Holiday Stories
Four teens, one viral video, unrequited love, and the quest to attend the biggest party of the year...
Let It Snow meets Can't Hardly Wait
Katie just wants one thing, well two things: to gain a coveted invitation to "Queen Bee" and local mean girl Jocelyn Moore's epic Winter Party and to go to that party with her crush, the popular volleyball player Olivia Brewster.
Except there's a problem, well two problems: one, Katie is a nobody at Westwood High School, and two, her mom just-so-happened to upload a recording of Katie after getting her wisdom teeth pulled just that morning, where Katie, all drugged up and drooling, slurred out her love for Olivia and her desire to go to Jocelyn's party, turning her into a viral joke at school.
Mortified, Katie thinks her social life is over, but the night holds a few unexpected surprises as she, her friends, and yes, Olivia, turn the evening into Winter's Perfect Night.
Winter's Perfect Night is a sweet young adult romantic comedy novella.
This story originally appeared in Sweet Holidays Anthology
"A Pinewood Valley Homecoming" appears in Holiday Spectacular Anthology #3, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
After serving in the military for twenty-five years, Kelsey has retired and is finally returning to Pinewood Valley. At eighteen, she left everyone and everything behind, to include her first love, Daniel, so she'd like her return to be kept quiet. Except that does not happen.
Can Kelsey and Dan overcome the past and look toward a second chance?
"The Art of Waiting" appears in the Mysterious Christmas Anthology, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Sitting in a women's correctional facility, Birdie waits for a rare visit during a bleak holiday season.
About the entire volumne: Murder, mayhem, and all manner of crimes set during the holiday season give this anthology a bite that serves as a delightful change from the sweetness that often dominates this time of the year.
This volume contains an abundance of thieves, a few murderers, a wannabe murderer, and one or two stories in which the crime lurks on the periphery. With a host of unreliable narrators, a few psychopaths, and one acrobat, who could resist?
From a search for the perfect Christmas tree that turns deadly to a reformed thief who wrestles with the better angels of his nature when temptation arises during the holidays, these marvelous mysteries prove the perfect distraction for even the stormiest winter evening.
"Fatal Plot Device" appears in Jingle My Bells, The Best Holiday Stories from Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, edited by Dean Wesley Smith.
"Fatal Plot Device" is a twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas Movie. I absolutely adore Hallmark movies. They are comforting to me. During Christmastime, my mom and I will watch them. For me, a Hallmark Movie is like drinking a warm cup of cocoa on a drizzly day. They make me feel better!
However, in my fiction, I come at stories sideways, and "Fatal Plot Device" is no different. Have you ever noticed how there are a lot of deceased characters in Hallmark movies? A already passed grandparent, or the main character is a young, attractive widow/widower? Yeah, me too.
"Fatal Plot Device" is about one such deceased character and that's about all I can say about it without spoiling this very short story.
Bestselling author and Pulphouse Editor Dean Wesley Smith was floored when he read my story. He bought it immediately for his Really Messed Up issue. Here's what he writes for my introduction before the story:
I am a confessed fan of Christmas romance movies. So when Kelly created a viewpoint character who is a fatal plot device in a Christmas romance movie, I honestly doubted she could pull it off. I should have known better. She hit it completely.
On a quiet, snow-filled, Christmas morning, a nine-year-old boy and his red wagon set out on a journey to find his father in Heaven. Along the way he encounters obstacles that prevent him from reaching his destination, including the supernatural forces of good and evil that make him question his faith. But for every obstacle, his trusty red wagon contains just the thing he needs to overcome the challenge.
THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY is a 23 page short story. While safe for all ages, some scenes might be somewhat scary for children 7 years old or younger.
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