Holiday Wishes - A Compilation of Short Stories, Essays, Poetry, and Memories

by Lisa Shea, Ophelia Sikes, Linda DeFeudis

The wintry month of December has been a time of celebration since the earliest days of caves and campfires. As soon as humans could make sense of the phases of the moon and the wheeling of the stars, we treasured the Winter Solstice - the darkest day of the year. Many counted this period as the turning point for the entire cycle. Yule sprang from this date, as did the Chinese celebrations. When the Syrians attacked Jerusalem in 167BC, and the locals ably defended themselves, this added on yet another reason to cherish this time of year. In the Middle Ages, the Christian Church decided to assign the birth of Christ - an up-until-then unknown date probably happening in the spring or fall - to December 25th. The Christians felt the renewal of life and the Solstice were perfect symbols for the light Christ brought to the world. Add into that the Holy Day for Saint Nicholas, on December 6th. Saint Nick was a 300AD Bishop renowned for his generosity. He would secretly leave presents and gifts for the poor. In Dutch his name became Sinterklass, and the legend of Santa Claus was begun. For many, giving presents became a treasured part of the holiday. Our holiday collection includes short stories, poetry, essays, memories, and much more, all celebrating the myriad of ways in which we celebrate this precious time of year. We may use different names and emphasize different symbology, but together we all have the same core foundations - peace, love, and compassion for others. Happy Holidays. Authors featured in this compilation Patty Cahill Meghan Cameron Linda DeFeudis Joyce Derenas Arlene Dorischild Young Farwell Tom Hollyday Sheryl Lynn Kimball S. M. Nevermore Jane Nozzolillo Ibi Obomanu M. A. E. O’Rourke Lily Penter Jane Richardson Kevin Paul Saleeba Lisa Shea Ophelia Sikes The Sutton Writing Group supports local Toys for Tots programs.

209 pages, Paperback

Published December 18, 2018

About the author

Lisa Shea is a fervent fan of honor, loyalty, and chivalry. She brings to life worlds where men and women stand shoulder to shoulder, steady in their desire to make the world a better place for all. Most of her profits are donated to support battered women's shelters.

Lisa's works are all cleanly written with no explicit intimacy and little language. They are suitable for teens and up.

Lisa has written a wide range of fiction stories. She has medieval romances, modern murder mystery novels, sci-fi adventures, Scottish regency time travel romances, dystopian stories, 1800s-era black-Indian novellas, and Blackstone Valley mysteries.

In short stories, there's a thirty-one part story-a-day mini mystery series set in Salem, Massachusetts through the month of October 2014. There's a time travel series, a Biblical-era series, a zoo mystery series, an art museum mystery series, a diner mystery series with an Asperger's heroine, a romantic proposal series, three sci-fi and two contemporary shorts.

On the non-fiction side, Lisa has written nearly 100 books. There are low carb books, relationship books, green living, journaling, ASP programming, sleep and dreams, wine, wedding and courtship traditions, Melville poetry, and history. There is also a collection of books on self-help topics like working from home, reducing stress, yoga, meditation, using Twitter, running an author signing, and conquering a fear of spiders.

Lisa also writes poetry.

Lisa has thousands of pages online to help aspiring authors learn how to develop time management, write that book, lay it out, and get it published. Visit LisaShea.com for all the details, and free to email with questions!

Namaste.