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No matter what kind of year it’s been or what’s going on in the world, people who celebrate Christmas find a way to celebrate Christmas. Maybe the gatherings are smaller, or the presents more from the heart than the wallet, but the spirit, meaning and traditions of that holiday are too deeply ingrained to be easily ignored. Even when families may be kept apart by distance, finances, illness or ideology, some traditions remain steadfast.

If you’ve ever seen an evergreen tree waving from the top of a barely driveable car or festive lights blinking from an open-air, six-feet-apart gathering, you’ve witnessed evidence of this.

And no matter what our circumstances, many families rejoice in a yearly tradition that costs nothing and means everything — re-watching holiday movies together. While readers can always choose from a host of holiday-themed books every year around this time, a new collection of novellas from five bestselling authors — Julie Cantrell, Lynne Gentry, Allison Pittman, Kelli Stuart and Janyre Tromp — aims for something different, traditional and authentic: an homage to the holiday movie traditions so many of us hold dear.

CHRISTMAS COLLECTION CAPTURES FAVORITE HOLIDAY FILMS

It’s a Wonderful Christmas: Classics Reimagined revolves around some favorite Christmas archetypes – from the small-town romance to family gatherings to a magical Sugar Plum Fairy. This Christmas box set includes five stories sparked by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, The Nutcracker and Remember the Night.

Julie Cantrell’s story centers on high school senior Ellie Parker, whose parents are on the brink of a painful divorce. Ellie wants to heal all the hurts and help her beloved Pop reclaim his long-ago 12-year-reign as the “King of Christmas.” So, the young girl sets her plan into motion, bringing together a complicated mix of extended relatives with the goal of having a “fun old-fashioned family Christmas,” Griswold style, updated for a modern audience. Along the way, they all learn some important lessons about family, forgiveness and fun.

Each beautifully imagined tale in this collection evokes some classic Christmas imagery — from snow-covered hills to roaring fireplaces and holiday table settings — but more importantly celebrates the various ways in which Christmas, like the star atop so many trees, shines on no matter what our circumstances.

There’s a reason books fit so neatly inside a Christmas stocking. Some affordable, heartfelt gifts are simply meant to be. Even if you’re treating yourself this year. So, start with the story that evokes your family tradition — but don’t skip the others. There’s beauty in everyone’s tradition, all you need to do is look out a snow-capped window and believe.

It’s a Wonderful Christmas is available for purchase here.

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Photo Credit: Andrew McNeece

About Julie Cantrell:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, Julie Cantrell has published four novels and a collaborative work of creative nonfiction while also contributing to nearly two dozen titles and editing more than 80 manuscripts. Her books have earned literary recognition and starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

A TEDx speaker who served two years as editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review, Julie was honored to receive a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Fellowship and to be named a short-list finalist twice for the Mississippi Arts & Letters Fiction Award as well as a two-time short-list finalist for the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize.

Published in numerous languages, Julie’s novels have received two Christy Awards, two Carol Awards, and the Mississippi Library Association Fiction Award. She also received the 2016 Mary Elizabeth Nelson Fellowship at Rivendell Writer’s Colony, an honor awarded to a writer who “encourages spiritual growth, healing, and care through his or her work.”

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About Lynne Gentry:

Lynne Gentry grew up on a Kansas dairy farm and never wanted to be a writer, but she has always been a storyteller. Her mother called it “Selling wind in a bag.” Lynne started out writing plays and skits. Then in a moment of sheer insanity, she decided to take a stab at writing full-length novels. The Carthage Chronicles are her time travel/sci-fi series. The Mt. Hope Southern Adventures series starting with Walking Shoes and The Women of Fossil Ridge series starting with Flying Fossils are her contemporary romantic comedy series. Ghost Heart and Port of Origin are part of her Agents of Mercy Medical Thriller series.

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About Allison Pittman:

Allison Pittman is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, including the Christy-nominated Sister Wife series and the critically-acclaimed The Seamstress. An enthusiast for all things writing, she leads two different writers’ groups, helping to bring new voices to the world of books. When not writing, Allison teaches middle school English, working as a conduit to introduce her students to new, fresh literature.

the author of more than a dozen critically-acclaimed novels and a four-time Chisty finalist from Texas.

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About Kelli Stuart:

Kelli Stuart is a writer and a storyteller at heart. A graduate of Baylor University with a degree in English Professional Writing, and a minor in the Russian language, Kelli has honed her skills in the written word through editing, ghostwriting, blogging, and traveling the world.

Kelli is the author of the Carol-award winning novel, Like a River From Its Course, based on true stories from Ukrainian World War II survivors. Her second novel, A Silver Willow by the Shore, was the NIEA winner for literary fiction and received the IPPY silver award for literary fiction in 2020.

Kelli’s third book, The Fabulous Freaks of Monsieur Beaumont released in August, 2021. She will release her fourth novel, The Master Craftsman in April 2022 with Revell books. In addition, Kelli is part of a collection of short stories in the Christmas release, It’s a Wonderful Christmas: Classics Reimagined.

Kelli has co-authored the non-fiction books Dare 2B Wise with Joe White, and Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom with Wendy Speake. Kelli lives in Tampa, FL, with her husband and five children.

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About Jaynre Tromp:

Janyre Tromp is a historical novelist who loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye (coming March 2022) and co-author of It’s a Wonderful Christmas.

She’s also a book editor, children’s book author, and lives in Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric dog.

Genre: Fiction
Kelly Simmons

Kelly Simmons is a former journalist, advertising creative director and the author of six novels sold in a dozen countries, most recently Not My Boy. She teaches in the Drexel University MFA program and is a member of Women Fiction Writers of America, Tall Poppy Writers and The Liars Club. Her serial fiction podcast called Open The Window is forthcoming from Hollywood’s Speak dot studio. She was born the same day as Dorothy Parker. Coincidence? She thinks not.

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