Part of Series
The Selected Papers From the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena presents two tales of family misadventures penned by Kate Maruyama. SAFER Los Angeles is in lockdown, "Safer at home," so Soledad, a college student, jumps at the opportunity to be live-in caretaker for Story, the son of an A-list celebrity. Solid pay and a change of scene are just what she needs in the pandemic. The parents are high maintenance, but she and Story form a quick bond. The dazzling lifestyle shows its dark underside when unsettling occurrences mount. Now it turns out the job that would set Soledad up for college might derail her life entirely if she decides to keep Story safer. FAMILY SOLSTICE The Massey family has a secret and Shea, the youngest, will be the last to find out exactly what's in the basement. She's been training hard for her 13th year when it will finally be her turn to perform the family duty of fighting. Her older siblings won't tell her anything, but she's excited and ready to take all comers. Even if they had, nothing could truly prepare her for what she has to face. These compelling explorations of dark family secrets fearlessly delve into some of today's most relevant and troubling issues. In Safer, Maruyama explores what parents will do for a child, and what happens to outsiders in unsafe houses, while Family Solstice addresses the dangers of tradition, inheritance and the sins of the father.
Author
Kate Maruyama writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family. Her novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013 and her novella Family Solstice, out now from Omnium Gatherum was named Best Fiction Book of the 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine. Her duo of novellas, Bleak Houses is coming from Raw Dog Screaming Press August 3, 2023. Her short work has been published in Asimov's Magazine, Analog Science Fiction & Fact, The Coachella Review, and on Entropy, Gemini Magazine, Salon, The Rumpus and Duende, among others. She has two upcoming novels, The Collective a horror novel serialized from Writ Large Press, and a family drama, Alterations coming from Running Wild Press in 2024. She is a member of the SFWA and HWA where she serves on the Diverse Works Inclusion Committee. She has served as a jury chair for The Bram Stoker Awards and twice as a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards. You can keep up with Kate's news with her newsletter, Read. Write. Cook. which you can sign up for on her website!
