Sometime Christmas Brings Tears... by Christine Bush

Not so Merry Christmas?

For some folks, at least for certain seasons of time, the holidays are not quite as joyful as the Hallmark ads suggest.  It would be wonderful to have the proverbial glowing fireplace adorned with stockings, the amazing tree, the sumptuous Christmas dinner around a table filled with happy relatives.

Truth is, for some of us, having one or two of those components is a win.  For some, it may be just a dream.  Sometimes there has been terrible loss of a loved one.  Sometimes economic insecurity has made the holiday a crisis instead of a festival. Sometimes, illness, chronic pain,  depression, or PTSD from a life trauma has us in its grip.  Sometimes, religious doubt has crowded the soul.  Sometimes, family and friends have disappeared, and the feeling of being forgotten at the holidays can grip us.

Whatever the loss or sadness, we can hope that time and love and therapy will eventually make a dent in the burden.  It usually does, if we want it to.  But what can we do in the meantime?  If healing and adjusting and building new connections take a long time, where can we find some Christmas joy to get us through?

Since I was very young, reading romance novels was a major way I found to give my mind or aching heart a rest.  Being swept away to a new and happy world (yes, you know how it will end!) was a very healing thing. 

Later, I progressed to writing those stories, full of hope and positive character arcs and love.  I discovered that (both reading and writing) about certain issues (especially if I was dealing with those issues) was a great form of self therapy and very thought provoking. 

I began to write novellas (I loved to read them as they were short, as was my attention span at these times), and I centered several around Christmas and the holiday season.  If my characters could find hope at this time of year, maybe I could imagine it for myself.  It’s often worked, at least to some extent.

Here’s a few to think about, if the situation relates to you. And even if not, fun happy ending stories! All available in print and ebook! All short and sweet!

Christmas Daisy.  Daisy has hated Christmas since childhood trauma, but a teaching job with special needs children awakens her heart (and the hot, kindly principal gets an A+.)

Christmas Daisy by Bush, Christine (amazon.com)

 

Christmas Rose.  After heartbreak that leaves single mom Rose stranded in Las Vegas at Christmas, she takes a job as a companion for a cranky old guy who lives in the desert. Being rich doesn’t make you happy, when you are recovering from a stroke. She needs the money, but the situation in unbearable, and her patient’s grandson thinks he has all the answers. Hmmm. We’ll see.

Amazon.com: Christmas Rose eBook : Bush, Christine: Kindle Store

Christmas Holly.  Holly’s a city girl.  She thinks animals belong in the zoo. She wants no part of them.  And maybe kids, too. So what is she doing in a half deserted beach community in South Carolina, pet sitting for her country bumpkin - army sister who was suddenly deployed?  The widower next store might be hot and handsome, but he’s got a lot of baggage.  First, his wife had died and he’s been stuck in his grief. But second, he’s got a set of five year old triplets to raise.  Kids? Pets? A loving community of folks who care?  Holly’s going to have to redefine Christmas.

Amazon.com: Christmas Holly: 9781539503606: Bush, Christine: Books

 Christmas Laurel.  Laurel is back from her deployment, where she’d lost many of her beloved comrades. PTSD and a wicked case of survivor guilt have her fleeing to a rental cabin in the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina to escape the unavoidable Christmas cheer that the world seems to want to shove down her throat. Celebrating seems like an affront to her lost army buddies.  Her only companion is her “bomb dog”, Duck, who was retired right along with her after their last deployment. Being alone is a relief.  Except there is this one aggravating man over the hill in the next cabin.  But he’s a vet, too, and he’s dealt with many of those debilitating issues.  Can he show her what he’s discovered Christmas is about?

Amazon.com: Christmas Laurel: 9781517740849: Bush, Christine: Books

 Christmas with the Cat Lady. It’s Christmastime, and he hates it.  He’s lost his child to cancer, and his best friend / literary agent is afraid he’s going to implode. Plus, he’s on deadline for his next novel.  So he finds himself hidden away at a bed and breakfast in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, supposedly to finish his book in the quiet countryside. And to avoid Christmas. But the woman who owns the house is apparently nuts.  She has cats. Lots of cats.  She feeds them, rescues them,  heals them, rehomes them, and keeps more than any sane person should. Why is he suddenly chasing kittens in an abandoned barn?  Why is he making meals for the poor and elderly in their little community? A little Christmas magic helps heal his aching heart.

Amazon.com: Christmas With the Cat Lady eBook : Bush, Christine: Kindle Store

 

 

Christmas with the Crazy Cowboy.  Gracie is a widow and a single mom who has uprooted her whole life to relocate way from NYC to find peace for her seven year old Asperger- diagnosed son who had suffered much bullying and educational neglect in the city school.  Her corporate work will be done from home, and she’s planning to teach her son herself.  When there’ a knock on the door during a snowstorm right before Christmas, the last thing she expects to find on the doorstep is a stranded cowboy, carrying his saddle.  Life has its twists and turns. Can Gracie’s heart bear it?

Christmas with the Crazy Cowboy: Bush, Christine: 9798573516462: Amazon.com: Books

 

Christmas with the Carmichaels. Gabby is retired from teaching, adjusting to widowhood.  Is life over?  Her daughter wants her to move in, and be safe during her “waning years.” Is she right?  On a snowy night right before Christmas, her car breaks down, and she needs help.  When a senior citizen widower named Leonard answers the knock on his door, both lives begin to change.  He’s caring for his three “more-than-a-challenge grandkids”.  Maybe they both have the courage to live out another exciting chapter in life.  But will their grown up kids ever understand that love can bloom at any age?

Amazon.com: Christmas with the Carmichaels: 9781730892639: Bush, Christine: Books

 

I wish you a season of peace, love, and healing, my friends.  And I’d love to hear from you!

Love, Christine

Christine Bush is a USA Today Bestselling author of romance, romantic mystery, and suspense.  She can be found living in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania with her husband and 2 lazy cats, and spending time with her 14 grandchildren.   When she’s not writing, she’s teaching Psychology at a local college, and working with clients in her private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She loves to hear from readers and writers!

 

 
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