Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas

"Stocking Fillers" follows a cast of entertaining characters as they prepare for the festive season, from a small boy trying to teach Santa time management to the elderly lady celebrating what's likely to be her last Christmas Day. Unlike many Christmas-themed books, "Stocking Fillers" does not sugar-coat the festive experience, and not all of the characters are lovable. But ultimately it's a heartwarming celebration of all things festive.

The tales form an entertaining catalogue of how characters of all ages respond to the anxieties that abound at this time of year, from a small boy who tries to give Santa lessons in time management to the elderly lady who is marking what's likely to be her last Christmas. Others tackle such important questions as:

- Will you ever get everything ready in time?
- Will everyone like their presents?
- Will you like yours?
- How will Father Christmas fit us all in?
- And who is the real Santa, anyway?

Here is the list of story titles, kicking off with a very funny parody of a Christmas round-robin letter:

• The Christmas Letter
• I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas
• Do You Believe?
• The Revolting Toys
• Park and Ride
• Christmas Time
• The Groundhog Christmas
• The True Cost of Christmas
• The Unexpected Guest
• The Unwanted Gift
• Good Christmas Housekeeping
• Past, Present, Yet to Come

Unlike many festive books, this collection does not sugar-coat every Christmas experience, and a few of the characters aren't exactly lovable, but they're certainly memorable. But ultimately it's a heartwarming collection and an easy, quick read to be enjoyed by anyone who loves the traditional Christmas, at any time of year.

Many readers report that reading these stories has become an annual tradition in their household, a Christmas Carol for the modern era.

Author: Debbie Young
Publisher: Hawkesbury Press
Published: 11/18/2014
Pages: 76
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.18d
ISBN: 9780993087929

About the Author
Young, Debbie: - Debbie Young has a reputation for wry, witty fiction full of gentle English humour, based on meticulous observation of everyday domestic life. She has three published collections of short stories, and her work also appears in various anthologies. She is currently writing a series of cosy mystery novels, the Sophie Sayers Village Mysteries, set in a small English village with an author as its heroine and a bookseller as the love interest, which will be published in 2017. The first book will be Best Murder in Show, followed by a series of six titles completing a year in the life of the fictitious village of Wendlebury Barrow: Trick or Murder, Murder in the Manger, Murder by the Book, Springtime for Murder, Murder Your Darlings and School's Out for Murder. She has performed her short stories at various litfests and events including the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2016, and is a frequent guest on BBC Radio Gloucestershire and various community radio and television stations. She is a regular member of the panel on BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Book Club slot during the lunchtime programme. She is the founder of the Hawkesbury Upton Literary Festival (founded April 2015) which provides an annual celebration of books and reading on the closest Saturday to World Book Night, in which all events are free of charge to make it accessible to all. Her regional reputation is also enhanced by her long-running humorous column in the Tetbury Advertiser, described by its editor as the jewel in our crown. She is also an avid reader, reviewing books for various publications including Vine Leaves Literary Journal and on her own blog. She has been blogging as since 2010 and is very active on social media, with a 10K Twitter following over 1,000 Facebook friends and over 500 likes on her Facebook author page. Her YouTube channel includes videos of her performing her stories and speaking at public events and on podcasts. She also has a high profile in the author community in her role as Commissioning Editor of the Authors Advice Blog for the Alliance of Independent Authors, for which she is UK Ambassador. She also runs three author meet-up groups in Bristol, Cheltenham and Oxfordshire. She lives and works in the small Cotswold village of Hawkesbury Upton with her Scottish husband and teenage daughter where she is very much involved in the life of its busy rural community. She enjoys travelling in the family camper van in search of adventure, armed only with blank notebooks and reading matter. More information about all of these activities is available on her author website at www.authordebbieyoung.com.

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