Zero Sum (57 page)

“Nice close,” I said through my sweat-soaked mask.

“Mmm,” she muttered. Even during the trauma cases, I’d never seen her raise an eyebrow.
 

I went to remove my gown. After sixteen hours in the OR, all I wanted was a date with a urinal.

“One last question, Mr. Shier.”

I froze. Not again. This surgeon had been pelting me with questions through the entire bloody surgery. I’d known the abdominal vessels front and backwards, and she’d still managed to stump me.

“Yes, ma’am?”

The nurses paused in their work, eager to watch the medical student squirm.
 

The surgeon removed her mask, and her steely eyes met mine.
 

Perfusion to the stomach is provided by the left and right gastric arteries, the left and right gastro-omental arteries, and the short gastric artery. The left gastric comes directly off the celiac trunk, but the others…

“When’s the next book coming out?”

I blinked. “Sorry?”

“The sequel. I just finished the first one on my Kindle.”

“Oh.” I gulped. “Um…soon?”

“Oh, great. I really liked Rei.” Her brow furrowed. “Don’t you dare kill her off.”

I shivered. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll try not to.”

I write because I love the rush of unwrapping a story in my mind. It’s my way of decompressing. The way I deal with the hard realities of my job. But I also write for readers. Readers who are waiting for the next volume. Readers who are invested in my characters. That knowledge weighs heavy on me. I don’t want to let them down. But I should be grateful for the added stress. It’s forcing me to become a better writer, just like all those tough questions in the operating room help build the next batch of doctors.

Much of the good in this book can be attributed to my dear friend and editor, Jon Steller. We might both be in medical school, but we still spend our nights dreaming of dragons. Jon is not afraid to tell me when something I write sucks, and he’s big enough to ‘encourage’ me to change it. There are no good books without good editors (that’s a dirty little secret that every author knows), but it is also true that editors can only fix so much. Jon did his best. Any remaining crud I must own.

I’m in Jordan Kimura’s debt for her hard work on
Zero Sum’s
cover. Countless readers have taken a chance on my writing because of her engaging designs. I’m confident this brand new cover will deliver bushels more.

I want to send out a big I’m-not-worthy to my beta readers: Sheela Damle, Karen Shier, Nicole Steller, Rombod Rahimian, Trevor Pelton, Stephanie Lago, Stephanie Kong, and Stefanie Mooney. Next time, I’ll try to remember the difference between ‘breath’ and ‘breathe’.

Finally, to Mrs. Meera Shier: Dear boss, thank you for tolerating all my hijinx. And, yes, you did inspire a certain character…although you have a much better sense of fashion.

About the Author

Brian Justin Shier was born in the New Jersey and spent his childhood in Las Vegas, Nevada. He went to college at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied psychology and marketing. Degree in hand, he moved to Los Angeles to seek his fortune. There, he worked in business for a few years before deciding he needed a career change. He is currently pursuing his MD somewhere in Southern California.

For news about the author or the Zero Sight Series, check out (
www.bjustinshier.com
). There he blathers on about random things and occasionally announces new novels.

If you enjoyed the trip, please let other folks know about this guy’s novels. Indie authors sink or swim by your advocacy. It’s up to you to tell us what you like.