, is written for a similar age group - teens mature enough to cope with the odd swear word. It's loser protagonist drives a taxi, drinks beer, and plays cards with his friends. His life's going nowhere, then a different sort of cards start playing with him. Wise, intriguing, curious, and seriously odd, this is a cool book that keeps you guessing, expands the horizons, and satisfies with a thoroughly unexpected ending. Enjoy with some richly elegant four-star coffee, and odd drop of five-star dark intensity.
J. Kathleen Cheney's The Golden City is probably written for adult readers, but works well, at least in this first volume, for young adult too. It tells of an alternate history where seafolk are banished from the land as political leaders vie for power in Portugal. But sea-born Oriana is a spy, and there's evil magic afoot in the waters of a curious exhibit of art. Enjoy this tale with some bold dark intense five-star coffee.
Of course, I'm a mathematician so I'm not supposed to divide by zero if I can help it. The result's undefined, and tends toward something different as the denominator shrinks, depending on surrounding conditions. So what if the surroundings are a pleasant subdivision of a small town. The denominator is shrinking fast from his original dreams of perfection as a husband and father. And the threads of a small-town tapestry are stretched, at last, fully to breaking point...
It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave that tapestry. But when one thread breaks, it just might take a child to raise the subdivision. And dividing by zero might not mean infinite problems or cruelty. It just might mean hope, love, or forgiveness.
Thank you Second Wind Publishing for giving my first novel its second wind. And watch out for Infinite Sum, coming soon!
But every writer has to read as well, so here are some books I've been reading. And every reader needs coffee, so here are some coffee ratings to go with the books.
I've been working on my Tails of Mystery (coming soon from Linkville Press) as well as Divide by Zero, so perhaps I should start with some children's books. Harold and the Hot Rod, by Tonton Jim and E. Felix Lyon, is a fun tale of animals in a nicely timeless world of pirates, science experiments, steam engines and, of course, just one fine hot rod car. Enjoy with some lively easy-drinking two-star coffee and have fun.
Andy McBean and the War of Worlds, by Dale Kutzera, echoes H. G. Wells in a modern day tale of schoolboys, bullies, girls, cancer survival, science, science fiction and more, and it's great. Enjoy with a nicely rich and elegant four-star coffee.
Then, with Christmas approaching way faster than we think, try Flury: Journey of a Snowman, by Tony Bertauski. It's the sort of novel that pulls you so far in, so very quickly and cleverly, that you can't even wonder what's going on when Nicolaus Santa gets mentioned. There's a mystery to be solved after all, and a creepy mansion in Colorado where a diabetic fifteen-year-old deals with a strangely unfriendly grandmother, ditzy mom, and more. Enjoy with another elegant, complex four-star coffee. It's seriously odd, and fun.
I Am The Messenger, by Markus Zusak, is written for a similar age group - teens mature enough to cope with the odd swear word. It's loser protagonist drives a taxi, drinks beer, and plays cards with his friends. His life's going nowhere, then a different sort of cards start playing with him. Wise, intriguing, curious, and seriously odd, this is a cool book that keeps you guessing, expands the horizons, and satisfies with a thoroughly unexpected ending. Enjoy with some richly elegant four-star coffee, and odd drop of five-star dark intensity.
J. Kathleen Cheney's The Golden City is probably written for adult readers, but works well, at least in this first volume, for young adult too. It tells of an alternate history where seafolk are banished from the land as political leaders vie for power in Portugal. But sea-born Oriana is a spy, and there's evil magic afoot in the waters of a curious exhibit of art. Enjoy this tale with some bold dark intense five-star coffee.
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