Christmas Stories to Soften Your Heart and Bring You Joy
This is the time of year we all love to curl up next to the fire, adjust the music to play softly in the background, and open the pages of endearing Christmas stories.
In the spirit of Christmas love, I offer these beautiful stories to brighten your holidays.
Silver Bells At Moonglow – By Deborah Garner
Christmas at the Timberton Hotel arrives each year with a unique set of guests, some returning, some new. When this holiday brings a celebrity seeking reprieve, sisters who are distant yet closer to each other than they think, a widow approaching a new horizon, and an eclectic smattering of local townsfolk and visiting relatives, the season is certain to be eventful. Add a hint of romance and there’s more than snow in the air around the small Montana town.
Elegant decor and exquisite cuisine from resident artist and chef, Mist, form a backdrop to much-needed camaraderie, bringing strangers and friends together. When the last note of Christmas carols has faded away, the soft whisper of silver bells from the front door’s wreath will usher guests and townsfolk alike back into the world with hope for the coming year.
The Christmas Calamity – By Shanna Hatfield
Arlan Guthry hasn’t got a chance. Experience the magic of the holiday season with this sweet Victorian romance from USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield
Dependable and solid, Arlan Guthry relishes his orderly life as a banker’s assistant in the small town of Hardman, Oregon. He has good friends, a great job, and the possibility of marriage to the town’s schoolteacher.
His uncluttered world tilts off kilter when the beautiful and enigmatic prestidigitator Alexandra Janowski arrives in town, spinning magic and trouble in her wake as the holiday season approaches.
Magic, humor, and heartwarming moments blend in this sweet holiday read.
Christmas with the Colburns – By: Keely Brooke Keith
It’s Christmastime in Good Springs, and Lydia Bradshaw is eager for the light at the end of her year—the Colburn family’s big holiday gathering. When she discovers none of her siblings are coming back to the village this year, she believes Christmas will be ruined. As Lydia faces a gloomy holiday in the Colburn house, an unexpected discovery brightens her favorite season. Will it be enough to rekindle the light of Christmas?
Spend Christmas with the Colburns in this inspirational holiday novella. Holiday recipe included!
“I can honestly say this was one of the best Christmas books I have ever read. It is about traditions, the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ and opening your doors to others.”
“The more you read, the more you want to read!”
Goosed (A Fowl Christmas) – By Linda Banche
Ah, Christmas, what a glorious season. Decorations, friends, good will to all, a time of magic and miracles.
But not for Miss Julia Shaw. She is new to the area, her farm desperately needs upkeep, and the pittance she earns from her artwork doesn’t pay the bills. And then her pet goose runs away. Making matters worse, when she first meets the devastatingly attractive Lord Tyndall, the abominable man insults her as he returns her goose. No peace and good will for her this Christmas.
Exhausted from a year of business travel, Robert, Baron Tyndall, returns to London only to fall prey to his mother’s matchmaking attempts. Escaping to his country estate, he finds solace with the birds in his aviary. Except, that a plague of a goose that belongs to his new neighbor, Miss Shaw, has somehow entered his aviary and wreaked havoc. That disagreeable lady had better keep her misbegotten bird to herself. Too bad she is so lovely. What a horrendous Christmas this season has become.
But even in the blackest depths, a spark of light can glimmer. For at this wondrous time of Christmas, miracles, and magic can and do happen.
A sweet, traditional Regency romantic comedy with fantasy elements. 61,000 words.
Noelle’s Golden Christmas – By: Tamie Dearen
When it comes to the Christmas season, Noelle Holiday is a real Scrooge…
December isn’t filled with the magic of Christmas for Noelle, just the looming dread she’s about to lose something else dear to her. Will she ever be rid of her Christmas curse?
When she adopts an injured shelter dog, she discovers the love of her life… a Golden Retriever named Abby. Perhaps being single is God’s plan for her, but at least she isn’t alone.
Her meddling family, however, is convinced she needs a man in her life. They introduce her to two irresistible men who couldn’t be more alike. Or more different. Both men sweep into her life, testing her faith, and stirring up desire and confusion in equal measure.
If she can just get through this humbug holiday without another heartache!
In the spirit of Hallmark movies, this sweet Christian romantic comedy tells the story of a believer, struggling to implement her faith in her everyday walk and battling fear to find the agape love that drives it away.
Ino’s Love -By: Marianne Sciucco
Ino prepares a Christmas feast for her successful, CEO son, but when he’s too busy to spend the holiday with his mother she shares her dinner and gifts with her home health aid. Sometimes the people who love us best are not family.
“I adored this story. I felt as if I were in the room with the two women, and their relationship was so natural and so warm.”
“I felt myself sink into the story, somehow a welcome guest in Ino’s life. And then the story was over – much too soon. And it left me terribly hungry for some Italian cooking.”
“Though this short story only covers part of a single day in the life of Ino, it ranges the emotional spectrum.”
A Pine Cove Christmas – By J. Heather Leigh
A novella that reflects how tragedy and fate can collide in ways people could never have planned and their lives are forever touched.
Ben and Joelle are on the verge of divorce but each pretends not to notice for the sake of their daughter, Emma. The family heads out on a holiday road trip complete with pasted smiles, forced laughs, and the hope that they can find some holiday happiness for their small child.
After Kate lost her baby, she gave up everything, including her marriage. Newly single, the last thing she wants to do is to spend the holidays with her pregnant, happily married sister. She packs a suitcase and makes reservations at a fancy hotel in the city where she hopes she can be anonymous.
A flash snowstorm strands both cars in the Adirondack mountains and they find shelter in the Pine Cove Inn, which has been closed since the owners, Steve and Mary, lost their young daughter in a tragic accident. They take in the travelers, forcing them to face a host of emotions about their loss and their future.
Secret Angel – by Cherry Christensen
Doctoral student Hannah Wagganer entertains dreams of teaching at a large university and leaving her hometown of Glen Arbor behind. That is until Jasper Morgan, the new mail carrier, arrives in town. Not only does he set Hannah’s heart a flutter, but he has an instant bond with her cat, Jingles.
Preparing for the church candlelight Christmas Eve service and running the family store, Hannah continues to bump into Jasper—and the prying eyes of the locals who suspect there’s more going on than business as usual.
Blessings and suspicions abound when an anonymous donor pays to have the church furnace repaired, and other locals suddenly find solutions to their problems. Is it coincidental, or the work of a secret angel?
“Secret Angel takes you to a town where you would want to live. It’s a place where you would be surrounded by friendly and neighborly people who really care.”
“This is a sweet, heartwarming book with a hint of mystery. The faith-based characters are lovable and funny. And who could resist the antics of Jingles the cat?”
The More The Merrier: A Short Story (Seasons of Love Book 1) – By Liwen Y. Ho
Fed up with a string of bad blind dates, health blogger Alyssa Wu wants to drown her sorrows in ice cream. But there’s one more evening she must endure–a fake date with her best friend Barry Chang. They must convince her family they’re in love, an act which may (or may not) be easy to pull off, thanks to the magic of some mistletoe.
This 10,000 word short story is perfect for your lunch break, workout, or while you wait in line at the mall. Read it today to get into the Christmas spirit any time of the year!
Each book in the Seasons of Love series can be read as a standalone.
“Absolutely heart-warming. It’s funny, sweet, charming, and romantic.”
“It was so refreshing to read a story focused on true romance.”
Snowglobe Reunion – By Christina Lorenzen
Stranded by a snowstorm, Carrie Sanders is left holding a bag an old woman she’d been talking to left behind in the airport coffee shop. Mystified by the woman’s disappearance, she sits on the bench staring at the snow globe that was in the bag.
Inside the glittery snowy world, it’s Christmas during the 1940s. Fighting sleep, the next thing she knows she’s in the arms of the soldier she last saw skating on the pond in the snow globe. He’s no stranger, but the boy next door who never forgot her.
“My heart swelled with love as Ms. Lorenzen’s characters interacted with long-passed loved ones and the author skillfully brings into the page how that era’s Christmas celebrations look and feel … spot-on in our imagination.”
So To Honor Him – By Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Arash is a slave drummer accompanying the Megistenes and other scholars on their journey to find the new king, whose star they have seen in the heavens. He does not understand their enthusiasm for this Jewish child, prophesied centuries before by one of their own, but each night he plays his drum for his master and dreams of earning his freedom.
When they reach Jerusalem, Arash is made an offer by King Herod himself: once they locate the child, return and tell him of this infant king of the Jews. To do as the king asks is to become a fugitive slave, but Herod promises Arash’s freedom, and Arash agrees.
“A great Christmas story *and* a great historical story. You can tell the author meticulously researched the culture and time period, weaving a rich backdrop of a setting and cross-referencing ancient places and events to work plausibly into the plot.”
“This story is beautifully written, thought-provoking and extremely entertaining. The elaboration of such an ambiguous Biblical account is one of the most intriguing things I have ever read and has left me inspired, sorrowed, and joyous at the characters’ findings, downfalls, and forgiveness. Entirely too amazing.”
That Gift – By Sheryl Fawcett
It’s Christmas time!
Husbands everywhere search for the perfect gift. Some succeed in delighting their wives. One misses the mark. In fact, he doesn’t even come close.
Years later his wife has a revelation about the gift and it takes on new significance for her. He hasn’t forgotten either, as demonstrated by another gift of the season.
“Brought back memories of Christmases past. Quick, easy read….you will probably be able to think of a “That Gift” that you have received.”
“A tale of love, of gifts exchanged, and a look back at the song of yesterday. A heartwarming tale for those who need a break from the depressing headlines encountered in the news each day.”
“A short, sweet story that is heartwarming and nostalgic.”
The Crimson and the Frost Kindle Edition – By
For untold millennia, the harsh frozen wastelands had been ruled by the immortal King of Winter. His power so absolute, no one dared to challenge his dominance until…
…a peaceable old man in crimson robes and his devoted followers took up residence in the heart of his realm, constructing a magnificent town full of wonder and magic. In their possession was a strange and powerful artifact known as the Heart of Polaris. The ancient stone created a dome-like aura that protected the town from the extreme conditions of the frozen North.
The King of Winter arrived to cast out the trespassers but when he reached out toward the veil of magic energy a stabbing pain shot up the length of his arm. A wave of contempt rose up in him at the insolence of those who dare deny him access to a vast section of his own kingdom.
For centuries the town had lived in peace, undisturbed, while the King of Winter waited patiently for his chance at revenge. Now, the Heart of Polaris goes missing and there is nothing to stop the King of Winter and his army of savage grimghouls from launching a full-scale invasion.
But the expulsion of the intruders will not satiate the King’s of Winter’s age-old thirst for vengeance. When the town’s magic combines with his own he will have to power to bring on a new ice-age. The fate of the entire world hangs in the balance as two legends face-off in an epic clash.
Snow Job – By Debbie Brown
When NY divorce lawyer, Sarah Lindquist, stepped out of her office to clear her mind before her next client showed up, the last thing she expected was to come to in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, with two park rangers standing over her.
The ex-military rangers are convinced someone wants her out of the way, but how do they find out who, without putting her life at risk and letting that ‘someone’ know they’ve missed the target?
“It has well planned events, cunningly incorporated through protagonists’ lives. The enemy, the secret, the mystery.”
“When I read about Sarah waking up in the middle of nowhere out in the Colorado Rockies, I felt like it was happening to me. From that point on, the book was a page turner and having to put it down to tend to “real life” was anything but easy.”
The Santa Society – By: Kristine McCord
Winner of 2013 Mistletoe Christmas Romance from Bookstore Without Borders/Storyfinds
Last Christmas, Erin came home to be with her dying mother. This Christmas will be a year, and Erin still can’t move on. Fortunately, everything in her life is about to change. A behemoth dog named Klaus and Reason-the-handsome-realtor enter the picture, and together they turn Erin’s life upside down…in a good way.
Blame the Mistletoe – By: Sarah Johnson
Unable to stay away from Meryton for long, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley return to Netherfield for Christmas, bringing with them Darcy’s sister Georgiana. Wickham has already established himself as trustworthy, especially in the eyes of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, giving Darcy an even harder time of winning her heart. Will the mistletoe boughs hung all around help in bringing these two lovers together?
“Ms. Johnson has such a style about her when she writes. She weaves elegance and romance into this story that will fill you heart this holiday season!”
“A wonderful novella that goes on a tangent from the original story.”
“This was a very well-written and sigh-worthy tale of our favorite couple.”
Seeking Christmas – By: Brenda Maxfield
Enjoy another Ocean Mist Short Story!
The Christmas season has eighteen-year-old Courtney crossing the state line with her little brother Dennis to rendezvous with the man who deserted them years ago. Courtney remembers him only as the tall man who ran away. Dennis doesn’t remember him at all.
Courtney is furious, but Denny is curious. Will their meeting result in a happy Christmas memory or another miserable disappointment?
A Gift for Lara – By: S.G. Rogers
Lara Robinson wrote a love letter four years ago, but received no reply. Now the man to whom she gave her heart will visit Blythe Manor for Christmas. How can she enjoy the holidays knowing Miles Greystoke must despise her for revealing her feelings in such an unguarded fashion?
As an awkward youth, Miles fell in love with a kindred spirit…but his love was unrequited. Against his wishes, he’s now obliged to spend the holidays at Blythe Manor. Time has wrought changes in his physique, but his devotion to Lara Robinson has never wavered. He searches for the perfect present to show her how he feels, but nothing seems quite right…until he realizes the best sort of gift will embrace the true meaning of Christmas.
A Victorian Christmas short story.
Enjoy these stories of Christmas! Be Safe – Be Loved – Pass It On!
Author Peggy M McAloon
