The Spirit of Christmas - eBook
Is it the things we get or the things we give? Maybe it has nothing to do with things.
A 12-year-old boy is being coerced to join a notorious gang in a New York project. He’s arrested on Black Friday for shoplifting as part of his gang initiation, but a mysterious, charismatic 33-year-old man asks the judge to allow him to mentor the boy. The young man inspires the boy to turn his and his troubled family’s lives around while fending off the gang and their murderous leader and learning the Spirit of Christmas.
A personal note from the author
I’ve always loved Christmas. And each year I vow to hold on to the spirit of the day throughout the year. When I became an author, I wanted to write a Christmas classic like Dicken’s, A Christmas Carol.
Most Christmas stories these days are television romances, robbers pulling heists or a kid left at home, with Christmas decorations in the background and playing an occasional Christmas song. I wanted to write a story like A Christmas Carol with meaning, and a contemporary setting.
This story was a gift to my family for Christmas 2019. It is a short story. There is an adult version and a children’s version. The children’s version will be available for free in the fall of 2020 (see my website for details). I will read it on Christmas Eve to my children and grandchildren this year along with readings of The Nativity and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore.
Have I written a new classic? I hope so, but I’ll be happy if each person who reads the story finds inspiration in its message.
All the Best,
John
