Publisher Description

From a judge who must decide which parent will get custody of a young boy at Christmas in The Christmas Visitation, to a little girl who only wants a crayon lipstick as her gift in the title story, Mr. Toners ten short stories depict times when love rises above lifes obstacles to give new meaning to Christmas.

Back Cover

"The stories are generally simple ones that are gently told, sometimes with an O'Henry-like twist at the end." --Louisville Courier Journal For many, the Christmas season has become more of a spending spree than a religious holiday, a time of stress rather than a peaceful time spent with friends and family. This collection of ten short stories restores the magic of Christmas and reaffirms the fact that the real spirit of Christmas is based on love, caring, giving, and understanding--qualities that are often forgotten in busy modern society. From a judge who must decide which parent will get custody of a young boy at Christmas in "The Christmas Visitation," to a little girl who only wants a crayon lipstick as her gift in the title story, Mr. Toner compassionately and honestly depicts times when love is able to rise above life's obstacles to give new meaning to Christmas. Gerald R. Toner is also the author of Holly Day's Cafi and Other Christmas Stories and Whittlesworth Comes to Christmas, both published by Pelican. A self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic, he has written a play, Wenceslaus: An Ancient Christmas Tale, and his short stories have appeared in such magazines as The Saturday Evening Post and Redbook. Mr. Toner was born and raised in Kentucky and currently resides in Louisville, where he is a partner in a law firm and active in many community organizations, including the Presbyterian church. He is married and has two children.

Author Biography

An accomplished writer of novels, short stories, and plays, Gerald R. Toner is also the author of the acclaimed book of short stories, Lipstick Like Lindsay's and Other Christmas Stories . His works have appeared in such magazines as Ladies' Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, and Redbook. Toner was born and raised in Kentucky, and currently resides in Louisville, where he is a partner in a law firm. He is active in many community organizations, including the Presbyterian church. Toner is married and has two children. Joyce Haynes, a resident of Pineville, Missouri, has won numerous local, state, and national awards for her illustrations.

Review

"The stories are generally simple ones that are gently told, sometimes with an O'Henry-like twist at the end."

Long Description

"The stories are generally simple ones that are gently told, sometimes with an O'Henry-like twist at the end." --Louisville Courier Journal "Here, you get that marvelous story of the lengths to which a parent goes to find a particular requested gift for their child. . . and you also get nine other contemporary Christmas stories which are both uplifting and real." -- WTBF AM 970, FM 94.70 Troy, Alabama For many adults, the Christmas season has become more of a spending spree than a religious holiday; a time of stress rather than a peaceful time spent with friends and family. Adults today have increasing responsibilities and worries, and as a result, much of the magic of Christmas has been lost for them. Gerald R. Toner, a great lover of Christmas, has produced a collection of masterpieces that reminds us all that the real spirit of Christmas is based on love, caring, giving, and understanding--things that are often forgotten in the busy lives we lead. From a judge who must decide which parent will get custody of a young boy at Christmas in "The Christmas Visitation," to a little girl who only wants a crayon lipstick as her gift in "Lipstick Like Lindsay's," Toner compassionately and honestly depicts times when love is able to rise above life's obstacles to give new meaning to Christmas. The stories reaffirm for us the magic that Christmas holds, as in "The Promise Kept," where an unspoken promise to an old friend is finally followed through, or in "Benefit of the Bargain," where a child's simple wish to have his grandmother with him at Christmas conveys the importance of family to a young schoolteacher. A young man overcomes his embarrassment in order to oblige an ancient couple with his caroling in "Caroling on Command," and a father's concept of Christmas is drastically altered by his son's wish to attend a church service in "My Dad's Idea of Christmas."

Review Quote

"The stories are generally simple ones that are gently told, sometimes with an O'Henry-like twist at the end."

Details