Fortuna

This story within a story will take you from contemporary California to Renaissance Florence with the beauty and intrigue of each...and the dimensions between the two collide, as have the lines between reality and make-believe.

Longing for escape from his mundane existence as a Stanford computer science major, Jason Lind signs up to play Fortuna, an online role-playing game set in Renaissance Florence.From the first, fateful mouse click, Jason tumbles into the vibrant, lush, anonymous world of Fortuna. Swept up in this highly complex, highly addictive game of fame, fortune, and power, Jason quickly transitions from casual gamer to compulsive player.Soon tangled up in a steamy virtual love triangle, Jason becomes obsessed with breaking Fortuna's code of anonymity. But Fortuna is anything but fun and games, and when a sizable debt incurred in the game spills over into reality, Jason is forced to leverage the legacy of his father, a high-tech legend killed in a car accident years before, to pay off the debt.What started as a great escape may only leave Jason trapped, as the game that transported Jason deep into the past exposes a shocking, present-day reality.In the world of Fortuna, it's not how you play the game; it's if you survive.

“Role-playing gamers will best appreciate Steven’s debut.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Combining high-tech computer gaming with the mystery of who is behind the game, Fortuna is a virtual reality thriller.”

—Consuming Books One Page at a Time

“A wonderful exploration of the slippery slope of the seduction from a virtual world, Fortuna is intricately detailed, well-researched, and thoroughly developed.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Fortuna delivers a fine balancing act between providing a history lesson of ancient Italy and giving us a thrilling mystery.”

—Reader Views

“Renaissance history, gaming and economics come together in this improbable yet enjoyable suspense.”

—Monsters & Critics

“A highly engaging high-tech action thriller that is a wonderful blend of science fiction, fantasy, history, and romance. As addictive as the game for which is named.”

—The Gumshoe Review