Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. SpalsburyBOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK)

These 25 short stories for the Christmas season will make you laugh, smile and just feel good about this magical time of year. These delightful stories, written in a variety of genre, all reflect Christmas love, hope, and charity.

Detective Nick Tracer just wants to get drunk over the holiday season but an eight~year~old hires him to find Santa, and it changes his life. A magical Christmas bus enriches the lives of a veteran and his young daughter. The last S~2, an indestructable android, is given the toughest assignment of his long existence. A Christmas ghost discovers the real magic of Christmas, and on a beautiful California Christmas morning, two people in their 80s recall their lives while sitting on a park bench overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A ghost plays matchmaker for his younger brother, and two children do the same thing for their single mother. A best friend turns the tables on his buddy, and a sad poem opens the heart of a lonely poet. A bag lady enjoys the view and receives an unexpected guest. And sometimes being too smart can be a disadvantage, particularly when there is a bronze olive involved.

These are just some of the fun and exciting stories in this compilation. There are stories of adventure along with humor, unexpected surprises, romance and poignant moments. These are feel~good stories, to uplift your spirit and to leave you with a smile or a warm feeling. Just the way Christmas should feel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff R. Spalsbury was born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and grew up in the small town of Logan, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University, San Jose State University and the University of Denver. He currently lives in Visalia, California. Before deciding to become a full~time novelist and short~story writer, he was a director of a college library and a college professor. When not writing Christmas short stories, he writes western and science fiction novels.

Connect with Jeff R. Spalsbury on his website by clicking here.

MY OPINION

If you’re looking for feel good Christmas stories without a lot of hokiness, this is the book for you. Filled with stories of rekindled hope, renewed faith and revived love, Merry Christmas Stories simply makes you feel good about the Christmas season. The twenty~five short stories cover a variety of genres ranging from the paranormal to adventure to romance and drama. There really is something in it for everyone.

One of my favorite stories in the collection is “Bag Lady Blues” about a homeless woman who recounts her life and the joy that she had with her family before things started to fall apart. The message of the story for me is that you don’t know how someone may have ended up in their circumstances, but the one thing we all have in common is the need for love and companionship.

FAVORITE SENTENCE(S)

Page 65:

I don’t understand why I look out at the world with all my young thoughts, yet when I look in the mirror I see an old lady. When did that happen? My soul wants to dance, yet my body can’t even walk straight.

RATING

★★★★

JEFF SPALSBURY’S TLC BOOK TOURS TOUR STOPS:

Monday, November 21st:  The Road to Here
Tuesday, November 22nd:  Reviews from the Heart
Friday, November 25th:  A Chick Who Reads
Monday, November 28th:  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Q&A/giveaway
Wednesday, November 30th:  Cheryl’s Book Nook
Thursday, December 1st:  Life in Review
Friday, December 2nd:  2 Kids and Tired
Monday, December 5th:  Laura’s Reviews
Tuesday, December 6th:  Book Maven’s Blog
Wednesday, December 7th:  My Bookshelf
Thursday, December 8th:  Deb’s Book Bag
Friday, December 9th:  Living Outside the Stacks
Monday, December 12th:  Along the Way
Tuesday, December 13th:  By the Book
Wednesday, December 14th:  Nailing Jello to a Tree
Thursday, December 15th:  Book Reviews by Molly

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by TLC Book Tours free of charge in exchange for participating in the Merry Christmas Stories blog tour.