A Bit of Christmas: 6 Christian Short Stories Celebrating the Season - Softcover

Sometimes you only have a few minutes to read. Short stories are the answer! This boxed set of six short stories features the winners of the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter short story contest. Each previously unpublished tale has a clear Christian faith element and focuses on the theme of Christmas. So grab a warm drink and a cookie, and relax for a bit with a Christmas short story!

Included are:

First place: "I Heard the Bells" by Angela K. Couch (Historical category). Three years ago, Gabriel Morgan left his home in Virginia to fight for the Union Army, despite his family and fiancee's loyalties to the South. Now, with battle fresh in his mind, and the Civil War still raging, he chances a quick trip home with one prayer... to make peace this Christmas.

Second place: "The Missing Piece" by Kathleen Neely (Contemporary category). Donning her designer clothing and superior attitude, Sandra reluctantly agrees to accompany her friend to an estate sale. The discovery of a photograph that looks remarkably like her sends her on a search for truth. Knowing that she was adopted and finding the photograph so close to home is too coincidental to dismiss. Her search leads her to a life-changing truth beyond the face in the photograph.

Third place: "Returning Christmas" by Emily Conrad (Speculative fiction category). When Gwen receives an extravagant Christmas present from Maddox, a neighbor she doesn't know, she must decide if she can accept a gift she can never repay. The other tenants in her building return and exchange Maddox's pricey gifts to suit their selfish agendas. Sensing there's much more to Maddox than her neighbors suspect, Gwen struggles to understand the motivation behind his generosity and what he could mean when he claims that the others would return Christmas itself, given the chance.

Honorable Mention: "Christmas Presence" by Kari Fischer (Contemporary category). Ex-Navy SEAL, Deputy Sheriff, Guardian and Daddy? Entrusted with his late ex-wife's daughter Mia, Nick Gardner takes his responsibility seriously. It doesn't hurt that he's certain Mia is his daughter. Before he can establish paternity, an unexpected visitor threatens to tear Mia away from the most stable home she's ever known. Mia longs for a special gift, but the only present Nick wants for Christmas is legal proof that Mia is his daughter.

Honorable Mention: "Just Another Navidad" by Allison K. Garcia (Contemporary category). Compared to his childhood home of Guadalajara, Mexico, Navidad in the Shenandoah Valley seems like just another day to hard-working Alberto Gonzalez. With bills piling up and no end in sight, he barely has the energy to enjoy his family, let alone Christmas. When things go from bad to worse, Alberto isn't sure where to turn. Will the church down the hill from his trailer park help him get into the Christmas spirit, or will it end up being just another Navidad?

Honorable Mention: "The Dance" by Kathleen Neely (Young Adult category). Connie's shyness is challenged when her family moves across the country in her senior year. In an effort to make new friends, she tells a lie. Her classmates now believe that she is a dancer and encourage her to join a local production. Connie's lie is exposed, but the journey leads her to a passion that is greater than her fear. Join five Christian writers and their six stories to bring a bit of Christmas into your day.