On A Dark Snowy Night

A collection of short plays and dramatic pieces -- poignant, deeply emotional soliloquies and duets, hymns of tragedy and triumph. Includes multiple variations on "Dark Snow" theme. Great for college, community and professional actors and for classes in scene studies!

All I wanted was a little vacation. Away from the city, away from the tormenting memories that I wanted to leave behind. But who knew that I would find myself in an adventure that was bound to be the death of me yet.... Up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I thought I found my salvation, but instead I found a pack of the most haunting creatures to walk the face of the earth.

Before Father Patrick Bergquist moved to Alaska, he imagined himself spending his free evenings wrapped in a warm quilt, reading novel after novel during the long arctic winters. Those idealized expectations were met with the unavoidable reality of winter's harshness, a pervasive darkness that made it neither realistic nor helpful to merely wait out the winter and hope for spring." And yet, says Bergquist, this is what we as a Catholic Church are tempted to do in the enduring darkness of the sexual abuse crisis. We want to wrap ourselves in the secure blanket of tradition and memory, thinking that this crisis too will pass-or worse still, that it has already passed. Bergquist admits he is "but a simple parish priest, no saint and surely no scholar." But it is precisely his perspective as a parish priest that gives rise to his poetic and prophetic voice. He speaks from his heart, soul, and experience in a way few others have done. He names and validates the pain and fear, the hopes and dreams that so many of us share. The Long Dark Winter's Night is both realistic and helpful. Patrick Bergquist was ordained in 1990. He is a diocesan priest of the Missionary Diocese of Northern Alaska and has been pastor of St. Raphael Catholic parish in Fairbanks since 1998. "

USA Today bestselling author Sally Goldenbaum continues her beloved Seaside Knitters Society mysteries set in the “idyllic world” (Publishers Weekly) of a small Massachusetts coastal community—rich in friendship and “full of suspense and human warmth” (The Washington Book Review) * Includes a knitting pattern * The Christmas trees are up, the Seaside Knitters are crafting warm and beautiful gifts for the holidays, and friends and families are gathering in picturesque Sea Harbor, Massachusetts—a place where traditions run deep, but so do some treacherous family secrets . . . Winter in Sea Harbor is a feast for the senses—crackling bonfires, the scent of snow in the salty air, carols ringing out on the village green. This year, the Seaside Knitters have a sackful of obligations in addition to their usual Christmas preparations. Izzy is so overloaded with knitting classes that she hires an extra salesperson, but the new addition has trouble fitting into the yarn shop’s holiday spirit. Cass, juggling the stresses of running her lobster fishery, has finally found a nanny for her active toddler. Molly Flanigan seems practically perfect in every way—until she suddenly disappears, taking Cass’s beloved rescue mutt with her . . . Meanwhile, the holidays are kicking off in style at Mayor Beatrice Scaglia’s holiday party, where a well-dressed crowd admires the mayor’s sumptuous new home and the celebrity chef catering the event. An additional treat for Ben and Nell Endicott at the festive affair is reconnecting with a dear college friend, Oliver Bishop. But it’s not just reunions and the appetizers that are to-die-for. Before the party-goers can toast the beginning of Sea Harbor’s festive season, the chef—and young wife of the Endicott’s old Harvard friend—is found dead beneath the mistletoe . . . Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass must uncover the pattern to these mysteries to remove suspicion from those they love, bring a murderer to justice—and keep Sea Harbor’s holiday magic from vanishing into the chill winter air . . .

On A Dark and Snowy Night...is how twenty-one short stories, by seventeen international contributors, begin. This simple prompt began a journey that culminated in this unique anthology with tales that run the gambit of humor, fear, happily-ever-afters, regrets, mystery, and joy. Curl up with your favorite beverage, a comfy blanket, and a warm fire, and prepare to enjoy tales that happened... On a Dark and Snowy Night... Zimbell House Publishing is committed to helping writers become quality authors.