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    Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas: Short Story Collections, #3
    Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas: Short Story Collections, #3
    Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas: Short Story Collections, #3
    Ebook64 pages53 minutes

    Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas: Short Story Collections, #3

    By Debbie Young

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    About this ebook

    This collection of twelve humorous short Christmas stories will delight anyone struggling with their own plans for the festive season.

    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?

    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.

    Whether you choose to spread out the stories across the traditional 12 Days of Christmas, or to consume them all in one sitting, once you've read "Stocking Fillers", you'll never view Christmas in quite the same way again - and we mean that in a good way! 
     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHawkesbury Press
    Release dateNov 8, 2014
    ISBN9781911223313
    Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas: Short Story Collections, #3
    Author

    Debbie Young

    Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries. She lives in a Cotswold village, where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing.

    Read more from Debbie Young

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      Book preview

      Stocking Fillers - Debbie Young

      Stocking Fillers

      Twelve Short Stories for Christmas

      Debbie Young

      Hawkesbury Press

      Contents

      PREFACE

      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

      A Note to Readers

      Acknowledgments

      Also by Debbie Young

      Copyright

      PREFACE

      I’ve written these Christmas stories to provide readers with comic relief from the inevitable stresses of the festive season. Unlike many Christmas stories, mine are not steeped in sugar, and not all the characters are entirely likeable, but all the same I hope they’ll make you smile.

      Whether you choose to read just one story on each of the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, or to wolf them all down in a single sitting, I’m hoping that you’ll enjoy Stocking Fillers – even if after reading it, you may never view Christmas in quite the same way again.

      However you plan to celebrate this festive season, I wish you peace, love and joy.

      Debbie Young

      The Christmas Letter

      Dear Friends and Relations

      I expect you’re wondering why this year’s Christmas letter is coming from me rather than the wife. The good news is that it will therefore be free of spelling mistakes and grammatical gaffes. That’s just the first surprise in our household’s 2014 round up.

      First, news of the offspring.

      You will doubtless recall from Trudy’s last Christmas letter, if she did a proper job of it, that our elder one, Caroline, was due to sit her A Level examinations this summer. Unfortunately I was the only one who took this challenge seriously. Painstakingly I prepared revision spreadsheets and progress graphs to direct her preparations. If only she had taken more notice of her father than of that inadequate boyfriend, Jake (or perhaps his name is James), she might have achieved the straight As I’d hoped for, instead of her feeble three Bs. She seemed not to care that this dismal performance would not get her into the medical school that I’d been planning for her since the day she was born. How she could throw away such a valuable prospect in favour of the performing arts, of all things, I do not understand. That is why I refused to go to Speech Day, where the only prizes she received were for worthless extra-curricular activities such as drama. If you ask me, she has wasted far too much time starring in school plays throughout her secondary education.

      I assumed her poor example would make young David buck his ideas up on entering the Lower Sixth in September, which indeed he needed to do if he is to have any chance of a career in Law. However he continued to fritter his time away on his wretched guitar. His uncanny ability to gain bookings for his band to perform live in pubs will certainly not fit him to succeed at the Bar. Neither the band’s success in some half-witted television talent show nor the resulting recording contract will convince me that he has not been wasting his time.

      Sadly, Trudy has been of very little help in keeping our children on the straight and narrow, being too deeply immersed in her own selfish interests. Since she started volunteering at that dreadful women’s refuge in March, she has lost all sight of her priorities. Very often there is not even a meal awaiting my return from the office. When I have asked her to explain why she bothers working there at all when I am perfectly able to provide for all her needs, she has not been forthcoming. Her entire conversation these days consists of regurgitating the opinions of some fool called Adam (or is it Adrian?) who runs the place. I assume the inane smile constantly on her face is caused by the contrast between her pleasant home life and the wretched state of those she works with.

      As for me, my continuing endeavours in the City have earned me a further promotion this year. My annual bonus was the largest I’ve ever received. It seemed only fair to treat myself to a new sports car on the proceeds – a two-seater Porsche 911 GT3, which features a six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine capable of as much as 500 HP, a top speed of 198 mph and 0-60 acceleration of 3.5 seconds. Never let it be said that, in my career and as head of the household, I do not continue to set a good

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