Last week felt like Christmas in my house.
We’ve been redecorating our house (after spending so much more time in it during the pandemic), and after painting, the second-biggest change we made was to order two large pieces of furniture: an entryway organization unit and a media center.
I ordered them in February, and because of the massive supply chain disruptions, they just arrived last week. But they’re here!
It’s amazing what a difference the right furniture makes. We have one long windowless wall on our main floor that stretches from the front door to the back deck, and I’ve long struggled with the best way to use that space while also providing separation for the living and dining areas.
The space finally feels finished. It only took me 16 years <grin>. What a wonderful gift.
It felt like Christmas at the office, too, but for a totally different reason. The three anthologies from the 2021 WMG Holiday Spectacular published last week and we’re so getting in the holiday mood!
Here are the three volumes you can read right now:
Forget run-of-the-mill holiday stories. In this cleverly creative WMG Holiday Spectacular anthology, award-winning editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch offers a carefully curated collection of unexpected holiday stories to add a delightful twist to the season.
From completely fictional holidays to holidays celebrated in the strangest of places to off-the-wall twists on familiar traditions (pooping Nativity figures, anyone?), this volume will put a smile on your face as it transports you in the weirdest and most delightful ways.
Join eleven of the best writers in the business as they present their take on A Weird Holiday Season.
Includes:
“The Case of The Disappearing Gingerbread City” by R.W. Wallace
“Project Management Miracle” by Johanna Rothman
“The Light Man” by Ron Collins
“The Pooping Knight’s Playbook” by Robert Jeschonek
“Thunder Angel” by Kate Pavelle
“Dong Zhi and the Last Huli Jing” by Julia Vee
“A Hollow Earth Thanksgiving” by Robert J. McCarter
“Sometimes Strange Magic Casts the Best Spell” by Kari Kilgore
“Beast Feast” by Meyari McFarland
“Five Days of Chickenmas” by Brenda Carre
“Gone Gnomin’” by Jessi Hammond
Scrooges unite! In this crime-filled WMG Holiday Spectacular anthology, award-winning editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch offers a darker and more disturbing take on holiday stories to add a bit of mischief and mayhem to the season.
From characters fighting corruption to facing moral dilemmas to conducting criminal investigations, this volume offers a refreshing change to the usual holiday fare for those with a bit of darkness in their hearts.
Join David H. Hendrickson, Annie Reed and nine other spectacular writers as they offer a more mysterious side of the holidays with Cold-Blooded Christmas.
Includes:
“Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow” by Tonya D. Price
“A Black Winter’s Night” by Chrissy Wissler
“On A Cold Winter’s Night” by Cate Martin
“On The Feast of St. Stephen” by Patricia Duffy Novak
“The Perfect Christmas” by Lauren Lang
“Evergreen & Crimson” by Lisa Silverthorne
“Maccabees” by Carolyn Ivy Stein
“Negative Spaces” by Annie Reed
“Santa’s Shrinkage” by David H. Hendrickson
“The Lost Gravy Boat” by Meyari McFarland
“Consigned in Peppermint” by Lisa Silverthorne
“Presents for Kitten” by Jessi Hammond
Romance and holidays go hand-in-hand. In this year’s sweetest WMG Holiday Spectacular anthology, award-winning editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch offers a lovely collection of romantic holiday stories to add a bit more heart to the season.
From traditional Regency and romantic suspense stories to a diverse set of characters who find love and romance in the usual—and some unusual—places, this volume offers eleven heart-warming tales filled with love and joy.
Join Anthea Lawson, Dayle A. Dermatis and nine other wonderful writers as they present a host of holiday happy endings in Mistletoe Moments.
Includes:
“How It Started” by Irette Y. Patterson
“A Different Christmas Experience” by Chrissy Wissler
“Stolen Kisses” by Carolyn Ivy Stein
“French Armoire” by Brenda Carre
“Chicken Chuck & the Congo Connection” by Patricia Duffy Novak
“The Christmas Haters’ Ball” by Robert Jeschonek
“The Plunge” by Daphne Crowe
“A Pinewood Valley Homecoming” by Kelly Washington
“In The Deep Dark Forest on Solstice Night” by Dayle A. Dermatis
“Mr. Bear” by Jessi Hammond
“Holly and The Viscount” by Anthea Lawson
To find out more information about these three new holiday anthologies (and the rest of the holiday anthology collection from previous years), click here. You can also sign up for the WMG Holiday Spectacular 2022 Calendar of Stories here.
But you might want to hold off on that last for a bit. We’ll be launching the WMG Holiday Spectacular 2022 Kickstarter very soon, so stay tuned for more information on that.
It’s the perfect time to start getting a jump on the winter holiday season!
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.