"The only certain way to win is to control both sides." Richard Banier, Fictional Chief, U.S. Marketing, NexChem Pharmaceuticals.
Stephen Crown's father lies dead. A victim of a prescription opioid overdose. It isn't fair and it was way too easy. A slip on a rainy night, too much self-applied pressure to return to work, and too little understanding of the drugs he was given led to this. A son left without his father.
But, Stephen knows something. He knows that words have power. His father taught him that. "Words have power, they can hurt or they can heal," he said, "And when they echo truth, they have the most power."
Angry and grief-filled, Stephen turns his blog, Discussion Questions from college humor to an expos on the pharmaceutical industry. Soon, he is asking questions and discovering things that the industry would rather go unnoticed. When Annia Belmont publishes an article about Stephen, his blog starts trending.
The power brokers at NexChem Pharmaceuticals decide to make a sport out of teaching him the price of speaking out against their practices. Their curriculum for Stephen includes hard-knocks courses in economics and biology -- specifically how the food chain works.
Stephen stands his ground and with the help of the hacker group, N3RD he begins to turn the tables. But, is it enough to win out against NexChem?
In The Infinite Echo, Ronnie Lee Graham takes on the issue of opioid addiction, in an unashamedly Christian-themed, but not sticky-sweet allegory of Saint Stephen. His characters live, work, and love in today's society. The social issues of war, stereotypes, religious differences, addiction, and corporate greed impact them, as they do us all. A must read for all the "small fish."
From the time he was ten, Stephen Crown was a champion of the little guy. His determination and courage in this tale echo the grace of the original Saint Stephen.
"A pure bell rang once. Its echo is Grace." The Real Life Grace Social Media Project.
About the author: Ronnie Lee Graham is a retired military officer who lives in Colorado. There, his "Gump-like" life continues with long runs, writing, and volunteer work. His wife Carrie and their dog, Roadie keep him company and remind him of the important things -- love, the importance of playing, and faith that God has it all under control.