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REVIEW: Festive Treats by Various Authors

9/12/2016

3 Comments

 
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In honour of Festive Treats, our free anthology of Christmas stories for Kindle, I thought I would review all sixteen stories which feature within the collection!

Here are some festive tweets about Festive Treats...

Hark! by Iain Grant - Four archangels enjoy a meal on Christmas Eve in this Clovenhoof spin-off. Merry mayhem packed with clever biblical references.

Mary’s Christmas by Margaret Egrot - A heart-warming tale about a lonely old woman who rediscovers the joys of Christmas. Wonderful detail and characterisation.

The Thought That Counts by Katharine D’Souza - The first in a double-bill of women’s fiction from Katharine D’Souza. Noel nostalgia and enough intrigue to keep the pages turning.

The Night Before The Others’ Christmas by R. E. Vance - Jean-Luc runs a hotel for mythical creatures. A fantastical, festive Fawlty Towers, with a hero reminiscent of Odd Thomas. Great rhymes too.

The Ghost of Christmas Replete by David Croser - A grotesque Christmas ghost intervenes in a suicide attempt. A bleak London cityscape given comic relief by the comical Crimbo caricature.

A Country Christmas by AA Abbott - Contemporary story about a father and daughter (and imaginary friend) spending Christmas in the country. Well-drawn with a hint of magic.

A Partridge in a Tree by Simon Fairbanks - A boy occupies Birmingham’s iconic Christmas Tree to prolong the holidays. A Roald Dahl-esque modern fairy tale with an inspired villain.

The Owl and the Turkey by Debbie Young - The Queen is sick of wild boar and tasks her royal huntsmen to find her a new Christmas dinner. Fun and inventive, with a lovely foreword.

Geordie Selwyn and the Bucket-List by Hilary Mortz - Two aging rockers travel to see the northern lights. Excellent narrative voice, very funny and perfectly captures the Icelandic setting.

Scent of Christmas by Katharine D’Souza – The Birmingham author captures the detail and politics of a family Christmas with a wry sense of humour. Trivial Pursuit, anyone?

O Little Town by James Brogden - People go missing when a creepy Claus-esque neighbour moves in. Surreal urban fantasy from horror writer James Brogden. Brilliant ending.

How was it for you, Joseph? by Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn - Flash fiction starring Joseph and Mary. Captures the inevitable marital dispute caused by a miraculously-conceived baby. Short and sweet.

Midwinter’s Eve by Justin Lee Anderson – Tribespeople fight for survival against the cold Midwinter and fearful Ashkari. A little romance, a lot of action and a red-armoured cameo.

Going South for Christmas by Suzanna Stanbury – Christmas on a dump with an ensemble of lovable homeless scavengers. They find food, festivities and a fortune. Excellent narrative voice.

Christmas on Mercury by A. Stuart Williams – Commonwealth and Russian spaceships meet on the fringes of Mercury. Enjoyable sci-fi adventure with likable characters and a feel-good vibe.

Elf Service by Heide Goody – A second slice of Clovenhoof chaos. Clovenhoof and tweenage terror Spartacus cause mischief in a shopping centre. Fun and fast-paced.

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3 Comments
Ginger Harman
14/12/2016 01:00:54 am

I just read this collection also. Very much enjoyed and grateful to have found some new authors. I did leave a review.

Now, since I am on your blog... I was very impressed with your story. It could really be used in high schools and I noticed that my son really connected with this story. You very much remind me of a modern Truman Capote.

Question, What inspired you to write this story? Who are your favorite authors to read? What are you writing now?

Very curious reader wants to know.

Reply
Simon Fairbanks
14/12/2016 07:19:59 pm

Hello Ginger!

Glad you liked my story and thanks for the questions.

I think I was inspired by Roald Dahl. The story seems to blend his habit of combining the everyday with the ridiculous!

My favourite authors are Stephen King, Terry Pratchett and Agatha Christie. Conveniently, they are all very prolific writers so I have plenty more of their works to read. But my favourite books of all time are His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.

I am currently writing my third fantasy novel for my Nephos series. The first two are The Sheriff and The Curse of Besti Bori. More information can be found elsewhere on this site!

Simon :)

Reply
Ginger Dawn Harman
14/12/2016 07:27:26 pm

Thank you for answering my questions, I found and downloaded the book you mentioned on Amazon USA.

I can see the influence of Ronald Dahl. Really looking forward to reading the first two books in the series!


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