Kaleidoscope Santa, Vol 1 — Mary Korte

~ “Mary, your books are not just stories, they're movements!!” Dena Rebozo, Camano Island, WA. If you are White, you may never have considered that people of other races might like to see themselves IN Santa Claus. Welcome to Kaleidoscope SANTA. Its pages expose a Santa, who, all his life, has hidden his unique differentness. Will he tell? No. Hmm. How much longer can he keep his secret secret? A SUCCINCT, BRIEF DESCRIPTION of all 3 volumes of Kaleidoscope SANTA Santa and Mitzi Claus have gotten through every Christmas Season without a hitch. This year disaster strikes, threatening exposure of Santa's ethnic secret. Mitzi, bearing the burden of an abusive childhood, not only feels responsible for his troubles; she overreacts, creating havoc for everyone. Be forewarned. Trickery begins when Santa, playing the role of a “Santa Claus helper” at Promenade 23 Shopping Center in Seattle, meets his match in stubbornness. Two teenagers vying for each other's attention, a snoopy reporter determined to get a terrific story, secrets that drive everyone nuts, a toy request no toy factory can produce, a mystery man's sudden appearance, a single mother at her wit's end, an angry child feeling rejected by his father and betrayed by his mother PLUS an unexpected, secret romance move this story to the brink of realism. Hold on to those reindeer reins as you fly through domino-effect dramas intertwined with a myriad of problems, and then skid to a halt in front of an “ending” you'll never forget. FROM WHENCE CAME THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK? When a young Black mother, speaking for herself and her husband, said to me, “We don't promote Santa Claus to our children because Santa is a White thing,” shock rendered me speechless. “A White thing.” Is that how People of Color view Santa Claus? I could not uproot the seedling these words nurtured in my mind. It grew and grew into Kaleidoscope SANTA. WHO IS THIS 3-VOLUME STORY FOR? Kaleidoscope SANTA is intended for readers eleven years and older [including adults], but parts can be shared with young children, especially the part where Santa reflects back on his childhood and where he finds himself in a pickle stew with his reindeer. Yes. They help him divert disaster. This metaphorical fiction goes way beyond the little-kid story of Santa Claus. Intended for all ages, its broad-spectrum content is not only entertaining, it is an eye opener. Above all, it creatively introduces a plausible, "all-race-inclusive" Santa Claus. He, of course, has always been all-race inclusive, but has successfully kept this from the world until . . . Well, his old-man self does not expect disaster to strike, compromising his ability to keep his racial secret. Even then, as he faces more and more setbacks, his stubborn nature kicks in. Little is he prepared to deal with his future destiny. PRAISE FOR Kaleidoscope SANTA: “Fresh moments, surprises, endearing characters all intertwined with disaster, romance, trickery and many humorous twists, held my interest from beginning to end.” Cindy Ruby, M.Ed. [Kirkland, WA] ~ “Besides offering a new world view of Santa Claus, the author breathes life into her characters and enriches the story line with truly amusing similes and metaphors. It is a most enjoyable read that brought smiles and laughs to me.” Dr. Janice M. Delange, former UW, WMU and GVSU School of Social work professor [Grand Rapids, MI] ~ “An engaging story . . . about a cast of characters that would make Dickens proud.” Dr. Loren Steinhauer, Plasma Physicist [Bothell, WA] ~ ”Captivating from beginning to end . . .” Dianne Wilson, M.Ed. [Detroit, MI] ~ “A real eye-opener about how other cultures view Santa Claus.” Bonnie Marshall [Yakima, WA] ~ “It challenges people's thinking and illustrates the gift of giving transcends all races.” Mary Elmore, owner Christmas Gifts on Broadway [Everett, WA]