The Lost Petal of the White Rose

The Lost Petal of The White Rose is the tale of Melibea Paz. The novel is set in America in the near future. Melibea, or Mel, is a post-graduate student of astronomy searching for an undiscovered supernova in The White Rose Galaxy. There she finds what appears to be a supernova, only to have it mysteriously disappear. The astronomers and astro-physicists across the world determine that the supernova, and a large portion of The White Rose Galaxy, have been consumed by the birthing of an entirely different universe than our own. What's more, the other universe's faster-than-light Big Bang expansion is discovered to be moving directly toward Earth. A scientific consensus grows espousing that research and development must be done to find a way to prevent the encroachment of the foreign universe before its too late. But that will cost money-- lots and lots of money. Melibea and her mentor, Dr. Trailing Arbutus Banks, take their case for appropriations to the U. S. Congress. But the multi-national corporations and powerful elite forces have completed their co-opting of American government, and money spent to avoid a coming catastrophe to Earth's very existence would divert funds from and further damage their own self-interest--profits. So congress and the monied interests stubbornly resist giving help to save Earth, even in the face of scientific consensus that something must be done, and quickly. Meanwhile, Melibea finds herself torn between her problematic relationship with the man she loves, and her growing affection for her fellow astronomy grad student, giving her conflicts to resolve on Earth, as well as the conflicts in battling the menace approaching Earth from more than 300 million light years away. Earth is eventually saved, but in a plot twist, from an entirely unexpected source arriving from deep in our own universe. The novel's heroes, Melibea and Dr. Banks, are the two main protagonists, both strong females who never say quit. The Lost Petal of The White Rose bends the genre of science fiction into the background of a dysfunctional American government that has become the enemy of truth. And amid all the SF and political drama and love interests, appear a number of quirky characters and loads of humor.