As a freelance editor, Lyn Worthen has helped indie authors polish over six million words of fiction, and her multi-author anthologies have received awards and acclaim from the League of Utah Writers, the Critters Writing Workshop, and the Horror Writers of America. She is a frequent participant in fiction workshops and conferences, both as a presenter and a student of the craft and business of publishing – and a self-described "caffeine-to-text conversion unit," which explains how she gets so much done. For more information, follow Camden Park Press on Facebook, or visit www.camdenparkpress.com

Whimsical Winter Wonderland edited by Lyn Worthen

Add a healthy scoop of whimsy and a generous sprinkling of magic to your holidays – "...and havoc ensues" could well be the theme of this collection of holiday stories!

Whether it's mythological characters coping with the modern world or futuristic teens bumping into old traditions, these ten stories go beyond the traditional brightly-wrapped gift box, delivering at least three parts cheer and several parts magic.

CURATOR'S NOTE

When Lyn Worthen edits, she specializes in enjoyable anthologies. She finds a theme and the best writers to help her with it. The best holiday seasons should always have a touch of whimsy, which is what Lyn brings to this volume. Fantastic writers look at the season with a jaundiced eye and more than a little heart. In some ways, this is the definition of good cheer. – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

 

REVIEWS

  • "If you're looking for holiday stories with a sense of fun, you've found ten right here! From the first to the last, they carry a light touch with a hint of sentiment throughout."

    – Adam (Amazon reader)

  • "Each story is quirky in its own way and left a nice warm feeling in my heart."

    – Randy (on Goodreads)
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Introduction:

Holiday Hijinks

Lyn Worthen

In the northern hemisphere, the end of the calendar year brings colder weather and longer nights. And though I have no proof of this, I suspect our basic human need to gather together for warmth, companionship, and safety during these times is at least partly responsible for the abundance of holidays and other celebrations that fill the holiday season.

Whatever the cause for the festivities, whenever people gather in a spirit of merriment, hijinks are bound to ensue.

For the Holiday Hijinks project, I envisioned a series of volumes, each presenting a set of lighthearted short stories celebrating the holiday spirit. I'm pleased to report that the authors have fulfilled that vision. Whimsical Winter Wonderland is exactly what I hoped it would be. I asked the authors to think outside the brightly-wrapped gift box, and they gave us mythological characters coping with the modern world and futuristic teens bumping into old traditions.

I asked them to have fun with the stories, and they gave us stories that are at least three parts cheer and several parts magical.

Most of all, I asked the authors to let their inner child play – to capture the carefree joy that pervades the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, and they gave us stories filled with merry mayhem.

And so, it is with great delight that we share these stories with you and yours. Wherever you are, whatever you celebrate, whether you read this on a cold snowy day or dark winter's night, know it is with our deepest wish for a safe, warm, and happy holiday.

– Lyn Worthen

Sandy, Utah