Free Fiction Monday: Christopher’s Crummy Christmas

Eleven-year-old Christopher always spends Christmas alone. This year, he plans to change that. This year, he’ll find a way to make his parents stay home. Everyone tells him he’ll ruin Christmas, but he doesn’t care. He wants a good Christmas, and he’ll do anything to get it. A classic Christmas story that first appeared in Boys’ Life Magazine. “Christopher’s Crummy Christmas,” by New York Times bestselling […]

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Yes, I’m Behind…

…Especially on the Recommended Reading List. I’m going to get there, but the last 2 weeks have consisted of literally cramming to get too many projects done in too little time. (Including a Diving novella for Asimov’s!) Big final project for Spanish, which included some reading that really inspired me on a few things, so more writing there. And then…well, I face-planted. You’d think after […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Harold Angel

When Susan gave birth to her son on Christmas Day, she named him Harold, after her late father. All his life, Harold wanted to sing. And all his life, Harold met with disappointment. So, when his own son arrives on December 25 as well, Harold faces a difficult choice: continue the legacy or spare his son the same hardships. “Harold Angel,” by New York Times bestselling […]

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Free Fiction Monday: And a Cup of Good Cheer

Gail looks forward to her annual Christmas shopping trip to the high-end specialty foods store. Until her phone keeps interrupting with news alerts and a barrage of texts from her husband, Ron. Ron never texts her, and the messages grow increasingly weird. He wants a figgy pudding and he wants one right now! Gail soon realizes her family needs her—and her Christmas spirit—to save the […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Rehabilitation

The man who calls himself Matt Sturtz only connects with other human beings at Christmas. He takes a job as a mall Santa, and marvels that no one checks his résumé, or his identification for that matter. But this year, something goes wrong. Something he will not stand for. Something he must stop. No matter how much it costs him. No matter what goes wrong. […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Pudgygate

Imagine a dinner party in an English country manor with an American cook named Bubba making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, waiters from Cal Tech, British royalty among the guests, a cat named Pudgy, and a thief. Honestly, what could go wrong? This delightful holiday mystery by New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch offers a veritable buffet of intriguing characters. “Pudgygate,” by New York Times bestselling […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Stille Nacht

Christmas: a time of family, tradition, togetherness—until your family shatters. With no grandparents to spoil her daughters, one single mom faces the holiday alone. Her daughters worry that Santa, like Daddy, won’t show up. She worries, too: What if she can’t give them—or herself—the magic of Christmas? But maybe, just maybe, she’ll find that magic on Christmas morning, under the tree, like all the other […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Nutball Season

According to Officer Nick Mantino, Nutball Season runs from Halloween to Christmas.  This Christmas season, he sees more than his usual number of nutballs. Like the geezer who thinks he has been cast in Miracle on 34th Street. And Mrs. Billings, who tells everyone she will shoot Santa if he lands on her roof. Mrs. Billings’ threats scare the local children, so Nick must investigate. […]

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Free Fiction Monday: Boz

Boz got his job on the colony ship The Beautiful Dreamer because of his skills as a competent introvert. He enjoys spending years completely alone, monitoring the passengers passing the time in cold sleep. So, when he wakes up one morning to Christmas carols, he gets scared. Very scared. Who has joined him on the ship? And why torture him with Christmas cookies and mugs […]

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Holidays 2020

Here in the U.S., we are heading to one of our biggest feasting holidays—Thanksgiving. As those of us who follow the science know, COVID super-spreader events usually involve food and drink. People remove their masks, eat and drink and laugh and talk and sit around for hours, and then someone—or many someones—get ill. As a result, all of the experts, as well as government officials, […]

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