Modern Surprises was no ordinary company: the science division had secretly developed a portal that would take them anywhere. The plan was to use the portal to help those in need. However, a billionaire industrialist found out about the portal, and would lie, cheat, and steal to get it. But the Modern Surprises team was not about to let him have it.

Joan Marie Verba has a bachelor of physics degree. An experienced writer, she has many novels and nonfiction books in print, as well as a number of short stories. She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.

A note from the author: if you enjoy television shows that show how science works, Modern Surprises is for you. I definitely had fun with the novel, and intended for the characters to have fun, as well—because I believe science is fun (I have a physics degree). Through the novel, readers experience how technology needs to be tested, how there are are unexpected effects, and how technology doesn’t always work in the way the original design indicated it might (and that can be delightful). When the characters find that the portal, Arachne, responds to music, it adds yet another dimension to the technology. I hope you’ll have fun with the story, too.

Modern Surprises is available in both paperback and ebook formats