Darrell Bain, multiple Eppie Award winner, and Stephanie Osborn, author of the science fiction mystery Burnout: The Mystery of Space Shuttle STS-281, are collaborating on the next novel in the Cresperian Human By Choice series, The Y Factor. Osborn's mentor, Travis "Doc" Taylor, and Bain co-authored the first novel of the series, Human By Choice, published by Twilight Times Books. The Y Factor will also be published by Twilight Times.

The series concerns the first contact between the pacifistic natives of Cresperia, whose planetary government is a loose political anarchy, and the inhabitants of Earth. The Cresperians have a unique ability to tap into the quantum foam, not only to read general impressions of events, situations, and emotions, but to manipulate certain aspects of their reality - up to and including their own forms and the forms of humans for whom they care. This ability to manipulate the humans includes healing and delaying aging, both highly desired abilities, making them valuable "commodities." Upon crash-landing on Earth in the first novel, several of the "Crispies" take human form and must contend with the strange customs and political environments of Earth.

The Y Factor picks up where Human By Choice leaves off, with the international race to obtain Crispies and Crispy technology. But there's a catch. Crispies are delicately balanced creatures, and not all of the nations after them - good OR bad - understand just HOW delicate. Can they even survive, let alone thrive, on Earth? And what if more Crispies come? What happens then? And who - or what - else is out there?

The Y Factor is a fascinating continuation in what promises to be an exciting series.