Zen and the Art of Killing Your Self

Zen is a misanthropic grad student of physics and religion who wants to kill his Self before it kills him, if he can figure out where he ends and it begins. Ellie wants to save him but he won't let her into his life. Her ability to surgically remove a soul's facade with her penetrating, laser-scalpel eyes terrifies him. She's every broken piece of him that's missing, but someone would have to die to get them together. Fortunately, an old friend sends himself on a recon mission to the afterlife, and Zen has to go home to bury what's left. Ellie insists on coming along to share the driving. There's just no arguing with her. Will it be a perfect opportunity for her to help him bury his Self along the way or can she save him before it's too late?

A light-hearted but dark romantic but philosophical comedy about absolutely nothing except everything that really matters. 

"From the first words to the last, you will be taken on a journey unlike any other. My hope is that you instantly fall in love with Zen, Ellie, and their journey. There are so many little gems just waiting to be discovered. When they are, it's simply magical. You will take in the last words and want to flip the book over and start again only to discover more layers to the story." —MJ

Chris Crabtree is a singer/songwriter/musician who provided the soundtrack music for Corporate FM, a film that won the award for best documentary at the Kansas City Film Festival. He currently works for Apple, Inc. His novel, Zen and the Art of Killing Your Self, is best enjoyed while listening to its companion soundtrack, Counterfeit Heart, which he also wrote, produced, and recorded. His work has appeared in Children's Hope International Quarterly, Licking River Review, Diverse Voices Quarterly, Forge, Soundings East, and Helix.