The Christmas Cheer Bundle - Curated by Dean Wesley Smith

For me, great stories and Christmas Holidays go hand-in-hand. I used to buy myself books for Christmas, and Christmas vacation was always a time I got to do the most reading when I was growing up.

Then when I started writing, a friend and I challenged each other to write six Christmas short stories in seven days and put them in a little chapbook for our friends as gifts. We did that every year for years, cementing in my mind that Christmas meant stories.

After I met Kristine Kathryn Rusch, she and I and a bunch of other professional writers would get together every Christmas Eve because we were all a long ways from out families.

We would have dinner at one house, open some dollar presents at a second writer's home, then go to a third writer's home to sit near a beautiful tree and read aloud stories we had written for that night.

Christmas stories.

It was magical.

That tradition went on for almost a decade until Kris and I moved too far away from the other writers. I have very fond memories of those Christmas Eves with friends. Great food, fun presents, and wonderful stories.

So when I got a chance to put a bundle of Christmas stories together, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to bring stories back to Christmas for me.

And bring in the fantasy of the season.

So I contacted some wonderful writers and they didn't disappoint.

I first went to bestselling writer Kristine Grayson, who has written some of the most memorable Christmas fairy-tale fantasy novels I have read. Her novel Dressed in Holiday Style will not only make you feel wonderful, but will help you look at the world of giving at Christmas in a slightly different fashion.

Then I turned to USA Today bestselling Mindy Klasky with her wonderful and heartwarming novel Fly Me to the Moon about two damaged people coming together as Christmas approaches. Can the season and the attraction to each other help them both heal their scars? Trust me, you will want to read this one to find out.

J. Daniel Sawyer contributed a twisted and entertaining fantasy novel of a detective dealing with his own strange family, including ghosts and someone gunning for him, as if Christmas with the family wasn't difficult enough. You really will have fun with A Ghostly Christmas Present.

When I asked USA Today bestselling writer Joanne Pence to join the fun, she sent me the really fun fantasy Cooks Curious Christmas. And without doubt, curious describes it with traveling in time, strange Christmas customs and a mystery. As Joanne said, "It's a magic sleigh ride straight into a Christmas stocking of suspense."

When I asked bestselling writer M.L. Buchman for a novel, he sent me Zachery's Christmas, a fantastic novel in his most popular world of the Night Stalkers.

And Robert T. Jeschonek sent me Christmas at Glossers, a wonderful, heartwarming, and twisted story of a young boy in 1975 learning the true meaning of Christmas through a magical downtown department store. A very unique short novel full of heart.

I also included my novel, Melody Ridge. It is in my Thunder Mountain series and is a book that combines with some of my jukebox stories. Reviews have called it a magical, heartwarming time-travel story of friendship on Christmas Eve.

Then to make sure that no one is short of Christmas stories in this bundle, I contacted bestselling writer Maggie Lynch and she sent me A Sweetwater Canyon Holiday Trio. Three wonderful novellas about the holidays, each one with a different focus.

Then bestselling writer Rebecca Senese offered to include a collection she edited of twenty Christmas stories. It is called Very Merry Christmas and she has put together some really wonderful Christmas stories from some top writers.

And if three novellas and twenty short stories isn't enough, I contacted WMG Publishing and Allyson Longueira, the publisher, agreed to let me use Fiction River: Christmas Ghosts, a collection edited by Kristine Grayson with eight major Christmas stories in it by such top writers as Mary Jo Putney, Carole Nelson Douglas, and Louise Marley.

So seven novels, three novellas, and twenty-eight short stories fill this wonderful Christmas Bundle. That is some amazing Christmas reading, I can promise.

Plus, another bonus: Our charity, AbleGamers, helps people with disabilities enjoy the imaginary worlds of video games all year, as well as in the holidays. The organization provides one-on-one assistance to help people with a variety of disabilities join the lively interactive world of gaming, easing the social isolation that being disabled can bring.

Can't think of a better cause to help out during the holidays.

So here's what you can do: buy the bundle for yourself or your friends who love Christmas stories, then toss in a few bucks for AbleGamers. Helping others while getting some top Christmas stories to read. Seems like a perfect Christmas gift for yourself, your family, and so many others out there that your donation will help.

And remember, just like Christmas will be over sooner than expected, this bundle won't last either. So get this bundle today and toss in a little extra for AbleGamers. You'll make someone's life a little brighter, and have hours of wonderful reading for the holiday. – Dean Wesley Smith

The initial titles in the The Christmas Cheer Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

• Dressed in Holiday Style by Kristine Grayson
• Christmas at Glosser's by Robert Jeschonek
• A Ghostly Christmas Present by J. Daniel Sawyer
• Zachary's Christmas by M. L. Buchman

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular titles, plus six more!

• Christmas Ghosts by Fiction River
• Melody Ridge by Dean Wesley Smith
• The Very Merry Christmas Bundle by Rebecca M. Senese
• Fly Me to the Moon by Mindy Klasky
• A Sweetwater Canyon Holiday Trio by Maggie Lynch
• Cook's Curious Christmas by Joanne Pence

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) for all books!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

• Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
• Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
• Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
• Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to AbleGamers!
• Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you'll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook. For press inquiries, please email press@storybundle.com.