All Systems Snow
8 Stories of Christmas Times
by Derek McFadden
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Pub Date Nov 02 2023 | Archive Date Nov 12 2023
ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Papillon du Père Publishing
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Description
Snuggle in for eight moving Christmas literary experiences!
Take a trickle of fun, add drops of delight, and mix in a dash of bittersweet, sprinkled liberally with hope, and enjoy this collection of enchanting stories of Christmas times spent in the most unexpected of ways.
Stories of love, loss, and of the ways we find—and cling tightly to—connections with family, whether that family is found, fractured, or forever. These emotionally engaging stories tell of authentic Christmases and holiday experiences through characters as warm and alive as the Christmas season can be chilly with cold.
No Christmas collection is complete without a ghostly tale… We journey with Travis on his boat ride as he crosses the hours of his saddest Christmas Eve yet. Will his recently departed Pop find a way, from beyond this world, to reignite in his grandson the faith he’s lost, perhaps provide The Last Christmas Gift?
And what of Carrie Clark and her Christmas wish? Can Christmas and its togetherness salvage the relationship between her parents? Or is young Carrie already planning for her future, a plan that might include the most fantastic idea articulated as Carrie Clark’s Christmas Wish?
Join The Bell-Ringer on his rounds. He cheers at snow, at Christmas lights aglow. At family hunkering down, at a lost love found. In this Christmas season, when His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, the bell-ringer walks the streets—gold or not—and, with his bell and in his chosen spot, broken spirits he might leaven.
Which might help one Tim Harper, who wonders what the future holds as he struggles to recover from the loss of his wife and who anxiously sits by the bedside of his comatose daughter, Melissa. In The Fairness of Life, can Tim open his heart and find Christmas hope? A special nurse, whose love and care make her seem like an angel, might have a gift that changes everything.
The collection’s sole vignette encompasses a tearful Christmas goodbye, where the author must learn how truth is often a matter of perspective, how history is Written by the Victors. Look out for the link to the audio version of the story, read by the award-winning narrator B.J. Harrison. It’s free to enjoy (but please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital).
For one fragmented family, split across different cities and even different nations, there awaits a special moment none of them expected as they sit down at their computer screens and attempt to salvage their holiday. Who We’ll Be finds that one of them has had an intriguing idea… one the family may come to truly treasure.
As for bestselling author Jack Townsend, it’s his book sales that dominate his thoughts. Can Jack repeat the glorious, but precarious, debut success of A Window Into The Future, turn this unexpected hit into a career? Or will he lose his life in pursuit of literary lust? While on his book tour in a small bookstore in a lonely Midwest town, a strange, ragged visitor might have something to say about that…
Meanwhile, it’s mission set, cloudbank wet on The Uncertain New Day of Harold the Raindrop. On his very first day dropping from his very first cloud, will Harold receive a frosty reception when he lands next to a bunch of elves and a rather jolly guy in a red suit? Even Harold can’t imagine what’s in store for him in his new, snowy life.
Derek McFadden’s All Systems Snow gifts us eight telling tales of love, loss, and unexpected joy and reminds us what matters most at this special time of year.
Also included is the bonus short story What Eternity Taught Eve, a heart-rending, heartwarming tale with a bittersweet, poignant tingle. (Previously published in the anthology 13 by 11.)
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781915221162 |
| PRICE | $9.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 140 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Librarian 1081599
Nothing like acquiring a great anthology of Christmas stories to help with the chill coming in and pre Christmas excitement! This has something for everyone with all different types of stories depending on what mood you are in and I so oook forward to sharing this with readers.
Cheri S, Reviewer
There are eight stories in this collection, and for the most part, they are all very different from one another.
The first story is ’The Last Christmas Gift’, which was a very moving one, set on the day before Christmas, and begins on a ferry ride.
’I know this is a ride to nowhere. To nowhen, actually.’...
’I’m trying to find my way back to a place I once knew and loved. A place in which I was always assured of being both known and loved.’
’Carrie Clark’s Christmas Wish’ follows with a story of reminiscing of the days gone by, the freedom of childhood and the love of books and libraries. Her mother’s love of Santa ’”because Santa is magic. And magic is easy to love.”’ which wins her daughter over to going to visit Santa. This short story is somewhat of a prelude to the author’s The Santa Claus Agreement’ which I read recently, and loved.
Third: ’The Bell-Ringer’, a very short story of a man following his childhood dream by sharing what he loves with others, as the holidays approach.
Fourth: ’The Fairness of Life’ a moving story of a man who has already faced the loss of a loved one, and worries about the life of his daughter.
Fifth: ’Written by the Victors: A Vignette’, a story about family, a grandfather who is fighting cancer, and a grandson who shares his hopes and dreams for the future.
Sixth: ’Who We’ll Be’ a story of ‘celebrating’ the holidays over a computer during the pandemic. A grandmother trying her best to figure out ’this Zome thing’ so they could connect online, if not in person.
Seventh: ’A Window Into The Future’ The story of a best-selling author at a book signing, and a strange man who insists on having a strange and somewhat hostile conversation with him about his book.
Eighth: ’The Uncertain New Day of Harold the Raindrop’ A story with a lot of charm of the life of a raindrop waiting for his turn when the cloud announced a change of plans, letting Harold know they aren’t quite sure where he will drop. This was one of my favourites among these stories, and I really hope it will be released as a book for children.
Bonus Story ‘What Eternity Taught Eve’ A brief glimpse into the Afterlife, which is, apparently, ’bureaucratic as all hell’ despite the fact that ’there is no hell’.
Pub Date: 02 Nov 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Papillon du Père Publishing
Tierney M, Reviewer
A super collection of Christmas/holiday stories! All different, but all with similar messages of hope and healing, renewal and promise.
I meant to save this for closer to the season, but as it got colder here in the UK, I devoured this in an afternoon! A must-read for those who love uplifting seasonal stories without the forced romance and kitsch found in too many seasonal reads.
A must-read! Oh, and a couple of the stories are cleverly linked to the author's <i>excellent</i> The Santa Claus Agreement from last year—a heartwarming prequel for Carrie Clark and a fun story in rhyming prose for Harold the Raindrop, aka Frosty the Snowman.
Do NOT miss out on putting this in your seasonal stocking. You won’t be sorry!
Denice L, Reviewer
What do you get when you add 8 engaging holiday themed stories into one volume? The perfect gift for every stocking on your mantle. Derek McFadden's ALL SYSTEMS SNOW is perfect for those Christmas fanatice who started decorating before Halloween and won't take the decorations down until spring. Full of the wonder the holidays bring and the emotions of those who find their miracles in the snow, this was an excellent read.
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