book cover of Family Secrets
 

Family Secrets

(2013)
A novel by

 
 
Family Secrets: A short story collection

In deep space... In shattered Haiti... In a hospital where a menacing Machine lurks... One thing you can cling to for support is your family. But families have secrets, as you'll read in these stories.

ONE LAST CHORE FOR GRANDPA - A 17,000 word novella

Patrice Hudson was a man of two worlds. The Haiti of his youth was a mysterious land where the village bokor used Vodoun to enslave zombies to his service, but his grandfather the houngan thwarted the bokor's schemes. In the New York of his adulthood, though, he knows these stories are all childish superstitions that he has outgrown.

But a letter from his mother shatters his confidence. The bokor has declared war on his familiy, and has stolen his grandfather's body from his grave. Now Patrice must decide which world he will follow and what he believes as he performs... One Last Chore for Grandpa.

This story was selected as a Finalist in the Writers of the Future contest for the first quarter of 2012.

MAMA'S LITTLE ANGEL - A 7,000 word short story

Marianna Willis is frightened -- very frightened. Her son Tommy is experiencing strange, unexplained headaches. The doctors assure her that the MRI machine will identify the problem.

But what The Machine reveals about Tommy will frighten Marianna far more and make her wonder who she can trust as she tries to save her boy. She doesn't know where to turn, but she's not going to stop fighting for her little angel!

THE MOTHER ANTHONY - An 11,000 word novelette

The Winston Interstellar Transport recruitment video promised young teacher Bess Anthony adventure and a new family aboard the starship Graham; but they never mentioned engine malfunctions and getting lost between the stars. Now Bess struggles to protect her students as their damaged starship seeks out a habitable world. Can she teach them to overcome their fears? Can she teach them to survive against long odds? With help from the handsome Lieutenant Masterson, she's going to try her best; but what will it cost them?

A science fiction adventure with a mix of romance, humor, and tragedy, "The Mother Anthony" is also a tribute to dedicated teachers everywhere. It was selected as a Finalist in the Writers of the Future contest for the first quarter of 2011.


Genre: Science Fiction

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