Nick and Amy have a great life - they live together, play together, and have just planned their European trip for the summer. On the first leg of their trip, they set off to Bucharest, Romania. On one of their guided tours, they break off from the pack and soon discover that everyone has mysteriously vanished without explanation and without a trace - not just the people in their tour, but everyone in the world. Confused and deeply saddened by this strange turn of events, the young couple try to make the most of the situation. The internet still works, but isn't getting updated, the town's fuel supply will likely last them a lifetime, and there's enough food so they will never go hungry. They have no choice but to adapt to this new life they have been thrust into, but all the while there is something unsettling about the unexplained disappearance of every person on the planet. They wanted adventure, and they found it. But this is just the beginning... *** Adventure, dystopian, mystery, technology, scifi, Romania, travel

A secret war. An empire in crisis. One final hope for victory. Wil Sietinen is driven by duty. Second-in-line to a preeminent family dynasty, the young noble would rather design starships than plot political schemes or battle strategies. But when Wil is kidnapped by a mysterious alien enemy, he discovers that a brutal interstellar war has been covertly waging for centuries-and only his unique telekinetic powers can end the conflict. Learning that he's the genetic endgame of a generations-long plan to win the war, Wil grapples with his daunting responsibility to become a leader with the skills needed for a decisive military victory. But when he realizes that the enemy isn't who he's been led to believe, Wil faces an impossible moral dilemma as the fate of two civilizations hangs in the balance. Caught between ruthless adversaries and unsure who to trust, can Wil build the right alliances to secure his galactic empire's future? This timeless space opera epic with adventure, telekinetic abilities, coming-of-age, romance, and intrigue will appeal to fans of Star Wars, Anne McCaffrey, Frank Herbert's Dune, and the Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith. Join three generations of the Sietinen family as they challenge destiny to win a war and lead a revolution that will change the course of an empire. "Enjoyable, galaxy-spanning epic series." - Publisher's Weekly ★★★★★ "Rich setting, engaging characters. Loving this series!" - M. D. Cooper, NY Times bestselling author NOTE: This contains a preview of the first six chapters of the book. Buy the complete book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DQ74GWQ Please vote and comment! Thank you for reading :-) ----- Text Copyright © 2015 by A.K. DuBoff Cover Copyright © 2024 A.K. DuBoff

This novella was a Hugo and Nebula nominee twenty years ago. I lost both to Charles Sheffield -- whom I married five years later. Life sometimes really is just as strange as fiction.