When Leda was a child, she was taken to a land of glitter and soft voices and told she was there to stay. In a rush of confusion, a creature appeared and demanded that she and others be handed over. In the blink of an eye, she is back in her bed, but she remembers the creature, she remembers being taken, she remembers everything. The day her nephew went insane, she had her suspicions, and when she ran a test, she knew. He had gone naughty right before the holidays, and she was the only person who knew why. She had a mission. She had a goal. She had to go talk to a monster known for abducting children.
It all started with a bad little girl and a pair of embroidery scissors... Eighty years ago, she snipped off Krampus' beard and used it to cast a spell on him, leaving him powerless to punish bad children. Now almost no one remembers him or the sting of his birch whip. Two days before Christmas, Moritza stands at her least-favorite grandmother's deathbed, where she learns she's inheriting not only the mean old lady's house, but a small gold charm, which she's warned never to open. Of course, that's the first thing Moritza does, and in the chaos of her grandmother's death, the charm goes missing. Misplaced or stolen by a creepy store Santa who has been lurking around? When a tall, dark, and furry stranger arrives, Moritza would like to believe it's all a sugarplum-induced hallucination. But she can't pretend she's seeing things when Krampus lays his hands and his impossibly long tongue on her. Krampus insists he's there reclaim his property and mete out some long-overdue punishment. When he discovers that the girl who cursed him is dead, and his charm is missing, he's reduced to begging for Moritza's help. Down on his knees in her bedroom, there's something both unseemly and irresistible about Krampus. The horns, the tail, the silky black fur smelling of cloves and oranges... and yes, that lewd, lascivious, and very nimble tongue. O Holy Night.
"In Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe, bestselling author Michael Foley dives deep into the history of Christmas and the customs that surround this beloved holiday. Learn about the fascinating origins of your favorite Christmas food, drink, observances, and songs. Discover how Saint Nicolas, a fourth-century Catholic bishop, became Santa Clause and who Santa's global competitors are (some of them will shock you). And dig into the forbidden history of the Yuletide season's dark and ghoulish side" --
Full of Christmas wonder, eggnog, and endearing characters, Wendy Darlymple’s Kissing Christmas Goodbye is a charming tale of getting a second chance at love. Christmas is Lizzy’s favorite time of year; even when divorcing her husband forced her and her daughter to move back in with Lizzy’s parents. Max hates Christmas and all the pomp and candy canes that goes with it. What’s worse is the house he’s renovating is smack dab in the middle of the uber festive Candy Cane Lane. Just when Lizzy thinks she can convince her grinchy neighbor Max to participate in the neighborhood-wide decorating, her world is threatened when Lizzy’s ex demands their daughter spend Christmas with him and the other woman.
Film plays a vital role in the celebration of Christmas. For decades, it has taught audiences about what the celebration of the season looks like – from the decorations to the costumes and to the expected snowy weather – as well as mirrors our own festivities back to us. Films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone have come to play key roles in real-life domestic celebrations: watching such titles has become, for many families, every bit as important as tree-trimming and leaving cookies out for Santa. These films have exported the American take on the holiday far and wide and helped us conjure an image of the perfect holiday. Rather than settling the ‘what is a Christmas film?’ debate – indeed, Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are discussed within – Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural focuses on the how Christmas is presented on the deluge of occasions when it appears. While most Christmas films are secular, religion makes many cameos, appearing through Nativity references, storylines involving spiritual rebirth, the framing of Santa as a Christ-like figure and the all-importance of family, be it the Holy family or just those gathered around the dining table. Also explored are popular narratives involving battles with stress and melancholy, single parents and Christmas martyrs, visits from ghosts and angels, big cities and small towns, break-ups and make-ups and the ticking clock of mortality. Nearly 1000 films are analyzed in this volume to determine what the portrayal of Christmas reveals about culture, society and faith as well as sex roles, consumerism, aesthetics and aspiration.
New York Times bestselling authors Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon craft a spellbinding novel about discovering the magic of true love on one fateful, magical night in Three Kisses, One Midnight. The town of Moon Ridge was founded 400 years ago and everyone born and raised there knows the legend of the young woman who perished at the stroke of twelve that very same night, losing the life she was set to embark on with her dearest love. Every century since, one day a year, the Lady of Moon Ridge descends from the stars to walk among the townsfolk, conjuring an aura upon those willing to follow their hearts’ desires. “To summon joy and love in another’s soul For a connection that makes two people whole For laughter and a smile that one can never miss Sealed before midnight with a truehearted kiss.” This year at Moon Ridge High, a group of friends known as The Coven will weave art, science, and magic during a masquerade ball unlike any other. Onny, True, and Ash believe everything is in alignment to bring them the affection, acceptance, and healing that can only come from romance—with a little help from Onny’s grandmother’s love potion. But nothing is as simple as it first seems. And as midnight approaches, The Coven learn that it will take more than a spell to recognize those who offer their love and to embrace all the magic that follows.
White Christmas meets Nora Ephron in Jenny Bayliss’ latest wholehearted, ensemble-cast holiday extravaganza. Christmas can officially get stuffed because Harriet Smith is not feeling bright and merry this year. She hasn’t for a while. So when her college-aged daughter opts for Manhattan’s winter wonderland instead of Christmas at home, Harriet finds herself seeking solace in a wine-soaked one-night stand. But how Harriet will spend the holidays is swiftly decided for her after she takes the fall for some students who break into the town’s old Winter Theater. To get the students off the hook, the theater’s elderly owner requests that Harriet direct the washed-out stage’s final Christmas performance. And Harriet will do anything to help the kids . . . even work with the owner’s lawyer who, as it turns out, is her less than impressed one-night stand. Directing the play with him won't exactly change her life. But it might just reignite the Christmas spirit and remind her what makes life merry and bright again.
On Leven, on Jax, on Tatum, and Nickie! Getting three Reindeer shifters under the Christmas tree may be Nickie’s reward for being a good girl. The only Christmas spirit Nickie has is what she makes in her boutique distillery. But on a last-minute delivery, she runs into three buff bucks who believe she’s the key to finding the missing Santa Claus and saving Christmas. Working with this new team of reindeer shifters, Nickie must outwit Krampus and fight off his wicked helpers while tracking down where he’s hiding Kris Kringle. But the more time she spends with the svelte shifters, the more she’s drawn to them. When Krampus takes her sister too, Nickie and the sexy stags must risk everything to save the little girl. Which for Nickie just might include losing her heart to the hunky harts.
Meet the Krampus, yuletide terror and punisher of wicked children. Long imprisoned for his outdated methods, the holiday horror suddenly finds himself freed and tasked with a mission: recover the stolen power of the Secret Society of Santa Clauses! With his flying wolf Stutgaard, the Krampus crosses the globe, encountering various figures of winter lore and uncovering a sinister scheme to topple the Santas and change Christmas as we know it forever. Collects KRAMPUS! #1-5 and extras, including all-new material.
Many years ago on Christmas Eve, a reindeer black as coal was born at the North Pole. He had a sapphire blue nose that would brightly glow, whether he wanted it to or not. This makes Randolph the Blue-Nosed Reindeer feel alone, because he stands out from everyone else. Even though he is very close to his cousins, who are like a brother and sister to him, what Randolph really wants is a friend outside his family. One day he builds a snow fawn to get his mind off things. Little does he know that the snow fawn will change his life forever. Randolph learns why he was gifted with a blue nose. He meets many creatures, gains new friends, and finds love in this very special children’s story. Unfortunately, in the darkest part of the North Pole, where the sun never shines and it is always bitterly cold, lives a warlock whose heart is blacker than darkness itself. This evil warlock seeks to kill the kind-hearted blue-nosed reindeer and take over everything he sees. Randolph bravely chooses to use his glowing nose in an attempt to save the world, hoping to put a stop to the warlock’s threat once and for all.
