Stocking Fillers — Debbie Young

This collection of twelve humorous short Christmas stories, averaging 1,000 words apiece, 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! IF YOU ENJOY THESE FESTIVE STORIES... ...you might also like Debbie Young's whimsical longer short story, "The Owl & The Turkey: The Real Reason We Eat Turkey at Christmas", published as a single short story, which received the following reviews when published for Christmas 2013: "Crisp, clever and fast-paced, this short story received my highest recommendation." Ginger Dawn Harman "If you're looking for a fun new holiday story, it's well worth the 99c to check this one out." Shay Tressa De Simone "I really enjoyed it... It had all the elements; first, a question; second, a quest; third conflict; fourth characterisation and finally the answer â€" well, an answer! A real hoot!" (Shaun Ivory, author of "No More Heroes" and "The Judas Cup") "Cute.... deliciously random... funny to boot. Has given me food for thought.... Made me come away smiling. Thank you." (David Ellis, blogger at www.toofulltowrite.wordpress.com) "Definitely my favourite of your stories so far!" (Helena Mallett, author of "Flash Fraction: 75 x 75"). DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT CHRISTMAS? Then try Debbie Young's summer flash fiction collection, "Quick Change", 20 very short stories on the theme of transformation - They make domesticity look edgy, sometimes dangerous, but they are also life-affirming." - Lucienne Boyce, historical novelist and historian WHAT REVIEWERS SAY ABOUT DEBBIE YOUNG'S SHORT STORIES: "Very subtle, very English, very clever" (novelist Marius Gabriel) "They make domesticity look edgy, sometimes dangerous, but they are also life-affirming." (Lucienne Boyce, historical novelist)