Give your family a special gift this year—the gift of fresh inspiration true to the tenets of our beloved and familiar Christmas traditions. Gather your clan by the fireside, open this book, and add a new tradition to your Christmas celebration.

Christmas is a time for family and traditions—the foods we eat, the songs we sing, and the stories we share.

Within the covers of this book reside real and fictional families, both familiar and unfamiliar. What they all have in common is the Christmas Spirit—in spades. These are the kind of people you’d gleefully invite to share your dining room table on the most celebrated day of the Christian calendar.

We, the authors of these stories, know the world spins faster and faster every day, and the holidays can be particularly hectic. That’s why we chose these lovely stories that can be read in ten minutes or less. Hey, even a teenager can be coaxed from his or her phone for ten inspiring minutes, right?

Lee Allen Hill has several publishing credits—most notably a weekly slot at the late, lamented Page & Spine Writers’ Showcase. Diane Kenel-Truelove is a retired high school and college English, writing, and sociology instructor. She resides in Traverse City, Michigan. She is the author of At the Water’s Edge, a collection of short stories and free verse poetry. Terry Broxton is retired after a career in management in both the non-profit and private sectors. Terry is the author of Santa Claus: The Beginning. Ann Mullen-Martin has enjoyed having several articles published in magazines and has written one full-length memoir, Dog on a Short Chain. Jay Squires is an author, salesman, optimist, dreamer. His most recent work is the four- volume set of The Trining and The Greatest Short Stories I Have Ever Written.