The Christmas Village And Other Tales Of The Magic And Memories Of Christmas

CHRISTMAS MAGIC TO REKINDLE THE SOUL! A frosty breeze somehow pried its way indoors, and as it passed in a single puff through Yorkminster village, the family's ceramic Christmas display, where it collected a few flakes of the "magical snow" Dad had found at the Enchanted Christmas Shop they had visited while on vacation that summer. The shop had indeed a magical sense about it, transforming that dizzying July day into the scents, sounds and expectations of Christmas. Dad had found the "magical snow" in a display in the back of the store. "Sprinkled about your own Christmas village," the proprietor had explained, "your snow covered streets and lawns will look more real than the snow in your own backyard!" And so they did, with the magical snow even cold to the touch. Dad had purchased the last bag, and he and his daughters had taken turns that afternoon sprinkling it about the streets of Yorkminster. Now, a little bit of the magical snow caught up on that breeze and swirled about the room, glittering in the lights of Yorkminster village, before wafting to the ground about the sleeping girls. Alana awoke suddenly at the sound of a boy's voice and a numb tugging at her arm. It was mostly dark, other than a few distant lights and what seemed a field of stars above. "Get up I say," came the voice again and the pulling of her arm. It was tingling a bit now. "You'll catch the death of you sleeping in the snow like this." Like magical snow in The Christmas Village, these tales of the memories of Christmas will transport you back to the spirit of Christmas! REVIEWS: "Magical snow, a Dickensian village come-to-life and a Shakespearean garden all lend a sense of joy and wonder to these fourteen tales, not unlike the feelings experienced by a child on Christmas morning. I encourage readers young and old to take a break from their over-scheduled lives to read The Christmas Village and Other Tales of the Magic and Memories of Christmas and r

USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains returns to Somerset Lake, North Carolina, with a heartwarming Christmas story about a midwife and her ex-fiance who face high stakes when they must team up to compete in the neighborhood house decorating contest, in this trade paperback that will help get readers in the holiday spirit. Once upon a Christmas, she gave him her heart. This year, he'll have to win it back again . . . When Lucy Hannigan returned to her childhood home in Somerset Lake, one of the first things she did was join the local book club. And thank goodness, because now that Lucy’s first Christmas without her mother is bearing down upon her, she can use all the help and support she can get. Especially when she has to take in a tenant and the only person interested is Miles Bruno, her ex-fiance. Lucy’s friends keep teasing her about the way Miles is trying to make up for his mistakes but forgiving and forgetting isn’t coming easily to Lucy. With bills piling up and her mother’s finances in disarray, however, Lucy isn’t in any position to say no. As the small town prepares for the holidays and competition heats up in the Merriest Lawn decorating contest, Lucy can’t help feeling like a Scrooge. Her mom loved the holidays and won the contest each year, but as much as Lucy would like to carry on the tradition, she isn’t sure she has it in her to deck the halls this holiday. Yet when Miles shows up with tons of tinsel, dozens of decorations, and lots and lots of lights, Lucy begins to wonder if maybe the spirit of the season will finally mend her broken heart.

'It's Christmas in a book!' Katie Fforde 'Sprinkled with Christmas magic!' Milly Johnson 'A scrumptious seasonal treat!' Heidi Swain Cosy up with the new Christmas book from bestselling author Jo Thomas ___ Residential-home caterer Connie has had one online-dating disaster too many. Hurt in the past and with her son to consider, now she's feeling hesitant. Then one of Connie's residents sets her up on a date at a beautiful German Christmas market - with the promise she'll take a mini-bus full of pensioners along with her... Amongst the twinkling lights and smell of warm gingerbread in the old market square, Connie heads off on her date with a checklist of potential partner must-haves. Baker Henrich ticks all the boxes, but when Connie meets Henrich's rival William, she starts to wonder if ticking boxes is the answer. Will Connie's wish for love this Christmas come true, and if so - with who? ___ Readers are feeling enchanted by Finding Love at the Christmas Market: ***** 'This book was a hot chocolate on a cold day, warming and satisfying.' ***** 'I could smell the gingerbread and spices, a real hug of a book.' ***** 'A beautiful book about finding what matters most at Christmas . . . such a heart-warming story.'

‘Full of quirky characters, friendship and humour, you will devour this engaging and heartwarming novel in one sitting’ – Sunday Express ‘My new favourite author’ – Holly Martin

Good Press presents to you a meticulously edited Christmas Classics collection. This ebook has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Content: The Holy Night (Selma Lagerlöf) The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry) A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories (Louisa May Alcott) A Letter from Santa Claus (Mark Twain) Silent Night The Night After Christmas The Child Born at Bethlehem The Adoration of the Shepherds The Visit of the Wise Men As Joseph Was A-Walking The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter) Where Love Is, God Is (Leo Tolstoy) The Three Kings (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) A Christmas Carol (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (L. Frank Baum) Christmas At Sea (Robert Louis Stevenson) The Savior Must Have Been A Docile Gentleman (Emily Dickinson) The Heavenly Christmas Tree (Fyodor Dostoevsky) The Little City of Hope (F. Marion Crawford) The First Christmas Of New England (Harriet Beecher Stowe) Christmas in the Olden Time (Walter Scott) Christmas In India (Rudyard Kipling) A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) The Twelve Days of Christmas The Wonderful Wizard of OZ (L. Frank Baum) Ring Out, Wild Bells (Alfred Lord Tennyson) Little Lord Fauntleroy (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Black Beauty (Anna Sewell) The Christmas Child (Hesba Stretton) Granny's Wonderful Chair (Frances Browne) The Romance of a Christmas Card (Kate Douglas Wiggin) Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame) The Wonderful Life - Story of the life and death of our Lord (Hesba Stretton) The Christmas Angel (A. Brown) Christmas at Thompson Hall (Anthony Trollope) Christmas Every Day (William Dean Howells) The Lost Word (Henry van Dyke) The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (E. T. A. Hoffmann) The Little Match Girl The Elves and the Shoemaker Mother Holle The Star Talers Snow-White...

“A poignant, heart-tugging, life-affirming story that will wrap around you like a hug during any season. Keep tissues nearby!”—Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December It started with a letter. It ended with a love story. Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life. Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special. Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye. Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again? A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they've finished the last page.

"Charlie's Christmas Miracle" is a sweet story that takes place in a small village surrounded by snowy hills. Charlie is the main character. He is a happy, kind young man who loves Christmas. The holiday season makes him happy, from the bright lights to the smell of freshly baked cookies to the joy of giving and getting gifts. But things are different for Charlie and his family this year. They are having money problems and can't buy a Christmas tree or any ornaments for it. With a heavy heart, Charlie watches as his friends and neighbors get their homes ready for the holidays. One cold evening, Charlie had an idea. He makes up his mind to go into the woods and get a Christmas tree to decorate. Charlie packs warm clothes and is ready to go on his adventure. While Charlie sings his favorite Christmas song, the tree he picked starts to shine and glow. It was a magical moment for him in the forest. It's like the tree reacts to his happy music by getting brighter with each note. Charlie is so happy that he decorates the tree by hand with bells, bright ribbons, and pinecones made from twigs and leaves. The tree changes into a beautiful sight that casts a warm, welcoming glow throughout the forest. Charlie's happiness grows when a group of birds joins in and makes a beautiful song. After hearing about Charlie's Christmas surprise, people come from all over the world to see the magical tree in the forest. They bring their own trinkets and decorations to add to the beauty of the forest. The forest becomes a joyful and magical place where everyone can enjoy the real spirit of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Charlie asks his family to come see the miracle tree. Their lips light up with wonder and excitement as they give him a tight hug, showing how proud they are of their smart and kind child. For a special event, everyone in town gathers around the magical tree to sing Christmas songs, give and receive gifts, and tell stories of love and kindness. The glow from the tree gets brighter, making everyone happy. As the clock hits midnight, Charlie makes a wish for his family, friends, and everyone else gathered around the magical tree to be happy, loved, and successful. A shooting star flashes across the sky, letting him know that what he wanted has come true. Charlie's family spends Christmas with a tree that is decorated with love and memories that are very important to them. They tell Charlie how much they appreciate him teaching them the real meaning of Christmas. The people in the area go back to see the miracle tree one more time and give food and blankets to the birds and animals that have made it their home. Even though the tree's light goes out, its magic lives on in the minds of everyone who saw it. From that day on, Charlie's town is known for its kindness, safety, and sense of community. A lot of people get together in the forest every year to enjoy Christmas and remember the miracle that brought them all together. Charlie's Christmas miracle becomes a beloved story that is told from one generation to the next. It reminds everyone that the real magic of Christmas is love, kindness, and joy shared with others. It shows that Christmas is a feeling that can be found in the smallest acts of kindness and in the strangest places. Charlie's Christmas miracle will always be a source of hope, inspiring people to enjoy the spirit of Christmas in their everyday lives. The Story's Start: A little boy named Charlie used to live in a town surrounded by snowy hills. He was a happy, kind young man who loved Christmas more than anything else. It warmed his heart to see all the bright lights, smell the fresh cookies, and give and receive gifts. The small town was turned into a snow wonderland every December. Snowflakes would fall from the sky and cover the land in a beautiful, shiny blanket. The streets were full of the laughter of kids building snowmen and having snowball fights, and the homes were lit up with bright lights. But Charlie's Christmas was really amazing because of how much his family loved and cared for him. The house where Charlie's family lived was nice and on the edge of town. The smell of fresh cookies and the sound of laughter could always be heard in their house. They loved their child very much, and they loved Christmas as much as he did. They would make wonderful Christmas memories together. Charlie loved the event where everyone decorated the Christmas tree every year. In their cozy living room, they would gather around a beautiful evergreen tree that reached almost to the roof. The tree was placed by Charlie's grandfather a long time ago. It has grown tall and strong, just like their love for each other. It would take the Thompsons hours to find the perfect ornaments to put on the tree. Each ornament held a special memory for the person who owned it, like the bright construction paper and glitter ornament Charlie made in kindergarten or the beautiful glass ornament that has been passed down from generation to generation. As they put up the tree, they sang their favorite Christmas songs, which made their hearts full of love and joy. When Charlie's family was decorating the tree one cold December night, Charlie's dad saw a sad look on his son's face. He got down on his knees and asked Charlie, "What's wrong, buddy?" Mr. Thompson knew that his son wanted to see the magic of the Christmas lights show, but they hadn't been able to buy any lights lately because money was tight. He looked at his wife, and the two of them shared a knowing look. Mrs. Thompson smiled and said, "Charlie, you know that the true magic of Christmas isn't in the lights or the decorations. It's in the love we share with each other. Let's make this Christmas special in our own way." Charlie tried to smile as he nodded, but he couldn't help but feel a little let down. That night, Charlie thought about what his mom had said as he lay in his warm bed. But even though he knew she was right, he still had to see the amazing light show that everyone was talking about. As he fell asleep, he wished on a sparkling star that there was a way for him to feel the magic of the lights. The next morning, Charlie woke up to find that there was new snow on everything outside. Getting out of bed and running to the window made his heartbeat fast with excitement. Everything looks and feels more beautiful when it snows, and it did today. After breakfast, Charlie chose to take a walk around town. As he walked through the snowy streets, he couldn't help but notice that everyone was busy getting ready for Christmas. Shop owners put flowers in their windows, families got warm to go ice skating, and friends gave each other gifts. Charlie couldn't help but feel left out. He wished he could be a part of all the holiday activities and share the joy of the season with his friends. He saw a sign in the town center that said, "Christmas Lights Display Tonight!" as he walked across town. Charlie's heartbeat faster. The show was tonight, but he didn't have any lights to add to it. There was magic around him, but he didn't know how to join in. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a voice he knew calling his name. Emily was his best friend. She ran up to him quickly and smiled big. It was "Charlie!" she yelled. "Guess what? Our family has some extra Christmas lights, and we don't know what to do with them. Would you like to help us decorate our house for the display tonight?" Charlie's eyes sparkled with joy. "Oh, Emily, that would be great! Thanks so much!" Charlie put up Christmas lights on Emily's family's house in the afternoon. They put them around the windows and hung them over the bushes. Charles couldn't believe how lucky he was. He was going to be a part of the beautiful light show, after all. As night fell, Charlie, Emily, and her family joined the other people in the town square. It looked like something from a fairy tale because the whole square was lit up with bright lights. It looked like the stars, clouds, and even a huge Christmas tree was lit up with hundreds of lights. Charlie's family would put up their Christmas tree together every year. They would sing Christmas songs and hang colored ornaments and gold tinsel for hours on end. But this year was different. Charlie's family was having money problems, so they couldn't buy a Christmas tree or any other decorations. As Charlie looked on, his friends and neighbors were decorating their houses for the holidays. It broke his heart. For as long as Charlie could remember, the best part of the holiday season was always decorating the Christmas tree. It was a beloved tradition that brought his family closer together and made memories that would last a lifetime. Every year, they would plan to start this great project on a weekend in early December.

Just in time for the holidays, a beautiful story about letting go of grief and discovering the healing power of love, from USA TODAY bestselling author Viola Shipman Neve Ford, once the queen of Christmas, no longer loves the holidays. While she once reveled in the magic of the first snow of the season and her collection of heirloom decorations, they now serve as reminders of the husband she lost too soon. With so many painful memories haunting her small Michigan hometown, Neve moved away and never looked back. Now working in Chicago, and a social media star thanks to her spectacular Christmas windows, Neve’s sole focus is creating crowd-drawing displays—and ignoring the pleading letters her grandmother continues to send from home. But then her job unexpectedly takes her back to Michigan to curate displays for a Christmas festival. An expert at avoiding her past, Neve plans to slip in and get gone…until word of her return leaks out. The walls Neve built around her heart may be strong, but with some unexpected help from the community, Neve will learn that she can’t outrun family bonds—or the promise of hope that only Christmas can give.