A little over four years ago, I had an idea to write a story for my nieces and nephew. And by an idea, I thought, "Boy, it would be nice to write a story for them. Or about them."
That was the extent of it, outside the jotting down of a few quick notes about what that story might look like (which involved a fantasy land filled with heroes and villains.)
Flash forward to Christmas 2017. Sitting at my parents house, I was filled with the Christmas spirit. Nostalgia hit me, the proverbial bricks falling on my head, and I began to write. I typed out clips of my youth, memories of Christmas past, with a special nod to the aforementioned relatives.
Of Snow Forts and Santa was born and, two years later, is now a novella available to purchase.
It was a bit of a sprint to get the book ready in time for the holiday season. This was a self-imposed deadline, but it was still something I wanted to adhere to. My original goal had been to get it released in time for the holidays in 2018, but the story had not been completed. It was close, but there were certain elements I didn't want to rush.
A draft I was happy with was finally finished in September. This was followed up with some valuable feedback from my mom and dad, plus a rewrite and a couple of more deep edits. And here we are.
Of Snow Forts and Santa is available in paperback ($8.99) and to download ($2.99) via Kindle Direct Publishing. The book is perfect for anyone age 10 and older. It's bit of a different story than my fantasy novels The Dragon Princess and The Blue Gem -- though there are certain fantasy elements -- so I hope you'll take a look. (Brief synopsis below.)
Thanks for stopping by. Be bold. Be kind.
"Forget snowmen. Even snowballs were not my specialty. Snow forts were where the fun was at."
The year is 1991 and 11-year old Lee loves everything about the holiday season: Christmas trees, the lights, songs of the season, the tradition, and yes, even snow. Almost equal to her love of Santa is a love of building snow forts in December. A tradition she missed last year thanks to the lack of snow, but one she hopes to take advantage of this year.
One week before Christmas, Lee is in full countdown mode. Snow has started to fall, the decorations are ready to be put up, and she's even prepping for her part in the school's Christmas program. Even as her three siblings attempt to distract her from truly enjoying the Christmas season, Lee maintains a happy disposition as the big day approaches, dreaming of the purple ten-speed bike that tops her Christmas list. Alongside her best friend Stacy, Lee aims to make this the best Christmas yet.
Lee's goals for a perfect last week before Christmas slowly start to fall apart, whether it's dealing with her family, the return of her former best friend, challenging the queen of the fifth grade, or attempting to identify with the pain of Stacy and her family, who have recently suffered a loss.With Christmas Day fast approaching, Lee's faith and holiday spirit are put to the test. Can she remain on her best behavior? Is there a way to help Stacy? Will there be enough snow to build the grandest snow fort ever created? In her attempt to do all of this and more, with her faith in the season and mankind waning, Lee must re-discover her joy or risk watching another December pass her by.