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'Merry Christmas, Tamyra'

A new work of fiction, read by the author, Alexs (Alex) Pate. Minneapolis is the setting. The title is "Merry Christmas, Tamyra." It's the story of Campbell Fielding, 20 years old, who is spending a last Christmas with his family before he joins the Navy. The week before Thanksgiving, he witnessed a murder. He does not want to go to the police with his information, so to escape from the neighborhood, he joined the service. His mother questions his decision -- it looks like there might be war, and she doesn't want him in danger. His father -- a Navy man himself -- is proud, but Campbell knows that he's going into the Navy not out of duty or honor, but simply to run away from the gang members who murdered the little girl. Alexs Pate's latest novel is called West of Rehoboth.

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