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Vikki Kestell
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Stealthy Steps (Nanostealth Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Vikki Kestell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,310 ratings
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Review: An amiable scientist, a ruthless drug dealer, a vulnerable boy, a poisonous sister, and a Christian guy with a dark past. Throw in an unemployed woman who knows too much and you have one of the most unusual and intriguing books I've read in a long time. —A Kindle Reader

Review: A brilliant scientist, committed to the betterment of mankind, integrates multiple disciplines and perfects nanotechnology. The result is not merely nanobots; think “artificial intelligence in a cloud.” But there are those who see darker uses for such technology. A duplicitous and cruel part of the scientist’s past follows his accomplishments until the time is right for her to strike. Caught in the middle is a quiet, innocent, but strangely resourceful young woman—destined for an up-close-and-personal encounter with the “nanomites.” The outcome is brilliant and compelling! You will want to devour the entire series. —Col Bill Best, USAF (Ret)

My name is Gemma Keyes. Other than my name, I am utterly forgettable—so those who never paid much attention to me in the first place haven’t exactly noticed that I’ve disappeared. Vanished. Oh, it’s much more complicated than it sounds. And let me tell you, invisibility comes with its own set of problems.

I should tell you about Dr. Daniel Bickel, world-renowned nanophysicist. We used to work together, but I’ll be candid with you: He’s supposed to be dead. Well, he’s not. (Imagine my surprise.) Instead of the proverbial “six feet under,” he’s subsisting in an abandoned devolution cavern beneath the old Manzano Weapons Storage Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base here in Albuquerque.

“I need to show you what I’m protecting here, Gemma,” he insisted. “Do you see them?”

“Them?” My mouth opened to a stunned “o” as the silver haze in front of me resolved into blue letters.

H E L L O

Dr. Bickel grinned. “Ah. They’ve noticed you. They know they haven’t seen you before.”

“Well, I wish they wouldn’t notice me!”

And I need to warn you about General Cushing. The rank and name likely conjure images of a lean but muscled old soldier, posture rigid, face cemented in unyielding lines, iron-gray hair cut high and tight. Let me disabuse you of that impression.

General Imogene Cushing is short and a tiny bit plump. She wears her silvered hair in an elegant braid knotted at the nape of her neck, and she knows how to smile sweetly. With the deadliest of sharks..

Nanostealth
Book 1: Stealthy Steps
Book 2: Stealth Power
Book 3: Stealth Retribution
Book 4: Deep State Stealth, 2019 Selah Award Winner
Book 5: Stealth Insurgence
Book 6: Stealth Triumph
Stealth Insurgence, A Nanostealth Prequel

“Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more.”
—Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington

“Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations.”
—Ed Dunne, Los Angeles

“Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!”
—Rebecca H., New Jersey

“You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted.”
—LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 8
    Nanostealth
  2. Print length
    299 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2015
  6. File size
    4215 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Possibly the best Christian fiction I have read and one of best reads any kind. You've got to get somebody to make movies of the Nanostealth series!

This book Is Special. Stealthy steps is a science/superhero fiction. The scientific part is so real and thoroughly researched that as a scientist myself I was impressed. It is the first sci-fi book I was comparing to Isaac Asimov while reading. Which brings us to the next thing. The book is not only interesting because is has an awesome and immersing plot but because it poses and answers serious questions. Again, Asimov like. Vikki Kestell has a big writing talent. --Y.

Awesome. Every so often a gem falls into my lap. Stealthy Steps by Vikki Kestell is one such gem and I guarantee you will be hooked, unable to put this one down. --B.M.

Cutting Edge. This is a fantastic book. Riviting. Can't wait to read the sequel. Loved the high tech aspects mixed expertly with the Christian underlying theme. Well done! --P. W.

Kindle Book Review: The author impressed me by backing up the tale with some real science and actual locations. Gemma is one of the most well-developed characters I've seen, certainly not one of those comic-book caricatures that are so common now. She has a real personal history and real flaws that blend in well with the storyline.

About the Author

Vikki Kestell's passion for people and their stories is evident in her readers' affection for her characters and unusual plotlines. Two often repeated sentiments are, "I feel like I know these people," and "I'm right there, in the book, experiencing what the characters experience."

Vikki holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies. She left a career of twenty-plus years in government, academia, and corporate life to pursue writing full time. "Writing is the best job ever," she admits, "and the most demanding."

Also an accomplished speaker and teacher, Vikki and her husband Conrad Smith make their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. To keep abreast of new book releases, visit her website, http: //www.vikkikestell.com/, or find her on Facebook, http: //www.facebook.com/TheWritingOfVikkiKestell.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00UZEDYVS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faith-Filled Fiction(TM) (June 1, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4215 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 299 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,310 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Vikki Kestell

Vikki Kestell

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Vikki Kestell’s passion for people and their stories is evident in her readers’ affection for her characters and unusual plotlines. Two often-repeated sentiments are, “I feel like I know these people,” and, “I’m right there, in the book, experiencing what the characters experience.”

Vikki holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies. She left a career of twenty-plus years in government, academia, and corporate life to pursue writing full time. “Writing is the best job ever,” she admits, “and the most demanding.”

Also an accomplished speaker and teacher, Vikki and her husband, Conrad Smith, make their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

To be notified when Vikki has new book releases, sign up for her newsletter on her website, http://www.vikkikestell.com, find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheWritingOfVikkiKestell, or follow her on BookBub, https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vikki-kestell.

"Vikki writes the kind of fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more."

--Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington

"Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations."

--Ed Dunne, Los Angeles

"Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!"

--Rebecca H., New Jersey

"You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted."

--LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL

Dear Readers,

I would love to hear from you! If you have questions, would like to comment on my writing, or are interested in having me speak at your church or organization, please contact me on my website, http://vikkikestell.com.

Vikki

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,310 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Catydid
5.0 out of 5 stars R.I.V.E.T.I.N.G!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
I already read this whole series sooooo, that tells you how great it is! I devoured this first book and didn’t even want to stop to write this review before I got going on the next one, but I want EVERYBODY to buy these books - they are that good! Full of action, believable characters, emotion, sometimes funny, with great spiritual lessons - these books have it all. Trust me - BUY THIS SET - you won’t be disappointed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have another book to get started on.
One person found this helpful
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Josey Jacques
5.0 out of 5 stars interesting and engaging story
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2017
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First, this is a trilogy. The story doesn't end until the end of the third book. FYI in case that annoys you. But IMO, reading the series is totally worth the price of the 2nd and 3rd bks. Second, contrary to what other reviewers have said, this book is very well-written with very few typos. The first book does have a lot of backstory, but it is all necessary. You don't get that if you quit reading the story in the middle of the first book! Sure, it drags a little when the scientist is explaining his invention, but the reader needs this background once the main story really gets going.

The characters are realistic, the storyline unique and innovative, and even though Gemma goes through a lot of trouble the author manages to infuse quite a bit of humor amidst the seriousness and danger. It's not hard-core sci-fi, more of an action-adventure with a sci-fi bent. By the middle of the first book, I was hooked and eagerly bought and read the other two in the series. I don't find a lot of Indie-published books that I have trouble putting down, but this one? Yeah. I really got into it.
3 people found this helpful
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Praetor
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but light on the action ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2017
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Overall, I liked Stealthy Steps. I would classify it as a clean, interesting excursion into character-driven science fiction, and I do want to read the rest of the series. I just wish she had more science fiction novels beyond the Nanostealth series (please … 😊).

Part one was an interesting background that built the characters and laid the foundation for the story. Part two mostly developed the personal life of Gemma as she struggled with invisibility and the nanomites. It was easy to sympathize with and like the character, and the development of her struggle was plausible and interesting.

The characters were absolutely realistic and exceptionally well done in my opinion, and I plan on studying how she constructed them in more detail to try to learn something. The only slight thing for me here might be that, without any spoilers, her sister’s nature seemed a little overdone, but it was still believable.

I would not classify this book as “Christian fiction” exactly, which is not a problem for me, but the Christian aspect incorporated into the story was completely plausible and not overdone or contrived, as can happen in some Christian-oriented fiction. I liked this approach.

The biggest drawback for me was that the story was pretty light on the action (see spoiler comment below). Unfortunately, the events in the prologue may have set up a little bit of a misdirection given the more cerebral nature of the rest of the book. I even skipped part one and read part two first because of the prologue. In retrospect, reading part one after part two probably reduced some of the dramatic effect of the second part, but the book was still enjoyable reading it “backwards.”

In the same vein, the book was slow getting off the ground, but I tend to do that also in fiction because I like details, so this only bothers me a little. After finishing it, I realized that the character-driven aspect was the focus of the book, and I enjoyed it on that basis. I just wish I had known that going into the rest of book.

The journal-style writing was a little strange at first, pulling me out of the story a few times, but it was still interesting, fresh, and did not detract from the story. There are a few places where more “telling” is done than “showing,” but first-person-perspective books can get away with this a little easier, I think, since so much happens in the protagonist’s thoughts.

Spoiler:

More specifically on the missing action, most of Gemma’s concern over being tracked down by Gen. Cushing because of the nanomites ended up being basically in her own thoughts. I kept waiting for the hinted danger posed by the general to materialize, but it occurred only at the very end of the book. Even then, the confrontation was too easily avoided by the protagonist. I suppose some kind of showdown with Gen. Cushing and a nanomite-empowered Gemma is relegated to the second or third novel, which is understandable, but it leaves Stealthy Steps lacking somewhat based on how the danger is "advertised" throughout the book.
5 people found this helpful
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K.M
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed every "Nanosecond" of it!
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
I'm so glad I stumbled on this FREE book! Being familiar with the setting of the book (Albuquerque) was an extra bonus for me. To say I enjoyed this story and want more is a huge understatement. Gemma Keyes is an awesome character, so true to life, so "flesh and blood" that I identified and sympathized with her right from the first page. The science in the story is simple enough for ordinary folks without any degrees (like me) to grasp, but sophisticated enough to be believable. Nano technology is possible. This is a story about 'what-if' and 'it could happen right here'. I love that it is actually theoretically plausible, and not 'out there' like a lot of Christian sci-fi I have read.
The story is a page turner, the characters are compelling, and the plot has so many twists that I wasn't quite sure where it would take me next. I also quite enjoyed the humor in this story, which is similar to my own sense of humor, doesn't seem forced, and isn't crude or vulgar like a lot of other free books out there. The little Star Wars/Star Trek/Dr. Who references the author threw in where also genuinely funny. I am so glad the first book in this series was free, because I may not have checked it out if it wasn't. Now I want to read the rest!
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Missy
5.0 out of 5 stars A Really Fun Read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
I look for redemption stories whether it concerns a person or even an animal. While animals do not require redemption for their sins, they do need to be rescued all too frequently. Now you know my bias. Stealthy Steps combines redemption with science fiction and a great story! The characters are believable and with the exception of a few, most of them are wonderful, complex people. I normally do not enjoy first-person accounts but this author avoids the pitfalls and creates a really fun read! In fact, I bought the second one before finishing the first because I did not want to miss a moment of her storytelling. I highly recommend this book.
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JuanAnd2
3.0 out of 5 stars STICK WITH IT - the writing actually DOES become a story!
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2019
Verified Purchase
I really had to work at staying with this book, but I'm glad I did. The style of writing at the beginning seemed juvenile at best, boring at times, even. However, Kestell's ability to draw the reader in with great characters and an interesting storyline finally reveals itself...but WAAAY into the book. It isn't until nearly the end that the reader finally can appreciate all the details laid out in the seemingly boring beginning. I have purchased STEALTH POWER, book 2, and hope to be able to continue the more interesting part of the story now that the groundwork has been laid.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lizz
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
I throughly enjoyed this book. I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of Christian and science fiction. Neither distracted from each other. I was caught up in the book all the way from the beginning to the end. I was delighted to find sequels.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Had me on the edge of my seat!!!
Reviewed in Canada on August 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
Wow! I have to admit, I often scroll through the free offerings in the Kindle store and I don't have great expectations. I mean, you get what you paid for, right? But this book blew me away!!! It was SO good! I loved the characters. I don't enjoy first person, but it fit SO well in this book. I couldn't put it down. There was excitement, adventure, science (even though some of it was far-fetched), mystery, and more. The characters were believable, even if the nanomites weren't. I enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of it, though. The author gave enough scientific details to make the whole nano thing plausible. There were answers for all of my questions about how it worked, even if those answers seemed over me head. I was so compelled by the story that I gladly paid to download the next 2 books in the series. I am lending my kindle to my son so he can read this book next.
2 people found this helpful
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John from Croatia
5.0 out of 5 stars A hidden heart discovered
Reviewed in Germany on October 7, 2017
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Gemma is probably like most people that have hurts to hide and she has learned over time to become unnoticeable. The story reflects her invisibly on two fronts, from that of her past and her present. Her relationship with a kindly neighbor and the new Pastor Zander, who she has come to trust and love, shows you the type of person she has become. Pastor Zander tells her that she is not alone in this universe that God has made and that Jesus loves her for who she is, failures included. A must read for those who like science fiction and more.
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MemyselfandI
3.0 out of 5 stars interesting story
Reviewed in France on April 3, 2017
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story line is interesting but a pity that religion is laid on too thick and doesn't seem necessary for the story. The reasons for the main character to be non Christian seem rather infantile. If this is about being good a "Christian" and finding "God" then the reasons for need to better articulated. Although I found the story interesting I wont be buying the rest of the series due to the syrupy religious aspect and the lack of dimensionality of the secondary characters.
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Christina Summers
5.0 out of 5 stars A great series
Reviewed in Australia on March 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
This review is actually a review of the three books in the series written to date.

Stealthy Steps I found intriguing, at least enough to get me through a considerable, yet completely necessary, section of backstory and technological explanations. I’m so glad I stuck with it. This book sets up the premise of the story arc, and I fell in love with Gemma and her friends. The nanomites are by far my favourite character.

Stealth Power sets the tone of transformation in Gemma, her life, body and spirit too. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that the stakes increase and so does Gemma’s ability to overcome them.

Stealth Retribution is my favourite book so far. I LOVE the way the book concluded and I’m completely and utterly hooked for the next instalment. The nanomites are still my favourite character.

Spiritual themes are overt and very well done. I personally found the spiritual element encouraging and uplifting for my own faith.
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