Showing results by author "Steven K. Smith" in All Categories

Bryce never meant to disappear. At the start of his senior year of high school, his focus was on getting into college, running track, and spending as much time as possible with his girlfriend, Maggie. But a cryptic invitation to join an elite computer programming unit at one of the world’s top high-tech gaming companies unlocks a level of intrigue and deception far beyond his imagination.

In compiling this anthology, it was my intention to focus on stories of crime motivated by hate. Not racially, politically, or religiously motivated violence, even though these are labeled ‘hate crimes’ in contemporary media.

Bryce would never have just left. Thirteen-year-old Zach knows that deep in his bones. Something terrible must have happened to his older brother. So when the green-eyed fox leads him to a hidden message from Bryce deep within their favorite game’s virtual universe, Zach knows he must act quickly. Teaming up with his best friend, a skillful classmate, and Bryce’s girlfriend, Zach races into a real-world mission to decode his brother’s mysterious warning. But when a deadly Ranger leaves the computer-generated landscape to come after Zach and his friends, they may run out of lives.