One Evening a Year

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What do you want for Christmas? True love? A little brother? World peace? How about an alien abduction, or a vacation to someplace exotic, like the planet of kamikaze death spider?

You never know what Santa will bring you, and that's part of the fun. One evening a year, an award-winning group of writers known as the "Wordos" surprise each other with holiday tales. Here, collected for the first time, are 22 of those tantalizing gifts to pique your curiosity. Unwrap them slowly, and watch out for surprises. Is that one ticking?

iii • Title Page • interior artwork by Daniel Conan Young
viii • Foreword • interior artwork by Daniel Conan Young
viii • Foreword • essay by Daniel Conan Young
1 • Little Brother • short story by Bruce Holland Rogers
4 • Daniel's Wagon • short story by Eric M. Witchey
8 • Ceba's Holiday • short story by Diana Blackmon
10 • Peace on Earth • • short story by Jerry Oltion
13 • Bold Lantern • short story by Stephen Stanley
16 • Home for the Holidays • short story by Amy Axt Hanson
19 • I Saw Three Ships • short story by Ken Brady [as by Kenneth Brady]
23 • The S-Files • • short story by David Bischoff
26 • The Lion • short story by Blake Hutchins
29 • Grandma's Devilishly Desirable Eggs • short story by Kathy Oltion
32 • Ebenezer's Gambit • short story by Ted Stetson
34 • Their First Christmas • short story by Christina F. York
37 • Dark Angels of Christmas • short story by A. E. Roberts
40 • The Wereyam • • short story by Kent Patterson
42 • The Numinae • short story by Daniel Conan Young
45 • Top Ten Worst/Best Things About Being Santa Claus • short story by Jerry M. Wolfe
46 • A Holiday Junket • • short story by Ray Vukcevich
49 • Valentines • • short story by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
51 • Many Happy Returns • short story by Devon Monk
54 • Crash of Faith • short story by Damien Filer
56 • Santa's Night Out • short story by Leslie What
60 • Recall • short story by Rob Vagle