Storylink Radio Shandon Loring: Professional Storyteller / Seanchaí

THE GREATEST GIFT
A Christmas Tale by Philip Van Doren Stern

Most of us know of the 1946 movie "It's A Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart, but many people do not know that these movies are based on a Christmas Card.
In 1943 Philip Van Doren Stern decided to give the gift of words to his closest friends for the holidays when he printed up 200 copies of a story called 'The Greatest Gift' and sent them out as a 21-page Christmas card.
In 1945, David Hempstead, a producer at RKO Pictures, purchased the movie rights.
Tonight we present the original story that Philip Van Doren Stern gifted the world on that special Christmas in 1943.
Please note that some of the names in this rendition have been changed to reflect the more familiar names of the characters in the well-known movie.
We hope you enjoy.
#christmas #itsawonderful life #jimmystewart #hope #story #original

This is the first book of the three book series "Once Upon A Dicken's Christmas"
England, 1851: When Clara Chapman receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet feels compelled to attend--for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of five hundred pounds. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests--her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane. Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he's given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it--and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar. Brought together under mysterious circumstances, Clara and Ben discover that what they've been striving for isn't what ultimately matters
12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep
ISBN-13  :  978-1683222583
www.StorylinkRadio.com
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Prologue
#bookreview #prologue #christmas #books #storytelling #free #metaverse #romance #magical #magic #spirituality #christian #dickens #christmascarol #charlesdickens

Centuries ago, by a scaffold in Manhattan, rose petals drifted gently to the ground…
…like snow on a wintry Massachusetts night. Melody Tarleton is driving home for Christmas when a man—clad in Revolutionary War-era costume—appears out of nowhere, right in the path of her car. Shaken, she takes in the injured stranger, listening with concern to Jake Mallory's fantastic claim that he's a Patriot soldier, sentenced to death by British authorities. The last thing he remembers is the tug of the noose.
Safe at her parents' house, Melody concocts a story to explain the handsome holiday guest with the courtly manners, strange clothes and nasty bump on the head. Mark, her close friend who wishes he were more, is skeptical and her family is fascinated—though not half so fascinated as Melody herself. Jake is passionate, charming and utterly unlike anyone she's ever met. Can he really be who he claims? And can a man from the distant past be the future she truly longs for?
With the aid of enchanted petals, ancient potions and the peculiar magic of the season, Melody and Jake embark on an unimaginable Christmas adventure—and discover a love that transcends time.
Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
ISBN-13  :  978-0778326878
www.StorylinkRadio.com
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Prologue
#bookreview #prologue #christmas #books #storytelling #free #metaverse #romance #magical #magic #spirituality

A magical tale filled with gentle humor and genuine, heart-tugging emotion, Little Ellie Claus is a gift of love and hope for this season and beyond.
In the tradition of The Gift of the Magi comes a heartwarming holiday novel to treasure... During the hard times of the Great Depression, newlyweds Peter and Lucy Thompson move to New York City, determined to create a life together filled with love and joy, if not riches. But Peter's promised job is not waiting when he arrives; it has been lost to the financial hardships gripping the city and the nation. As Christmas approaches, the young couple's meager savings have all but disappeared. However, Peter -- filled with childlike wonder, love for Lucy, and faith in the magic of Christmas -- never loses hope. Suddenly, on Christmas Eve, Peter makes an extravagant gesture of his love for Lucy, but just as quickly, tragedy strikes before he can deliver it -- and before Lucy can deliver her own gift...news of a baby. One year later, the penniless young mother -- despondent and bereft of hope -- makes the painful decision to leave her carefully bundled child on the steps of an orphanage. But Lucy's desperate act on Christmas Eve will set the stage for a miracle so remarkable that it will restore shattered hope and renew faith in the mysterious loving kindness that touches our lives when we least expect.
Little Ellie Claus by James Manos, Jr.
ISBN-13  :  978-0743406246
www.StorylinkRadio.com
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Prologue
#bookreview #prologue #christmas #books #storytelling #free #metaverse #romance #magical #magic #spirituality

The season is Christmas, the place a remote Michigan farm during the Great  Depression, and the miracles are many and wondrous, from a city boy's  initiation into the marvels of nature to a thrilling journey that leads to  a strange encounter with an ancestor long dead. A Christmas Gift is a  remembrance of America's past and of the love, sacrifice, and devotion  that unite four generations of a remarkable family. On a stormy Christmas  Eve...
This fine story was made into a CBS TV-Movie in 1978 titled 'A Christmas  To Remember', starring Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, and Eva Marie  Saint.
"A genuine Christmas story...Warm with human goodness and love." Christian  Science Monitor
"Glendon Swarthout has written a touching tale for the entire family. It's  short and simply written, and its message is clear: Christmas is love and  miracles, though small, do happen." Pam Brown, Macon, Georgia Telegraph  and News
"All the virtues we associate with Christmas are present -- love, faith,  and miracles. It is a gentle tale that could bring tears to the eyes of a  couple of generations who will recall life in that long ago, far-away  time." Chattanooga, Tennessee Times
A Christmas Gift by Glendon Swarthout
ISBN-13  :  978-0312929565
www.StorylinkRadio.com
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Prologue
#bookreview #prologue #christmas #books #storytelling #free #metaverse #darcy #romance

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Wish You a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Share in the magic of the season in these three warm and wonderful holiday novellas from three bestselling authors, all in one book!
Christmas Present by Amanda Grange
A Darcy Christmas by Sharon Lathan
Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol by Carolyn Eberhart
A Darcy Christmas - A Holiday Tribute to Jane Austen
ISBN-13  :  978-1402243394
www.StorylinkRadio.com
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Prologue
#bookreview #prologue #christmas #books #storytelling #free #metaverse #darcy #romance #janeausten