Lauren Smyth

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the first Christmas miracle. But miracles are still happening today and can happen in any time, space, or realm, as six authors explore in this Christmas anthology. "Captain's Conundrum" by Jake Tyson - After receiving superpowers, John Hudson has been hired by the U.S. government to serve as Captain Condor to a team of superheroes. But Hudson's years as a soldier in Afghanistan still haunt him as he wonders if God even exists. As Christmas draws near, Hudson wrestles with his past in order to determine how to best move forward with his life. "Clockwork Magi" by Daniel Peyton - In a thrilling steampunk retelling of the journey of the Magi, four magi and their young apprentice seek to follow a star that is unlike any they have seen. But with Herod's army following them through space, they soon find themselves on a mission to save the Child-King, Who will one day save the world. "The Amnesty Rule" by Lauren Smyth - When an English journalist is embedded in an Allied military unit during World War 2, he shares their experiences while also hiding his own. But as events begin to unfold, he must choose which side he is on and whom he will save-before it's too late. "Rescue: A Christmas Story" by Allen Steadham - An auto accident in a small Texas town brings two strangers with very different lives together on Christmas Eve. Will they survive the experience? "The Opposite of Luck" by Eric Landfried - Teddy is a hard luck case who wants to get a special Christmas gift for his young son, but everything seems to be working against him. What will it take for Teddy to finally catch a break? "A Tick in Time" by Parker J. Cole - When Elizabeth and Zeke crash into a man on their way home from church, they never imagined the journey he would send them on. Rogue time travelers have prevented the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, and these two "nobodies" must help. Can Elizabeth and Zeke restore history and prevent a worse disaster from happening?

Humanity has spread and colonized regions of the galaxies. As their reach expanded, countries, colonies, and planets joined to form the Federated Nations, providing a centralized government among the stars. Along with the Science Conglomerate-who explores and researches the unknown regions-and the Judicial Clerical Court-purveyors of truth, history, and justice-humanity discovers new beings, wondrous worlds, old temptations, and strength in horrendous trials. Astro Missionary by Daniel Peyton: The furthest reaches of scientific exploration have been expanded. Dr. Tony Henderson places a new Hubble Telescope in the Hubble network deep in space. However, the moment it activates, it discovers a strange anomaly. Seeking to answer the questions raised by this, Dr. Henderson discovers a human colony where there shouldn't be one. Little does he know the true depth of conspiracy he has just stepped into. In the midst of this great trial, God uses Tony to bring hope into the lives of the hopeless and loosens the grip of corruption overshadowing them. The Rookie by Eric Landfried: PFC Kalen Richardson's sharpshooting skills have earned him a spot on a team tracking the elusive rogue cleric, Alger Mander, to an alien jungle planet. Inexperienced and insecure, Kalen wonders how he, a barely trained rookie, can be of any help in a team of battle-hardened soldiers, unaware of all the twists and turns awaiting him. Haven by Lauren Smyth: A dying star. A one-person shelter. A robot for company. Life on a barely habitable planet might be lonely but it's also a great way to run from his past--or so Ozero thinks. But when an unfamiliar spaceship crash-lands near his shelter, Ozero is faced with a decision: will he seek revenge for the destruction of his family or will he find healing through forgiveness? The Fate of Transport 80-14 by Allen Steadham: Catastrophe strikes Transport 80-14 when passing near an uncharted nebula. Once a commander on the famous Resolution, Karen Liviana has retired and now serves aboard this doomed transport as the main cook. Almost no one knows who Liviana is. But all that will change if she is forced to resume her role as commander. She must face her past, deal with the perilous present, and risk the future she had hoped for herself and her son...that is, if they can make it out of this crisis alive. The Interview of Malachi Jones by Daphne Self: For Cleric Malachi Jones, his faith directs his path. It was a simple cargo run from Nether Outpost to Alpha Prime--until Protocol Alpha's priority message reached him. Now he's on a rescue mission. An exotic nebula threatens Nexus 721 and the Nomad, yet Malachi is faced with a choice...He's destined to death if he doesn't; destined to Hell if he does. A Free Man by Jake Tyson: When Wil Freeman is offered a commute on his prison sentence, he jumps at the chance. Accompanied on his mission by an upbeat probationary officer named Mona, Wil must face the ghosts of his past before he can look forward to a better future. Safeship by P. S. Patton: After a dangerous heist goes south, Bhirus finds sanctuary with his fellow Upper Thieves in one of their clandestine Safeships. Once aboard, he begins to suspect that the ship's crew may not be what they seem, and he finds himself confined to a Safeship that may be anything but safe.

Humanity has spread and colonized regions of the galaxies. As their reach expanded, countries, colonies, and planets joined to form the Federated Nations, providing a centralized government among the stars.Along with the Science Conglomerate-who explores and researches the unknown regions-and the Judicial Clerical Court-purveyors of truth, history, and justice-humanity discovers new beings, wondrous worlds, old temptations, and strength in horrendous trials.Astro Missionary by Daniel Peyton: The furthest reaches of scientific exploration have been expanded. Dr. Tony Henderson places a new Hubble Telescope in the Hubble network deep in space. However, the moment it activates, it discovers a strange anomaly. Seeking to answer the questions raised by this, Dr. Henderson discovers a human colony where there shouldn't be one. Little does he know the true depth of conspiracy he has just stepped into. In the midst of this great trial, God uses Tony to bring hope into the lives of the hopeless and loosens the grip of corruption overshadowing them.The Rookie by Eric Landfried: PFC Kalen Richardson's sharpshooting skills have earned him a spot on a team tracking the elusive rogue cleric, Alger Mander, to an alien jungle planet. Inexperienced and insecure, Kalen wonders how he, a barely trained rookie, can be of any help in a team of battle-hardened soldiers, unaware of all the twists and turns awaiting him.Haven by Lauren Smyth: A dying star. A one-person shelter. A robot for company. Life on a barely habitable planet might be lonely but it's also a great way to run from his past--or so Ozero thinks. But when an unfamiliar spaceship crash-lands near his shelter, Ozero is faced with a decision: will he seek revenge for the destruction of his family or will he find healing through forgiveness?The Fate of Transport 80-14 by Allen Steadham: Catastrophe strikes Transport 80-14 when passing near an uncharted nebula. Once a commander on the famous Resolution, Karen Liviana has retired and now serves aboard this doomed transport as the main cook. Almost no one knows who Liviana is. But all that will change if she is forced to resume her role as commander. She must face her past, deal with the perilous present, and risk the future she had hoped for herself and her son...that is, if they can make it out of this crisis alive.The Interview of Malachi Jones by Daphne Self: For Cleric Malachi Jones, his faith directs his path. It was a simple cargo run from Nether Outpost to Alpha Prime--until Protocol Alpha's priority message reached him. Now he's on a rescue mission. An exotic nebula threatens Nexus 721 and the Nomad, yet Malachi is faced with a choice...He's destined to death if he doesn't; destined to Hell if he does.A Free Man by Jake Tyson: When Wil Freeman is offered a commute on his prison sentence, he jumps at the chance. Accompanied on his mission by an upbeat probationary officer named Mona, Wil must face the ghosts of his past before he can look forward to a better future.Safeship by P.S. Patton: After a dangerous heist goes south, Bhirus finds sanctuary with his fellow Upper Thieves in one of their clandestine Safeships. Once aboard, he begins to suspect that the ship's crew may not be what they seem, and he finds himself confined to a Safeship that may be anything but sa

The story begins in darkness-literally-as Ari wakes up to realize that staying locked in her room won't pay her electricity bills. So when she's offered a job with the National Drug Enforcement Bureau, she's forced to accept or starve. This is her last chance for a new start. Except, the next day, one of her teammates is dead.The police call it a suicide, but Ari knows better. The night of her teammate's death, she found a cryptic riddle taped to her door that poses five possible killers: Ari, her three teammates, and a mysterious "other" who just might be the city's top drug dealer. Nobody can be trusted. Suddenly, Ari finds herself dragged into a wild game of anonymity, desperation, and regret that leaves her with a choice: forgive and accept her past, or try to keep it hidden no matter who it hurts.

Barely out of their teens and trained as assassins, Rigel members are taught that the Kalideyes are evil and must be destroyed.Makise--now named Maru--and her team fight against all odds during their training within the Rigel organization to rid her country of the dreaded and mysterious "people" called Kalideyes. Facing horrors, nightmares, depression, and injuries, how many will survive? As Maru prepares for her first mission, she realizes that relying on herself in times of crisis isn't enough, but her teammates are as broken as she is. When she is forced to fight for her life, who will be there to save her?It won't be long before Maru learns the truth behind the enemy and an even bigger truth, but are these enough to lead her to safety?

Alisen, a teenage girl, is routinely awakened by the same terrifying dream. The nightmare gets more detailed and longer every night, but the terror remains the same. She tries to dismiss it as something she ate, or maybe a book she read, but then she meets Kale. Kale is having the same nightmares. Believing there must be a deeper meaning, Alisen and Kale delve into politics and biblical prophecy. Together, they discover that everything in their dreams has a counterpart in real life, which leads them to believe that something terrible is coming. Is there any way to avoid this catastrophe and save thousands of lives? Or will their worst dreams come true? They must choose whether to turn to God or to each other to save them from the very end of the world. Stories of the Night combines political intrigue, biblical prophecy, and military adventure into a suspenseful story that leaves the reader with the choice of where to place their ultimate hope.