· 2018
Death. Murder. Betrayal. An inevitable undoing. The selfish and terrible actions of humans rarely go unpunished in a world where Fate is a cruel mistress and Karma can be more vengeful than a woman scorned. Hell is real, and it exists here on Earth as several characters in the stories contained within can attest as they face war, jealousy, domestic violence, and supernatural forces. Some face Hell on a literal level as others discover it is one of their own making. None were prepared for the reality of their consequences. Authors Michael Barron, Eric M. Battaglia, Eddie Cantrell, Michael R. Collins, Patrick Hackeling, Matthew Lett, J.A.W. McCarthy, Karen Metcalf, Ben Nein, Liam Quinn, RL Schumacher, Caleb Stephens, C.J. Thomson, Jackie Valacich, and J.S. Watts weave together dark tales that question how far one is willing to push to get what they desire and explore the consequences of those more interested in themselves than their fellow men and women.
Violently orphaned in a home invasion at age ten, Tracey Maxwell has spent her young life over achieving and guarding her fragile emotions. With the help of Seattle's Childharbor and the young girl she has taken under her wing, she is slowly healing. Her life seems to finally be falling into place when she is offered a coveted internship with the prestigious software company, Ascend Systems International (ASI), run by CEO and multi-millionaire Edward Crowne. But almost immediately she begins to uncover discrepancies in the company's overseas policies and unethical business practices. Used to getting everything he wants one way or another, Edward Crowne's arrogance and lack of conscience have helped propel him to the top of the international business scene. Then life throws him an impossible curve ball when he learns he needs a heart transplant and is probably not going to live long enough to get a donor. In desperation he turns to his child-hood friend and world renowned heart surgeon, Wayne Trenton, who has recently returned to the States from the Middle East, after serving as the long time personal heart physician/surgeon to King Al Saud. The two friends have devised a plan to get Edward the heart he so desperately needs. Tracey finds herself on the run for her life as Edward Crowne's ability to cover every base of a complex plan is tested.