Christmas Anthology Stories

Thomas Hardy wrote this engaging seasonal story for The Father Christmas Annual in 1877, which was very early in his career. One can just imagine the family sitting by the fireside after the big Christmas lunch, and listening as one member of the family read the story (set in the Wessex countryside he knew so well). By this time, he was already making his mark as a writer. One of his greatest achievements, Far From the Madding Crowd was published three years earlier.

Dive into a world of enchantment with Twinkling Tales of Christmas, a delightful collection of 30 captivating short stories that will transport children and parents to the wondrous spirit of the holiday season. Join our young heroes as they embark on thrilling adventures, discover the true meaning of Christmas, and share in the joy of giving.

Christmas is being celebrated in style at Purley Hall in Hampshire because renowned actress, Dame Pamela Harcourt is holding a special Jane Austen conference. Everybody's there: Katherine and Warwick, Robyn and Dan, Kay, Adam and Gemma, and Sarah and Mia. Oh, and Mrs. Soames.

A vicar nailed to a tree in Yorkshire. The theft of a priceless artefact during a fire. A detective forced to tell the truth for 24 hours. A body hidden in a basement. From the restless streets of London to the wilds of the Lake District, displaying all his trademark humour, playfulness and clever plotting, this landmark collection brings together the very best of Reginald Hill’s short stories for the first time, complete with a foreword from Val McDermid.

Papa was a great storyteller, and his daughter wouldn’t settle for recycled tales. While Papa was not interested in telling stories he was badgered enough to come up with a whopper. Prepare to smile, and to wonder what it would really be like if it were Christmas every day - at least the way we often celebrate it.

A holiday classic by Charles Dickens. Originally published in 1843, Dickens worried about the disparity between the wealthy and the impoverished, and it was his attempt to bring this disparity into the light of day, to appeal to the die-hard capitalists to take care of the downtrodden masses. Since this inequity continues, this story is still popular, and will probably continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

A Cinnabar Moth Publishing anthology, A Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters is a collection of short stories with themes that range from sad to dark to horrifying. Each story is set during Christmas or in Winter. Many talented authors worked to create these short stories, and we are proud to present them to you in this anthology.

Paxton Peterson’s favorite day of the year is his annual Gay Boy Christmas dinner. He’s checked and double-checked his to-do list, because nothing stresses him out like the unexpected. Confident everything will run smoothly, Paxton embarks on his yearly snowshoed hike through the Rocky Mountains near his home. His perfectly planned evening is cut short by Logan Charles’s careless enjoyment of his brother’s snowmobile, and Paxton is stranded in the woods. It’s the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened to him - or maybe the best.

A brand new collection of five festive love and romance stories for the holiday season. "The Northern Lights": Her callous husband leaves her soon after the death of her mother, and mistakes are becoming apparent at work. Megan decides it's time to take a Christmas vacation to follow her lifelong dream of seeing the Northern Lights - not anticipating the special care and attention she would receive from the owner of the resort.

Cory never expected to run Baker's Secret Hideaway, but when she needs help, Dex Trenton enters her life in more ways than one. Chris Day isn't looking forward to Christmas. But injured skier Raven Chase lands in Red Rock Clinic on Christmas Eve, and her holiday plans change. All Noelle McGregor wants is real mistletoe for her first Christmas without family, but getting it leads to literally falling for Matt Spicer. Sonata Sullivan returns home where she encounters her widowed high school boyfriend, Tommy Henderson. But her heart belongs to Jamali in Morocco.

A collection of 29 of Enid Blyton's Christmas stories. Visit Santa's workshop, hang up your stocking and help two naughty goblins make a Christmas pudding in this magical collection from the classic children's author. Stories include 'Mr Icy-Cold', 'The Christmas Party' and 'Rescuing Santa Claus'. A wonderful selection to enjoy and share. Mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food....

How can you enjoy Christmas when you are solely responsible for keeping everyone happy, including the neurotic budgerigar; when you are all alone, and likely to be so for the rest of your life; or when you are four years old, your mother is whisked off in an ambulance, and you're left with some very odd neighbours? Can opinions set in stone be melted by cosy knitwear? Does scrambled egg have aphrodisiac properties? Should angels have good grammar? What would Silas Marner the miser be like if he lived now? And where did Noel Streatfeild get her inspiration for all those footwear stories?

It is the same old story of the struggle between the old and the new. This tale, portrayed in the dark detail of the eighth-century, tells of old foresters, who desire to cling to the past, and a bright, young Christian who comes to teach them about the birth of Christ.

Christmas brings out the best and the worst in us, as can been seen in this evocative anthology. Among what Thomas Love Peacock calls the "many poetical charms in the heraldings of Christmas," there are eulogies by saints and diatribes from curmudgeons. Here, Christmas is expounded by divines, sung by rustics, deplored by philosophers, made mystical in stories and summed up in a line by the poet Elizabeth Jennings: "The hush, the star, the baby, people being kind again."

This Christmas, celebrate the joys of the season with a trio of exquisitely crafted, richly romantic tales by three of the brightest stars in contemporary fiction. Filled with passion, drama, and a touch of magic, this festive gathering of classic stories, available for the first time in 10 years, tells about the lives and loves of one unforgettable family and the enchanted heirloom that links one generation to the next.

A delicious Christmas feast of short stories from the Sunday Times number one best-selling author of A French Affair and The Perfect Match. Add some extra sparkle to your Christmas by joining Katie Fforde for a perfect, romantic Christmas feast of short stories. Collected together for the first time and including one brand-new story. Make your Christmas wishes come true....

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils) and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.

A hot holiday toy that brings terror to a department store. A man caught in a blizzard as he searches for help for a dying friend. A girl who wakes up to surprise visitors on Día de los Muertos. A man who recounts a sick and twisted Thanksgiving. A boy who becomes intrigued by a mysterious house and the girl who resides there during fall break. A family man who struggles with a dilemma that may cost him his soul.

CHRISTMAS IN SEATTLE It’s Christmas Eve, and jet-setting Ariella and her husband are in Seattle for an elegant party. After a steamy encounter on top of the Space Needle, Ariella enters the ballroom to discover that a menacing stranger has revealed a secret from her past to everyone in the room. Although Ariella puts on a brave face, her character is called into question by the very person she trusts most in the world: her sexy millionaire husband. When she finds herself out on the dark, rainy streets of Seattle on Christmas Eve, she is confronted with the possibility that her happily-...

After the death of his brother, Robert not only becomes Viscount Landers but also gives up his army career and agrees to marry his brother's beautiful fiancé to ensure the succession. When he's snowed in for Christmas with his shrewish betrothed and her attractive but practical cousin, Eleanor Carlisle, Robert realizes he's engaged to the wrong woman. As the temperature plunges, the heat is on Viscount Landers to untangle the ties of duty and the wishes of the heart.