Working Loose is a prequel to Martha’s Sons, and it’s free! I think of it as Edward’s story. If you’ve read Long in the Land, you know what I’m talking about, and you can get it through Book Funnel when you sign up for my newsletter.
The planet Nwwwlf—so named by the starship’s crew because it was Not What We Were Looking For—has one small, fully terraformed human settlement. Otherwise, Nwwwlf offers only unwelcoming wilderness. Two decades after its founding, the city of First Landing is mired in politics. On the other side of the river, the WesHem homesteads produce large families and flourish.
Few speak of Seccon, the second human settlement. Fewer still know where it is.
In a new but persistent tension with his father, nineteen-year old Edward Dawe struggles to convince the older man that his ways are not best for the land. Always, the WesHem family faces the constant struggle to keep the valley Earth-like enough that they may survive and thrive.
None of this is out of the ordinary until the day a stranger arrives by plane from the second, far-distant settlement to see Edward’s mother. The stranger’s arrival puts immediate strains on the family. Worse, it draws hostile attention from the governor’s bureaucracy. The consequences dwarf all Edward’s other concerns.
He must now reconcile his own sense of duty against his father’s authoritarian commands and his desire for a normal life. What happens next could rob him of his freedom.
If you like lost worlds, coming of age tales, and an honorable hero, you’ll love Working Loose. Pick it up today to take the first step on a journey with Martha’s Sons.
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