Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, with more than 30 million books sold, writer Dean Wesley Smith published far more than a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds of short stories across many genres.

At the moment he produces novels in several major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the Old West, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, a superhero series starring Poker Boy, a mystery series featuring the retired detectives of the Cold Poker Gang, and the Mary Jo Assassin series.

His monthly magazine, Smith's Monthly, which consists of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and offers readers more than 70,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month.

During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, he wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown.

Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing, where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as series editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series.

For more information about Dean's books and ongoing projects, please visit his website at www.deanwesleysmith.com.

Holiday Insanity by Dean Wesley Smith

Six really, really, really weird holiday stories from the different worlds of USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith. In this volume, Dean presents six very wild and different holiday stories that will keep you smiling.

"Jukebox Gifts"

"Santa's Snack"

"Ambassador to the Promised Land"

"Sprinkle on a Memory"

"Dead Even"

"A Golden Dream"

You love holidays, you love slightly twisted? Dean gives you both layered on thick in this amazingly fun volume.

 
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Introduction

Holiday Insanity

Six Really, Really Whacked-Out Holiday Stories

Dean Wesley Smith

Sadly, I actually watch the Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies during the holiday season. Yup, I am one of those people.

Why? Why do I do such a thing? (I get asked that a lot, actually.)

The reason: I just love the feeling of turning my mind off, relaxing, and watching something upbeat that will end well.

And yes, I do have the ability to just turn my mind off like that when it comes to holiday shows. And I honestly think that frees me up to write some really strange holiday stories as well.

Of course, I tend to write strange stories anyway, so combine that with holidays and sometimes things just combust.

For example, the first story in this collection, "Jukebox Gifts," might be my most famous short story, not just holiday story. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, it got all sorts of attention and has been optioned in Hollywood numbers of times. It takes the idea of gift-giving to an entirely new level.

The second story, "Santa's Snack," takes a very simple look at the very simple tradition of leaving out cookies and milk for Santa. And the lesson that goes with that tradition.

In the story "Ambassador to the Promised Land," my character has an alien encounter. I find this story stupidly funny and I sure hope you do as well. I know I had a blast writing it and honestly, it is a holiday story. You won't find it as a Hallmark movie, but I sort of feel that is too bad.

Now the next story, "Sprinkle on a Memory," was first published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. A family story where murder matters more than the cookie. Very different than the previous story, that's for sure. Nothing funny about cookies and murder. Both very serious topics.

"Dead Even" is a Poker Boy story. It is set on Christmas Eve, as many Poker Boy stories tend to be. The story is about doing a good deed under very strange circumstances. Typical Poker Boy story.

The last story in this book is another jukebox story. I opened this collection with a Christmas Eve jukebox story, so figured I would end with one.

"A Golden Dream" might be the purest of all my Christmas stories. First published under the title "The Song of a Gift Horse" in the anthology Black Cats and Broken Mirrors, the story is about the choice of looking back, or looking forward. Often a holiday theme for many, many people.

Sure hope you enjoy these twisted holiday stories as much as I did writing them. Happy days.

Dean Wesley Smith
Las Vegas, Nevada