Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path

<p><strong><em>Not your Granny's Christmas stories …</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Step off the beaten path and enjoy six stories that look beyond the expected the traditional the tried-and-true.</em></strong></p><p> </p><p>Inspired by the song <em>Mary Did You Know?</em> -- a mother's memories of events leading up to and following that one holy night. MARY DID YOU KNOW?</p><p> </p><p>A young woman seeking her own identity searches for the man who tried to kill her and her mother on Christmas Eve twenty years before. A ROSE FROM THE ASHES</p><p> </p><p>Princess tower sorceress dragon brave knight clever peasant -- combine these ingredients into a Christmas-time story that isn't quite what you'd expect. RETURN TO CALLIDORA</p><p> </p><p>Anticipating tough financial times the decision not to buy or exchange presents leads to some painful and surprising revelations for a hardworking man and his family. NOT THIS YEAR</p><p> </p><p>Years ago a gunman and a store full of hostages learned some important lessons about faith and pain and what really matters in life -- and the echoes from that day continue to the present. THOSE WHO STAYED</p><p> </p><p>A community of refugees a brutal winter a doorway to another world -- a touch of magic creating holiday joy for others leads to a Christmas wish fulfilled. CRYSTAL CHRISTMAS</p>