Holidays with Anne Series

Celebrate the holiday spirit with three musical stories from Anne B. Walsh: "Laeti Triumphantes": Isabel de Maine and Nevan O'Grady find they have similar taste in carols... what else will they share at Christmas, 1786? From the Chronicles of Glenscar. "Glorious Song of Old": Eleven-year-old Carol lives on a world without music, but that doesn't stop her from wanting it. When a starship set up as a zoo comes to her planet deep in December, she discovers a secret about the creatures on display. The spirit of Christmas prompts her to set the captives free, but that might mean her own dreams will never come true... "The Angel and the Rose": Lady mage Cecily Ashe and her betrothed, Barnabas Lecomte of the Order of Middle Knights, invite you to a ball in honor of their Christmastime wedding. Commoners, or those without magic, need not apply. Come in costume, from a story you doubt the other guests will know. But keep your wits about you, for at this ball, nothing is as it seems...

Find your festive mood with Anne B. Walsh's sixth collection of Christmas and winter-themed fantasy and science fiction: Somebody's Children: Baker Hope Marrain usually finds delicious gingerbread in her ovens, not a lost pair of siblings. As Christmas approaches, she may have to decide between following the law and following her heart... Straight Shooting: In the cave-bound Hidden City of Luola, Analla Eastfield steps up to the line for a Winterfest archery competition. Can she maintain her principles, no matter the temptation—or the cost? Star of the Sea: Adam Darragh, of the village of Glenscar, tells a tale of Christmas past, aboard the brig Molly Porter. Will a medal of the Blessed Virgin Mary help a young woman make the right choice? For Goodness Sake: You'd better watch out! The starship North Pole has come to the planet of Moria, where music is forbidden. What mysteries from her own past could await orbital control officer Layna Ghavouri among Santa's elves?

How far would you go to save a friend? Johanna has journeyed for a year and a day to find her friend Karl, who was taken by the Mother of the Snows. Her acts of kindness bring her help and more knowledge about her enemy, who is also called the Queen of Winter or the Maiden of Ice. Maiden, Mother, or Queen, Johanna is determined to defeat her, and bring Karl home in time for Christmas. But first she must battle against her own fears and uncertainties, win through the Mother's tricks and traps, and conquer the final hurdle of an opponent she never expected... The eighth entry in the Holidays with Anne series is a cheerful Christmastime retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen", combined with the Grimm Brothers' "Mother Holle" and a similar tale from Scandinavia called "The Two Stepsisters".

Anne B. Walsh presents five tales inspired by Christina Rossetti's classic poem, perfect for reading by the light of your Yuletide fire: "Frosty Wind Made Moan": Join twins Catling and Kitten on the world of Trycanta as they prepare for their family's Darknight ritual. "Nor Earth Sustain" (by Elizabeth Conall): If Jetta just keeps trying, can she find her stranded starship's crew a home in time for the holidays? Or is their hope as lost to them as war-torn Earth? "Enough": Unless twelve-year-old Starsong can prove to the galactic lawkeepers that her abduction from the music-hating planet of her birth was a willing one, she'll be "home" for Christmas. "With a Kiss": The man who wishes to win Countess Nadia Yastruba must first learn and speak her secret name. As 1786 gives way to 1787, will handsome highwayman Kieran Massey succeed? "What Can I Give Him?": Gentle-mage Matthias Lecomte is granted his Christmas wish: one day free of his father's hatred...

Jonathan Brinwald, manservant to his half-brother Nathaniel, idly speaks aloud his greatest wish one wintry night under the stars: a new home, where both he and his brother could find a place to belong, and be healed from the sorrows of their past. The land of Olechna, where magic is common and the winter holidays bring joy to all, seems a likely candidate to fulfill this wish, especially once Jonathan meets Cecilia, a lovely baker who works at the royal palace. But the realm and its people hide many secrets, and the brothers soon find themselves entangled in complications they never expected. On the darkest night of the year, when grief and pain seem impossibly strong, can a promise between them bring about a happy ending for all?

Jingle all the way to your favorite reading nook with this fifth holiday collection from fantasy and sci-fi author Anne B. Walsh: Carol of the Bells: When the handbell choir of the starship Wild Rover is reduced to one ringer just before Christmas, can Starsong, princess of Free Sky, find a clever way to handle everything herself and earn back the name she was born with? Ding Dong! Merrily on High: The first Winterfest since their friend Parro died has Teo and Analla, children of the cave-bound Hidden Cities, feeling less than joyful. Could surprising others with happiness help heal their hearts as well? Silver Bells: King Darius and Bran the Fool, friends as well as master and servant, prepare for the Yuletide festivities of Misrule, when nothing is as it seems to be. But what will happen when Darius discovers that Bran has begun the celebration early?

Dig out the fuzzy slippers, turn on the Christmas songs, and settle in with a good story as author Anne B. Walsh presents her third collection of holiday-themed fantasy and science fiction: "The Tenth Lady": Starsong, princess of the clan of Free Sky, is trying her best to get to a Christmas performance, but again and again she must stop along the way to help others. Will she arrive in time to dance for the baby in the manger? Or could her lateness, perhaps, be a still more precious gift? "Wherever You May Be": In a world where belief powers magic, the ability to properly portray a Midwinter tale of hope could be the difference between one town's salvation and its doom. Can Khor, director of drama, and Libby, lady wizard, overcome centuries of custom to save their home? "Not That Hat": All snowmen are created magical, but some snowmen are created more magical than others...

'Tis the season for stories by the fireside; get into the holiday mood with Anne B. Walsh's fourth collection of Christmas and winter-themed tales, featuring: Sun and Moon and Stars of Light: Amanda Evans believes she escaped her homeworld six months ago, married to her beloved Dai. Her grandparents say Dai was killed in an explosion eight months ago. Who knows the truth? Only the Aelur players of the starship "Wild Rover", and their answer will leave everyone wondering where story ends and reality begins... The Christmas Cat: Edwin and Anthea Marlowe tell their children a tale about a little cat who did not know what to give the baby Jesus, but ended up giving the best gifts of all. The Twelve Signs of Christmas: A series of vignettes depicting moments from the author's childhood Christmases. And yes, everything in them really did happen. More or less.