Somewhere around 22 years ago, I wrote my first Christmas story card called "The Christmas Quilt" for my sister, Priscilla, after she showed me a quilt top she had gotten at an auction. I wasn't a quilter, but when she said "I wonder about the person who made this -- who they were and what they did", well, I was hooked because I am the creator of those unknown characters and worlds.
The next year, I wrote another short story, this one about a ghost who only appears on Christmas eve at an old antebellum mansion. And then came year three, and four and so on. Many times, I would brave the after Christmas Sales and find boxes of cards that I liked, or whose pictures immediately made me think of a story. Sometimes I even designed my own cards. I would print the story in booklet format to fit inside the card, thus making it a "story card." When I had written ten stories for family and friends, I asked my publisher about putting them all together, and with her help, we brought out Christmas Quilt Anthology. 
One of the stories in the original anthology is about a little coal mining town called Snow. The town captured my imagination, and I later wrote a short story based there which is included in a new anthology of romantic short stories called "Before Tomorrow Comes". I even designed a website for this fictitious town, giving it a history, store fronts, festivals, and "real" people. You can "visit" SNOW with the click of the mouse.
And then, because I live in the wonderful world of writers where anything is possible, I began telling the residents' stories. "Always Believe", about 10-year-old Emma and her father when they settle in Snow, is a full length mainstream novel about friendship, miracles, and a search for Santa. Check out this title and "IF Wishes Were Magic", my two holiday books on my Amazon author page. You can find other great romance there also!
Now for your Christmas present. "Before Tomorrow Comes" is an Amazon Exclusive and is being offered for FREE to kindle unlimited members. Not you? Well, it is being offered for FREE to EVERYONE on the next 3 Thursdays. That's December 13, 20, and 27!
Happiest of holidays to you and yours! Best Wishes, Barb
