Let It Snow (not really) #Holiday #Christmas #gift #SampleSunday

LetItSnowHere’s another holiday anthology in which I have a story: Let It Snow! Seasons Readings For A Super-Cool Yule! How’s that for a title? My story in this one is “The Pratty Who Saved Chrissmuss,” a Holly Jahangiri story (about the one I made up, I mean, not by the real one).

The Holly Jahangiri stories came about when Holly won two — count ’em, TWO (2) — competitions to have her name in stories I wrote. So now I write about the Holly Jahangiri who is Assistant (and, in some stories, Head Librarian) of the Council City Living Library of Books of Old Earth on the planet Llannonn.

In this sample, Holly is trying to get home for the family Anti-Hot Solemnities in the company of one of the books, when she’s hijacked by a couple of desperate characters.

Turn This Thing Around

excerpt from “The Pratty Who Saved Chrissmuss”
by Marian Allen

When the men had shaken the snow off themselves, the smaller of the two looked from Holly, in her trademark purple feather boa, to the book, in his swallow-tail coat and top hat, and asked, “Head Librarian Holly Jahangiri?”

“Yes,” said Holly. “And this is Living Book A COMPENDIUM OF CHRISTMAS CLASSICS, from the Living Library of Books of Old Earth.”

“I’m Bar and Grill Owner Dickens O’Henry,” said the smaller man. “This is my assistant, Humbug Plugugly.”

They all hooked thumbs with one another in greeting.

“I’m looking for your cousin,” O’Henry said, while Plugugly rummaged about noisily.

“So am I,” said Holly. “He was supposed to come with us, but he never showed up.”

O’Henry cursed, then apologized. Librarians are allowed to curse, but must never be cursed in front of. That’s the rule.

“Turn this thing around,” O’Henry said. “We’re going back to Central City.”

“We can’t turn it around.”

O’Henry made a slight movement of his head. Plugugly pulled a ray gun from inside his well-cut jacket and pointed it at the librarian.

“The Boss says to turn it around.”

“We can turn it around.”

O’Henry and Plugugly grinned and nodded.

~*~

Oh, dear! Whatever will happen next?

Let it Snow! Season’s Readings For A Super-Cool Yule is available from Amazon for Kindle and in print. Getcher copies now. Makes a great gift, too. And the Kindle version is free. Just sayin’.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: What’s your main character’s favorite winter holiday classic — book, play, story, film, or television episode?

MA

About

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but now live in the woods in southern Indiana. Though I only write fiction, I love to read non-fiction. The more I learn about this world, the more fantastic I see it is.

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One thought on “Let It Snow (not really) #Holiday #Christmas #gift #SampleSunday

  1. Jane

    December 13, 2015 at 10:06am

    A visit to Llannonn is a great way to start off a Sunday.
    have a good’un.

    Permalink  ⋅ Reply
  2. Jane

    December 14, 2015 at 10:26am

    I just re-viewed the title. Turn this thing around.

    Did I ever tell you that Dad once got halfway to Florida, got mad, and turned that thing around and came home? Thank God, I was not on that trip.

    Permalink  ⋅ Reply

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