Mike is a lonely boy who stutters. When the neighborhood bullies are about to hurt him again, a stray dog intervenes and scares the boys away. He names the dog Scrag and they become best friends. After a fun day in the snow, the two are on their way home when they hear cries for help. Mike investigates. He discovers that a few young skaters have fallen through a hole in the ice. Not sure what to do, Mike must think fast. He may be their only hope for survival.
Steve R. Romano's fascination with science fiction started as a child after seeing his first episode of the original Star Trek series. In high school, he became a bigger fan after being assigned to read many of the well-known classics in a science fiction English class. Romano's interest in science fiction was further heightened when his sci-fi heroes - Gene Roddenberry, Theodore Sturgeon and Ray Bradbury - spoke at his high school at one of the assemblies. Mr. Roddenberry showed the students a film of Star Trek bloopers, it being a treasure from Gene's private collection, never shown before publicly at that time. Romano's pastime entertaining guests at renaissance festivals as his witty, costumed character "Laktos, the Intolerable" was the inspiration behind the lead character in his Dreams of Betrayal series. After his friends read several of his amusing stories that were written for their benefit, they encouraged him to take things a step further. He then compiled his collection of tales into a short novel. After an editor critiqued it and gave him valuable pointers, he was ready to start the long journey ahead that led to Steve finding his passion, being a full-time author. He's published 13 books.
Heidi Bosch Romano is an artist who enjoys creating traditional and digital art; nature photography; writing, editing and illustrating books; and designing websites. Heidi's parents were talented artists who encouraged her to draw and paint at an early age. At various well-known animation studios, she learned tips about storytelling, and at a global provider of publishing and educational services, she learned print production: the process of turning rough manuscripts into camera-ready art for professional four-color printing. Between her upbringing and on-the-job training, she's well-suited for her favorite creative endeavor: co-producing with her husband Steve R. Romano, family-oriented books for children, action-adventure stories for middle-grade kids, and sci-fi novels for adults.
