A HEARTFUL OF CHRISTMAS by Ruth Bainbridge
Three short stories that prove love comes in
many forms. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll fall in love.
WHEN THE SNOW MELTS AWAY
Margaret Stevens is bound and determined to spend another Christmas alone. With the death of her husband ten years ago, she believes that not partaking in the holiday cheer is staying true to his memory. But her daughter and an interfering angel have other ideas when they conspire to get her to go a Christmas party being held at their local church. With their help, Margaret just might find that love truly is made in heaven. Approximately: 5,720 words
WISH UPON A STAR
Sandra Bevins is none too happy about working on Christmas Eve, but her financial situation demands it. She’s in a bind and needs extra cash to tide her over, and so she shows up at Nickel’s Diner, ready to serve turkey dinners. The young waitress has no idea that there’s a surprise in store. A kindly old customer named Kris leaves a very special tip—one that will change her life forever. Approximately: 8,625 words
FINDING THE ONE YOU NEED
Christmas is Lily Pressman’s most favorite holiday. She’s already decorated her parent’s house, and is ready to start in on them, when her brother Archer arrives home from school in the nick of time to prevent that from happening. He’s promised her a Christmas surprise, but the gift turns out to be Jim Steele, the one person in the world that she hates the most. She had a mad crush on the handsome quarterback in high school, but he had to go and ruin everything by standing her up. To make matters worse, she learns he’ll be sharing the holidays with her and her family. What’s a girl to do? Lily Pressman has no idea other than hide in her room and wait it out, but love has other plans. An angel with four legs and fur enters her life at just the right time to work a Christmas miracle. Approximately: 10,568 words
I was born in the idyllic, sleepy town of Ithaca, NY, and
have been a lover of mysteries for my entire life. Ever since I was a child,
I've consumed detective stories at regular intervals, becoming enamored with
all the superstars of crime. I loved matching wits (and still do) with Hercule
Poirot, Miss Marple, Thomas Pitt, Lord Peter Wimsey, Richard Jury and Edward X
Delaney. In fact, I was so inspired by their brilliance that I began trying to
emulate my writing idol's achievements by composing my own short stories.
However, life interfered with my plans of becoming the next hopeful to try a
life of crime--on paper at least. I devoted myself to my marriage and the
raising of four delicious, sometimes obedient children. But the empty nest
syndrome happened and gave me the impetus to return to my first love--murder.
Heartful of Christmas website: http://heartfullofcharistmas.blogspot.com/
WHEN THE SNOW MELTS AWAY
Margaret Stevens is bound and determined to spend another Christmas alone. With the death of her husband ten years ago, she believes that not partaking in the holiday cheer is staying true to his memory. But her daughter and an interfering angel have other ideas when they conspire to get her to go a Christmas party being held at their local church. With their help, Margaret just might find that love truly is made in heaven. Approximately: 5,720 words
WISH UPON A STAR
Sandra Bevins is none too happy about working on Christmas Eve, but her financial situation demands it. She’s in a bind and needs extra cash to tide her over, and so she shows up at Nickel’s Diner, ready to serve turkey dinners. The young waitress has no idea that there’s a surprise in store. A kindly old customer named Kris leaves a very special tip—one that will change her life forever. Approximately: 8,625 words
FINDING THE ONE YOU NEED
Christmas is Lily Pressman’s most favorite holiday. She’s already decorated her parent’s house, and is ready to start in on them, when her brother Archer arrives home from school in the nick of time to prevent that from happening. He’s promised her a Christmas surprise, but the gift turns out to be Jim Steele, the one person in the world that she hates the most. She had a mad crush on the handsome quarterback in high school, but he had to go and ruin everything by standing her up. To make matters worse, she learns he’ll be sharing the holidays with her and her family. What’s a girl to do? Lily Pressman has no idea other than hide in her room and wait it out, but love has other plans. An angel with four legs and fur enters her life at just the right time to work a Christmas miracle. Approximately: 10,568 words
AUTHOR
The Curt Savage Mysteries are the first series I have
out. I am feverishly working on Murder Most Fowl, an Alex Trout Mystery, and
Deadspeak, a paranormal detective series. To keep up with all that's happening,
I'd love you to join my newsletter.
Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/ruthbainbridgenewsletter-com
Twitter: @Ruth_Mysteries
Website: http://ruthbainbridgemysteries.blogspot.com/
Heartful of Christmas website: http://heartfullofcharistmas.blogspot.com/
REVIEW
Delightful!!!
Just delightful!!!
The magic of Christmas is highlighted in
this trio of stories. Ms. Bainbridge, one of our favorite authors, explores the
perplexing nature of love, and its quixotic nature makes for some pretty
unexpected twists. The only sure bet? That you’ll fall in love—just like the
couples you encounter on these pages!
Ms. Bainbridge has a way with words,
and these short stories are examples of her wizardry. They strike a chord that allows
the heartwarming nature of the tales to shine through and it’s that infusion of
emotion that keeps us reading on. The stories flow so beautifully, that it’s
tempting to zip right through them, but I purposefully portioned them out because
I wanted the joy to last. It’s up to you as to how you want to play it.
While all three short stores were
fantastic, I especially loved WHEN THE SNOW MELTS AWAY and FINDING THE ONE YOU
LOVE. WHEN THE SNOW MELTS AWAY is a three hanky read! At least! Fair warning: Keep
tissues handy because some of these passages will make you breakdown and cry!
Talk about touching! Yikes! FINDNG THE ONE YOU LOVE is the exact opposite in
tone and it’s the perfect way to finish off the collection. I laughed so hard
that I almost spilled my hot chocolate. There’s a moment in the card shop when
Lily confronts the boy who stood her up in high school that’s straight up
hilarious. If you need a laugh, this one’s for you! I should add that the
addition of a tiny kitten acting as a furry angel got to me. Yes, it’s the one
on the cover and the cat figures in very nicely with this story. If you have a
soft spot in your heart for felines, it’s even more reason to love this one!!! The third story WISH UPON A STAR is darker in theme and hides two powerful messages. The first is not judging on appearances and the second is to never give up believing in Santa!!! Psssst: He’s real!!!! Believe what your parents told you and not your friends!!!
All in all, Ms. Bainbridge has
perfectly captured the exuberance of the holidays and the exhilaration of
hormones running amok. If you can’t get enough Christmas, or romance, HEARTFUL
OF CHRISTMAS should top your list! Request it from Santa, or better yet, hit
the CLICK button and buy it yourself! Five tree-topping stars from me!
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