Naughty and nice, please?

Loosely defined, midwinter stretches from the solstice to halfway into the season. It also serves as a backdrop for misadventures, good and bad cheer, and other escapades. Expect the unexpected.

In this collection of 14 holiday-themed stories, author David Welling takes you through the ups and downs of the holidays. Family, friends, relationships, and work are all intertwined with excitement—or dread—of this period. For some, it’s a time of romance and excitement, the discovery of someone new, and a kiss under the mistletoe. For others, stress rules with chaos and unforeseen visitors. In many cases, magic is in the air—and surprises lie beyond the presents under the
tree.

Yule find it all here:

• A mom’s mall shopping takes a detour due to her son and his new toy.
• Romance sparks between two strangers after a dropped holiday card, a dog, and a beloved TV series.
• An out-of-control elf at the North Pole pushes the limit. Now, it’s Santa’s turn.
• A meet cute goes terribly wrong at a holiday market—again and again.
• A father and son make the long walk to town after running out of gas— and encounter more than a gas pump.

The centerpiece to this collection is a unique take on A Christmas Carol featuring Edgar Allan Poe, Hamlet, and a rubber chicken–not something Charles Dickens had in mind when he penned the story of Ebenezer Scrooge.

For best reading results, settle back with the proper mood: A crackling fireplace, a mug of spiced cider, and holiday music in the background. Mistletoe is optional but if you have appropriate company, it helps.

David Welling is a Texas-based writer, artist, and graphic designer. His lifelong interest in movies (and the places that show them) led to the writing of Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex, which chronicles the history of movie theatres in Texas’ largest city. Cinema Houston is the recipient of the 2008 Julia Ideson Award from the Friends of the Texas Room, and the Society of Architectural Historians’ 2009 Antoinette Forrester Downing Award. He now writes fiction. His anthology of seasonal stories, Midwinter Tales, was released in 2024.