Urban Christmas

Christmas, 1912. The funeral of an old friend brings Dorian back to London. But when his painting is stolen, Dorian is blackmailed into committing a terrible murder. Only one man can help him: a retired consulting detective named Sherlock Holmes...the man he has to kill.

He prefers giving to receiving. Saving a boy’s life pays dividends he could never have imagined. Owen Adair keeps everyone at a distance. Convinced he’s an apple with a worm in it, the publishing magnate lavishes his friends with thoughtful gifts while deflecting any praise or appreciation. But when an ambitious tabloid editor discovers he anonymously rescued a child from drowning in a freezing river, he suddenly finds himself the subject of uncomfortable and unwanted attention. Reluctantly agreeing to meet the boy’s grateful mother, Owen is deliriously ill with pneumonia when she ...

Kris Kringle had a hell of a Christmas last year. This year isn't shaping up to be any better. The Workshop might have provided the enemy with a piece of jewelry she now wears around her neck. What is the purpose?

Christmas Eve, 1890. Thanks to the tireless pursuit of Sherlock Holmes, Professor Moriarty’s criminal empire stands on a knife edge. Still, three ghostly visitors may yet convince the Napoleon of Crime that his destiny lies in another direction.

It was one night. I made love to a huge, growly man with perfect lips. It was just a temporary fling because we met on a cruise – but now he’s given me his baby! Abby’s not the kind of woman you jerk around. She’s sweet, giving, with a delectably curvy body that makes me forget how to swallow. She puts cover models to shame with her incredible smile and sassy ways. But I taught her some skills while we were on that cruise ship … … skills that she’ll never forget. Maybe I was her first, but they say the first time is always “safe,” right? You can’t get pregnant, ...

From the author of the Falconer Files and the Belchester Chronicles. A thought provoking Christmas short story. Christmas Eve has arrived and the whole world, it seems, is intent on doing the very last of the last-minute Christmas shopping. In some, the day brings out unexpected acts of kindness, where others are left unmoved. This story views the day through the eyes of a 'gentleman of the road', shuffling his way from an early morning rude awakening to a magical end as the day draws to a close.

Camille's been unwillingly drafted to help prevent a Christmas catastrophe in snowy Hidden Haven. Magic from the annual Spirit of Christmas Ball keeps the town hidden from humans for the rest of the year, but the magic from the ball can't be captured without the town's holiday cheer vessel: a wand that adorns the town's tree as its crowning star. Camille arrives dressed in a red ball gown, receives a pair of glass slippers that magically don't pinch, and is assigned a canine companion to assist in her mission: find Hidden Haven's pilfered holiday cheer wand.

Akira's plans are simple: write wedding invitations, bake Christmas cookies, and eat red meat. (The last surprises her, too.) But when Rose, the ghost who haunts her house, asks for a favor, Akira can't say no. Although she's faced danger before, even death, a toddler who doesn't like peanut-butter-and-jelly might be her worst nightmare.

Christmas Tree is a modern short story about festive spirit, set in an urban environment.

When Wulfric needs the season's hottest toy, he turns to the only person who can help: Tammy's new boyfriend, who might not be human. Between pizza dinners, helpful Fae, and stacks of waffles, join the crew of Halfway as they solve a Christmas mystery and find out that sometimes, what you can't see can really hurt you. This humorous paranormal short is for fans of witches, waffles, and Christmas. Listen with a cup of tea, and beware - there are spoilers ahead if you've not visited Halfway before.

His daughter’s medical emergency will lead to love… When his teenage daughter winds up in the Emergency Room, Ed is worried sick, but not too worried to notice how beautiful the E.R. doctor is. He’s never believed in love at first sight, but even after he butts heads with the stubborn doctor, he can’t get her out of his mind. Joy is content with her single life, but there’s something about her patient’s father that makes her long for more. When her friend schemes to get her out on a date with Ed, she realizes that despite their apparent differences, she and the grumpy contractor...

Hank and Josie own a small nursery in Mays Landing, New Jersey. They have three kids and a house with a mortgage. Josie has worked hard making and selling wreaths to make money for Christmas presents. Two days before Christmas, while she is collecting pine cones for her wreaths, she finds a woman named Helen lying in the woods behind her house. She is bruised and beaten, but won't let Josie call for help.

'Twas the night before Catmas...For soothsayer Journi McCutcheon, last-minute holiday shopping with her grandmother is no winter wonderland. Especially when the wily, wand-wielding old witch declares war on Santa in the middle of a crowded mall to the tune of jingle bells, wailing children, and shouting security guards. And that's just the tip of the magical mistletoe. When the discovery of a kitten triggers a disturbing vision that promises tragedy for a local family, Journi and Gramma Jude must put Kris Kringle's would-be slaying on ice to save Christmas.

Can the magic of Christmas heal centuries of betrayal? Marcus Knight helped bring the Paranormal Intelligence Agency into existence while waiting for his bride, Cara, to return, but when she does, it’s to say goodbye. After years of captivity, Cara has lost the will to go on. Can Marcus convince her that life still holds the beauty it once did, or will this be their last Christmas together?

Guardians don't celebrate Christmas, but this year Quintus doesn't have a choice. When Olivia gives him a very special assignment for the holiday, he will have to reconnect with what Christmas means to him or fail the one person he is destined to save.

In this touching Christmas tale, a Minnesota widower has a magical encounter with an enchanted snow man—and gets a last glimpse of the love of his life. Originally appeared in Cicada Magazine. Narrated by Scott William Carter.

It's Christmas and Meka and friends are getting together. What she doesn't know is that this Christmas is going to be different as her friend Sasha has plans. Join us on a happy yet scary and short Christmas story Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell A Thottie Christmas.

When the bus Sunny Fairbanks is traveling on stops for a layover in the small seaside town of Somewhere, she decides to walk on the beach at sunrise - and falls in love with the area. Her decision to remain in Somewhere for a few days is solidified when she steps on a shard of glass. A young man jogging along the shoreline comes to her aid, and she is forced to do something she hates - accept help. Welcome to Somewhere, Oregon.

Gula chats with a girl who's obsessed with her body image. It's about a guy, and being too hard on herself.

Public relations pro Grace McBride has represented some challenging clients, but none more than the Soltero brothers. Their family toy business became ensnared in a legal quagmire when their new Christmas Wish Holders logo brought charges of trademark infringement by a high-tech company. An injunction would postpone delivery of the children's gift beyond the holiday selling season, erasing profits that traditionally support local charities.