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The Smiths
When he was a kid, Kyle woke up early one morning to find a brand new, fully sealed Super Nintendo Entertainment System on his bedroom floor. He'd been begging for the game console for months and, apparently, Mom and Dad had finally made his dream come true. But they hadn't bought him the SNES, and when he burst into their room to thank them, the concerned look his parents shared revealed they knew something he didn' a family secret, guarded over hundreds of years.
The Smiths have always been makers. For generations, the "maker" skills passed from parent to child have been refined and perfected. But San Francisco resident and factory owner Kyle Smith is an exception, even among his exceptional family, and tonight, at his parents' annual New Year's Eve party, he discovers the Smith family's special talents aren't the only secrets they've been keeping.
The Smiths have always been makers. For generations, the "maker" skills passed from parent to child have been refined and perfected. But San Francisco resident and factory owner Kyle Smith is an exception, even among his exceptional family, and tonight, at his parents' annual New Year's Eve party, he discovers the Smith family's special talents aren't the only secrets they've been keeping.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2014
11 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Michael Siemsen
22 books238 followersUSA Today and Amazon bestselling author of Exigency (2014), the Matt Turner series (The Dig, 2011; The Opal, 2012; Return, 2015), and the Demon’s Story series (A Warm Place to Call Home, and The Many Lives of Samuel Beauchamp, 2013), Michael Siemsen has sold more than 175,000 books.
Michael grew up in Venice, California, the second son of a Vietnam veteran who was the first son of a Korean War veteran who was the first son of a World War I veteran. Like Lieutenant Dan, Michael carried on the family tradition and joined the Army, though the only wars he fought in involved blank ammunition, laser tag gear, and were kinda fun.
After a decade working various soul-sucking IT jobs, he independently released THE DIG in early 2011, and, 14 months later, the quirky sci-fi story rocketed to #1 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, remaining in the top 10 for the rest of the year. He quit his job a few months into THE DIG's initial surge, and has released five more novels since.
Michael is currently at work on the next books in his popular serieseses.
Michael grew up in Venice, California, the second son of a Vietnam veteran who was the first son of a Korean War veteran who was the first son of a World War I veteran. Like Lieutenant Dan, Michael carried on the family tradition and joined the Army, though the only wars he fought in involved blank ammunition, laser tag gear, and were kinda fun.
After a decade working various soul-sucking IT jobs, he independently released THE DIG in early 2011, and, 14 months later, the quirky sci-fi story rocketed to #1 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, remaining in the top 10 for the rest of the year. He quit his job a few months into THE DIG's initial surge, and has released five more novels since.
Michael is currently at work on the next books in his popular serieseses.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 18, 2016
The Smiths by Michael Siemsen is a short story and I wasn't really sure what it was going to be about when I started it but I loved the book Matty so I knew it would be great. OH MY GOD! This was a short story but it had so many WOW, and "I didn't see that coming" moments in it that I must have had my mouth open the whole time I read it! It started out as a rich guy going to his rich family's New Years Eve party but BOOM, things happen fast and you start the guessing game of what just hit you! I don't want to spoil a thing. This is a family of makers. I don't want to tell you of what, or how. You must read this and see! Awesome, I have had this short story in my kindle for a long time and boy could I kick myself for waiting. I would give it more than 5 stars if possible. Great job!!!
July 28, 2017
Good short story
The only problem with this story is it introduces you to interesting characters, places them in an intriguing situation and then just stops. This is like the first few chapters of a book (that should be the first in a series). I hope there is more to come.
The only problem with this story is it introduces you to interesting characters, places them in an intriguing situation and then just stops. This is like the first few chapters of a book (that should be the first in a series). I hope there is more to come.
November 6, 2018
Excellent
Delightful and surprising, something I didnt think could happen in a short story. Wouldnt it be great if this story was expanded into a novel
Delightful and surprising, something I didnt think could happen in a short story. Wouldnt it be great if this story was expanded into a novel
October 23, 2022
The Smith's
I was disappointed with this book. It didn't measure up to the other stories I have read read by Michael Siemsen.
I was disappointed with this book. It didn't measure up to the other stories I have read read by Michael Siemsen.
March 18, 2017
Good start
The story is intriguing, the characters are interesting. Unless there is a quick next book, it has left me wanting. The story is just beginning and then it abruptly is over. I need the rest of The Smiths story. Another Matt Turner would be awesome too!!
The story is intriguing, the characters are interesting. Unless there is a quick next book, it has left me wanting. The story is just beginning and then it abruptly is over. I need the rest of The Smiths story. Another Matt Turner would be awesome too!!
July 1, 2015
The Smiths is a curious short story about a family with an unusual secret, but not the type of secret you may have come to expect from such a story line. I won't give away any spoilers but the title really says it all. For such a short read the characters really developed well and I can only hope that Siemsen will develop this into a full novel. I really want to know more! Anyone who enjoyed the Matt Turner series should get a kick out of this story as well.
April 27, 2016
I rarely venture into the short fiction genre, but after finishing the Dig series by Michael Siemsen, I was left wishing for more of his particular brand of suspense. "The Smiths" introduced readers to a family perhaps unlike any other, hiding in plain sight and using on of the most common surnames in the English language. But this Christmas, surprises are in store not just for the Smiths, but also their unsuspecting neighbors.
January 28, 2015
Excellent short story. I think the author may write a full length story at some point in the future. I enjoy the different type of stories this author creates. Nice work!
June 6, 2016
Great story. Very short. Would love to see this short story as a book. Loved the story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews