The Zero Stone

The Traveler #3

by Vaughn Heppner

Earth becomes too hot for Jake Bayard. Too many shape-shifting aliens and people, including those on his own side, are trying to capture him in order to use his star-traveling abilities for their own greedy ends.

Bayard flees to Kaldar, a world devastated by atomic war and lousy with mutated rat-men and the Dark Brotherhood. At first, he’s just trying to stay alive. Then, he uncovers a mystery, one that, incredible as it seems, reaches all the way back to Earth. It could mean the alien enslavement of everyone, which means that Bayard is fighting for more than just his own survival.

THE ZERO STONE is the third tale of a gung-ho Terran taking on the masters of an insidious and ancient alien conspiracy.

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2022

About the author

You can visit Vaughn at www.vaughnheppner.com

I was born in Canada and remember as a small boy crawling in my snow-fort. I closed my eyes, and when I tried to open them, they were frozen shut. I didn't panic, but wiped away the ice crystals, unglued my eyes and kept on building my tunnel. Those were great days! I moved to Central California before seventh grade and couldn't believe I lived in a land where oranges grew on trees and you could pick grapes from the vine.

I used to wonder what I wanted to do with my life, what kind of work specifically. I was miserable not knowing and bordering on desperate. Then one day a friend gave me his typewriter. I began working on a novel. A different person told me it was much easier on a computer, so I bought one and began getting up at 4:30 A.M. each morning before work, writing for three hours. My eyes were unglued once again as the pang of misery left my gut. I knew exactly what I wanted to do: write. So now that's what I do, I write, and write, and write, and I love it.

Reviews

[Mike Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I cracked "The Zero Stone," the third in Vaughn Heppner's The Traveler series, I was locked in (to quote my students) to the world of reptile-like aliens, killer robots and teleportation many light years distant. In this novel, Jake Bayard again uses the portal in antarctica to travel almost instantly to another planet, this one called Kaldar, which suffered atomic destruction at some point in the distant past. The few people who remained clustered around one city that survived the destruction. Much of the technology on the planet had been lost. However, Kaldar had another group, one that sought the destruction of the lone remaining city state. These were thought to be the survivors of a group of scientists who turned evil. They control a subspecies of human-like rodent. Bayard is captured early on but released by a sympathetic fighter. He makes contact with the leader of the resistance, but there's more afoot. The zero stones turn out to be a threat not only on Kaldar but on earth, even going so far as to insinuate themselves into the organization Jake has gone to work for. It's intense and a quick read. Every time I learn something new or Heppner has revealed a secret, he lines up four or five more.

[Leonard Armitage · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is some classic episodic pulp fiction stuff. Brings in all the fun alien conspiracy theories, pre-history ideas and wraps it all in some God is my savior, creationism, good ole boy, super overly simplistic Trump voting like ideology and messages. Part of me thinks its a joke by the author cause this hero is dumb as a box of rocks. If you ever met a pickup driver with a Trump Won flag flying out the bed of his overly loud pos truck ... but isn't actually a minute by minute **shole, actually a nice person just uneducated and proud of his ideas ... then you'd have a good handle on this hero. His views are so ridiculously erroneous but backed up by "logic" and "rational thinking" that the author has to be spoofing such types.
Is it great? no. Is it fun summer fare? Yes ... if and only if you can handle a Trump Won type of hero.

[Joseph Fusco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Vaughn Heppner Hit

I've read all of Vaughn Heppner books and like most of them there is plenty of action and twists, turns and unanswered mysteries. The Traveler takes us another strange new world and the more questions it answers the more it creates. Always interesting characters with a strong silent type hero. Just up my alley.

[Hans Bleeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

a rip roaring great story

Jake continues to make his presence felt and utilizes his inner strength to thwart the evil threat that is trying to eliminate humanities reign over this and other worlds
Grab a snack and a comfy chair as you will soon be too involved with this book to eat.

[Celia King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zero stone awesome read

Amulet of power zero stone and teleporting o blinks, this series packs a whalope of sci-fi enjoyment! I'm looking forward to the sequal. Wish I'd read the prequal. Reminiscent of Stargate & John Carter of Mars story lines, only with twists on genetic engineering, telepathy & mind control tossed in there! A good fellowship tale. 🏛
More to come....🌋

[Drew Pike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

This book took me a bit longer to get into it. I have read multiple series by Mr Heppner and enjoyed them all. This one did not grab me in the first few ppgs. When it did I couldn't put it down. The bad thing about books like this they ,ale you say awake longer than I wanted. Read any series you can get your hands on. They are all must read boks.

[Lee-sa Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series


Please continue this series, you have me invested. I read anything and everything you write. Your writing talent is exceptional. I have read everything I can find tha.t you have written.

[Robert Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marine traveler

Reminds me of John Carter Warlord of mars but a 2022 version. The-character is fun and easy to get along with, maybe a seal team guy comes to mind. Can I go for the next one?

[William B · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

I like Vaughns stories, this is one of the best. Looking forward to the next in this series as I am waiting for more in his other stories too.

[Antonio Noriega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining.

I found the book engaging and very entertaining. I would like to see the story continue. Hopefully book 4 will come out soon!

[Duncan Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

Hopefully this is not the last in the series as both 2 books were really good and enjoyable. Please say there are more books on the way

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly Recommend Reading

This is a well-written story that explores the possibility that an alien power could possibility use human tribalism to eradicate our species.

[danny e watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake is quite the rogue!

V.H. does it again. This one is both interesting and action packed.Jake Bayard is a bad ass with a sense of humour. I'm going to read #4 next!

[karen bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great new chapter

This was a good continuation of the series and I look forward to the next book. Vaughn Heppner is a very good writer

[Allen Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome 3 books.

I choose a rating of 5 as few series hold my attention for three books in a row. Generally I'll read 1 or 2 the series at a later time. Great job.

[Scifimoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author starts with a significant twist to kick the story up a level.