Stop Press: 'Death Becomes Her' was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Short Story Daggers. Nothing says Christmas more than a good old fashioned ghost story on a dark winter's night, so sit back and enjoy a little pinch of Yuletide mayhem. These extraordinary tales, one for each day of Christmas, explore the odd, the peculiar and the downright chilling, from a Strange encounter with an Icelandic Shaman, to a psychic policewoman, lively winged beasts and warnings from the recently departed. Some of these stories appeared in the ebook The Strange Casebook, 2018.

‘A treat for anyone looking for an antidote to the usual saccharine Christmas fayre.’ NB magazine From the twice CWA Dagger shortlisted author of The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas come twelve thirteen stories to transport you to the macabre world of inexplicable phenomena. As dark winter nights draw in, prepare to lose yourself in the world of the peculiar. With a tale for each day of the festive period and an unlucky thirteenth, Christmas is not the only spirit in these pages. ’Tis the season for sacrificial feasts, cultish communities and sinister rituals. So wrap up warm and get ready to be terrified and delighted as you journey from the spooky to the downright strange.

Historical fiction inspired by the War Office response to the Nazi obsession with the occult Step forward Daphne Devine - you are about to change the course of the war ‘A breathtaking historical thriller.’ Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key 'Vivid and thoroughly entertaining... More, please.' Guardian, best crime and thrillers June 1940. As World War Two rages, Daphne Devine remains in London, performing each night as assistant to stage magician Jonty Trevelyan, aka the Grand Mystique. Then the secret service call. For, aware of Hitler’s belief in the occult, the war office has set up a hidden cohort to exploit this quirk in the enemy’s chain of command. Daphne and Jonty find themselves far from the glitz and glamour of the theatre, deep inside the lower levels of Wormwood Scrubs prison. Here, they join secret ranks of occultists, surrealists, and other eccentrics co-opted to the war effort. There is one goal: to avert invasion on British shores. Soon Daphne realises she must risk everything if there is any chance of saving her country 'Quirky, clever and compelling.' Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl 'A rattling good read.' Barbara Nadel, author of Belshazzar's Daughter

Rosie Strange is back in the latest of the fabulously creepy Essex Witch Museum Mysteries Secretly Rosie Strange has always thought herself a little bit more interesting than most people – the legacy her family has bequeathed her is definitely so, she’s long believed. But then life takes a peculiar turn when the Strange legacy turns out not just to be the Essex Witch Museum, but perhaps some otherworldly gifts that Rosie finds difficult to fathom. Meanwhile Sam Stone, Rosie’s curator, is oddly distracted as breadcrumb clues into what happened to his missing younger brother and other abducted boys from the past are poised to lead him and Rosie deep into a dark wood where there lurks something far scarier than Hansel and Gretel’s witch… Praise for the Essex Witch Museum Mysteries: ‘I gleefully submitted to a tale of witchcraft, feminism, mysterious strangers, historical atrocities, plucky heroines and ghastly apparitions – and came away more proud than ever to be an Essex girl.’ Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent ‘Confident, down-to-earth Essex girl Rosie is an appealing character, and there is plenty of spooky fun in this spirited genre mashup.’ Guardian

The fourth instalment in Syd Moore's spooktacular witch detective series Halloween in Essex and the Mystery and Suspense creative writing course at old Ratchette Hall is off to a satisfyingly creepy start. But things take a turn for the worse when the course administrator is discovered dead, clutching a marble finger to his chest. For why would anyone, undead or alive, want to kill mild-mannered Graham? Luckily Rosie Strange and Sam Stone are on the case. Soon, however, they are digging up more questions than answers: who are the unearthly howls emanating from neighbouring Witch Wood every night? How has a stone crusader, on display in the church, managed to lose a finger? And, more sinister yet, why is one of the tombs missing a corpse?

Ever wonder where some of our unique and meaningful Christmas traditions come from? Why are red and green popular colors of the season? Why is exchanging gifts a family tradition? Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas reveals the people, places, and events that shaped the best-loved customs of this merriest of holidays and how they all point to Christ. Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas includes insights about: Gift giving Christmas trees Caroling Nativity scenes Yule logs Stockings Advent wreaths Mistletoe Holly, and more! This is the perfect gift to infuse your celebration with spiritual insights, true-life tales, and captivating legends to intrigue you and your family. Bring new luster and depth to your modern traditions while you celebrate Jesus' birth. The traditions of Christmas lend beauty, awe, and hope to the holiday, causing people all over the world to anticipate it with joy. Warm your heart as you rediscover the true and eternal significance of Christmas.

Stories are the stuff of life--and everyone loves a story. How better to learn about our faith than through brief anecdotes followed by to-the-point reflections! Here Father John Hillier offers 425 such "anecdotes and Scripture notes" about topics of deep relevance for Catholic spirituality today: discipleship, conversion, adversity, conflict, prejudice, perseverance, tragedy, courage, and compassion. His reflections offer a Catholic "take" on a multitude of human experiences and thus are informative as well as enjoyable to read. His hope is that through these stories and reflections readers will be inspired to spend more time in prayer and reflection.

Learn about the history of the Twelve Days of Christmas with iMindsJNR learning series for younger minds. For many, Christmas is not just a time of year but a whole period of festivities. You may have heard someone say that there are twelve days of Christmas. But did you know that they refer to the days after Christmas and not the days leading up to it? The first day of Christmas is 25 December. It is when the major Christmas celebrations take place and the birth of Jesus is officially celebrated. The day after Christmas is also a public holiday in many countries. In the UK, Australia, Canada and many other places it is known as Boxing Day. This is because in the Middle Ages alms boxes were placed in churches to collect money for the poor. It has nothing to do with boxing at all! Boxing Day is also known as St Stephen's Day and is the day when people remember St Stephen who was the first Christian martyr. iMindsJNR offers 6 main categories for ages 7-14years including General Knowledge, Geography & Nature, Famous People, Science & Maths, The Arts and History. Clear, concise and engaging, open young minds to a love of learning. iMinds unique fast-learning products as seen in the Financial Times, Wired, Vogue, Robb Report, Sky News, LA Times, Mashable and many others. the future of general knowledge acquisition.

Whether they're decorating Easter trees or celebrating Wagner's birthday by playing recordings of his Ring cycle operas and incinerating a model of Valhalla on an outdoor barbecue to the closing strains of "Gotterdämerung," Americans know both how to create and how to celebrate holidays. Jack Santino's guide to such frivolity is a wonderfully readable exploration of holidays, periods of festivity, and life-cycle rituals and celebrations. Santino draws on history, anthropology, popular culture, and folklore to show the intricate relationships between holidays and the roles that celebrations and rituals play in people's lives.

This carefully edited collection has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Contents: A Christmas Inspiration and Other Stories (Lucy Maud Montgomery) Old Father Christmas (Juliana Horatia Ewing) A Letter from Santa Claus (Mark Twain) A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories (Louisa May Alcott) The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry) The First Christmas Of New England (Harriet Beecher Stowe) The Holy Night (Selma Lagerlöf) Christmas At Sea (Robert Louis Stevenson) The Little City of Hope (F. Marion Crawford) Christmas in the Olden Time (Walter Scott) Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (L. Frank Baum) The Twelve Days of Christmas Silent Night Where Love Is, God Is (Leo Tolstoy) Ring Out, Wild Bells (Alfred Lord Tennyson) Christmas with Grandma Elsie (Martha Finley) Little Lord Fauntleroy (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Christmas at Thompson Hall (Anthony Trollope) Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) The Christmas Angel (Abbie Farwell Brown) Black Beauty (Anna Sewell) Christmas In India (Rudyard Kipling) The Christmas Child (Hesba Stretton) Granny's Wonderful Chair (Frances Browne) The Romance of a Christmas Card (Kate Douglas Wiggin) Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame) The Birds' Christmas Carol (Kate Douglas Wiggin) The Wonderful Life - Story of the life and death of our Lord (Hesba Stretton) Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe (Elizabeth Harrison) Peter Pan and Wendy (J. M. Barrie) The Wonderful Wizard of OZ (L. Frank Baum) The Christmas Angel (Abbie Farwell Brown) The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter) Toinette and the Elves (Susan Coolidge) The Heavenly Christmas Tree (Fyodor Dostoevsky) At the Back of the North Wind (George MacDonald) Thurlow's Christmas Story (John Kendrick Bangs) Christmas Every Day (William Dean Howells) The Lost Word (Henry van Dyke) The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (E. T. A. Hoffmann)…