SOL readers have been very patient with, and even kind to, my previous postings. This one, though, is going to test you in both regards.
I'll start off saying that I think it's one of the best pieces of fiction that I've ever written; certainly it's one of the ones I'm most proud of. At the same time, I have to acknowledge that it has two serious drawbacks in terms of attracting readers:
First, one of the codes I picked is "slow," and so it is in terms of plot development; it takes quite a few chapters before you'll get a real sense of where the story's going. If you stick with it I think you'll find it's worth your while. But it's going to take a little persistence. I'll give you a quick head's-up: pay attention to the stray cat who shows up in Chapter 3. But that's all the hints you get; you'll have to bear with me, if you choose, as my tale unfolds. I've started off with a posting of the first three chapters to get at least a little momentum going, but mostly it'll thereafter be one at a time. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
For those who are too impatient to wait, Castaway is published, as with all my other long fiction, on Amazon for Kindle (if you don't have a Kindle, a PC-and, I believe, also a Mac-emulation is available free on the site). The price is only three bucks a pop; like most authors, I'm looking for readers far more than dollars.
The second marketplace drawback of Castaway is-and this is fair warning-that its secondary theme, which plays a pretty big role in the story, is grand opera. Yep, I mean the stuff that was written by the likes of Mozart, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini (the last is especially relevant here) and those folks. You don't have to know anything about it it read my novel; the references, of which there are kind of a bunch, are clarified as we go along to the extent necessary for the reader to understand what's going on. Still, at least a little knowledge will help you get the most out of the novel; and I know that opera isn't a topic about which many people (especially afficionados of science fiction) have a great deal of knowledge, or care to investigate all that thoroughly. I kind of expect some low ratings as a consequence.
Once again, though, I think you may find the story enough to overcome these limitations. I very much enjoyed writing it, and hope you'll take pleasure from it.