Bio: Dan is the content specialist at Fictionwise, Inc.

A rich blend of history and fiction, this story gives the reader a compelling insight into the world of the original Renaissance Man, and takes you back to 15th century Florence in great detail with all its grubbiness and zealous creativity. Dann expertly weaves in the royal pressures of politics with the financial realities of an artisan, all while keeping true to the Master's famous flying machine sketches. For the scientifically astute reader, Dann closely examines the experimentation process Da Vinci would have followed to correct the mistakes of each design along his sacred quest for flight ... all while he faces his own insecurities concerning the very real and immediate personal danger each test presents. The story also brings into focus the immense awe, even fear, that the public and the church had concerning the timeless question of man flying into the heavens, and the added twist of a wager on the outcome of the final test flight brings the story to an exciting and thoughtful conclusion.

Iran is a complex labyrinth of ancient customs and modern technology, and Sheffield guides the reader along a cultural learning curve from the perspective of an American re-visiting Teheran for the first time since the fall of the Shah. Drawing from the infamous 1989 press conference where scientists Pons and Fleischmann prematurely announced their discovery of cold fusion, this detective story follows the intimately personal affairs of an American agent in his attempt to discover if Iran has, against all odds, discovered the secret of an unlimited energy source. The personal and political balance of choices that are presented throughout the story serve to enlighten the reader to the differing national and international perspectives that a discovery of this magnitude would present. In the end, the reader is shown how inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of places ... and how important it is to show respect to the soul from which it came.

This story pushes the edge of current technology just a little bit, envisioning a public shuttle service for travelers who wish to spend a leisurely vacation on the moon, and crews building orbiting space stations around Mars and Neptune. When a man's handicap becomes a crucial asset during an emergency in earth's orbit, the experience opens up possibilities that he could only envy of his brother, the pilot of the stricken space vessel. Burstein's characters are closely real, with all the doubts and inspirations that would accompany career disappointment, family struggles, and personal success during any period of human history ... real or imagined. Above all, this is a story of triumph in the face of adversity, and wins my personal award for the top Fictionwise Feel-Good Story.