Spiral Publishing's November Reads

Spiral Publishing authors Kari Kilgore and Jason A. Adams have put together an exclusive bundle of six fiction stories set in November, and available this November at a special price! Check out the stories below, and be sure to grab your bundle of Spiral Publishing's November Reads before it disappears at the end of the month!

November brings the season of winter holidays, and all the complex joys and challenges that come with them. Many Americans might only consider Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there are so many more both here and around the world. 

From more familiar celebrations like Day of the Dead and Guy Fawke's Night to the more obscure National Computer Security Day and Buy Nothing Day, the eleventh month is packed full of somber, lighthearted, and downright bizarre observances. 

So for our November Reads bundle, we chose stories that celebrate more unusual holidays, along with an unusual hair-care day and the ordinary magic of found family.

Jason's story Andrew and Shichi-Go-San visits a traditional Japanese celebration of three-year-olds, five-year-olds, and seven-year-olds from the non-traditional point of view of an American kid. What seems like a difficult transition to a new country and new school turns into a heartwarming tale of joy.

In Kari's romance Happily Ever After in KrampusLand, Thom's job at a family-owned amusement park means he's busy getting ready for Krampusnacht a few weeks early. But the shift in his relationship with his best friend Julie is right on time.

Jason's Bald Ain't So Bad heads a bit deeper into fantasy fun, as Steve takes a chance on dealing with a premature sign of aging. The solution might turn out to be worse than the original problem, unless he figures out a way to accentuate the positive.

Sometimes shifts in our family lives can be positive, even if they feel downright strange at first. Kari's Traditions Worth Keeping visits the first Thanksgiving for a newly blended family. And Lucy discovers even more to be thankful from an unexpected source.

Jason's found-family story Bestest Friends, Alice lands deep in the birth-family struggles too many of us face this time of year. As is thankfully often the case, a close-knit group of friends decides to rescue her from a holiday obligation whether she'll admit she needs it or not.

For another tale that shifts time and attention based on a real-life event, Kari brings us to the Appalachian Mountains for a much-beloved tradition. For decades, November brings the Santa Train rolling through small towns in Virginia and Tennessee. The early visit was originally meant to help desperately poor folks have gifts for Christmas. In The Real Gift of the Santa Train, a modern-day visit brings the gifts of community while romantic sparks fly.

Happy November, happy reading, and don't forget to check back next month for your brand-new batch of Spiral Publishing's Monthly Reads!

 

Andrew and Shichi-Go-San by Jason A. Adams

Five is a hard age, especially in a strange place.

Moving to a new Air Force base sucks.

At least for too-smart five-year-old Andrew Evans.

The kids at school tease, even as teachers praise.

Thanksgiving looms around the corner, with Andrew’s dad away.

Join the Evans family as new friends and new holidays in this new land bring Andrew the heartwarming joy he deserves.

An excerpt from Andrew and Shichi-Go-San:

“But it’s not Christmas yet.” He really wanted to open it, but put his hands behind his back. “I can’t open presents early. Can I?”

“It’s not a Christmas present, honey. This is a present from Mr. Suzuki.”

Suzuki-san sent him a present? Why?

Andrew pulled on the rope and the knot untied. He tore the paper off. Inside was a bunch of green and white clothes, all folded up and stacked on top of each other.

“What is it?” he asked, pulling off the top piece. He unfolded it and… “A kimono? For me?”

Happily Ever After in KrampusLand by Kari Kilgore

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Thom’s dream job: working at Janson Park, especially when it transforms from HalloweenLand into KrampusLand.

Thom’s dream girlfriend: Julie, Queen of the Night for Halloween, and all year long in Thom’s mind and heart.

Thom’s worst nightmare: telling Julie how he feels.

Find out what happens when Love finds a way.

An excerpt from Happily Ever After in KrampusLand:

A rising surge of crowd noise let Thom and everyone else know the parade was coming to an end.

The Queen of the Night in her horseless carriage could only be next.

Otherwise known as Julie Howard, Thom’s best friend since she’d moved here when they were both in first grade.

The carriage slowed to a halt, and Thom stepped up to the front without a whole lot of hassle. Several of the other guys and a few of the girls who worked the Halloween season would have been happy to help the Queen of the Night step back down into reality.

Thom couldn’t help but feel a flush of pride that they respected his years of friendship with Julie enough to back off.

He tried to ignore the flutter of hope that she might want him for more than friendship someday.

That flutter had been with him more and more over the last couple of months.

 

Bald Ain't So Bad by Jason A. Adams

Sometimes, problems turn hairy.

As a country doctor, Fred Wallens prefers un-challenging patients.

Steve Blevins wishes he fit the bill.

Whether the medical bill or shampoo bill skyrockets first remains to be seen.

A bald doc, a hairy patient, and a helpful Wicker Woman.

Together, they must find a way to deal with the follicle fallout of good intentions gone bad.

An excerpt from Bald Ain't So Bad:

The Blevins men all had hairy wrists and knuckles, but Stevie had taken the trait farther than his dad or his Uncle Mike ever had.

Now the main reason I had trouble putting this strapping young fellow in the bank-robber headwear together with Stevarino was his hair. He’d never been a buzzcut kinda guy, but that day his shaggy brown locks fell past his jawline. Seemed like I would have noticed if he’d decided to go the biker hippie route, hair-wise.

“Morning, Steve,” I said when Abby (receptionist, nurse, insurance claim expert, and all-around office honcho, never mind whose name is on the plaque) checked him in and sent him back. “I didn’t have you down for another checkup until next month. What’s on your mind?”

“Hey, Doc. I got me a real problem I’m surely hopin’ you kin fix.”

 

 

Bestest Friends by Jason A. Adams

Sometimes family challenges us to better our situation.

Sometimes friends do the same.

Sometimes, we challenge ourselves to decide what family means.

For Alice Freiburg, an evening with friends alters her family choices.

Good friends make hard decisions about bad family easier.

And the bonds of friendship help sever the ties that choke.

An excerpt from Bestest Friends:

They got to the sushi place in time to see the streetlights light up and a few fat snowflakes start drifting down. The huge and wonderfully puffy flakes made for a gorgeous walk from the car park to the restaurant, but unless the temperature dropped quite a bit, nothing would stick to the roads.

Too bad. Getting trapped here for an extra day wasn’t exactly a terrorizing idea.

Jeff held the door for her while she brushed snow from her hair and shoulders.

And did he look just a little bit smug? What did her handsome brainiac have up his sleeve?

“After you, my little sugarplum,” he said, bowing and waving her in. “Your table awaits.”

“What are you up to, mister? I—”

That was as far as she got.

 

The Real Gift of the Santa Train by Kari Kilgore

When a Disaster Turns into a Dream
Susan works hard to dress up Estonoa, Virginia, for the arrival of the Santa Train.
Only to find the wind sent everything tumbling down.
Paul looks forward to inspecting the train line every year to keep Santa on track.
But he jumps at the chance to help rescue Susan's plans.
Will their chance for a holiday love story make Santa's list?

Also available in the collection A Tapestry of Holiday Tales: Winter Adventures from the Odds and Endings Bookstore

An excerpt from The Real Gift of the Santa Train:

Saving the Day, and So Much More

With reinforcements on the way, now Paul was free to do his best to recreate that heart-melting smile of Susan's as often as he possibly could.

He turned and almost crashed right into her, and that did the trick.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, drawing back, but not before Paul caught the enticing aroma of her hair, still trying to escape from the cutest pink scarf on the planet. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. I've got six people on the way, and my friend Will promised to bring coffee and hot chocolate. We may have to wait on the sugary treats, but help will be here in about five minutes."

"Hey, that's great! I've got four guys headed in. A couple of them are bringing tools in case the holiday village needs a bit of a remodel."

Susan closed her eyes and held one hand over her heart, which gave Paul time to swoon a bit over how beautiful she looked, even in the overcast morning light.