This year, I bring you something a little bit different...12 Holiday Excerpts and Flash Fiction!

Today, another excerpt from another picture book by Allison McWood, Douglas the Pinecone's Christmas Crunch!

Allison McWood is an acclaimed Canadian author, playwright and lyricist. Specializing in comedy and farce, Allison strives to bring the world together with stories, as per the tag line of her micro-publishing company, Annelid Press. Allison writes novels, plays and children’s books, all featuring her signature quirkiness. Her writing has not only charmed audiences and readers across the country, but her works have also been taught in Universities around the world, from Vancouver to Lucknow, India. Aside from writing and publishing, Allison is also a Shakespearean dramaturge and Marlovian academic. 

Christmas Times, They Are-A-Changing
by RJ Downes

Elf Doyle had been so excited. Forty years in the toy factory and finally this December 25, he was on the sleigh, guiding the reindeer and sitting next to Numero Uno.

It was snowing hard that night. Visibility was low. Taking off from a house, the sleigh runner caught on something.  The front of the sleigh lurched downwards, sending Doyle, Santa, the giant bag of presents and the reindeer crashing into one another and careened violently towards the street below. After that, Doyle had only seen darkness.

When he came to, another elf was standing over him, poking him with a large candy cane and asking if he was okay. He was stunned and a bit dizzy, but otherwise intact. Santa, however, had broken his leg in three places and was being rushed to a private facility at the North Pole. Three reindeer had to be retired.

It was decided by Elf Management that all active-duty elves would divide up the gift list and take over deliveries for the evening. It was tight, but they could still make the Christmas deadline.

Doyle was assigned the neighborhood where the accident had happened. His Christmas Eve training had been strictly sleigh driving, but his years in Santa’s employ were many. He knew the basics. A tug of his ear sent him down the chimney, a finger to the side of his nose sent him back up just as quickly.

The first couple of houses were easy. Enter the house, check the list, place presents under the tree, move on to the next. It was the third house where things got weird.

A small girl in pajamas was waiting for him at the foot of the tree.

“You’re not Santa.” She had a surprisingly stern voice for such a young human.

“Santa had to…go back to the north pole to deal with business. He sent us elves out to make sure you all got your presents.” Doyle lied. He just hoped she hadn’t heard the crash just down the road.

 “All right then,” the girl said with a smile. “Make with the present.”

Doyle was a bit taken back by the abruptness of her tone, but he set down his bag and consulted his list. There was little time to argue.

He was at 5 Landmark Lane. There were gifts in his bag for two adults, Sheryl and Mike Jenkins…but no mention of anyone else.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You don’t seem to be on the list. What’s your name?”

“Sally Jenkins. I asked Santa for a Robo Pal. The new robot that follows your commands and learns on its own.”

Doyle knew the toy well. It was the most asked for toy that year. Children certainly liked high tech gadgets these days. Not like in the days when he’d started in Santa’s workshop. Doyle knew for a fact he had twenty or thirty in his bag. But none with Sally’s name on it.

“I just want one so much. I waited up to see Santa so I could thank him personally.”

What was Doyle to do? He couldn’t leave this poor girl without a present on Christmas. And there was no time to contact HQ about the mistake.

Doyle panicked silently for a moment and then reached into the bag and brought out a wrapped box. Sally’s eyes lit up.

“Is that…?”

Doyle smiled. “One Robo Pal, as requested!”

She reached for it. In a split second, without Sally seeing, Doyle removed the tag that bore the name Mary Fischer. He crumpled the tag behind his back. He would deal with that problem later.

“There you go,” he said. “Just an oversight. Merry Christmas, Sally!”

She sat staring at the box. Her eyes were large with excitement.

He placed the presents for Sheryl and Mike under the tree and headed back to the chimney.

“Just don’t open it before Christmas morning.” Doyle smiled. “You should go to bed.”

“I will,” yawned Sally, setting her present under the tree. “I am really tired. You wouldn’t believe how long it took to string up that cable to catch the sleigh.”

Doyle froze and looked back at Sally.

“What did you just say?”

Sally spoke as she walked over to him. Even though she was small for a child, she was technically taller than the elf. “I had to do something. Last year I didn’t get anything. I was on the naughty list. So I spent this year planning and studying. I learned how to get my name removed from all of Santa’s lists and I learned how to rig up a sleigh catching device. When you know the parental password on the computer you can find out all sorts of things.”

“Why would you do all that?” Doyle stammered.

“To get my Robo Pal, silly.” Sally chirped. Then she leaned in close next to Doyle’s ear and whispered. “I get what I want.”

She reached out and touched the side of his nose sending him back up the chimney. She closed the flue behind him, locking him out of the house.

Doyle found himself standing alone on the cold rooftop of the house, holding his bag of presents, now one lighter than it should have been. From where he stood, he had a bird’s eye view of the area where the sleigh had crashed about half a block way. Only now did he notice the child sized boot prints that crisscrossed the snowy roof near where he stood. A chill ran through his small body, which had nothing to do with the weather.

This year, I bring you something a little bit different...12 Holiday Excerpts and Flash Fiction!

Our next author with our next holiday tale is Joshua Pantalleresco...

Little Drummer Boy
by Joshua Pantelleresco

All I have is a song and a drum. I rumpabombom my drum nervous. Everything in my skin was crawling as the line moved closer inch by inch. Soon it would be my turn. Oh man. What was I doing here? I look at the people in front and behind me and they all seemed to have the same question. At least I wasn't alone in that.

I smell the perfumes at the various people in front of me. Scents of myrrh and frankincense caress the air. I watch a family of four hold a large portion of gold. The people behind me had shirts, and clothes and something to offer the new king.

Me? I just have a song and a drum.

I got to the head of the line and wanted desperately to leave. I didn't belong here. I wasn't rich, or had any money. I was a kid on the street. Nobody special. Nobody important. I just have a song and a drum. I got no gifts to bring.

Rumpabombom. Rumpabombom. Rumpabombom.

I heard the sheep, and saw the hay. My heart stopped, and the drum went silent. It was time.

I didn't expect the mother and father to be so kind. Relief was on the mom's face as she held the baby in her arms. The newborn king heard cooing sounds and her husband held her and made silly faces to the baby. My heart held still and softened looking at the loving family.

Then the mother and father turn their attention to me, and the my heart started to play it's own tune. I took a deep breath.

“Shall I play for him?” I ask. I had nothing else to give. All I have to my name is a song and a drum. It was all I had to give. The mother nodded.

I close my eyes and pray my God. Please let this be enough.

The drum started, and I hesitate. My first notes slow and steady. I hear my heart fluttering more than the beat of the drums.  I stumble, I fall, and I stop. I nearly drop the drum. What was I thinking?  I didn't belong here.

When did tears start to fall? I brush the tears away and look at the mom and dad. They were watching me. He was watching me.

He smiled at me.

Watching him smile, I realized that the king was like me. He didn't have much. He didn't even have a drum and a song. He just had a smile. Like me, it was all he had to give. Something in my heart loosened. A song came to my head.

The sticks on the drum moved on their own accord. The song came, and my world shrunk to me and my drum. The whole world was the sound of the music, and it was me and my drum and the baby. My song, my drum and his smile. I played my best, and he smiled at me.

My song, my drum and his smile. It was enough.

This year, I bring you something a little bit different...12 Holiday Excerpts and Flash Fiction!

Author Jen Frankel is the first to spin an original holiday tale!

Merry Whatmas! Love, the North Polar Bear
BY JEN FRANKEL

“Bear!” bellowed Santa.

It was pretty clear who had perpetrated the vandalism. With most of it above the seven-foot level, all the elves and Mrs. Claus were ruled out immediately. The reindeer seldom came into the House at the North Pole, and anyhow, their hooves were not particularly well-suited for writing implements.

A sheepish North Polar Bear emerged from behind the twenty-foot tree. “Yes, Santa?” he said tentatively.

“Merry Christmas question mark?” cried Santa. “What kind of message of cheer are we sending here?”

For yes, on all the iterations of the traditional Christmas message around the Great Hall and the North Polar village, an underline had been added under “Christmas” and a question mark at the end, turning a well-wish into an interrogative.

The Bear stumbled out a mumbled explanation.

“What?” bellowed Santa, unable to hear it. The commotion by now had attracted Mrs. Claus as well as all of the elves who were in the House at that moment. An angry Claus was cause for concern for all.

One of the elves stepped forward, and placed herself between Santa and the Bear. “It’s all my fault, Santa,” she said, lifting her chin resolutely, but there were tears in her eyes as well. “You know I just got back from my holiday tour around the Equator with the National Geographic Society.”

Mrs. Claus smiled fondly. “Ah yes, the Society is so good to run mystical creature tours in addition to their regular expeditions.”

“And I had a wonderful, wonderful… eye-opening time.” The elf concluded and glanced around at the defaced Christmas greetings. “I was telling Bear about all the different places in the world that celebrate different holidays around this time of year, and at others as well, and I think he…” She trailed off, not sure how to continue.

“Merry Christmas question mark!” rumbled the Bear. “So many people and so many holidays! I got confused.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus exchanged a long look.

“Also, Santa,” said the elf. “I would like to change my name. Out in the wide world, Ivy-Anka sounds a little… problematic.”

Mrs. Claus coughed. “Oh yes, I see that.”

“How about Hollyamory?” suggested the Bear, but Santa had another idea.

“What about simply Bella?”

“Yes! That’s lovely,” said the elf.

“And about the other thing, Mrs. Claus and I have been discussing this very issue for the last few years. We can’t keep our heads in a snowbank and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t matter, or even exist. Since we’ll have to replace all the signs at the Pole anyhow, I have a suggestion about how we can at least start to be more inclusive. So, everyone, Happy ChristmaKwanzaKkah!”

And it was a Happy ChristmaKwanzaKkah for all.

This year, I bring you something a little bit different...12 Holiday Excerpts and Flash Fiction!

Today, I bring you excerpts from Allison McWood's holiday picture book, Donna and Blitzen!

Allison McWood is an acclaimed Canadian author, playwright and lyricist. Specializing in comedy and farce, Allison strives to bring the world together with stories, as per the tag line of her micro-publishing company, Annelid Press. Allison writes novels, plays and children’s books, all featuring her signature quirkiness. Her writing has not only charmed audiences and readers across the country, but her works have also been taught in Universities around the world, from Vancouver to Lucknow, India. Aside from writing and publishing, Allison is also a Shakespearean dramaturge and Marlovian academic. 

This year, I bring you something a little bit different...12 Holiday Excerpts and Original Flash Fiction!

First up...excerpts from Susan J. Berger's picture book, Mom, Is There a Santa Claus?

“Mom, tell me the truth.”
 
Growing up isn’t easy. Some of Lucas’s friends don’t believe in Santa. Lucas wants them to be wrong. But are they?

In this coming of age Christmas story Mom offers Lucas a chance to be a part of the secret.
Is he ready to become one of the Dream Keepers?
 
A coming of age Christmas book for children at the point where what they want to believe and what they actually believe start to drift apart. The surprise illustration at the end gives them a choice.

Suggested age for readers: 7-10

Captures the essence of the season beautifully. The illustrations are vivid and delightful and they breathe life into the characters and scenes.
Readers Favorite

5.0 out of 5 stars  A perfect book for any child at “that age” where what they want to believe and what they actually believe start to drift apart. 
Amazon Customer
 
A welcome addition to family holiday collections and traditions
It will help parents answer the sticky question, is there really a Santa Claus?
Highly recommended for ages 7 to 10.
The Children and Teen's Book Connection

Author Susan Berger is a writer and an actor. She wrote her first children’s book with her son Christopher Corbin when he was nine. It was published when he was twenty-five. Susan’s other career is acting. On IMDB She is Susan Berger. Never give up your dreams. Her dreams are still coming true.

Thank you, Cheryl, for your LOVELY review of Merry Myrrh the Christmas Bat...check it out on her blog and below:

…Meet Myrrh, a young and very merry brown bat named after one of the gifts of the Magi.  He experiences the wonders of his first Christmas among the decorations of a farmhouse, as well as the kindness of the family that discovers him in their home.

…And meet Sloth, who lives in a mountain atop his hoard of gold and jewels. He believes he has all that a dragon could possibly want, until he meets a brave dwarf named Radish who offers to help him lose weight. With Radish's guidance, Sloth finds himself eating healthier and getting plenty of exercise. In time, Sloth gains the freedom that his new healthy lifestyle brings, which he discovers is more valuable to him than all the treasure in the world.

If you review either or both books on Amazon you will receive a $5 digital gift card for Amazon! I appreciate the time you take to post reviews up on Amazon (and GoodReads, if you’re feeling like going that extra mile!), so I want to make sure you are rewarded. 

PM me or send an email to ttpprodsandpublishing@gmail.com and I will send you the links to the PDF reviewer copies. Send me a screenshot of your review on Amazon, then you will be entered to win. Easy peasy!

MANY THANKS!!! 

Join me here on my blog December 13-24 where I present to you a different micro-fiction story by a new author every day of the 12 Days of the Holidays. There’ll be stories from RJ Downes, Jen Frankel, Joshua Pantalleresco, excerpts from holiday tales from Allison McWood, Susan Berger, Lacey Bakker and from Merry Myrrh the Christmas Bat!