Lane Bristow
Slice of Heaven is the story of a young restaurateur named Sidney Karl Myers, a man haunted by the tragic events that led to his inheritence of the family restuarant, By The Slice Steak and Pizza. Withdrawn from his employees, once his friends and coworkers, Sidney evades the pain in his life by working, working, working, in a small town overrun with anger and drug abuse. Finding good help sometimes seems impossible, and Sidney has lost count of the workers he has had to fire for tardiness, drug use, or being "a slack-jawed dork."
Sidney’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of one Angel Bates, an ever-cheery young woman, who has inexplicably never had a job before. Although frequently antagonized by Angel’s brutal honesty and evasiveness in regards to her past, Sidney soon realizes that this enigmatic girl is the closest friend he is ever likely to have. Together, Sidney and Angel find out what really counts as "those happy things" in life, while dealing with issues of abandonment, personal loss, drug addiction, hatred, and possibly even murder.
Slice of Heaven is a novel that examines what the boundaries of friendship are, and will leave the readers asking questions about themselves. It is an eclectic mix of laughs, tears, hatred, forgiveness, and love.
Lane Bristow began writing short stories as soon as he learned to write in the first grade, and has never lost his love for the written word. Growing up on a remote ranch in the northern foothills of British Columbia, Canada, Lane passed the time and entertained friends and family with his humourous short stories about life on the ranch. After graduating high school, Lane enrolled in the Long Ridge Writers Group Correspondence Course for Freelance Writers, and spent the next year being rejected by every major magazine he could submit to, from Outdoor Life to Rolling Stone. Persistence eventually paid off, and two of his short stories appeared in Farm&Ranch Living, and Small Farmers Journal. Working at a pizza shop in the evenings to pay the bills inspired Lane's first novel, Slice of Heaven. Believe it or not, the part about the snake living in the pizza delivery vehicle is true. Lane is currently attempting to publish two new novels, while working on his fourth.
“I’m taking off for awhile,” I announced, zipping up my jacket. “Call my cell if it gets busy. I can be back here in two minutes.”
It was happening again, just like on the day that I first met Karen. They were all staring at me.
“Why?” Kat and Cindy asked the burning question at the same instant.
“I’m taking off for awhile,” I repeated dryly. “Call my cell if it gets busy. I can be back here in two minutes.”
“Sid, it’s Saturday,” Clancy said. “You don’t leave on Saturdays.”
My eyes narrowed.
“I’m sorry, Clancy. Was that an order?”
“No, no,” he replied hastily. “That was an observation. I’ve never seen you leave on a Saturday. Not since … ever.”
“Well, I’m leaving! Call if it gets busy.”
“Why?” This time, all three of them asked.
“Because I just won a multimillion dollar lotto, and I’m going to my new mansion just over the hilltop to celebrate with eight beautiful blondes, a dozen movie stars, a retired British rock star, and my own pet rhinoceros, and none of you are invited! I do not answer to you! Cindy, that’s table three’s order, and I specifically heard them say they wanted a caesar, not garden. Change it. Croutons, people, croutons!”
“Oh, my goodness gracious.” Kat looked just a bit pale, her mouth in the shape of the letter ‘O.’ “He’s evasive, and he’s cranky. Guys … he’s got a date!”
The laugh that Clancy tried to cough back into his throat was the harshest blow to his job security that I could remember.
“Yes, I have a date,” I sighed. “So, when I say ‘Call if it gets busy…' Don’t call unless you see The Conqueror, The Killer, Famine, and Death riding ghostly horses through the night sky, looking very, very hungry.”
